I do not know who I can credit for this phrase. I heard it years ago, and it made an impression on me. This post has been brewing in my mind ever since.

Let's say you ask your neighbour to take care of your garden during your two week vacation. When you get back you are devastated. He has dumped toxic waste amongst your roses, tore up the ground to find something valuable, and dumped his trash in front of your door. Then you find out your plants aren't doing as well, probably from the contamination of your soil, and slowly but surely you see your garden whither away.

This, in large, is what we do to the earth. Like the neighbour in the analogy we are care takers, and lousy ones at that.

- We are slaughtering our natural resources, we chop down more trees than we plant, therefor deminishing the lungs of the world, the forests.

- We drive in cars, that slobber up so many natural resources, that there will not be any left for the future generations.

- Consumerism drives us to buy, and then throw away all the excess packaging that comes with it, not to mention throw away the old, when the new comes in.

- The more wants become needs, the more we use of the earth's most precious resources.

- The production of chemicals, and the use of chemicals in our home makes the earth and water toxic. There are already dead lakes in the world, where nothing can live because of the toxicity of the water.

- Many species on this planet have vanished because of us humans. We have eaten them, hunted them until there was none left. If you look at the list of endangered species it humbles you.

I could go on with this list forever, and still have room for more.

And this is why I choose to be frugal, to not pollute the earth any further with waste, or tear from the earth what I, in truth, really do not need.

My mom said: Why even try, others will keep polluting. I say: A ripple in the water starts with one little pebble. The more people throw their pebbles in, the more ripples are formed, ie. the more people may be touched by this movement of frugality/simplicity to help the earth.

I am a Care Taker. Are you?

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