Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Everything we use in our lives comes from the Earth somehow!

Last Saturday morning, I have decided to do an experiment: to value our planet, because almost everything we use in our everyday lives comes from our Biosphere; then I decided to list all "earth resources" that  I need or want during a single day. First, I have started making a list of what I need/want, then I have grouped them as:

1. Food
: My day started with a nice & homemade breakfast, I wanted to eat milk, eggs, bread, dried fruits. Also, I need to drink soy milk, since I'm vegetarian. Of course, during the day I have eaten vegetables, fruits, cereals, cheese, drinking water, tea, coffee, yogurt, cookies, ice cream, sugar, flour, tortillas, dressings, hummus, lentils, dark chocolate, pita bread, salt, sugar, vanilla flavor, grape juice, etc.
For example, I have cooked this pie, however, without many "earth resources" as: electricity, butter, flour, sugar, milk, cream cheese, fresh fruit, red wine ( for the pears) etc. I couldn't be able to make it! 

2. Housing: My second segment was housing. Since we as human beings need a house to live, I have checked cautiously all the "earth resources" needed, as wood, clay, glass, paper, rugs, curtains, cement, petroleum, electricity, chairs, electronics, cell phone, lamps, refrigerator, stove, crystals, utensils, plates, place mats, cups, cooking dinnerware, frames, light bulbs, blanket, bed,  bed linen,  pillows, microwave, blender, plastic, paper toilet, paper towels, Kleenex, sofas, table, iron, hammer, some among. All these items were used for me during my Saturday's experiment :-)
A good example to show is our kitchen, where we can find many"earth resources" as wood cabinets, cotton placemats, wax candles, drinking water, paper toilet, salt, plants, vegetables, fruits, ceramics, soap, some among. 

3. Car/Transportation: This is a very important topic, also it is hard to have the necessity to transport or be on time in our daily routine issues, as going to school, going to shopping, picking kids at school, traveling, etc. Since Tires, gasoline, A/C while driving, car's engine machine in good condition (car's battery for example) is needed in order to get anywhere; contrary, we have to be conscious about the harm that we are doing to the environment (pollution, gasses, tires, car's battery).

4. Clothing:  I'm learning how to live with the basics. So, I have to wear a T-shirt, shorts, shoes, underwear, a purse, a wallet, belt, jacket, socks, sunglasses, cap, jewelry, tennis shoes, also, during the afternoon, I have to wear a pair of jeans.

5. School supplies: Paper, textbooks, computer, pencil, pen, ruler, bag pack,
6. Personal care: Being a woman is complicated, especially, because there are too many nice products for personal care & hygiene. This Saturday, I have used lotion, body mist, water, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, cosmetics, razors, drier, iron drier, towels, soap, shampoo, conditioning, shower gel, waxing cream.

7. Leisure activities: Radio, music, TV, music Cd's, movies, Time magazine, books, gardening tools, pots, dog's leash,

8. Other: Pet's supplies, plants, candles, trash bags, garden trash can, some among.
Finally, after a long day counting my "earth resources" needed/wanted in a single day, I have decided to do research about beds because I believe everybody deserves a comfortable sleeping; thus, my bed is one of the most important items needed in my everyday life.

According to Britannica Encyclopedia, on bed's history, states "If you were born in the medieval era and were of reasonable wealth ( a farmer for instance) the most expensive piece of furniture you owned would be your bed", contrary, if you were born in poverty, you might sleep in the floor. Also, the book says "The earliest beds were shallow chests in which the bedding was placed. The first attempt at a soft basis consisted of ropes stretched across a wooden framework." For instance, can you imagine being tired and wanting to go to sleep without a bed? I cannot imagine my life those days. Moreover, for the wealthy people, the first beds were usually constructed from wood and had matters stuffed with straw, animal hair, or feathers. Curtains would have been hung around the bed offering privacy and protection from the cold- it was from other family members and servants to sleep in the same room. Servants would sleep on a straw mattress (palliasse) that would be stored under the master's bed during the day. This type of bed is still known as "truckle".  
(http://www.britannica.com/bps/)

Also, the history of beds and Mattress Making tells us that "A typical bed of 1600 in its simplest form was a timber frame with rope or leather supports. The mattress was a 'bag' of soft filling which was most commonly straw and sometimes wool that was covered in plain, cheap fabric.
To conclude with my experiment, we have to be blessed to have many commodities needed /wanted in our daily basins. Also, we have to be kind to "earth" because it provides everything that we need. However, industrialization has brought a real change in our lives, for example, the commodities of a comfortable bed, since I have been born poor I don't have to sleep on the floor, as many people did it a long time ago! Indeed, a bed is important to have a good sleep and promote a healthy life without stress :-)  

2 comments:

  1. Mmmm! That pie looks delicious Rina!
    You are right the bed is something that I could not imagine living life without. I never thought about how for many people that their bed would be the most expensive item in their house.

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  2. Oh my! That pie looks lovely! I never really thought about how expensive a bed was, I don't think I could give it up!!

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