This is a topic that is dear to my heart. I write about environmental issues in my novels and on my blog.
Some of my tips are…
Recycling is great but it isn’t enough. If we are truly going to stop the desolation of the planet that sustains us then we will have to consume less and buy products that come in biodegradable packages. So I always buy laundry soap, dish soap, cat litter, etc. that comes in cardboard boxes. Cardboard (if not recycled) breaks down quickly in the earth and becomes nutritious plant food.
I.e. it’s good for the soil, unlike plastic that doesn’t breakdown quickly and it’s even toxic when recycled. Being exposed to heated plastic is very bad for people and the environment. This often causes people who work around melted plastic to become very ill. Avoid plastic whenever possible.
This maybe obvious but important: I carry a coffee mug and reusable grocery bags in my car. So if I want a coffee on the road I don’t have to throw away a disposable cup. I always have my own reusable water bottle on me. I’m very careful not to use disposable drinking bottles, cups, etc.
Aluminum is great, if recycled. It is the only commonly used packaging that does not loose volume when recycled. I.e. one aluminum can after being recycled makes an entirely new can, no loss or waste. So buy your soda’s, etc. in aluminum not plastic. You can also get paid for recycling aluminum (or any metals) at your local metal salvage yard.
Look into installing solar. Arizona has great programs. We just installed solar and it costs us $100/month. In the summer we can pay up to $530 in electricity (mostly AC). It’s hot here in the Sonoran Desert. The first month we installed solar (was in august, really HOT) our electric bill was $84. So the first month it saved us $346 (that’s $530-$184). And it gets better. In the winter, when the AC is not running we actually get a credit from the electrical company. So if we are smart with our power use our electrical company sends us a check at the end of the year.
Cha Ching!
Wait there’s more!
(Is this sounding like an infomercial?). When our solar system is paid off, in about 10 years, then we will have no electrical bill or we’ll get paid some for the solar we put into the grid.
Whoop! Whoop!
Oh and I almost forgot about the tax credit. We’ll get an extra $2,000 check the first year on our tax return. So yeah, get solar!
Finally, after you have solar, your next car should be electric. There are some great affordable options out there. Just think, no more oil changes, no more going to the gas station.
So to sum up…
1. Consume less
2. Avoid plastic
3. Carry reusable drinking containers and grocery bags
4. Aluminum is great (if recycled)
5. Look into Solar
6. Then your next car should be electric (powered by your solar)
Want a Free Book?
My first book, Of Lords and Commoners, is free for signing up to my newsletter @ futureclassicspublishing.com
Of Lords and Commoners Trilogy
Book One
Lynne Hill-Clark
Genre: paranormal, alternate history, fantasy,
fantasy adventure, dystopian, occult fiction
Publisher: Future Classics Publishing
Date of Publication: 2/22/2018
ISBN: 978-0997635645
Number of pages: 388
Word Count: 100,000
Cover Artist: We Got You Covered
Tagline: Entertainment that brings a fresh new perspective to cultural and social issues.
Book Description:
Over 20,000 Downloads
Vallachia doesn’t know much…
But she does know that she loves her simple life.
This becomes even more apparent when that life is ripped from her.
Who will care for her widowed father and younger brother?
But she doesn’t have time to worry about that when she has to learn how to keep herself alive.
Not to mention she has to constantly thwart unwanted male attention.
She quickly finds herself on the wrong side of a brewing battle for vampire domination.
Not knowing whom to trust could have fatal consequences …
For everyone.
Live through the latter part of the Byzantine Empire and into the dark times of the Black Plague, where our heroine finds herself fighting to defend humankind.
The only future Vallachia could have imagined, as well as her wonderfully simple life, disappears when she finds herself in a struggle to figure out the rules of a strange new world - a world that involves superhuman strength, heightened senses and inescapable bloodlust. She must make new allies and learn the ways of supernatural politics during the decline of the Byzantine Empire.
As the pressure mounts, she faces the deadliest pandemic in history as the battle for vampire domination rages across Europe.
This is the first installment of the Lords and Commoners Trilogy written from the viewpoint of a common girl forced to contend with powerful vampires and lords in a struggle to control the world.
Both history fanatics and supernatural fans will love this story as it provides a fresh new look at the dark days of the Black Plague and a glimpse into the paranormal conflicts that are hidden in the shadows.
Fair warning: It will leave you wanting more. So don’t forget to check out the other books in the Lords and Commoners Trilogy…
Meet the Author Video: https://youtu.be/hs1Gf42d2xo
Lynne Hill-Clark was born in Colorado and raised in a small town of eight hundred people. She received her Master of Science from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and her Doctorate of Psychology from the University of the Rockies, Colorado Springs, where she majored in criminology and justice studies. She has enjoyed living overseas on several occasions; including her time as an American Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan and a semester abroad in Xin Xeo, China. She is an advocate for Restorative Justice.
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