Pt.1 Mind Your Waste. Do Better Campaign Launch.
- Ariana Marshall
- Jul 6, 2016
- 3 min read
Mind your waste. The earth has weight.
In July we need to #dobetter. July means heat, we mean serious heat like climate changing heat. As of March 2016, the last 11 months were the hottest on global record!
Photo Credit - NASA/NOAA
July around the Caribbean and in the Caribbean diaspora also means Crop Over and other festival/carnivals.
What does that mean - we are drinking more, eating more (well unless you trying to squeeze into a costume) and generating more waste. If you are one of the people who stays to the end of the fete you know what I'm talking about when it comes to the waste. If you open up your eyes on the road for the jump, for the playing of mas or for the festival you will see what we are talking about. Even if you are not involved in any of these happenings, after these festivals the rate at which your household garbage is collected is affected by how much more garbage is generated elsewhere.
In spite of all of that we still want to enjoy our July and we want you to enjoy it too whatever you choose to do. We care about you though and we care about this here Caribbean we live in too. We've heard reports that the rising global temperatures have already made our chronic kidney disease issues worse, and since we are drinking more alcohol during the summer we are asking you to ~
MIND YOUR WASTE
Step 1. Drink.
Drink... more..... water. Just do it and stop counting in any other drink (juices/soda) other than water as your water intake.
Look at the colour of your pee - it is the best sign of how hydrated you are.
If you are drinking alcohol, remember the 1 to 1 ratio, for every cup of alcohol you drink - drink a cup of water afterwards. Even if you like to feel the alcohol in your head (soca songs encourage that and we understand) and you don't want to dilute your intoxication (and you are not driving), at the end of the night catch up with your water intake before you go to sleep. If you are being lazy, try and remember the last hangover to give you that extra push. Easy.
If you are not drinking alcohol - Use this calculator or the rule to drink between 0.5 oz to 1 oz of water for every pound you weigh.
Because it's summer and then there's this whole climate change thing happening it is a good idea to strive for the the upper end of your water needs (1 oz per lb).
I was never great on keeping track of my water intake but I sure knew when I was dehydrated. You know the signs? Headache, chapped lips, skin outbreaks/heat rashes, indigestion, foggy brain, exhaustion - and at the same time lack of water weakens your immune system. Summer is actually the prime time to amp of your immune system to fight all of the flu and vector borne viruses going around.
Rather than deal with your dehydration symptoms, it is so much easier to just decide to DRINK MORE WATER. Just pick up your reusable water bottle everyday and refill it at least 3 times during the day. I'm aiming for 6 times during the summer...because it felt like Summer in March round here so imagine what July and August will be like!
All of this drinking of water may just help us with making better waste decisions or just more patience with it all.
Drink, eat and enjoy your summer but please - Mind Your Waste.
<----- Crop Over in days gone by. In this image we have the author caught both drinking AND scarfing down a salt bread. Lovely. I too am trying to #dobetter..trying....
Why am I writing this? I am an environmental scientist by training, a solution artist in practice and am irritated by arrogant and careless litterbugs. Bug be gone. I like food as well.
Thanks for reading.
~ Ariana Marshall, Ph.D. Better Caribbean Managing Director and Consultant
Comments