Change the World Wednesday – 25th Jan

Last week saw the first CTWW for 2012 and some of the posts on what we perceive as roadblocks to being green and comments were eye-openers. One I particularly enjoyed was about an aspect that I had not considered in my post; peer pressure and kids; Struggles with Going Green worth a read.

Small Footprints also has a new scheme, Meet and Greet Monday. Each Monday she plans, starting last Monday, to put up a Linky for us to take advantage of. I did and within hours, I got two visits, one of them was new. Great idea to get to know new blogs. Join in on Mondays on Reduce Footprints.

This weeks challenge is one that I have been on the receiving end of recently.

This week, begin creating a list of unneeded household items to donate to nonprofits. Perhaps you have clothing, pillows, books or sports equipment which could be given to men’s and women’s shelters. Animal shelters are always in need of towels and food containers. So look around your home and see what could be offered. Donating keeps stuff out of landfills & supports local nonprofits that need all the help they can get.

Or …

If you’ve already cleaned out your closets, please share other ideas on how we can keep “stuff” out of landfills.

A little more than three years ago I found myself with the clothes in which I stood. The reasons are another story, and a long one. But it did leave me in quite a predicament and without asking, I had secondhand clothing donated, some usable, some not because of my considerable girth. The stuff I could use, I did and am still doing, the stuff I couldn’t I passed on to my kids who are teenagers now. So all was well used.

Flooding wipes out whole towns

Generally though, this is a point where Brazilians excel. God knows they fail in so many areas; but this one not.

Brazil is inundated with annual flooding in areas throughout the country during the summer rains. The fault of the flooding is the councils and government not preparing and/or corruption in both.

Not even humble dwellings are spared

Many people are left without homes, clothing, furniture nor food. Some end up in shelters for months, even a year or more waiting for emergency housing. It is only the generosity of Brazilians not afflicted who donate anything they don’t need and campaigns for dry foodstuff to be donated that saves the day.

This is not just a ‘once off’, it happens annually, literally truck loads of clothing, food, appliances and furniture are donated.

So while Brazilians fail sadly in many CTWW challenges, this is one challenge where I can say that Brazilians surpass themselves.

Brazilians are generous to a fault. That’s one of the reasons I love Brazil regardless of its failings. Brazilians think with the heart (not only Brazilians, Latin Americans generally, because it is true of Bolivians and Peruvians as well). In the west, we think with the head, often forgetting where the heart is; Latin Americans are the opposite, they think with the heart and not the head; which is often their downfall as well.

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