Artist Sherry Levine said it best with her pithy maxim: "I buy, therefore I am." Consumerism is the way of the world. In the U.S., it is the economy's main prop, contributing no less than 70% of the nation's GNP. How ironic, then, that the very same consumerist way that sustains our economy is simultaneously wreaking havoc on planet Earth.
Global warming, the depletion of fish stocks in the oceans, the deforestation of forests, the contamination of land and water sources. The list is long and depressing. All these ills are sure to change life as we know it in coming years. No pretty picture of the future. As human beings and consumers we have an inherent responsibility to the planet that serves as our home. As the planet goes, so do we.
We need to be more discerning, less frivolous consumers. Buy what we need, instead of buying willy-nilly at the slightest excuse. Buy judiciously, choosing products that will offer if not a life-time of service, at least a good many years of it. If you tire of an item, don't just throw it away; find out if someone else needs it, hold a swap meet with a bunch of your friends, or pass it along to a charitable organization, like the Salvation Army. Idem for clothing.
When you can, buy fair-trade, meaning that the people who manufactured a product or put it together or worked on it receive a decent living wage. Support local farming. When shopping for produce, go for products that are grown right here on the island. You've heard about reducing your carbon footprint, well, this is one way of doing it. Produce that is grown locally doesn't need to be imported from faraway locales at a hefty expenditure for oil-guzzling transportation alternatives. Besides, the avocados, papayas, mangos, tomatoes, lettuce, lettuce grown in Puerto Rico are THE BEST IN THE WORLD! Earlier this year, Supermax introduced a fine, locally grown spinach. More recently, the supermarket chain added bagged arugula and mesclun, both excellent and also locally produced.
The ascetic life may not be for everyone and admittedly, there are times when a particular purchase goes a long way toward restoring our personal sense of wellbeing. But it doesn't need to be a brand new thing. Scouring thrift stores, for example, can be one of the most fun things to do, especially if you score a great find like a beautiful china cup for $1. Too bad that thrift stores are not popular in Puerto Rico as they are an excellent way of recycling a lot of goods that will otherwise end up in a garbage dump.
HEALTHY PAINTS FOR HOME OR BUSINESS
Turns out that humans or animals are not the only ones that exhale. Walls do too.
Regular paint, when applied to a wall, gives off fumes that can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, which is why spaces are vacated until the paint is completely dry. It doesn't stop there. For a long time afterwards, paint releases low level toxic emissions into the air because of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used to boost the performance of the product.
New environmental regulations have spurred paint manufacturers to develop new paints and finishes with either zero VOCs (which actually means the VOC content is five grams or less per liter) or low VOCs, i.e., a content of no more than 200 g/l though the recommended threshold is 50 g/l .
Even better are the natural paints and finishes now available which contain natural ingredients, ranging from plant oils, resins and minerals like clay to substances such as bees' wax and essential oils. Natural paints can be water or oil-based and emit very low odor.
Stateside consumers have, of course, a much broader selection of green paint options to choose from. Look up eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm for a list of companies offering natural, zero and low-VOC paints.
Green paints are also available in Puerto Rico and, while the market is still young, designers and architects are turning to them for their projects, according to Eddy Pepen, city manager of Sherwin Williams in Puerto Rico.
Pepen said low or zero VOCs paints are ideal for businesses that cannot afford to paralyze their operations when painting up their facilities, such as hospitals and care centers for children or the elderly. Another segment of the market is consumers addressing specific health needs. These include women who are pregnant or people suffering from asthma and allergies, according to Roberto Hernandez, vice president of Designer's Paint Corp., distributors of Benjamin Moore products in Puerto Rico where sprucing up the home with a new coat of paint is traditional at this time of year. In fact, the period between Oct. 15 -Nov. 15 accounts for about 30 percent of the island's $300 million in yearly paint sales, he said.
Benjamin Moore offers different green products, including two water-based, low-odor paints with zero VOCs: Natura and Eco Spec. The company also offers a low VOC paint line called Aura (under 45 g/l) that features a patented color block system for brighter colors as well as a Super Spec line with a VOC content under 50 g/l. These products, including a low-odor epoxy, are available to consumers at the company's stores in Guaynabo, Roosevelt Avenue in Hato Rey, and Caguas.
Sherwin Williams, with 30 stores islandwide, offers various products with a low VOC content (under 50 g/l) and the zero-VOCs Harmony line it introduced on the island two years ago, said Pepen.
Both Hernandez and Pepen extolled the quality and durability of green paints. Prices usually run 10 percent higher than for regular paints.
A SIMPLE TIP
Silver can lose its luster over time but a simple trick can help to restore it: All you need is soap and water. Add regular dish soap to water, heat it up in a pan, then transfer to a bowl. Soak the jewelry for a few minutes. Remove the item and buff it gently with a soft, clean rag. Voilá, almost like new.
"Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be." Marcus Aurelius
Duly Noted:
-- Goop, the weekly online newsletter launched by Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, covers health, food, travel, fashion and more. Contributors, in addition to Paltrow, are experts from many different fields and their information is always interesting and useful. To subscribe go to Goop.com.
-- Making the transition from refined white carbohydrates to much healthier brown carbs (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) can be tough on some people. If you love spaghetti, new products on supermarket shelves make this transition easier like Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest whole grain spaghetti and linguine. This very tasty pasta, a blend of whole wheat (whole grain flour) and semolina (refined durum wheat), contains 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving.
"BECOMING IS SUPERIOR TO BEING." Paul Klee
Editor's Note: Thanks to Jane Hogg, in New York, and Lorelei Albanese, in San Juan, for their input in my search for a blog name. In the end, it was Bill Santiago's suggestion that won out. Santiago, an outstanding standup comedian who took some time off recently to sit down and write a very funny book titled "Pardon My Spanglish," performs regularly. If you are in New York on Dec. 9 and Dec. 11, head over to El Museo del Barrio and see him live as he presents his latest mixed-media endeavor titled "The Funny of (Latin) Dance." Tickets are free but you must get reservations.
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