OK, so the actions of one person DO make a difference

I already posted once this morning, but after attending the devotions at the Baha'i Center today, which were really more of a discussion than prayers, my mind began reeling on ways to be more mindful of the ways my actions impact the environment.

The session this morning was called, "Ecology, Spirituality and Ethics". I have long been a person who cares about the state of the world, including the physical earth and its inhabitants. I can pinpoint the moment when I first became aware that actions I take can affect people and places both near and far from me. I worked with a woman named Sue who I learned was a vegetarian and upon further investigation found she was vegetarian for ethical reasons as opposed to dietary/health reasons, although I am sure that was still part of it for her. Because of Sue I read a book by Frances Moore Lappe called Diet for a Small Planet. This was 1978 or 79 I think (I guess my pinpoint abilities are not that great after all). This was the beginning of a new lifestyle and way of thinking for me. I have gone through many evolutions in the vein of caring for...well...life I guess.

But for now, I will skip all of those and come to today. My great idea that I am pretty sure I won't be able to implement, but I am putting out the vibes so maybe someone will and if money is made from it, then perhaps the person who gets rich or gets the credit will be humble and generous. Here is my idea...

First, I need to give some background info. I already use cloth shopping bags for almost any shopping I have to do. Every once in a while I forget to throw them in the car, but I try to carry one or two compact ones in my purse at all times. So, recently I heard a statistic that one of the "earth friendly" stores in our area goes through 1,000 paper cups a day. That is in just one store. They carry this really great dessert I like called chocolate truffle torte (in mint or orange depending on the day). If I want a piece of it to buy they put it in a clear plastic #1 container with a lid. Sure I can recycle it, but one day I saw a guy come in to the store and bring his own container for the deli item he was purchasing and, though I have done that before when I was a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher at the health food bulk bins, I hadn't thought to do it at a deli. So I decided that any time I want to get a dessert there I need to bring a container for it instead of getting a brand new piece of plastic that was made from oil to put it in. If nothing else it would keep me from eating too much dessert. :)

I wash the container when I get home and put it in my car so that when I go to that store I can buy that dessert without feeling like I am negatively impacting the environment.

Which brings me to today. I was remembering that one of the things the No Impact Man did to not leave a footprint was to stop eating out. Well he didn't even go to sit down restaurants with washable dishes for several reasons, but for my purposes I am going to limit my idea to fast food restaurants. Other than just frequenting them less here is my idea

....the collective needs to invent a type of dish that is lightweight and washable, preferably not plastic or aluminum, that you can bring to a restaurant when you want to order food. You say to yourself, "What about sanitation?" Well, the idea is you bring in your dishes, they take them like a deposit on the clean ones that will come with your food or drink purchase. The restaurant will sanitize them and reuse them. So, when you get your food you eat it and either turn it in to a resturant for credit (if you can't hang onto it for some reason) or just bring it back with you next time.

It is possible that fast food restaurants will have to standardize dishes so they can be used at different places and you don't have to return the dishes from one place to the same place.

OR they could set up the system to where you just hold out a clean plate or box or wrapper to them of your own and they just put it in there.

It probably sounds pretty silly in some ways, but that is because we have gotten so used to it that we don't think anything about throwing away tons of paper, plastic and styrofoam from all the eating out we do.

I hear Starbucks will fill up your own glass or cup if you ask them and maybe even give you a discount. Lots of places could do that. Where there is a will there is a way. How do we get people and corporations to get into the swing of this thinking? First of all, we just talk about it with everyone. Share with each other the ways we save resources. Our planet does not have infinite resources. It's a fact!

If you have any other ideas, please share them here. One person, Sue, changed me and I know that my actions have affected others and it builds. ONE person CAN make a difference!