Paul Laylor, supermarket packer, Sovereign Supermarket fills recycled bags with groceries. (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

With all the talk these days about pollution, ozone depletion and land degradation, global warming has moved from being just another issue to a global concern. And while many people think that these issues are far removed from the azure waters of the Caribbean, the truth is, if a conscious effort is not made by every individual to protect the environment, in the years to come mother earth will no longer be as we know her.

Data posted by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica in 2004 showed that the estimated generated domestic waste on the island was 964,312 tonnes and on average, one kg per person, per day of waste was generated. That is a lot of waste for a small island with a population of only 2.7 million.

Energy-saving lightbulbs are eco-friendly and can dramatically decrease your electricity bill.

Boring statistics aside, you may be thinking 'here's another article preaching about saving the world'. Of course Thursday Life is not suggesting that you radically dedicate your life to being a spokesperson for the green movement, we would however like to think that we can encourage you to lead a lifestyle that is more eco-friendly.

Going green is not as hard or as idealistic as some may think. Ashley Gambrill, a Kingston- based writer, started thinking green after watching the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which outlined former US Vice President Al Gore's campaign on the issue of global warming.

"After seeing the movie I really began to think about my own footprint - what am I doing that's contributing to the environmental Armageddon we are facing?" Gambrill said. "To me, it's ironic - here we are teaching kids (it's even part of the GSAT curriculum) about saving the environment and then they go out into our world and it's hard to find anything that's not packaged in Styrofoam and plastic- most of us then chuck these things in the bins and think that's okay because they'll just go to Riverton or into the sea."

Murphy's Oil Soap works as a cleaning solvent and is not as toxic as most common household cleaning products.

Since around September 2007, Gambrill has transformed her Norbrook home to one that is partially green. Instead of buying expensive household cleaners, Gambrill now cleans with white cane vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and Murphy's Oil Soap. Rather than using bleach to brighten white clothes, Gambrill lathers blue soap and then places it in a plastic bag to bake in the sun and then adds the liquid mixture to her load of laundry.

When it is time for the writer's weekly grocery trip, she carries along her own recycled bags in which she places her items, instead of using the store's plastic bags. "I also carry a fold-up bag in my purse for the pharmacy," says Gambrill. "The cashiers and baggers are getting used to me, but it usually provokes some remark: some disdainful, but many positive. 'Is true,' one young man said, 'the plastic nasty up the place.'
Do you know that even in poor countries like Bangladesh and Rwanda they have banned plastic bags? Why can't we take this small step and go back to our strong reusable bags?"

As president of the Jamaica Environment Trust, Diana McCaulay makes an extra effort to keep her household green. In addition to not buying products that are over- packaged (like vegetables packed in styrofoam with Saran Wrap), McCaulay does not spray her garden with pesticides and always uses laundry detergents without phosphates, as these are terrible for septic systems.

"I try to recycle, which is difficult in Jamaica and I am very serious about conserving energy - I don't leave lights on in empty rooms and I use compact fluorescent bulbs," McCaulay says.

Fortunately for McCaulay, located on the property of the Jamaica Environment Trust is a compost heap where she is able to take her biodegradable waste for disposal.

Environmental journalist John Maxwell thinks that while it is "great news" that there are some individuals who are championing the cause for a less polluted Jamaica, there needs to be some basic effort by the government to mobilise the movement.

"Instead of talking about biofuels, the government should be talking about growing more local food and importing less, which in the end leads to more carbon monoxide waste," Maxwell says. "And take recycling, that could be such a big industry in Jamaica and there is no large-scale movement."

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World