North Americans account for less than 10% of the world’s population, yet we produce 50% of the world’s garbage and consume more than 33% of it’s resources. If everyone consumed like the average North American, we would require three Earths!

Authors Dave and Lillian Brummet offer an upbeat, proactive look at waste and resource management with their inspiring new book Trash Talk. They explain that every one of us can do something to help our world - starting right where we are, right now. Trash Talk is not a quick fix solution - it is about changing consumer’s mind-sets by providing ideas that inspire participation from the ground level. Not everyone can afford to donate cash or time to a cause but by implementing the concept of Trash Talk, the average person can make small alterations in their lives that affect positive changes for the Earth.

Canadian writers Dave and Lillian Brummet reside in the southwest region of British Columbia. Their work has appeared in a variety of Canadian publications. In addition, the Brummets also wear many other hats - as gardeners, seed savers, cooks, photographers, business owners and outdoor enthusiasts. Ultimately, it is a love of nature and healthy living that is the major driving force and inspiration for their many projects.

Their website (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit) has a page of links to like-minded organizations where one can learn modern waste management techniques. The upcoming Tip of the Month page will provide readers with insightful reduction and reuse ideas.

“…An effective well-researched book… embraces waste as a resource that creates jobs and new products… head-and-shoulders above other environmental texts. ” ~ Sherry Russell, Midwest Book Review (USA)

“Trash Talk is easy to read…a positive approach to managing waste…a valuable guide for anyone concerned about their impact on the environment.” ~ Georgina Bloomfield, Waste and Resources Campaigner, Friends of the Earth (UK)

“…This is something that should be in every household…a good reference on providing reducing and reusing tips without being preachy” ~ Tim A Dueck, Public Education Coordinator, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (Canada)

“I was recently expressing concern to a friend about the environmental state of our planet….how I feel as though I can’t make a difference. Well, now I have access to the information you are sharing and know that I can. Thank you!” ~ Yvonne Caldwell, Library Cataloguer, Okanagan University
(Canada)

– Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the concept of thier new book Trash Talk. The book offers useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

There are many ways to buy properties for growing trees and
plants. I have bought many and done well at it. This story tells
how I got started doing it. When I was twelve years old, I had
bought and sold many shares of stock on the NYSE. I was a motor
mouth even then. I always was eager to talk to anyone who liked
to invest and discuss stock picks. One of my fathers friends
John was such a person. John only had a 3rd grade education. His
mother was a prostitute and his first job was collecting and
selling leaches to whores in Trenton to be used to remove
hickies on their…Well, you got the picture?

John could hardly speak, he studderd so bad that it was a labor
to talk to him. But John was no dummy. He had gone on to become
a noted designer of transformers and had built up a large
company. He lived on a large estate that overlooked a huge pond
which to a twelve year old was an eye opener. What ever John
would say or do had to be noteworthy.

John would also talk of the lastest electronic gadgets, hottest
stock picks, Trees, hunting stories, and about real estate. Just
what I was interest in. One day John came to our house. He was
so excited that he could hardly talk to us. He handed me a book
and said,” Re…re…re..re…re…read this. “It was a book on
stock options. The book detailed about puts and calls and how
powerful they are in investing. At the time there were few
options offered. I read this book. I reread this book over and
over. I was amazed at how powerful an option could be. I did not
buy or sell any as I did not have the funds to risk on them but
I said to myself , “This is something that I am going to do some
day.”

Most options on stocks or commodities expire as worthless. Some
estimates are that 80% expire as worthless. Not a very good
track record for an investor. Now for every option buyer there
is a seller. Someone is making money, not just the brokers.
Option buyers aquire what can be called leverage. An occasional
winner can make up for a bunch of losers. The option sellers
don’t necessarly lose unless they trade options naked, ( they
don’t own the underlining security) they just don’t have
potential gains that they would have had.

Options clearly define an investors loss liabilities. When you
buy an option it defines the price of the asset, the time you
have to excerise the option, and the capital that you risk. If
the value of theoption cotract goes down the most you lose is
your inital investment.

There are two basic options, a put and a call. A call allows the
buyer of the option to buy the asset a established price for an
established peroid of time. A put allows the buyer to force the
right to force the seller to buy the asset at and establihed
price for an established peroid of time.

What I decided to do when I purchased real estate is to acquire
real estate options for farms which had long term contracts. I
sought contacts that went out 5-10 years. If I could put
together a contract that would run long enough, the rising real
estate market would make the contract price a bargain price in
afew years. I would offer yearly option renewal payments to the
sellers. I made those payments applicable to the purchase price
so as time flies the property becomes cheaper.

Now I know that your thinking that this can’t work. I know it
does for I have done many of these contracts. Most people who
have sold me these contracts want just what this contract
offers. They can remain on their property and have the option
payment which suppliments their income. They just don’t own any
appreciation in the property which they would not have if they
sold it. There are also great tax reasons for selling an option.
When an option is written it is considered an opening
transaction. Taxes are assesed on completed transactions. If a
option is not closed revenue is generally not taxed. (see your
investment advisor and make sure the contract is properly
formed.)

Once this contract is in place one could lease the fields from
the owners. This could be known as a lease purchase contract.
Now you have ground on which you can plant trees. In many
instances I have aquired land this way for less than the cost of
the taxes on a yearly cash flow basis.

You can see Bill’s web sit at http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Water Conservation at the Kitchen Sink
(577 words)

It can sometimes be difficult to visualize the importance and direct effect that simple conservation efforts can have when we are bombarded with negative information regularly. Lets take a look at what a few changes in the activities around the kitchen sink can do.

Rather than running the tap when cleaning vegetables, use a bowl of water. Later, reuse it to water outdoor plants. Reusing water from rinsing out the coffeepot for outdoor plants, the compost or lawn is something we do all the time. Rich in nitrogen as well as some trace minerals, coffeepots should be diluted with water before using. Choose a different group of plants every day and you may find you no longer have to water or fertilize them very often at all. Cooking water (pasta, steamed vegetables, boiled potatoes etc.) can be used in the same way – just let it cool first. All of these water sources contain extra nutrients that will aid your gardens immensely. Very hot cooking water can be used to kill weeds – simply pour it directly on the weed and around its roots.

After meals, scrape your dishes into the compost bucket before rinsing. While rinsing, place other soiled dishes, jars and utensils underneath while you work; it will begin the presoaking process – reducing labor and water use. Anything caught in the sink basket can be contributed to the compost, too.

Save about 5 gallons of water per washing by doing dishes in a few inches of hot soapy water. It may seem funny to do this - but by turning the hot water tap on to rinse the dishes into the sink the level will slowly increase and will maintain a hot temperature. This way, another sink full of water solely for rinsing is no longer necessary. We sometimes use rinse water to pre-soak stuck on dishes as well.

In the winter, the water from washing or soaking dishes should be left to cool. This way it releases its valuable heat into the home, rather than the sewer. Dishwashers, that are not built-in, allow reuse of the water for pre-rinsing heavily soiled dishes because they drain into the sink. The water can be trapped in the sink, or a soiled pot, where the heat is slowly released into the home, saving energy costs in the winter. Of course, the opposite applies in the summer, when extra heat is not desirable.

Very hot water is not always necessary for all washing and rinsing needs. Usually, by the time we are finished washing our hands, the water is just beginning to warm up – so really, all we have done is heat up our pipes. We can conserve water easily by turning off the tap while lathering hands. The running water is really only necessary for initial wetting, then rinsing – so running water in between is really a waste.

Now, if you measured the amount of water saved each day by those simple methods we just described - there would be dozens of gallons of pure, drinkable water left untouched in the reservoir. By reducing hot water consumption, our energy bills are a little bit smaller. All this, just from the kitchen sink!

About the Author

– Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the concept of their book, Trash Talk. The book offers useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned about their impact on the environment. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)