Muskegon Chronicle to publish "Lost Lake"

I am pleased to say that my "Lost Lake" piece is going to be published in the Muskegon Chronicle this Wednesday, April 9th, in the Explore section. I was totally surprised and delighted when I got the news.

The Explore section comes every Wednesday in the paper. It focuses on all things outdoors including sports (hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, etc.), news, events, and useful information. The best part is that the vast majority of the articles are about local happenings.

There is a push to Save Lost Lake. If you have never been to Lost Lake, I highly suggest you take the time and go. Because I believe that the campaign to save the lake is vitally important to our community, our environment, and our health, I request that everyone make a donation. All donated funds, up to $90,000, will be matched by other sources. Personally, I just donated five dollars. I wish it could have been far more but I just don't have the money right now.

The rest of the post is dedicated to the Campaign to Save Lost Lake.

We all take many things for granted, our friends, family, health, and most of all our environment. How many times has the planet been forced to 'take one for the team?' If you have to think about that, you really need to pick up a newspaper. Everyone, including myself is guilty. Our very existence, our way of life, adversely impacts the environment. The purpose of this post is not to tell you that we need to stop living, but simply change the way you do things.

I listened to the Environmental Ethics panel discussion at Muskegon Community College on Friday, April 4th. A gentleman by the name of Chris Bedford said that we need to rethink the way we create the various products we use. Currently, we try to make products that are recyclable. His suggestion is to completely bypass this idea and make things that do not need to be recycled.

For instance, there are now ways to make 'plastic' bottles out of corn. These bottles will completely biodegrade when composted. While this is a step in the right direction, far greater changes need to take place.

The simple fact that we purchase these things is a problem. The amount of bottled tap water that is purchased is astounding. Granted, I have lived in a few apartment complexes where the water resembled sludge, more than anything else. Even a premium water filter could not fix the 'taste' and I will not even mention the smell.

What about convenience? Sport bottles have been around for ages, those are convenient. This leads us to a simple, yet partial, solution. Remember the three 'R's? Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle. We got recycle out of the way. Reduce is pretty straightforward. We are totally dropping the ball on Re-use.

Purchasing water bottles is simply wasteful. Unless your tap water reminds you of the movie 'The Blob' you should really rethink the way you drink liquids. I say liquids because water isn't the only product that comes in a bottle. Gatorade is purchasable in powder form; countless other products are as well.

A return to sport bottles is only a small beginning. If you want a perfect way to get a jumpstart on the way you think about Re-use, head over to the Campaign to Save Lost Lake and make a donation. As children, we all passed along ABC gum to our younger counterparts. It is time to grow up; pass along something far more meaningful, and a lot better for us all.