COLLECTION

“Earth Protection is Scientists’ Jobs”

I heard of these types of comments a lot, earth conservation is a distant thing, it’s an ambitious goal for “common” people to do.

At a certain degree, yes, a decisive move in Earth preservation such as “Clean Power Plan” or “New alternative clean fuel” is usually made by politicians and scientists, but these policies and products eventually are made for the people instead of that 5% of the population; the ultimate determination still lays in “common” people’s hands.

Considerable eco-friendly options, products, resources are created by many, but because the public does not pay attention or because they are lack of advocacy, numerous designs fade away from our sight.

This is one reason that I create this “Collection” section, since I want to share those ideas and projects, my collections, that are attainable by the public with everyone.
Without further ado, here’s my list(I will keep this updated):

  • Ecosia search engine: search engine such as google makes money by trading users’ information with advertisement companies. Ecosia search engine dose the same thing but donate over 30% of the income to plant trees around the world. There is detailed information about their legitimacy, plans and achievement in their website: https://blog.ecosia.org/tag/projects/. Though to be fair, google as the main search engine Inc. absolutely has it’s advantages, whether the web arrangement or information and image collection are the optimized among most search engine. I usually set Ecosia as the default search engine in Firefox but I open several google tabs at the same time… problem solved😂
  • Time yourself as taking a shower: This may sound ridiculous but I do this and it personally works out well. I have poor time management, spending 30 mins for shower was pretty common to me. By setting 3 or 5 mins alarm for a shower really save my time and water, even though I sometimes click “snooze”, I still spend less time than before(because there’s a sense of urgency when you know a alarm is going to set off soon 😂).
  • Use reusable water bottle, utensil, straws: because… come on, it’s a common sense now¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • Know the local recycling locations and policies: Only 13% of the global plastic are recycled. Knowing the local recycling policies help organizations to recycle things, it sometimes will save people money as well. I’m still working on this, it’s kind of hard to remember all the information.
  • Know the plastic: This should be a common sense, yet the majority are not using the right plastic, which sometimes can cause health issue. But, again, I’m still trying to familiarize with what types of plastic I’m using as there are a lot of memorization.
types of plastic, picture excerpted from: http://www.ethicalhuman.co/news/the-seven-types-of-plastic

—-YS Ding. 4/16/19

Check out this super neat lists of videos and articles collection from Natalie Stuewe 👏👏👏
Earthood Video And Article Archive By Natalie Stuewe

I will keep posting links to websites provided in the list on this page if you prefer to view them here.

—-N Stuewe 10/12/18

The Letter From Chief Seattle

I deeply remember that in my 4th grade Chinese textbook, we learned about Chief Seattle’s letter that was written to president Franklin Pierce. This letter was mind-blowing to me and still is. “Whatever befalls on earth befalls on the son of earth,” Chief Seattle’s vivid words inscribed in my head and influenced me considerably as it’s my initial inspiration of putting actions in earth protection since 4th grade. I hope his words can bring more people into environmental conservation. (Although Some people are skeptical to the authenticity (a few sources state it’s an undocumented speech), I think what matter are the words and ideas in this letter instead of whether Chief Seattle really said this or not).

Native American culture in general has always been absorbing to me, the respect, passion they have toward nature somehow brings me a peaceful while elate emotions like a sudden strong electricity goes through your brain (You know, sometimes you feel your heart is pounding and just want to cry 😂 and this is exactly how I felt after watching Avatar, which I think is the allusion of history between colonizers and Native Americans).

Here is one version I found of the letter:

Chief Seattle’s Letter

The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.

The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father.

The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.

If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother’s heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.

As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.

One thing we know – there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all.

Link to the original website of this version: A Letter From Chief Seattle 

———-YS Ding  10/13/18