Funny...the things you learn in Toastmasters

You've heard it said before – many people are more afraid of public speaking than of dying. Toastmasters is a well-known antidote for the fear of public speaking. Even so, it has sort of an odd reputation...a bunch of geeky guys and gals who are hypercritical, just waiting to pounce on your every mistake. OK, the truth is, there are a LOT of clubs like that out there.

The Scottsdale club I belong to happens to be different. A LOT different.



For one thing, we laugh more than any single group of people I've ever known. No matter how bad a day I'm having before I get there, once there, it's a sure thing I'll lighten up, loosen up, laugh my ass off, and come out feeling a lot better.

The second thing is that we're inclusive. Even though many strong friendships have been forged within the club, new people are always welcome and embraced right into the fold.

But even bigger than either of those great aspects are the amazing things we teach each other. One member is a spiritual teacher who has taught us all a great deal about the effect of our beliefs on our personal growth. Another is a financial advisor who manages to make that traditionally dry topic interesting. Another member is an Australian-born business coach who recently shared her story about her process of becoming an American citizen.

One of the most profound speeches we heard recently, though, was from a mortgage broker who broke mold to talk about something very different...plastic bags. Now, I've known they're prolific and dangerous to the environment for quite some time...but I had NO idea! Whoa, Nellie!!

Here are just a few plastic bag facts...

• Well over a billion single-use plastic bags are given out for free each day, worldwide.


• The production of plastic bags requires petroleum and often natural gas, both non-renewable resources that increase our dependency on foreign suppliers.


• The toxic chemical ingredients needed to make plastic produces pollution during the manufacturing process.


• The energy needed to manufacture and transport disposable bags eats up more resources and creates global warming emissions.


• Annual cost to US retailers alone for the production of these bags is estimated at $4 billion.


• Thousands of sea turtles die every year from eating discarded plastic bags they mistake for jellyfish, their primary food source. Once swallowed, plastic bags choke the animals or block their intestines, leading to an agonizing death.
  


• On land, many cows, goats and other animals suffer a similar fate to marine life when they accidentally ingest plastic bags while foraging for food.


• Plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade as they sit in landfills. As litter, they breakdown into tiny bits, contaminating our soil and water.

The good news is that we can make a difference!!!

For one thing, if you buy just one or two items, skip the bag!

Reduce the number of bags you use for your produce. Do those bananas and single kiwi really need their own bags? Yeah...I didn't think so.

Many stores are starting to carry reusable canvas, mesh, or plastic bags. They cost anywhere from 50 cents to $1.49. Buy a few, and start using them! By replacing the plastic bags with reusable bags, we can each reduce our consumption an average of 6 bags per week. That's an average of 24 bags a month, 288 bags a year, and 22,176 bags in a lifetime!

Of course, there's always the issue of remembering to take the reusable bags with you. Two quick ways to remember:

1. Put them in the front seat of your car as soon as you put your groceries away.


2. Write "reusable bags" at the top of your grocery list.

You can also encourage your grocer to follow the lead of Karns Quality Foods [Pennsylvania] and put a little more in each bag, where possible.

Or we can get REALLY involved and exhort our cities to follow the lead of San Francisco and LA in banning plastic bags.

Of course, as with any issue, there are always dissenters.

So...what will your next steps be? If one in five people in the U.S. gave up their plastic bags, we'd reduce our usage by more than a TRILLION bags in our lifetime. You can do it...even one less bag per week will help.

Oh – and if you're one of those folks who has a tough time speaking in front of people, check out your local Toastmasters club. Who knows...it might be good for your health and good for the environment!