Plastics ultimately end up as litter, filling up landfills and obstructing water systems. Nonetheless, a great number of them eventually end up in the oceans. In fact, 60-80% of marine debris comes from plastic garbage. Because of this, over 1 million seabirds, 100,000 marine animals and innumerable fish are killed in the North Pacific every year since they usually ingest these plastics by accident. The presence of these indigestible materials in their digestive systems causes starvation and death.
According to recent studies, one ingredient, bisphenol A, which is used to manufacture hard polycarbonate plastics, may leak from food and drink containers if used regularly. Based on tests, the chemical may disrupt the endocrine system, promote the growth of some cancer cells and pose great threat to newborns and children.
Most plastics are made from petrochemicals and its dwindling supply accounts for oil price hikes. Petroleum has important uses such as in lighting, transport, factories, and more. According to statistics, around 100 billion plastic bags are used and thrown each year in the United States alone, and that is equivalent to 12 million barrels of oil. It goes without saying that it would be better if petroleum would be used for more relevant purposes other than the production of plastic bags.
Today I had an errand to run in a nearby larger town - a
working-class place; defined by industrial estates, a busy
shopping area and an airport on its outskirts. Surrounded by the
gentle rolling English countryside, it stands out harshly, like
the proverbial sore thumb.
Yet, on its south western edge, are the Downs - a surprisingly
high range of chalk hills. I thought my dog would love a good
run up there. Panting, and trudging through a mixture of cattle
trodden mud and dung up an incredibly steep hill, I already
regretted that misguided flash of inspiration. At the top, I
turned to take in the view, and was left breathless.
Not with joy and pleasure, but with repulsed disgust. Beneath me
a seemingly endless sprawl of tin warehouse roofs and dirty
cottage facades, interspersed in the distance not with trees,
but pylons, and run-down high rise apartments - all of this
ugliness tightly shackled by grey concrete bands, bursting with
incessant traffic seemingly heading nowhere. As if that weren’t
enough, the lorries and cars were creating a deafening racket,
together with the noise of concrete mixing machines, rubbish
trucks, cranes and the occasional siren somewhere in the smoggy
haze. Like a scene from a modern adaptation of Dante’s Inferno,
it made me wonder at man’s power to create ugliness in the midst
of beauty.
There I stood, almost immobilised by this unexpected assault on
my senses. But only for a moment; Cookie’s happy bounces and
playful, tail-wagging nudges tugged me right out of the doomsday
gloom of my thoughts. Watching her race downhill as fast as the
ball I threw flicked a switch in my mind and suddenly the world
was a beautiful place again.
With nothing but a shift in my attention I became aware of the
birdsong from the nearby shrubs, the pastel coloured catkins
waving gently at me in the early spring breeze. I noticed the
bizarre and beautiful shapes the clouds were sculpting against a
bright blue sky as the tender rays of sunshine kissed the back
of my neck.
And here I was, on top of the world feeling grateful for these
moments of beauty. Thankful for the insight and ability to see
what was hidden in the spaces between the ugly patches of what
we call civilisation.
It was then that I became aware again that we always have a
choice. Whether we know it or not, it is our decision to make a
day a great one, to create a horrendous experience or one of
personal growth. We have the power to decide whether we see the
ugly and hideous or the beauty in the little gaps in-between.
Every day we are faced with hundreds of choices and it is in our
minds that we create the kind of life we decide to live. Next
time you are in a situation that makes you angry, frustrated or
fearful, take a close look and you will most certainly find
that, hidden away in there somewhere, is the opportunity to turn
it into something great.
This is not to say that we shouldn’t try to change the world and
make it a more beautiful place. If I stay quiet and accept the
barbarism, then I too am guilty of abusing the beautiful
environment that is our birthright. But you will never change
the world if you cannot first change yourself. As Gandhi said,
become the change you want to see.
In our coaching work, whether with groups or individuals, we are
always amazed at how much more empowered and motivated people
feel once they truly understand the power of having a choice.
Even an ordinary affirmation can create huge changes when you
simply incorporate a choice. Often, it makes a statement more
believable.
Try this: think of an affirmation you would like to be true but
which isn’t quite yet. This could be something like; ‘I am
healthy and fit’, ‘I am wealthy’, ‘I am a perfect size ….’
etc… Now, change it to; ‘I choose to be healthy and fit’, ‘I
choose to be wealthy’, ‘I choose to be a perfect size…’.
Can you notice where the power is when you say that? It is
within you - all you need to do is make your choice. And from
the moment that you make the empowering, positive choices,
you’re well on your way to seeing and experiencing the beauty of
life.
Planting White Pine Trees an EZ to Grow Tree White pines.
Whenever I think of white pines, I remember hunting when I was a
kid and standing near trees that were giants. Now every pine
tree I plant, I can invision those days in the deep woods and
those grand trees and hope someone else will have that same
enjoyment. These trees will help you too in establish a desired
vision to your landscape.
Beyond their size, white pines also fill important ecological
niches. They grow across broad ranges of forest and urban
conditions, finding much of North America to their liking.
Whites pine transplant well which makes the a snap for beginners
to transplant. Follow a few simple guidelines and your planting
success will be high.
White Pine trees need protection from deer, disease, insects,
and competing weeds and shrubs. The better your weed control the
better your trees will grow. When seedlings are planted, it best
to plant them with large spacings to allow more light to the
plant. If these trees are planted in shade, they tend to be more
open. White pines are used around new construction because they
perform in a wide range of soil conditions. If you have
compacted soil from new construction, we suggest smaller trees
of 3-5′ height.
All people handling seedlings and small trees need to help with
the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of
water and need care which is often overlooked between the time
the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means
higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must
protect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well
as physical damage. Seedlings are living and should be handled
carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and
plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for
planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from
lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that
the soil conditions will not be right for an extended lenght of
time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in
a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees.
Keep the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees
need water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn’t damp,
water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool,
damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold.
Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either restricting
water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at
regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce
temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days
can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather.
Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will
make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good
planting conditions.
HOW TO PLANT
Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind.
If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should
be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed.
Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root
seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with
plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them
damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or
packed in ice or snow. Don’t freeze the trees. Competition from
weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to
survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this
competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot
before planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crown
of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush.
Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic
material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to
expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting
hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out
when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure
the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If
roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to
take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow
down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of your
planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed,
the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling
shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more
protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeable
openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to
help reduce water loss. If the roots apear dry they are probably
dead. Now I know you are thinking,”I will place them in a
buckect of water and store them there until planting”. This will
not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of
minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen.
Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized
tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is
to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in
place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully
extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in
the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots.
Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don’t crush the roots by
jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake
curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more
soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is
not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets
that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly
anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have
the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of
fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not
generally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing
will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get
more production from a limited area by over planting and then
thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting ….
digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion
of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:
Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets
Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that
are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting
over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds
CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be sure
that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by
mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments.
Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor before
using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in
application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your
trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or
other problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look for
foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of
poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action
if the problem is detected early.
Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You
probably won’t need to water more frequently than every 7-10
days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the
soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots
to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering
encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more
dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be a
major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice,
rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage.
In many states you may have to call your game commission and get
their recomendations on legal methods to protect your crop. In
our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill
deer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence
to keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we have
lost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits out
on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost more seedlings
and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and
rabbitts combined. You can see other articles written by Bill
Hirst about trees, plants, and shrubs at
http://www.zone5trees.com
http://seedlingsrus.com/Arborvitae.html
http://seedlingsrus.com/FreeFencing.html
http://seedlingsrus.com/Winter
http://zone5trees.com/PlantingInstructions.html
http://zone5trees.com/ProfitsGrowingTrees.html
