Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich.
Paul HawkenRead
Recycling is what we do when we're out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first. Firstly: Reduce. Don't buy what we don't need. Repair: Fix stuff that still has life in it. Reuse: Share. Then, only when you've exhausted those options, recycle.
Interpretation
Recycling should be the last resort after reducing, repairing, and reusing.
Annie Leonard emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sustainable practices by reducing consumption, repairing items, and reusing products before resorting to recycling. This hierarchy encourages individuals to minimize waste and make more thoughtful decisions regarding their impact on the environment.
In practice
During an environmental awareness seminar, especially when discussing waste management.
Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich.
Of all wonders, this is among the greatest, that some fresh waters close by the sea spring forth as out of pipes: for the nature of the waters also ceaseth not from miraculous properties.
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can".
I have had the good fortune to see how my articles have directly benefited some farmers and helped build markets for their products in a way that preserves land from development. That makes me a hopeless optimist.
[The natural world cleans water, pollinates plants and provides pharmaceuticals, among many other gifts.] Thirty trillion dollars worth of services, scot-free to humanity, every year.
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