 Let your capital be simplicity and contentment. Henry David Thoreau |
THE SURROUNDING WASTE
Waste. It is everywhere. It almost defines our way of living.
Consider this: 40 percent of food supplies are thrown away
each year in the U.S., according to the United Nations Environment
Programme; 200 billion bottles of water are discarded each year
globally. It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a
landfill.
Waste shows up in the unending stream of free-gifts that companies
and organizations of all kinds -- from Vogue magazine to the Nature
Conservancy -- offer people in exchange for a donation or signing
up for a product or a service. As if there weren't enough caps, key
chains, t-shirts, totes or cheaply made purses (a Vogue specialty)
in the world!
Along with the material waste that characterizes our daily life,
there is the waste of money, precious financial resources that
could change lives for so many if only funds were used properly.
Consider the American Red Cross.
In the aftermath of the calamitous earthquake that killed hundreds of
thousands in Haiti and left many more homeless, the Red Cross
raised half a billion dollars in donations, enough money to make a
considerable difference in that poor, beleaguered nation. Yet,
according to a story published in June by the Miami Herald, "the
charity has broken promises, squandered donations, and made
dubious claims of success."
The Red Cross promised to build homes for more than
130,000 people but, said the newspaper, the actual number of
permanent homes built were six.
In response, the Red Cross claims to have carried out more
than 100 projects, including "repairing 4,000 homes, giving
several thousand families temporary shelters, donating
$44 million for food after the earthquake, and helping
fund the construction of a hospital."
According to the Miami Herald, the Red Cross declined to
provide information on specific projects, the money allocated
to individual projects and the outcome of each initiative.
The organization's public reports "offer only broad categories
about where $488 million in donations has gone. The biggest
category is shelter, at about $170 million, according to the
newspaper. Others include health, emergency relief and disaster
preparedness.
Transparency is paramount to any organization that collects
money for charitable activities; unwillingness or inability to
provide tangible proof for the use of public donations should
give pause to any donor or potential donor. And when an
organization mishandles the public trust, then it is time for
the sensible donor to choose another charity.
No need to waste your money.
(To read story go to www.miamiherald.com
and search for haiti and red cross)
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| Vacant house, vivid dreams
Spotted outside an empty building
on Dos Hermanos St.
near the Santurce Market
|
VENTANA AL MAR
WELCOMES LOCALS & TOURISTS
IF IT'S THE FIRST OF THE MONTH and you're in San Juan,
head over to the Ventana al Mar in Condado where the Urban
Market holds court beneath a giant white tent.
Here you will find a wide variety of products made by local
small businesses: costume jewelry, specialty sunglasses, Puerto
Rican cigars, beauty care products like soaps and creams, sweets,
breads, produce, dolls and t-shrits, local food specialties.
One popular stop was a popsicle stand featuring a rainbow of
delicious fruit and ice cream flavors.
The July 5th marketplace was lively and well attended,
with tourists flocking to get a taste of the local color.
This time around there was only one kiosk devoted to
farm products but its colorful stand was packed with all
the richness of Puerto Rico's land: tomatoes, cucumbers,
cooking peppers and "aji dulce," hybrid avocados, watermelons,
eggplants, batatas, mangos, lemons, bananas.
A feast for the eye!
THIS CANNABIS IS LEGAL
THIS CANNABIS will not make you high but will boost your
daily protein intake in a tasty way. Two tablespoons of this powder
in your favorite smoothy, shake or yogurt is equivalent to six grams
of protein from the seeds of the Cannabis Sativa plant. Hemp
seeds are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, essential for good
body health.
Incidentally, Cannabis Sativa, also known as hemp and one of the
oldest domesticated plants, is pretty amazing: its stalk and seeds
can be used to make textiles, food, paper, body care products, detergent,
plastics, even building materials. As for marijuana, it derives from
the dried flowers and leaves of the female cannabis plant.
In San Juan, this protein powder is available for $13.99 at Freshmart
in Condado.
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| The only things that are important in life are the things you remember. Jean Renoir |
© 2015 Lorraine Blasor, all rights reserved ✄
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