{"id":12733,"date":"2023-12-28T12:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T20:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/?p=12733"},"modified":"2023-12-29T16:15:33","modified_gmt":"2023-12-30T00:15:33","slug":"practicing-earth-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/2023\/12\/28\/practicing-earth-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Practicing Earth Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I began to think about themes for the year ahead, I wanted to explore what sustainability or \u201cearth care\u201d throughout my life would, or could, look like.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Connie McOsker. (photo: Reverend Amanda)<\/p><\/div>\n

Someone who has made earth care a priority and theme in her own life is Connie McOsker \u2014 also known as taiko drum facilitator, Garden Church trash bin sorter (and pastor), and deep environmentalist \u2014 who is also married to LA City Councilmember for the One-Five (District 15), Tim McOsker.<\/p>\n

Connie describes herself as \u201cone person with some extreme practices.\u201d She further explains that, while one person cannot save the earth alone, she understands that we can have (more) complete control over our behavior \u2014 and how that relates to our earth.<\/p>\n

You may be wondering what earth care has to do with what we usually chat about in this column, \u201cpeople care.\u201d But I assure you that the same values that inspire and ground us in caring for humans inherently extend to community care and earth care \u2014 the value that there is something bigger than ourselves. Producing as close to zero waste as possible is Connie\u2019s everyday goal. So, let\u2019s dive in to learn how she reduces her environmental footprint.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always in awe of your commitment to producing zero waste. When did you realize you needed to live an \u2018earth care\u2019 lifestyle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around the 5th grade, I joined the ecology club at my school. It was there during those meetings and activities that my awareness took root and grew. It was through that experience that I really understood how one person can make a significant impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an adult, especially as parents raising five kids, our family tries to be intentional about all aspects of our lives. So yes, that meant cloth diapers. Convenience is great, but often, the consequence of convenience is harmful to our environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some misconceptions you\u2019d like to clear up?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the most common practice and misconception around \u2014 recycling (specifically in the City of LA). Only about nine percent of what we place in the blue bin actually gets recycled. Many items we think are recyclable aren\u2019t. The best way to recognize what can and can\u2019t be recycled as far as plastic is by looking for the number in the middle of the triangle on items. Number 1 (most water and soda bottles), number 2 (milk and detergent containers), and number 5 (yogurt containers) plastic categories are accepted by most recyclers, while numbers 3, 6, and 7 aren\u2019t recyclable at this time and not accepted by recyclers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s chat about those City of LA green bins for your \u201corganic\u201d waste. While primarily for your food and yard waste \u2014 paper food containers (non-plastic) can go in these green bins, like pizza boxes. Other things like greasy napkins and wooden chopsticks can also be chucked in. What you don\u2019t want to throw in the green bins is any plastic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some simple changes we can make?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t try to change everything about your habits all at once. Try changing one thing, get comfortable with that, and then look for something else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the first steps we can take is to try and be a good refrigerator monitor. The fridge is where a lot of waste happens, so start there. Don\u2019t over-buy. Put things in the freezer before they go bad. Another practice I follow is asking for no ice when served water. Ice often gets left in glasses and thrown away, wasting valuable water. It sounds small, but all of these things add up! And please [avoid using] straws.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t shy away from being the one who tries to alter convention. A good example of this is dry cleaner plastic bags \u2014 they are so excessive. After being told clothes had to have some protection, I requested using a cloth wrap instead. It took a little brainstorming and collaboration, but we found an alternative to accomplish the same result \u2014 reducing our waste.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You are also pretty infamous for bringing your own reusable utensils and even plates and cups to events. What\u2019s the reasoning for that practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At some point, I started keeping the trash I generated with me all day. This practice created a level of awareness of how much waste I was producing. I got to thinking: What if there was no sanitization department? Where would I dump all of this trash? There needs to be an intentional shift to care about something bigger than yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

______________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Recently, Connie volunteered at a Day of Thanks event for service providers hosted by the nonprofit, Harbor Connects. At the event, attended by about 100 people, the amount of waste was less than a bag (see picture). Everyone received reusable utensils and water bottles. Everything else went to compost or went to recycling. While she took charge at this event (and many similar events), it is clearly possible to accomplish these goals, individually and collectively.<\/p>\n

Connie is also very active at The Garden Church on 6th Street in Downtown San Pedro. In 2022, they processed over 9,200 pounds of compost and returned it to the earth to grow more. Gardening compostables include organic waste without oils, meat, or dairy (which differs from the City of LA\u2019s organic waste). You can reach out to Connie directly to learn more or ask questions. Her email is pastor@gardenchurchsp.org.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These changes, small and large, add up to a better cared-for earth \u2014 and community. If I could have one outcome of this column, it would be to move us all towards thinking about \u2014 and impacting \u2014 things greater than ourselves: humans outside of our family\/immediate orbit\u2026 our community\u2026 our earth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How might you implement a new earth care practice? Let me know what you think at info@sheikhimpact.com<\/a>. spt<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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