Comments MichaelL has made

  • When in Rome...

    This is great!  While I don't agree with everything that Mr Cizik thinks or advocates, he's taking the message that the environment/the creation is being greatly degraded and putting it into a language that people can understand.  Many religious groups are rightly criticized for little/no involvement with environmental issues.  But if their only concept of environmental activism is portrayed by secular folk who (accidentally?) oppose them on hot-button issues, it's small wonder that they can't buy in.

    Even better, Mr Cizik is not the only one, not even the only Christian organisation doing this.  Google 'environment christian' and you'll see many other groups across the globe, like A Rocha which is encouraging.  (Hey, the first link there is to another Grist article!)

    One of our great many challenges now is to "live in ways that are good for the earth."  This will look different in different places.  Many city-dwellers can forgo having a car, but many suburbanites and rural dwellers must get on the band-wagon at a different stop.  Maybe Cizik's group can join in, but realistically they can't join in as part of a pro-choice rally.  In fact, his phrasing of mercury pollution as a "pro-life" issue is brilliant in that it connects the issue with something that his audience cares about.  How dumb would it be to try to convince Chief Justice Roberts about the environment through the "plight of the hapless toad" about which we know he cares nothing?  No, we must speak to him about something that he cares about.

    This makes me wonder what other groups of people are being prevented from seeing what's really happening because of other issues, or the way I package "environmentalism."  The most common complaint is that "it's just too radical."  While people use that as an excuse to ignore what's happening, what am I missing that's preventing people from hearing me?  I'm in Rome, perhaps, but not doing as the Romans do.On An interview with green evangelical leader Richard Cizik posted 4 years, 1 month ago 4 Responses

  • Montmorillonite = Bentonite Clay; burn it?

    I was surprised that my cat litter is probably strip mined, so I called Purina at the 1-800 number on the box.  Surprisingly also, someone actually answered soon.  Not so surprisingly she had no idea if the litter was strip mined or not.  So I asked if it was bentonite, which she confirmed.  She said their other product (not clumping/not scoopable) is Montmorillonite.  Ah, but then you have to throw away more.  But I googled the latter and it is the same as Bentonite apparently.  They don't sell any other kinds of litter.

    The Purina representative was really nice on the phone and thought it was awful that this stuff was strip mined.  She asked where I read about it, and she now has the grist.org web site address, so maybe folks over there will start a little revolution.

    Enough about that.  If I use wood chips, and am not comfortable composting, I wonder if it could all be used as fuel?  I know that animal scat is often used as fuel, and it seem that the baddie parasites wouldn't survive the ordeal.On Umbra on kitty litter posted 4 years, 2 months ago 25 Responses