The recent shocking images of children in cages brought home the reality of the immigration crisis that the United States is currently facing. With a government that looks on immigration negatively, immigrants are finding it increasingly more difficult to get into the US legally and safely. It is a situation that has been blown out of proportion and continues the efforts to make it harder for immigrants including refugees. This leaves individual citizens positioned to be the driving force to help make a difference.  What can be done to help aid in making it easier for immigrants to have decent lives in the US. How can we as individual citizens help?

Support individuals and families in your community

Ask ten of your friends, and it is likely that one of them knows an immigrant person or family. Mundane items are hard to access for these people that often live in poverty. Even simple hygiene items such as toilet paper are sometimes unaffordable. You can help set up an assistance center where you and your friends can donate these items.

Volunteer

New immigrants into the US sometimes face language barrier challenges making it hard to access public service. The most important thing for them is to learn English as quick as possible to have access job interviews and other livelihood opportunities. Volunteering as an English tutor can be very helpful.

Donate to organizations helping immigrants

When the president announced the first travel ban, a number of organizations rushed to help immigrants at airports. There are about 300 organizations working with immigrants across the US. You contact them for advice on how to channel your donations. The Refugee Council USA keeps a register of organizations working with immigrants. The donations can be in cash or in-kind. Old clothes, furniture, sports gear and other stuff that you don’t need could be very useful to these people who cannot afford them.

Support immigrant enterprises

There are a number of projects by immigrants that are listed on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe. Look for one that interests you, has a great need and good potential to support immigrant causes. Crowdfunding sites make it easy to donate and support worthy causes.

Be a friend

It can be a bit awkward at first because of the language barrier and cultural differences, but making friends with immigrants can be a very enriching experience. Hello Neighbor is a website that can help you connect to an immigrant near you. We all must learn to make friends, discuss challenges and get to know each other to help one another live our most productive lives. 

The risk of cleaning using industrial cleansers has been well documented. The chemical compounds found in these products have been linked to cancer and triggers for other ailments. This is why it is vitally important to think about shifting to natural organic home cleaning solution. There are several advantages of organic cleaning. It is cheap, affordable and leaves your home smelling very fresh. What are the common organic ingredients for organic cleaning?

Baking soda

This natural cleanser has been around a long time. It is known for its deodorizing and abrasive properties that make it useful as a scrubbing agent for cleaning greasy surfaces. It can be used in the kitchen or bathroom floor. Add some salt to make it more potent.

Vinegar

This is another all-round cleanser that is known for its grease cutting abilities. It is useful in cleaning greasy utensils. Its acidic nature makes it a good antibacterial. It is also ideal for cleaning window panes and mirrors without streaking.

Lemon juice

This powerful cleaner is also added to many commercial cleaners to give a fresh scent. Lemon juice can be used to clean greasy utensils, clean off mold and clean glass surfaces and mirrors. Add 2 teaspoons to a sink of dirty utensils, and leave for 30 minutes to make them easy to clean. Use it to wipe down mirrors to avoid streaking. It can also be used to wipe down the insides of ovens to inhibit mold growth. The good thing about lemon juice is that it leaves a fresh citric scent that is unique. 

Olive oil

This natural oil is very useful in cleaning and polishing wooden surfaces. It has moisturizing abilities that leave wooden surfaces with a long lasting shine. You can add it to lemon juice to clean grease and dirt off wooden furniture including wooden floors. 

Lye

This is better known as sodium hydroxide. Lye in the crystalline form is the better for domestic purposes. It is an essential ingredients in many soaps for a good reason. It binds onto grease particles, making them easier to clean off. Use lye and vinegar to make a powerful bathroom cleaner.

What are the advantages of using organic solutions?

·         Non-allergic – Natural cleaners do not have the common triggers of allergies making them easy to handle if you have sensitive skin.

·         Fresh scents –  Natural cleaners do not have the sharp scents found in many commercial cleaners

·         Environmental friendly – These organic solutions break down easily when disposed of. They do not pollute groundwater.

Learning to use organic solutions to clean your home will  be of great benefit and you will see a big change. Your home will feel fresher and cleaner and be allergen free.

The Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) announced June 1 as the official start date of the hurricane season. Although no major storm has hit, the hurricanes will surely come. In fact, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association(NOAA) has predicted and Atmospheric  10-16 storms to hit this  season, of which 1-4 will be hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.  Looking at what was seen with the hurricane season of 2017, it is prudent to be well prepared for when the storms hit. How can you do this?

Download FEMA app

FEMA has developed a smartphone app as a resource for information on how to prepare for a storm, how to behave when one is happening, and what to do after the storm. The app also receives weather predictions from the NOAA.

Know your threat

Different regions face different threats from storms. Low lying areas are likely to be flooded, forested areas will have falling trees, and open areas experience extreme wind speeds. Knowing the kind of threat you will face from a storm is the first step in preparing.

Have an evacuation plan

If you have to evacuate, you will need the shortest and safest route out of the danger zone. Identify these routes and practice the evacuation with the whole family to see the practicality of the plan. Practicing ahead of time tells you if the plan is sound.

Gather your supplies

It is important to have a ‘Go bag’ for each person in the family as well as supplies for the whole family including water, food and medicines. FEMA recommends following the five P’s guideline when putting together disaster supplies. These P’s are People, Prescriptions, Papers, Personal needs and Priceless items. 

Prepare your home

Fortifying your house gives it better protection against extreme weather, for example, permanent storm shutters. You also have to prepare the area around the house, for example, cutting trees and branches close to the house.

You can team up with your neighbors to form a preparation team which ensures all homes are well prepared, as well as the neighborhood e.g. clearing storm drainage.

Have your insurance in place 

Ensure that your insurance cover is updated. It is also good to talk to your insurance agent on specific threats e.g. flooding damage if you have identified the most credible threat.

Prepare financially

Unexpected damage can always occur. It helps to have some savings to help you recover faster from a disaster.

Cooperate with your neighbors

Having a coordinated response guarantees better safety for everyone. You can discuss the safest and quickest evacuation routes, gathering points, and how to help the elderly and disabled members of the community prepare as well.  

It is estimated that the plastic waste going into the oceans every year could cover every inch of the world’s coastlines.Between 4-12 metric tons of plastics are dumped into the oceans annually with increasingly devastating consequences including the destruction of coral reefs and poisoning of marine species. The greatest danger is that these plastics break down into microplastics which find their way into human bodies through seafood. It is every person’s duty to help reduce this growing menace for the good of the planet. How can you play your part?

Practice the 3R’s

Reduce, reuse and recycle your plastic containers and bags. Plastic bags are especially a big problem as they are produced in huge quantities for shopping. You can carry your own plastic bag to the store and avoid piling them up. Plastic containers can be reused to hold sugar, salt, spices etc.

Avoid single-use plastics

Single-use plastics include straws, water bottles, coffee cups, shopping bags and dry cleaning bags. A personal commitment to stop using these plastics can significantly reduce them in your home and the trash. You can opt to avoid them by using alternatives e.g. reed baskets. You could also re-use what you already have e.g. plastic shopping bags.

Keep off products with microbeads

A good number of personal hygiene products e.g. toothpaste contain very tiny plastics called microbeads. They present a very real risk to marine life and human health because they are directly washed into wastewater systems onwards to the sea. They are readily taken in by all marine species, which then end up on our tables. Avoid products with polyethylene and polypropylene. 

Participate in clean-ups

If you live on the coast, help organize and participate in regular beach clean-ups. Even if you don’t live near an ocean, you can help clean the nearby water bodies e.g. rivers, and natural ponds. This water ends up in the ocean, so clearing plastic waste prevents it from washing downstream.

Raise awareness

Raising awareness starts by making those around including family and friends aware of the dangers of overusing and incorrect disposal of plastics. You can share content on this topic on your social media accounts. You can also watch documentaries on this subject to show them this is a real and present danger.

Support organizations fighting plastic waste

There are a number of non-profit originations raising awareness and fighting plastic waste in the oceans, for example, Oceanic Society. Consider making a contribution in cash or kind to support their activities.

Fighting plastic waste starts with an individual commitment and effort in preventing this menace from getting out of control for the good of the planet and everything it.

We live in day and age where the climate has become one of great concern. There are talks of Antarctica melting at unprecedented rates with the potential of causing catastrophic destruction in decades to come. Even with the little amount that has melted we have seen coastal destruction in New York and the Gulf Coast regions. We have limited solutions to our sustainability problems and action must be taken to limit future damage to the earth.

What can be done? It all begins with habits.  We face the consequences of climate change and there is a dire need for people to change their consumptive habits which is directly correlated to the carbon output from manufacturers. How can we reduce our carbon footprint. When the government gets involved with regulations, provisions and incentives, this can be a motivating factor than can motivate the consumer. Many states have already begun to intervene with by banning plastic bag usage and other issues related to wasteful actions that affect the environment. People have within themselves the power to change the consumptive habits and live a more sustainable lifestyle. It really begins local. It begins with the individual themselves.

People are familiar with the term and concept reduce, reuse and recycle, but are they actively participating.  We must educate because only a few of them know the appropriate ways of approaching it. It is a mindset. No we can't change everyone's mindset but if we take a local approach, we connect with people we know and have common interests that they can work on together. 

Unfortunately we live in a disposable economy. Are we so lazy that we can't just wash a dish instead of using paper to throw away. Convenience is a good thing, but convenience at a cost is not. Our environment is being affected and that is so much more important than simply using and ditching that paper cup. We can't continue to ignore the ignore the repercussions of our waste stream.

Again, it is the mindset. It is in our best interest to cease all thoughtless non-recycling actions. This harms environment and negates the sincere efforts by others to carry out their role in environmental conservation.

Does recycling take a lot of time and effort? No. Well what does it take?  It takes a change in mindset. It takes an appreciation of our natural resources. That is where it begins. 

What can you do in your community to reduce the carbon footprint. We must be proactive and protect the future by recycling. One item in the recycling bin can make a lifetime of difference to communities near landfills which can have a negative impact on the health of our neighborhoods. 

Many recycling programs benefit from media campaigns that persuade people to participate. This shows the many benefits of using persuasive tactics. You can use social media and local papers to promote your cause.

A lot of children look to their peers on how to act. Children who are recyclers can set a good example and be influential in getting other children to recycle.

Another way of encouraging people to recycle is by obtaining their commitment. When people commit to something, they are more likely to follow through and actually recycle. One way of gaining people’s commitment is by asking them to sign ‘pledge cards’ on which they promise to recycle.

Another technique involves having a sign up list for monthly activities in the community to keep them regularly involved. Publish these lists in the local newspaper. This is an effective way to bring attention to sustainable living as well as promote accountability.

Encourage goal setting and revise attitudes

People who set their own goals for recycling tend to meet them. This is the reason you need to encourage recycling with goal setting.

To date goal setting has been used successfully with families, college students, neighborhoods, offices, factories, and many other establishments.

 Create a committee

You can encourage those around you to recycle by creating a committee. In order to spread the word throughout your community you must first find others who actively recycle. You can then post fliers in recreation centers, schools, and public libraries and make personal contact with people. You need to lead by example in order to get people involved.

Also, spread information about how cooperative recycling can impact your neighborhood by going door to door.  Set up a stall at festivals and fairs. You can also place a small advertisement in a community based cable channel or the local newspaper.

In order to coordinate efforts and procure public recycling units in your area, get in contact with your local municipality or council. Whatever strategy you use, begin today. This is not a sprint. It is a marathon and we don't have time to waste.

A considerable impact on our sustainable future is made by the choices we make at the checkout. By showing our desire for sustainable choices to retailers and manufacturing businesses, we will create a demand for more of those sustainable products.  

As a result, when we shop for food and grocery, electrical appliances or furniture, we’ll have more environmentally friendly or sustainable options.                                                                                                                          

We must be mindful that every item you purchase will travel long distances to get to your local store shelves. The long distances that these items travel has an impact on the environment and the economy. However, the effect does not end here as you have to eventually be responsible for the product’s disposal, or at the bare minimum, the disposal of all the packaging that came with it when you take it home. Therefore, before loading up your shopping cart, ask yourself the following questions.

·        Is this item shipped from far away, leaving a big carbon footprint?

·        Is it really worth the time spent earning the money to buy it?

·        Is it made of renewable or recycled materials?

·        Is it over packaged with materials that just get thrown away?

·        How long will it last (and does that make it worth the impact on you and your environment)?

·        Is the item completely recyclable or and can it be donated when it's no longer needed?

·        What if it breaks; can it be fixed?

·        When it's used up, can it be disposed of in a sustainable way?

By answering all of the above-mentioned questions, you’ll be in a better position to make a shopping choice that is sustainable and fulfills all of your basic needs.

Choosing which products to buy can often be a big decision but we can help make a positive impact on our environment by selecting products that are more eco-friendly. Many restaurants are now doing away with straws. This act alone can greatly decrease plastic waste by the tons.  Think of what you can do today to be more responsible.