The calendar says it’s Spring , but Winter is still hanging on here in Washington State.  On April 11th, we had one day of eighty degrees. The next day, it was barely above fifty and more rain. We’ve even had Spring snow, twice this month. No, not just a dusting, but inches. Most nights still drop down into the 30’s, and most days have been lucky to see 50 degrees.

Yes it’s true we have always been criticized for our weather here, but it’s usually pretty mild and comfortable. I haven’t seen too many people breaking out their shorts and sandals yet, not here. We haven’t put away our winter clothes yet, or gotten our gardens planted for the most part. It will be no doubt be a short growing season.  The recent snow we had has potentially damaged our apple, cherry, pear, and asparagus crops that are grown in Eastern Washington.  This Winter has brought record snow to our mountains. Two of our ski resorts are still open and it’s almost May. That’s always great news for the skiers, but if we get what we call the Pineapple Express, (warm air  current from Hawaii) like we did in December, we will see more record flooding. 

It is rare that our weather here makes national news. Most recently, it was our snow that made headlines. In December, it was the worst flooding Washington has seen in the last 100 years.  Most areas had 3-5 inches of snow on the ground. The Pineapple Express came through and dumped seventeen inches of rain non-stop in less than twenty-four hours. There are some areas in our state that are still recovering, and locally just last month several road repairs were completed.

It’s not just our weather that is strange though. Over the weekend the Pasadena area had temperatures of 100 degrees and the first wildfire of the season. A couple of months earlier than usual. Today, there were terrible twisters in Virginia. It seems there are few states that haven’t experienced a natural disaster or weather phenomenon, in the last five years. Perhaps Mother Nature is sending us a wake-up call to take better care of our planet. Let’s hope there is still time to change our ways and turn back time. We should have paid more attention thirty years ago to warnings of what could happen. Now our planet is in crisis and Mother Nature is fighting back.

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in order to ward off a dangerous rise in global temperatures may be more of a challenge than previously thought.  Scientists have published studies in the last month, suggesting that it would require the world to cease carbon emissions altogether by mid century.  This means that both industrial and developing nations, must use other fuel sources, instead of fossil fuels during this same suggested time frame. We must do this in order to prevent warming that could change weather precipitation patterns and greatly alter or dry up water sources globally.

There was a meeting on the issue in Paris, France last week, that involved the countries of China, India , France, Germany,and the United States, among others. The countries represented produce 80% of the world’s greenhouse gasses, and are among the worlds fastest growing economies.

President Bush stated in his speech, that the United States would cut it’s CO2 emissions and other heat-trapping gases by the year 2025.  Most of the world arena considered his speech to be a huge disappointment. Many nations consider President Bush, as an obstacle to the fight against global warming. Over the past year, he has shown more awareness of the dangers of planetary warming and human -caused carbon emissions. Although, it was the first time he has set a specific target date. The problem is we need to address these problems well before the year 2025. Several attendees felt the speech “takes a huge step backward.”  Other critics feel the United States needs to “cut emissions- not just limit their growth.”  If we set the example and cut our emissions, perhaps other developing nations would follow our lead, because some countries still look at us as having the world’s largest economy.

During this conference, there was also a push for ways to expand the use of bio fuels beyond the use of corn and other food crops. The growing use of bio fuels has been blamed for rising food prices and grain shortages, which have caused riots in some countries.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, much has changed. Now we find our Earth in crisis. There are answers, even if it does seem like too little to late. We need to stop our dependence on fossil fuels, and have a government more willing to look at the other options that have been on the shelf for far too long.

The older I get, the more my health becomes a priority. Since the year 2000, five members of my family have passed away. Four of them were diabetic. We all know that diet and exercise go together. It seems as though you  can’t just do one or the other. It takes the combined effort to accomplish the goal to lose weight and avoid this disease. The battle can be won, even though statistics keep growing every day.

The Pancreas, which is located next to, and somewhat behind the stomach normally secretes the vital hormone called insulin.  The job of insulin, is to digest the sugars that are broken down in the digestive system and convert them into fuel for the body. In a normal person, the Pancreas produces insulin in islets of tissue inside the organ. That is it’s function. In the diabetic, this does not happen, therefore, they need to take the synthetic form of insulin. 

Here are some facts you should know:

      A normal blood sugar reading is between 80-120 mg. Anything above or below these numbers, you are in a danger zone! Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar happens if a person’s blood sugar dips below 70 mg. The symptoms are shaking, fast heartbeat, sweating, anxiousness, dizziness, hunger, impaired vision, weakness, fatigue, headaches and irritability. What causes this is too little food, too much insulin or diabetes medicine, and too much or extra exercise. The onset may be sudden and progress to insulin shock. Drink a cup of orange juice or milk, or eat several hard candies. Within 30 minutes after symptoms go away, eat a peanut butter or meat sandwich and drink a glass of milk. Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar happens if a diabetic person’s sugar is above 200 mg. or more. The onset is gradual, but may progress to diabetic coma. It happens if they have consumed too much food, or they don’t have enough insulin in their system, they are ill or are under too much stress. They become very thirsty and experience frequent urination, along with dry skin, hunger, blurred vision and nausea . If the blood sugar is over 240 mg. after testing several times , call the doctor.

      If you, or anyone you know has these symptoms, encourage them to visit a doctor. This disease effects all organs of the body, over a period of time. It is a $92 billion a year disease that effects millions, and often goes undetected. Take charge of your life and your health by getting screened for diabetes and cholesterol. It is important to know your numbers. It could prolong your life!

Here are a few tips you can put into practice right away that take little effort and your wallet will thank-you.

Did you know that Americans idle away approximately 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year?  With the prices going up almost daily, that is almost $80 billion a year in wasted gas. Obviously, the less you have to stop and go the better. It also helps to maintain a steady, rather than fluctuating speed. Also, be sure your tires have the correct amount of air in them.  Just little things, but they make a difference in the air we breathe and in your wallet.

Just by turning off your computer when not in use, you can save about $90 a year. You can also save more by unplugging small appliances when not in use.  Every little bit helps, because even though it doesn’t seem like it, everything that is left plugged in still uses energy.

By signing up for Green Power, you are supporting the future development of renewable resources. Green Power, is electricity from renewable non- polluting resources like wind and solar power, that can be used over and over. Green Power usage does less harm to the environment.  Turning down your thermostat a couple of degrees can save you between 1-3% on your power bill. It might not seem like much, but it can add up considering 50-70% of your electric bill is calculated based on your heating and cooling consumption.  Wash your clothes in cold water.  This also makes a difference in your power bill.

Paying your bills online saves you time, money gas, and stamps.  It also saves on the amount of paper used to send you that bill.  To get rid of junk mail you can sign up ($1.00 fee ) at Mail Preference Service on Direct Market Assistance website. Most junk mail will stop within about 90 days. To stop opt-in offers from cluttering your mailbox, you can call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.  Follow the instructions, and you can opt out for 5 years or for life.  Next, it takes a little work with our at home printers but it can save a lot of paper if you print on both sides of the copy paper.  Here in the U.S. we use approximately 4 million tons of copy paper per year, most of which is copied on one side only.  That averages out to about 27-30 lbs. per person per year.

You can keep a lot of dirt, pesticides, and germs from entering your home and causing allergies or illness, just by taking your shoes off outside your door.  Something else to consider is to drink hormone free milk. It’s a healthier alternative. Thank goodness it’s the time of the year to start enjoying the wholesome freshness of the farmers markets for fresh fruits and veggies.  Here’s to your health and your wallet.

Most of us are doing our Spring cleaning from our house to our garage. Before you make a trip to the dump, check  your discard pile to see if there is anything you can give new life.  You just may save yourself some gas money and a trip to the dump.

If you have a tall wastebasket, use it to corral wrapping paper or crafting supplies.  You can even use hair scrunchies or elastic pony tail holders to keep the paper rolls in control.

Old furniture can often be put to use in a different room. An example, is a small nightstand or end table.  Either can be used in a bathroom to free up counter space and give extra storage for lotions and toiletries. Just paint it to your liking and you have a whole new look.  Coffee cups are useful to hold anything from make-up to pens and pencils.  Those hanging baskets that were meant for fruits and vegetables work great in little kids rooms for storing those small stuffed animals.  It looks adorable.  Give one to a teenager and they will find some cool use for it, just to have things close by the bed if nothing else.

Those old sheets and table clothes can be stitched up and used for storing, comforters, pillows, and blankets free from dust.  Sheets can also be made into easy tab-top curtains,or throw pillows.  All that is needed is a little time, ribbon and embellishments of your choice and you’ve put something old to new use, and saved money too.

Backless bar stools and laundry baskets work well to store anything from toys,camping gear, sporting  goods, or garden tools. Just turn the bar stools upside down and they do a great job of holding these bulky items.

Don’t toss those three-ring binders.  They are great for organizing recipes, (get page protectors), vet records, CDs (get the vinyl inserts) and anything of importance that you want to keep handy.  If they have writing on them, or they don’t match your decor, consider covering them with contact paper.

These are just a few ideas to help you wittle down your trash pile.  If you have books you want to get rid of, consider donating them to homeless or women’s shelters, nursing homes or hospitals.  Contact local thrift shops in your area for drop-off sites or possible pick-up of your unwanted items. Online sites to consider are charitynavigator.org and earth911.org for information on where to recycle specific items such as electronics.

Written in association with  waste management experts