Page 14 - Adelante Magazine March 2025

Reviews
By: Al Ballesteros

Cheryl Leutjen’s
LOVE EARTH NOW

I’m one who thinks about the environment and electricity we use made with petroleum based
about the waste we create by using items from products, whether oil or natural gas? So, still
food stuffs to daily use products that are stuck.
wrapped in plastics, or in cans or bottles. I have,
at times, avoided the purchase of a needed item I use a tremendous amount of single use plastic
because it had such little usable content but was bottles because I drink a lot of water. This is
wrapped in a ton of heavy plastic or packaging. something I don’t think I can compromise on be-
cause I like water and think it is good to drink
I worry about depleting limited nat- several bottles a day. It just doesn’t seem as
ural resources we consume by driv- pure to have a water filtering system on the
ing gas vehicles, traveling on air house faucet and drink from a reusable water
planes, heating our homes or using container, even though logically it makes sense.
air conditioning. I think about water I know it is quite likely the water from a filtered
use and how this precious natural faucet would be just as clean as that in a plastic
resource is being polluted and bottle. But, I just can’t move past the plastic,
whether or not what we are putting sterile looking bottle. I do make sure almost all
down the drain is hurting this es- are put in the blue can. However, stuck here
sential element of life. also.

To limit what we are putting in land- Where does all this lead for those of who live on
fills, I have tried composting a cou- the planet today and for those who we care
ple of times. But because of my about that will inherit the planet tomorrow and
busy schedule, both times I let the into the future? Not just the humans, but the ani-
compost bin just sit there and be- mals and insects as well.
come absolutely useless and had
to throw it all in the black can any- Well, in Cheryl Leutjen’s book, “Love Earth Now”
way. I tend to keep the same old she helps us think about the gap between our
furniture year after year because it realities living as humans in modern society and
still has usage on it and because our intentions to limit the damage we are caus-
these items are made from good ing the earth. Cheryl talks about her own strug-
wood. I’d rather not change this old gle of recognizing her global carbon footprint and
furniture for items constructed from she shares honestly her stories. She’s funny
man-made materials. But I want and especially in the way she describes dealing
new furniture because mine is out- with the questions of when and what to worry
dated, so I’m stuck. about, how much to worry about it or whether it’s
worth the worry or not.
Living in Los Angeles and in South-
ern California we are not strangers to water Love Earth Now will give you practical advice on
shortages and the effects of climate change. discovering your own path to living more earth-
Water conservation in the form of not wasting it conscience. At the end of the books chapters,
when letting the water run to warm-up before the author gives you an exercise and the oppor-
showers or washing dishes, makes a lot of tunity to think about what you may have read
sense, but I hate having the shock of cold water and learned in the chapter and how those
on my body. So, I don’t do it. I try to use native thoughts may affect you in a deep or not so deep
plants in the yard, but I do like it lush and green. way. The book will give you ideas on how you
So, I have plants that require watering. To make can make a difference even when dealing with
a change would mean changing up the yard that a busy schedule and lots of other competing
took years to develop. So, here I’m stuck again. needs.

I don’t drive a gas car any longer as I’ve turned Love Earth Now is available on Amazon by au-
to an electric Tesla. But now for political rea- thor Cheryl Leutjen. (Note: Thank you Cheryl for
sons, I’m not sure I want to keep the Tesla any dropping the book off at the Adelante Magazine
longer, but say I do. I’m still concerned that the office a while back. We hope you are doing
amount of electricity used by the car is probably well.)
just as bad as using gas. Isn’t a large part of the

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