Advertisement

Related Articles

• Carrot Soup with Cucumber Pistachio Relish
• How to Get Motivated : 4 NLP Techniques that Work!
• Setting New Years Resolutions and Sticking with Them!
• Positive Affirmation for a Powerful Present and Future!
• Win with your Intuition
• How Fish Oil Benefits The Heart
• Green Tea Health Benefits
• Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Ways to Stay Happy in Your Fitness Workout
• A Guide to a Proper Diet Plan: What is Eating Healthy?

By: Lianda Swain

 

I've been paper towel-less for 2 weeks now and it's easier than I thought!

This past Christmas, my sister Malinda, a beautiful, eco-friendly healer and artist, was visiting us from her hometown in Australia.  One morning, as we were eating delicious Ezkiel raisin toast with almond butter and banana, she watched as I went to grab my fifth or sixth paper towel and said, " Wow, you guys use a lot of paper towels!"

My initial reaction was one of defense. I'm pretty sure I quickly contested " No we don't!"
And then, sure enough, as the day passed by, my awareness of how many paper towels I used and the unnecessary moments I used them for, grew bigger and bigger and bigger. (Cue the "Aha" moment) She was right.

I was barreling through paper towels (PT) like it was my job! I used them for everything, even the teeniest tiniest spills that literally took up a small spot on the towel and then I would, without any thought or reflection, toss the PT in the garbage. What a waste! And yet I still wasn't making any changes in my lifestyle to change my behavior, even with this massive awareness. "Um, Earth to Lianda, come in Lianda, do you hear me?!"

I could just hear the trees crying out saying, in a deep slow-motion tone " Don't dooo it," every time I reached for one. Why was I NOT making the change that I knew I needed to make?
A few reasons: #1. Convenience. It's easy to spin a piece of paper towel off of the roll.
And, they are disposable - no need to wash or dry them. A simple 1 -2 step. Boy was I stuck in a "HA-BIT!"

#2. Even though my "natural sense," was saying this was harmful to the planet, I did not know exactly how much damage it was doing. I didn't have the information, the knowledge. So there must have been a small part of me that was not convinced … or, just making excuses, excuses, excuses.

When I received word that Miranda was to be the global ambassador for Earth Hour this year, I was so excited to put my own dare into action. I hoped it would finally kick my own butt into eco-gear and inspire me to stop my use of PT's.
So, what's the dare you ask?

"I will dance for 12 hours, if you will NOT use paper towels for 1 whole week!" That's right, 12 hours! Are you game?

Here's my challenge: http://youtu.be/2oxntq8vq6U

12 hours is a loooong time, but I'm excited and prepared to shake my booty to all different types of music based on your dance suggestions, if YOU give our planet some love and extended life by not reaching for the roll.

It's been 2 weeks since I put my own challenge to the test and I'm excited to report that I'm doing it. I'm actually following through as opposed to previous times when I would stop for a few days and slip back into old habits.

So what made the difference? Why am I following through now? Because I educated myself and I challenged you and me together. What a wonderful connective experience it is to engage in an action that will serve everyone on Earth, with everyone on Earth who decides to pick up the rag instead of the towel. We unite and preserve apart of ourselves by doing this. J
This is how…

Did you know that according to the NRDC, 544,000 trees would be saved if we used ONE less roll of papers towels? *

Did you know that paper towels make up the second-largest product in the "tissue market," second only to toilet paper?

How about the fact that they cost us several thousand dollars over the course of a few years?

Yea, either did I! I also read that washing a wash cloth takes up less energy than the process used to actually make the paper towels themselves – this includes, dying, chemical treatment, and more.

There is one big beautiful tree that overlooks my roof. It has a strong sturdy trunk, a beautiful core, and then branches out like a dancer gracefully extending it's multiple arms and legs into the sky, spreading it's vein-like fingers that disperse into smaller and smaller pieces as the branches extend higher. This tree is a powerful presence. I call him Arthur.

Last week I walked onto my roof, faced Arthur, took a deep breathe in, and asked if I could connect with his energy. Instantly I felt a warm embrace and I smiled. I asked Arthur what he would like all of us to know about him, his family, the Earth. This is what he relayed to me …

" We are strong and sturdy. We give into the change of the seasons, we let our leaves fall when we no longer need them, and we allow them to grow when new life arrives. We are here to be an example, to show you how to have a strong foundation, a strong core, and how to be flexible, how to branch out and try new things all the while trusting that your inner core, your foundation will keep you standing. We are here for your protection, for you to experience our natural beauty, to give you shade, to be your friend when you need someone to lean on ( literally J ), we are your confidant. Talk with us, talk with nature, we are always talking to you, we love you and want to share our life force with you."

After I felt this message, I felt an overwhelming realization that these trees have been growing for tens to hundreds of years! They have withstood all types of weather, to stand strong for all of us. And with a single swipe of a paper towel, we potentially are taking the life of a tree that's still growing, teaching, and educating us on how to live in the flow of life. It had been a while since I saw this perspective and so I was grateful that wise old Arthur gave us this message. It's time to listen up!

The good news is, we can save trees. We can allow them to grow, to teach, to protect, to support, and to exude beauty in all different phases.

How?

By simply switching to a towel, a wash rag. Towels and wash rags to the rescue!

They are inexpensive, easy to use, and readily available. All you have to do is make the switch.

It may be an adjustment at first as it was for me, I had to re-route myself a few times from walking to the paper towel location in the kitchen, and instead, going for the wash cloth. Making the switch also caught me off guard in public restrooms. For situations like that, I've been giving my hands the shake-down and air-dry – hand dancing we could call it. J

Trees are alive. When they get cut down, so does a tiny part of us.

 

We are all connected. So, make the simple move to using a wash rag instead of a paper towel, and keep a beautiful part of yourself in tact, alive, and emanating brilliant life and light!

 

PS: There will be times when that super messy mess happens and a paper towel is just the thing you need because some messes are just better to throw away then clean up, if you know what I mean ( ahem, pets, etc). In that case, invest in recycled paper towels. According to Ideal Bite, "For every ton of 100% recycled paper that is bought, about 4000kWh of energy and 7,000 gallons of water are saved. It also avoids releasing 60 lbs of pollutants into the air."

Sounds like a better deal to me!