My Dentist and the Environment

People always seemed surprised when I tell them what a good time I have at my dentist, but I have an amazing dentist who is a great conversationalist and remarkable person all around, and she even takes her hands out of my mouth occasionally so I can contribute to the conversation.

This morning she asked me about my semester, and when I told her I was taking both an online memoir-writing class and an environmental science class, she asked me what people learned in environmental science.

"We learn that absolutely everything we do impacts the environment," I told her.  "Everything is connected, interconnected.  We're studying marine life now, but when we were on fresh water, we learned that 1/2 trillion gallons of water could be saved every year if every American turned off the water while brushing their teeth." 

She said she had heard this and would try to be more careful.  She also said that the little spot where clients spit to rinse their mouths used to go around constantly, and it was that way when she started working, and a fifteen-year-old boy asked, "Isn't that wasteful?"

We talked about other aspects of the environment like packaging and all the waste.  She said she thought she was wasteful washing the dishes and was going to try to change that.

We also talked about Bizarro.

On another environment-related subject, I emptied my box of Organic Imagine No-Chicken brothe and wasn't sure where to put it.  I called REcology, and the nice woman I spoke to said it couldn't be recycled, and they were trying to pass legislation so people couldn't sell products boxed in un-recyclable material.

Then I wrote to Tetra-Brik:

http://consumer.imaginefoods.com/contact-us.html

I just called the number I found on your TetraBrik container, 1-800-333-6339 and got a message which sounded like, “This is Ted’s voice mail.  Please leave a message.”  I see that you have a different number online. 

                 I was wondering about your container, which I don’t believe can be composted or recycled but has to be put in the garbage.  If this is the case, could you tell me for how much longer you’ll be packaging your products—in this case Organic No-Chicken Broth—this way?  I like your project, but I don’t want to buy it any more if it doesn’t come in a container that can be recycled or composted.

                Tina Martin