Our son Steve, bless his tender heart, rescued a kitten several months ago. Through a long series of events, the kitten came to stay with us until he could take it with him to his winter quarters. The kitten, Agent, came with several useful accessories, including a cat carrier, food and water dishes, and some toys. He also came with a Dr. Pepper bottle inside a sock.
Since he was such a young kitten, Steve decided he should have something warm to fall asleep with, so he used a plastic bottle filled with hot water and covered with a sock to do the job. And what a great job it has done. We’ve filled and emptied that bottle dozens of times. It hasn’t leaked or broken, and has warmed our Agent over and over.
What struck me about the above is that this plastic bottle was manufactured for one use only, and then was, by design, intended to be tossed out. This item was clearly capable of accomplishing much more than its intended use. Michigan was one of the first states to institute a bottle bill, mandating a deposit on each one of these things. I’m sure this ensures many more of these are returned than would be if there were not deposit.
So where is this leading? Our oceans are being polluted by tons of this non-biodegradable stuff, mainly because we as a people are irresponsible with the things we create. This was brought to my mind the other day when I watched this YOUTUBE. Please watch it yourself if you have the 2 minutes, and let me know what you think. And each time you deal responsibly with your stuff, pat yourself on the back the way the young woman in the video is also patted on the back.
This YouTube shows a great use for empty bottles as well – bringing light into the lives and homes of folks who have had nothing but dark for a long time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0C-lSvbLT4&feature=share
Also – Ryan says, “How can you write about a kitten and not have any pictures?”
-Mel
Comment by Mel — December 22, 2011 @ 10:00 am