Just for today, because it’s #WATWB day, I’m going to pretend my socially liberal, economically conservative, and environmental values are not imperiled now more than ever, that the Supreme Court is not about to swerve fervently to the right, that immigrant families will be treated with more kindness and less animosity, in addition to not being separated at the border, and that the Bill of Rights survives the ever-deepening and widening plutocratic state of the Union. Just for today.
And when I wake up tomorrow from my dream and realize that there’s still much work to do, I’ll have the following stories to keep me sane and centered. Thank God for small miracles.
First. Picnicking this summer? Then read this story about how the EU is both banning plastic and creating a more robust market for recycled plastics in an effort to make the world a more sustainable place. Yay, EU!
Here’s another story about how India’s fisherman are pulling plastic out of the ocean and creating roads with the refuse. With help from a few government agencies and a bunch of local women, the boat owners in the fishing town of Kollam have started the first recycling center in the area. So far they’ve collected 71 tons of plastic! Go fish!
This month’s #WATWB co-hosts are Damyanti Biswas, Shilpa Garg, Mary J Melange, Dan Antion, and Simon Falk. Go check out their posts, and others on the link below.
Guidelines for spreading the good word are: be brief, post feel good stories to accentuate the positive, spread the word on social media with the #WATWB hastag, and join us by clicking here to enter your link.
Thanks for playing!
pjlazos 6.29.18
Green Life Blue Water 
Yes! There’s more we can do with garbage than just dumping it in a hole. I saw a video on….facebook, I think…anyway, about Sweden using their garbage to burn for electricity. They recycle whatever possible. So long as they watch the fume output, I think that’s a great idea! Who needs to go digging for coal with this bottomless resource of human waste?
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So true, Jean! My novel, “Oil and Water,” while a fictional story talks about the very real technology of converting trash into oil. Imagine if they really worked on that technology – how many problems it would solve.🎉
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I KNOW! Not to mention the job creation of getting that industry going. Too many old farts in power, I tell ya…
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😂😂😂 – waiting for the day there’s a yin-yang balance instead of all testosterone all the time.
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A few days ago, I was all about the heat, but now there are all these heat-related deaths in Canada, and I’m sad. Sorry for not reflecting positivity in this comment. Great articles, though!
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Thanks, Raimey. Sorry you’re all vaklempt! :0)
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And when there are heat-related deaths in Canada, how can the U.S. continue to deny climate change!😩
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Seems like these countries are way ahead of us. Feels like we are sinking and swimming backwards doesn’t it?
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It sure does, Michele. I wish I knew how we could turn it around.
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Plastic is a big hazard to environment and life on earth. We must truly banish it from our lives. Like EU, Mumbai in India has imposed a ban on manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of all plastic materials across the state. Thanks for sharing about Kerala fishermen and their efforts to save the ocean.
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Hi Shilpa. Wow, that’s a bold step, banning plastic. What do they use for a substitute?
Thanks for stopping by. Pam
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we were astounded by the amount of plastic used by airlines to feed us on long distance travel (returned home yesterday) – it was gross it all senses of the word and brought us up short. But great on all initiatives that help in the clean up and we as individuals can do our best to reduce the use of plastic. Thanks Pam …
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I know, Susan. It’s astounding, the amount of waste. I guess in airlines defense, that it’s needed for sanitary and transportation reasons, but it’s still a bit much.
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I love good news. It’s in short supply
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Here here, Robyn!🤓
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HI PJ – there has to be many more of us, people like us, than a few of them high’nmighty peeps: we’ll get our acts into gear and move past this period in history – the youngsters will I’m sure.
However it is summer – though not sure what’s happening up here .. mist and gloom! Take care and let’s help make the nightmare go away.
Communities are great .. .they will gather together and work towards helping their own areas – excellent to see these two examples … thanks – Hilary
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Ah, Hilary, you are ever a bright ray of sunshine. 🌞 ☀️ Thank you for your constant optimism.❤️
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Thanks for the follow, pj. (That’s a good Irish forename, by the way!)
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Haha – and I’m Greek and Italian!
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These are very inspiring stories. I certain wish the U.S. would get on board with banning single use plastics. I was confounded when I discovered just how much waste this causes, and seeing how much ends up in our oceans is exponentially heart-breaking. Kudos to the people of Kollom and all their co-operative efforts to tackle this huge problem.
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While we can barley get our act together with wind and solar! Yes, kudos to them.🙏
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Both great news, I’m so so happy to see more and more of these from all over the world!
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Thanks, Miss Andi.
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Summertime…and the living is easy…. Fish are swimming…
Saying now more except that this is a fabulous post and your first picture reminded me of ‘Umbrella St’ in Rhodes an island which we passed through to get to Tilos. Yep, despite having no raid they had a street there that only sold umbrellas…..
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Haha! And this was a street in Galway where despite having lots of rain they chose to hang their umbrellas from wires!😂
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Amazing the quirkiness of people. I bought an umbrella in Rhodes cos it was so gorgeous.
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Maybe that umbrella was really a parasol for the sun. You can use it as a prop in the Mr’s next play!😜
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we used one of the other umbrellas from that street this time round and last in the Romans got peed with out weather…it even said Italia on it. Need to get anew one for next time seeing as we broke it….
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😂😂😂
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I like what you have done here, Pam. Let’s hope it will help clean up our world for us and those who come after us. Thanks so much for your faithful support of our WATWB.
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Thanks, Simon.🤓
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”I had a dream.”
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And then it became a nightmare!😩😤🤯
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