Producing good swimmers…

Ok, this posting might not be for everyone, but most of you know I am trying to become a daddy so thought I would share with you some tips I have learned for ‘producing good swimmers’.

Now there are the obvious, drink less, don’t smoke, lose weight, limit your coffee intake and try not to overheat, no long soaks in a hot bath…  but there is more to it than that.

Make sure you get plenty of vitamin C, this protects sperm from oxidative damage and improves a condition called ‘agglutination’ where sperm may stick together. Vitamin C should be consumed daily as it cannot be stored by the body for long periods of time. You can take supplements by try eating vitamin C rich foods each day such as capsicums, citrus fruit), kiwi fruit, broccoli, peas, sprouts and tomatoes (I’ll pass on the tomatoes).

Vitamin E is also powerful anti-oxidant which destroys ‘free radicals’ found in the body, These are a result of toxic society we live in (who cheery I hear you say). These have been shown to cause DNA damage to a man’s sperm. A  daily intake of Vitamin E will help protect each sperm cells membrane, preventing DNA damage.

The other more commonly known aspect is that Zinc can restore testosterone levels and increase both fertility and potency. Again there are plenty of brands that offer this in a tablet form, but you can also get it by eating oysters, diets high in protein (meats and legumes), whole grains, brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, mushroom, seafood, egg yolk & organ meats (I do love a bit of offal).

Now the good part…. Arginine is an amino acid found in protein which increases cellular replication, just what is needed if you want to produce more sperm. It also becomes a physical part of the sperm’s structure (it forms part of the head). Some protein foods have high levels, and some low levels of Arginine, so it is important to try and get the balance right. Foods high in Arginine; Dairy, meat and poultry, and fish are good sources, and nuts, chocolate and watermelon – the good part being we don’t have to feel guilty for eating all that chocolate.

A deficiency of Vitamin B12 leads to reduced sperm counts and reduced sperm motility (the good swimmer part).  Again you can get this into your diet by eating beef liver, cheese, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt and butter. If supplementing Vitamin B12 apparently the sublingual tablets (dissolve under the tongue) are much better absorbed by the body or your doctor can inject it.

Selenium is a mineral which improves the motility of sperm cells, which means they swim better and will increase your chance of conception. Studies show that it helps make up the physical structure of the sperm ‘tails’. This can be sourced by eating Brazil nuts, seafood, oysters, whole grains, yeast, sesame seeds, wheat germ and wheat bran

And finally, be sure to get some Ginseng in you. The Chinese have been using it for thousands of years, and now research has confirmed the chemicals in ginseng stimulate the hypothalamus in the brain to direct the production of hormones that stimulate cell growth in the sex organs. It also promotes blood circulation for erectile strength and raises testosterone levels.

Now with all that in mind, go forth and multiply….

I knew all that chocolate was good for me…

Arginine is an amino acid found in protein which increases cellular replication, just what is needed if you want to produce more sperm. It also becomes a physical part of the sperm’s structure (it forms part of the head). Some protein foods have high levels, and some low levels of Arginine, so it is important to try and get the balance right. Foods high in Arginine; Dairy, meat and poultry, and fish are good sources, and nuts, chocolate and watermelon

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,700 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

This posting is inspired by the PACT campaign…

My memories of childhood are often focused on the time we spent living in a little town called Secunda, which is set amidst the coalfields of what was the Eastern Transvaal, which is now the Mpumalanga province in South Africa.  We lived at number 12 Pannevis Street and I went to Highveld Ridge School. The years we spent there are probably some of my happiest memories of childhood and being a family together. Back then my brother and sister were my very best of friends and my father was home more than he was away and my mother was the centre of my world.

My father worked at the Sasol refinery (which is where most men in the town worked) and I remember at night it would glisten on the horizon all ablaze in light, it looked so magical.

Men drove bakkies (a van), we wore takkies (not trainers) and had a braai (BBQ) at the weekend.

We had a huge garden (well to a child it seemed huge) and playing outdoors was the norm. The Baker family lived close by, a Scottish family with four girls; I think my brother and I were both in love with the eldest Lisa (she and I became pen pals after we both moved away).

There was no cinema in the town back then but there was a Drive In which we used to go to occasionally. It would get cold in the evenings so us three kids would all huddle on the back seat under blankets and more often than not fall asleep before the movie ended.

There were some fields close to our house that we used to play in for hours with other kids and our dog Simba would love to role in the mud and dung of wild animals coming home pleased as punch and stinking up the whole house.

Life seemed simpler then and my adulthood so far away, now it’s my childhood that seems so far away and although life is a little less simple it is far richer for having had the experiences I did back then, and for that I thank my parents.

This post is part of a series inspired by the Prevent Abuse of Children Today (PACT) campaign, hosted by Stepping Stones Nigeria. Please add your name to the PACT petition to prevent abuse of innocent children in the Niger Delta and visit the site to find out more: www.makeapact.org

Remembering Tania one year on…

December the 9^th will be the first anniversary of the death of Tania Lienert, a very close friend of mine. She was a person that contributed so much to the LGBT community as well as her wider local community in Lismore and the Northern Rivers areas in which she lived and worked.

It seems odd to think that a whole year has gone by since she died, she was a bright light in many people’s lives and this past year has been a little darker without her in it.

Tania was a much respected intellectual and her achievements in both the academic and LGBT scenes were highly regarded. Many remember her for the good work she did with Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON) in the Northern Rivers area where she was manager. Tania’s last role was working with the University Department of Rural Health in Lismore where she was co-ordinating a primary health care research development programme. Tania always applied a great deal of passion to provide and improve services to the gay and lesbian community. She really did make a difference to people’s lives.

Earlier this year a number of community members and past colleagues of Tania’s along with Tania’s partner Deb established an annual memorial lecture in Tania’s honour, ‘The Dr Tania Lienert Memorial Lecture for Social Justice and Diversity’. The first lecture took place in June this year, with the renowned writer and human rights activist, Arnold Zable, delivering the lecture which had as it’s subject these as ‘The Healing Power of Story’.

About 300 people attended the lecture which is testament to the great affection she was held within the community at large.  Tania had an immense sense of compassion, understanding, respect and forgiveness for others and I thank her for the impact she has made on my life and  remember her fondly, she will forever be in my heart.

Hello new friend….

So I turned 40 in June and now I have my first grey pubic hair…. Now I could lament this and get all woe is me about it, but I am going to embrace it and make friends with him, after all lots of his friends have taken up residence on my head over the past few years. I must admit though I did have that initial thought of “should I pull it out” but it was just a fleeting thought.

I always told myself I would keep my first one and have it framed on a balk background and displayed proudly somewhere in my home. After all he does usher in a new phase of my life.

I am actually really looking forward to this next phase and am curious to see where it takes me, I know some people suffer from gerascophobia (a fear of growing old) but I am not one of those people. Admittedly when I was younger I did, but now I am just grateful to have got as far as I have and welcome the chance to grow old.

I noticed in my early 30’s that my perspective with regards to how I felt about getting older started to shift, and this made me look at life on a whole different level. I felt free of the some of the fears I associated with aging and this helped me to really live in the moment, something that I had always strived to do and something I am now a big fan of.

The arrival of my new friend has surprisingly made me think about what is ahead for me rather than make me think about what has come before, where I have been and what I have done.  So welcome I say, and your arrival is a unexpectedly welcome one.

A few things that make me smile…

A nice dinner with good friends
My morning coffee
My sister’s up-dates on facebook
Seeing two old women laughing together
A burger and chips with a glass of milk
The moment you finish reading a really good book
Where’s Senor
Browsing in bookstores
Warm sand under me feet
Realising it was just a nightmare

Up Up and Away…

Ok, so who in all this Qantas debacle has come out on top? Virgin Australia of course, they have done a fantastic PR job and sent out a nice strong message to travellers that they are on their side. They have of course acted astutely and no doubt are capitalising on the situation by scheduling additional domestic flights and they are also working effectively with their partners Air New Zealand, Etihad and Singapore Airlines to get stranded international Qantas passengers up in the air, here comes the hero…

They also offered ‘special discounted’ fairs to those stranded passengers and did a great job at targeting Qantas’ corporate travel customers. Members of the exclusive Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and those with Platinum status in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program were welcome to make use of the Virgin Australia lounge.

All this means that many who had not experienced the Virgin brand before will have done so at a time when their frustration and anger at the Qantas brand is at a real low point and surely the Virgin brand can only compare well at a time like this. Their spokesperson did a fantastic job at the weekend talking directly to the traveller and positioning the Virgin brand as the hero in all this, there to step in and help the traveller in their time of need. Job well done, let’s hope they see some long-term benefit for their efforts.

I have a wedding announcement to make…

I first wrote about Kevin, the first ever gay character in the Archie Comics, back in September 2010, he made a real splash back then and the issue in question sold out and they even issued a reprint which was the first time in Archie Comics history.  Well I have some more news about him for you, he is all set to get married.

He is back in town after having spent some time serving in the Army (a man after my own heart) and not only does he tell his fellow comic book friends that he meet Mr Right but he announces his wedding.

When he was first on the scene (no pun intended) it was Veronica that was trying to make a play for him, although I was hoping it would be Jughead that Kevin would make his move with, alas that will have to remain a fantasy of mine….

Kevin’s upcoming same-sex marriage (not civil partnership) is another first for the Archie Comics, and will be the first one depicted in mainstream comic books in general. We wished him well in his adventures back in September and it’s great to see the character, grow and be so well received.  In fact writer Dan Parent, was nominated for a GLAAD award for his creation. Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater said last year in relation to the creation of Archie’s first gay character: “The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive.” And it is great to see that they are continuing the good work.

Kevin’s wedding will appear in the January 2012 issue of Life With Archie, a spin-off series that follows the central characters as twenty-something adults, with his own solo series rumoured for a release early next year also. Watch this space….

Be green and save some money…

I know I have written about ways to be ‘more green’ before but this time thought I would write something that not only helps you be more environmentally friendly but can also help you lower your energy bills. And seeing as everyone keeps moaning about how expensive energy bills will be with the introduction of the carbon tax I thought this might appeal to some of you. Although it has to be said I would rather pay a higher electricity bill and have cleaner air than not!!!! I think it a little odd that most people in Australia would not tolerate drinking dirty water or even recycled water, but are happy to let the air they breathe continue to be polluted…. Anyway, I digress. So here you go some easy tips to help you:

1 – Turn the power off at the switch, according to Origin leaving appliances on standby cost the average home $180 a year

2 – Hang the washing up to dry, don’t use the tumble dryer.  Apparently is you use a dryer on average twice a week you would save $300 a year

3 – If you insist on using the dryer be sure to keep the filter nice and clean, having a lint free dryer makes it 50% more efficient

4 – Get your hands wet, in other words stop using the dishwasher, or alternatively put it on just before you go to bed, this would mean it runs during the ‘off peak’ which cost you less and electricity providers don’t have to work so hard to meet demand

5 – Use a frontloader washing machine instead of a toploader (yes people in the UK top loaders are still being sold in Australia).  Frontloaders tend to not only use less water but also use less energy to run

6 – Turn the computer off when you are done using it, apparently this could save the average user $240 a year and of course less energy

7 – Turn the lights off, an oldie buy a goody, I mean why does the light need to be on if you are not in the room!

8 – Only boil what you need, in other words don’t fill up the kettle if you are only making one cup

There you go some nice simple steps which mean you will be using less energy and hence saving money while at the same time helping the planet to breathe a little more easily.

Why you should become a ‘friend’ of AMEX

Ok I am not a huge fan of ‘friending’ brands on Facebook, but for once I think it is worth doing. American Express has launched a “Friends of Japan” campaign which is I understand its first-ever global social media program on Facebook.

For every ‘Message of Hope’ that people post on the American Express Japan’s Facebook page, the company will donate $1 towards earthquake relief in the nation. I’m not sure if there is an ‘upper limit’ on this one but I hope it goes viral and gets millions of hits.

Much has happened since the earthquake and the world has been quick to move on to other attention grabbing events, but the aftermath of this terrible event is not over with.

The campaign is translated into eight languages (Japanese, Chinese, English, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish) so should get even more support and let’s face it they can probably afford to give a sizable donation so let’s get this moving, the program will only run for eight weeks, so be sure to send a link about this on to your friends and family….  http://www.facebook.com/americanexpressjapan?sk=wall

If New York can do it…

Ok, I know I have written about this subject before, but in response to New York having made same-sex marriage legal, I just felt I needed to make further comment. I mean, come on -  if New York State can do it, then surely Australia can as well. Now I know that might sound odd, because after all NY is so cool, hip and liberal, so of course it passed there. Well actually, the State of New York is not all that liberal. When you take into account the rather ‘traditional’ country areas, it’s actually a tad right. More importantly, it has a very influential Catholic Church and they (along with the powerful political conservatives) carry much influence. So as you can see, some striking similarity with Australia. Oh and not only that, but the issue of marriage equality is in the hands of these legislators, not judges, which is the same as Australia (more’s the pity).

What is encouraging, and something I absolutely agree with, is that in New York they rejected having a “compromise” in that they rejected civil unions and went straight for marriage. Several studies have now clearly demonstrated that civil union schemes are unsuccessful in providing same-sex couples with full social recognition (and in some places legal recognition). The time for “intermediary steps” to full equality is in the past and same-sex marriage should be the focus for debate here in Australia. Those at a Federal level who offer civil unions in the hope that this will end the debate, are thankfully mistaken.

As I have touched on before, religious groups make a big song and dance about the issue and do a great job of muddying the waters, trying to make it a ‘religious’ debate rather than one of ‘legal equality’.  One of the main obstacles to reform in NY was the ultimatum from religious organisations for legal immunity if they refused to marry same-sex couples, refused services at faith-based child and welfare agencies, or even refused to rent them venues for wedding receptions. However, these exemptions already exist in Australian law, NOT that I agree with them, particularly if the organisations in question are getting tax-payer funding, which most do but that is a whole other matter…. . No religious celebrant in Australia can be forced to marry someone against their wishes. Churches have exemptions under marital status in federal law and sexual orientation in state law. So as far as I can see, these organizations already have all the exemptions they require, so butt out will you.

Charming China…

Ok, so as many of you know I had been intending to go to Tibet, however the Chinese government had other ideas and decided to close the boarder. So rather than do nothing, I decided to explore China instead. And what a great decision that turned out to be, one of my top five holidays without a doubt.

Beijing was where it all started, and this place really blew me away, so much nicer than I had expected, it is clear that the place is quickly modernising, but there are still pockets of the ‘old’ Beijing that are well worth seeing and you can still get that sense of China’s history (which is way older than Christianity) and yet still appreciate just how fast the place is changing. I got a real feeling that it is China’s time, it is surely going to be their century.

Beijing is an enormous city but incredibly easy to get around by using the very clean, efficient, cheap and easy to navigate metro system. Did heaps while there visited the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace which was once an imperial residence, the winding lanes of the hutong district, the vast Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City which was out of this world, it is the former home of China’s Imperial rulers, and the Lama Temple. So lots of walking in very hot weather… oh did I mention the backpack was full of thermal underwear and clothing as I was intending to be up in the mountains not walking about in a hot Chinese summer!!!

The highlight of Beijing for me was having some famous Beijing Roast Duck served with a side of crispy fat that you dip into sugar, my god it was a taste sensation, in fact a highlight of the whole holiday. Oh, but garlic infused nuts, a big fail!!!

Left Beijing reluctantly on an overnight train journey to Xi’an, this used to be the imperial centre of China for 2,000 years, and the city is still surrounded by city walls along which I cycle around on an old bike with no gears… and boy can those old cobble stones shake your bones. What was interesting about this place is it is home to many Hui people, an ethnic Muslim minority, and as such has a Mosque and a Muslim quarter which had some interesting markets, I got myself a tiny wooden carved pig with amazing detail. However the absolute highlight of this part of the trip was going to see the Terracotta Warriors. It is such an incredible thing to see and to think it was only fond in 1976 by farmers digging a well. I was really blown away by the scope of it all.

After another overnight train trip I arrived in the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu. This is home to the Panda Breeding Centre and it was so worth the visit, got there nice and early so they were really active and cute as, would it be wrong to have one as a pet I wonder? Sichuan food is spicy and in particular is known for its spicy hot pot which of course I had, and loved it. In fact all the food was great on this holiday, and no upset stomach at all!!!!. Also went to see a traditional Sichuan Opera performance while here, as you do.

Whilst in the area we also visited the world’s largest outdoor seated Buddha. It has been carved into a cliff face and is 71 m tall and seeing it in person you really do get a ‘my god that is big’ moment, hard to really explain how inspiring it is to see. Having seen the Buddha we then made our way to Baoguo Monastery which is on Emei Shan Mountain, one of the most famous Buddhist sites in China.

The views from the 3,099 m peak at Emei Shan are truly spectacular and we just happened to be on top on a nice clear day. These were some of the more energetic days of the trip, hiking up and down mountain steps and paths. Oh and it was also one of the nicest toilet experiences I have ever had, a poo with a view as I like to call it. The monastery we stayed in up in the mountain had a squat toilet built over the edge of a cliff open to the elements and with the most amazing view.

It was incredibly peaceful here, however not at 4am which is when the monks start chanting and banging their drums, I’m not a morning person….

Also spent and afternoon visiting some local hot springs, wallowed in the water, had a mud bath a massage and sat in a pool where thousands of little fish swarmed all over your body and nibbled away at you. I still don’t know if I liked it or not, it was relaxing and freaky all at the same time, mind you my skin was nice and soft afterwards.

After this we made our way to the city of Chongqing, which is the gateway to the Yangzi River. Not a very nice looking place it has to be said, but had one of the most amazing meals here, peppered beef which was really yummy. It is also the biggest city in the world with a population of over 20 million in the city center and suburbs. This was the starting point of the boat trip down the Three Gorges which was wonderful. The scenery was truly spectacular, and alas my photos do not do it justice…

By the way, prior to the boat trip I had been struck by how nice the Chinese people were, really polite and courteous, but put them in front of a buffet and all that goes out the window. It was like being in a stampede for the last meal on earth, little old women suddenly became crazy with rage to beat you to that last boiled egg… crazy I tell you.

At the end of the boat trip I got to visit the site of the massive and controversial Three Gorges hydro-electric project. It really is an incredible feat of engineering and the geek inside me was very excited to see it.

After another overnight train trip followed by a long bus drive with the world’s most annoying child and we came to Yangshuo. This was really different to much of the other places we visited, mainly in that it was very popular with international tourists, having not seen hardly any other westerners in China till this leg of the trip. It also has heaps of cafes and I had my first real cake here. Did I mention how bad coffee is in China? It pains me to say this, but whenever we saw a Starbucks we made a be-line for it as it is the best coffee you will get in China, also the most expensive, you can eat a three course meal in a good restaurant for a price of a coffee, but still I did it….

We took a relaxing boat ride along the Li River, to see some of the countryside around Yangshuo which is spectacular, a place where massive limestone peaks shoot up into the rural landscape and tower over rice paddies and the winding Li River. Very pretty indeed, you feel like you are standing in a postcard. Also did a bike ride into the countryside, had lunch at the house of a local farmer, went caving and had another mud bath.

This was followed by the last overnight train journey that took us to Shenzhen, and on to Hong Kong. Last time I was here it was still a British colony and I had not been back since the 1997 handover to the Chinese. To be honest I found it a bit too full-on at first, after China it was all a bit too much for me and Friday night along the bars where all the bankers were out getting VERY drunk and teenagers were getting pissed outside the 7 elevens I thought, what the hell…. But once I adjusted to being here I could appreciate that the city is still a unique place where the East really does meet with the West. And it was from here that we flew home, having had a truly great holiday and with a real desire to re-visit China again in the future.

Who wants to be a daddy?

Actually I do, and I am putting this out there as a way of trying to tempt fate into it actually happening. I turn 40 this year and I feel time might not be on my side for too much longer. Now I know guys are lucky in that they can become fathers rather later in life, but that is not something I want to do, I think my 40’s is late enough for me.

This is not a mid-life crisis where I have woken up one day and thought, ‘Oh my God I want to be a father!’, I have always known that I want to be a parent. It is hard to explain just how it feels, but I am sure many people out there will know what I mean by that. I guess it has been this innate yearning inside of me for as long as I can remember. It goes way back to when I was 18 and a good friend of mine got pregnant, it kicked something into gear inside me that said “I want this” and that feeling has never really gone ever since. It has been stronger at certain times than at others, but it has always been there under the surface, in the back of my mind, just there. Over the years I think I believed all messages in society and the media that told me gay men (and women) should not or could not be parents. I simply assumed that as a gay man I had no right to be a father, unlike all the straight men I knew, regardless of their ‘potential’ to be a good or bad parent. But that feeling of wanting to become a dad just never went away, and when I turned 30 not only did I get very broody, I also got a little angry that I had allowed society to convince me that I had no right to realise this dream. By now this yearning had become a physical ache, and being around my friends with children got harder and harder. I decided I would make it happen, or at least make some serious headway into exploring the opportunities I might have.

I initially looked into surrogacy, because that seemed like the best solution for me as a single guy. But, I always came back to the same thing; I never really wanted to do it on my own, I wanted to share the joy, pain, disappointments, hard times and good times etc. I also have this idea that any child I have ought to know who his or her parents are, so that was another reason for me not to go down that path. In the end this was an option I decided against.

After some time I joined a couple of support networks for lesbian and gay people who are already parents, trying to become parents or just thinking about it. My main reason for joining initially was to meet likeminded people and affirm that I was not some freak for wanting this so badly. I met few female couples who were keen for me to be a ‘sperm donor’ but who were not looking for anything more than that. As I have said I want to be involved and know my child and have my child know me. Eventually I was lucky in that I met a great couple who were looking for the same, someone to help them co-parent not just a sperm donor. Unfortunately after a couple of years and some devastating miscarriages we stopped trying.

I thought that was it for me, I genuinely believed that I had missed my chance and that it might be time to give up on this dream, but fate stepped in and has offered me another chance. I could not believe my luck when I met a fantastic woman that shared the same dream as me and was looking for the same thing, after much thought and talk we came to an agreement to become parents together. She and I have started that journey together, not as a ‘couple’ in the traditional sense, but we are in a partnership in that we hope to be parents together. Yes, in an ideal world you would have a partner (some would say husband or wife) to do all this with, but sometimes the ideal just does not happen and you need to make things happen for yourself in other ways.

I know I will be criticised for being so egotistical in my desire and action to become a parent, but isn’t there an element of that in everyone that wants to be a parent even if they are straight and married? Surely the key thing is that any child you have is loved and cared for, what does it matter ‘how’ you have that child?

What you can do to help the planet

Ok, you know how I like my Keep Cup as it helps me to be a little more ‘green’, well I have a few other tips for you.

1 – Change you light bulbs: Buy the more energy efficient light bulbs (also known as compact fluorescent lamp) for all the lights and lamps in your home not just the odd few. Not only do they use less energy but they also last longer, so you will be saving money whilst saving energy.

2 – Turn off appliances at night: In fact don’t just turn your computer off, turn the TV off at the socket as well; don’t just leave it on standby. If you do this you could see almost 50% reduction in electricity consumption.

3 – Get on your bike: Cycling just 10 kilometres each way to work instead of driving saves about $770 in transport costs (including all running costs and depreciation) and 1.3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. In addition, bicycle parking is usually free, and often more accessible and convenient than car parking, oh and you will get fitter.

4 – Turn off the tumble dryer: If you hang dry your clothes you will use less energy and save money, in fact an average tumble dryer uses 5000 watts of power, runs 24 hours per month, and adds $218 a year to you electric bill.

5 – Use rechargeable batteries: For years, it was believed that rechargeable batteries were poor performers compared to their alkaline counterparts, this is no longer the case. They have been greatly improved and many are now able to be reused more than 500 times, this is offers a huge reduction in the cost of replacing the batteries and just think if the reduced waste that would be produced from buying new ones all the time.

6 – Plat a tree: It’s an oldy but it’s a goody, trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife.

7 – Buy local: Shopping locally reduces your petrol consumption and pollution (both your own and that used by companies to import goods into your country).  Also if you are buying from the local store you help to sustain vibrant, “walkable” communities, reducing sprawl and the need for cars.

8 – Recycle as much as possible: It’s a no brainer that the more we recycle the more impact we have on the environment. By recycling just 1 plastic bottle you would not only save anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill (yes that is how long it can take to completely breakdown) but you also save the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle. In fact for every 1 ton of plastic that is recycled we save the equivalent of 2 people’s energy use for 1 year, the amount of water used by 1 person in 2 months’ time and almost 2000 pounds of oil…..