LOCAL EXCURSION

An unplanned visit for a special surprise… Mori No Machi Echo Center

Have you ever wondered where your local water supply arrive from, how it get into your faucets? A local visit to your local recycle center will give you an explanation. How ironic but I often thought about those sewage trucks and drivers whose job is to collect our unwanted waste products from toilets. I finally had a first hand insight and to the answer to my question…

Collected sewage waste is delivered to a recycle center like the one in my photos(see photos in the gallery page) and treated with bacteria for 24 hours around the clock, then goes though a detailed purified process only to travel back as tap water. It is a surely an interesting magical process monitored by many computers and human beings.

For the last year or so I’ve driven past my local recycle center several times always thinking to myself I need to stop and investigate what’s there, I finally made that visit. It was after 5:00p.m. which meant on a Saturday it’s closing hours…

Not knowing what to expect I approached a gentleman outside the building only to ask about the recycle center visiting schedule. He was very generous to explain that the center was closed, he went further to ask the purpose of my visit. I clearly told him I was interested in learning about what takes place in the recycle center…

Then I said “thank you” I will visit again another day…

Surely, after hearing my reason for visiting the center Mr. Y was happy to offer a quick tour of the facilities. I was very fortunate to have a guided tour of two buildings. The first building happens to be a recycle center for trees… ever wonder where all those yearly trimmed tree branches in public parks actually goes after those yearly cuts or how those leafs quickly disappear? Leaving us the local residents sitting in a clean, well-kept relax environment? Well, visit your local recycle center to get your own answer if you prefer…

I highly recommend calling to make an appointment first for a group visit, just be sure not to go after visiting hours. Have a great visit you can experience the magic of the recycling process.

“Think Globally, Act Locally!” Should It Be, Educate Ourselves On Such Practices…

Yes! Most people who are conscious about environmental changes across our planet earth will recognize this phrase in less than a second. But, what about those millions of people whose mind-set does not even consider nor allow a second to think about the idea of environmental awareness. Or simply to think and act more responsible about products we consume on a daily basis. Assumption, isn’t the best approach but I will make the assumption that those individuals does not take responsibility for their own waste on a community level or on individual basis. Why? Only the eco-conscious individualist will think of not throwing away non-disposable materials like a cigarette butts, empty cans, or plastic bags just anywhere into the environment because it just doesn’t disappear like magic as simple as that.

It is only the Eco- con, individualist that will carry their own trash home to dispose of it, in a responsible manner, it is only the Eco-conscious individualist that will carry the re-usable bags to the supermarket. Such simple acts may not directly affect the drastic weather patterns taking place globally, but it is humanity’s action that is the original cause nothing else is to be blamed. There is no border to stop heatwaves, typhoons, earthquakes, famines or deadly viruses. So, how do we reach and teach humanity that by just simple changing how one think and act towards their environment certainly plays a major role, how do we get millions of people to stop using dangerous chemicals, stop oil spills which eventually goes into their bodies, our environment and food products, how do we teach people who does not realize that the simplest drinks like package juices, isn’t really 100% juice if that individual can’t read, just don’t read the contents, don’t believe the truth, wasn’t taught the difference or just isn’t aware of the difference between real juice and concentrates.

How do we educate, re-educate individuals on how to shop economically, how to invest wisely, how to support a global economy for the best health and wealth for future generations? How does one teach individuals to clean up their mess in one’s local environment and that the term “local” can be applied to various perspectives? How do we as a society teach, stress and implement a simply act as washing hands? These are only a few mind puzzling questions for our generation to think about and act upon since not all of humanity make these acts part of their life time routine.

Well, I was reflecting on all of the above while browsing the Internet in search of news on Japan. So, I as I mentioned above “Think Globally, Act Locally” is a powerful phrase but we need to practice it and educate ourselves on such acts. I do still retain hope that humanity will not just follow, but to wake up and really start acting locally while thinking globally. Our planet earth is very delicate she is experiencing silent pressure so humanity must change. These changes aren’t easy but when humanity decides to listen to nature, our action will balance with the law of nature and that simple phrase “Think Globally, Act Locally”, we must not forget that nature is supreme.

Living by our own actions and not just by our words, in turn will produce positive outcomes. A healthy global economy, healthy life styles and what humanity really needs is a “peaceful world”.