The Thanksgiving Dilemma: Answered

The Thanksgiving Dilemma: Answered

There were so many comments about whether or not I should speak to my father about his water usage on Thanksgiving that I figured a follow-up was necessary.

For those readers out there that are coming in late and could use a recap, checkout last Sunday's blog: HERE.

After thinking about it I decided, what better time to talk to my father about his water habits, than on Thanksgiving? You can't get mad at someone on Thanksgiving, right? Isn't that some holiday rule? Feast and peace? So, I did.

I put it to him like this: "So, Dad, I hope you're not too mad about this, but I wrote a blog about how you hand wash your dishes and how I wish you wouldn't leave the faucet running when you walk away from the sink." Then I gave him that statistic from the EPA - which I horribly misquoted - but I believe he got the idea because he agreed to be more mindful! He was totally game and ready to try it out.

After dinner on Thanksgiving, I was happy to hear the faucet shutting on and off. The sound of a constant steady stream from year's passed was no longer. Later on, when I asked how it went, he said he wasn't perfect, but it went pretty well and I've got to say... he looked proud.

So this Thanksgiving, I gave thanks for an open-minded dad who was willing to reshape one of his habits for both the earth and his daughter.

Conserve Water this Thanksgiving

Think there's nothing you can do to Conserve Water on Thanksgiving in 1 Minute?

Starring - Nikaury Rodriguez
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA, www.epa.gov

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

A Thanksgiving Dilemma

My dad is a water addict. Don't get me wrong, I'm no water conservation hero either. I have many a 'let-the-water-run slip-ups, however my father is an H2Ohmygod do you really need those twelve gallons of water to wash that spoon person. After beginning "What You Can Do", watching my father's water consumption in the kitchen sometimes causes me to have heart palpitations. He's a full blast, dawdle while you wash dish washer.

Since my dad would likely assume you could cook a pot roast in the blender, he puts in his share of the holiday workload by doing the dishes. He does them every year and it's always assumed that it's his gig. This year though, I've decided to ask him to be more mindful as he hand washes the plates and such. To shut off the faucet if he needs to walk away from the sink to grab a dish. To shut the water off again if he needs to scrub something for any length of time. What do you think - is that judgmental or is it environmental of me? I myself have resolved to be more aware of when I'm turning the sink on and off as well. DO turn the sink on when rinsing a dish. DON'T turn the sink on when scrubbing a dish. And I know my dad won't want me to co-opt his dish duty, since traditionally, my dad does the dishes, my mom and I cook and my sister clears the table.

So is his water usage my business?

Before you answer, check out this statistic: according to the EPA, if every household in the US reduced their water use by ten gallons on Thanksgiving, we’d save more than one billion gallons of water.

Does the environment trump politeness? Should I risk it?

Protect the Night Sky - Safety

Think there's nothing you can do to Protect the Night Sky in 1 Minute?

Starring - Jack Halaby
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The International Dark Sky Association, www.darksky.org

Special Thanks: Rowena Davis and everyone at the International Dark Sky Association, Dark Ranger Kevin Poe, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

What You Can Do presents: Prevent a Fire In Your Home

Action Link: http://nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/fire_safety_downloads.shtml

Starring: Lt. Jack Halaby
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: FDNY nyc.gov/FDNY

Special Thanks:
Jim Long, Emily Rahimi, Engine 247,and everyone at the FDNY
Dennis Arinella

What You Can Do presents: Fire Escape Plan

Action Link: FDNY

Starring: Jack Halaby and Sophy Medina
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission


Statistics Provided by: FDNY



Special Thanks: Jim Long, Emily Rahimi, Engine 247,and everyone at the FDNY
Dennis Arinella

What You Can Do presents: Practice A 911 Call

Action Link: http://nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/fire_safety_downloads.shtml

Starring: Sophy Medina
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission


Statistics Provided by: FDNY nyc.gov/FDNY

Special Thanks: Jim Long, Emily Rahimi, Engine 247,and everyone at the FDNY
Dennis Arinella

What You Can Do presents: Test Your Smoke Alarm

Action Link: FDNY

Starring: Jack Halaby and Sophy Medina
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: FDNY

Special Thanks: Jim Long, Emily Rahimi, Engine 247,and everyone at the FDNY

Dennis Arinella

Fire Prevention Week

Being a New Yorker and a hot blooded female to boot, I have always had a strong admiration and respect for New York’s Bravest. When I was creating the idea of What You Can Do, I often dreamed how amazing it would be to somehow get the FDNY involved. No one can argue that in the ‘making the world a better place category’ firefighters are certainly up there in the top 10. And the FDNY is one of the bravest and best fire departments in the country.
Thanks to some great friends the dream in now a reality.

Fire Prevention Week is Oct 3-9 and What You Can Do has teamed up with the FDNY to create a week of videos that highlight fire safety issues, and one minute ideas that illustrate how to help keep you and your family safe.
A special thank you must be given to Lt. Jack Halaby, Sophy Medina, Jim Long and everyone at the FDNY who made this week possible for us.


Written by What You Can Do Creator Jessica Arinella

What You Can Do presents: Fall Paper

Starring: Amanda Kay Schill
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/paper/faqs.htm

Special Thanks:
Dennis Arinella

What You Can Do presents: Fall Decorations

Starring: Alex Marshall-Brown
Written by: Jessica Arinella and Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission


Statistics Provided by: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/reduce.htm


Special Thanks:
Dennis Arinella

Acid Rain

Think there's nothing you can do to Go Green this Fall in 1 Minute?

Starring - Jason Xay
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA, www.epa.gov

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

I Am BP

I’m tired of hearing about BP. So tired... and angry. So angry! But what am I doing? Well, not being anywhere near the Gulf and not having the ability to travel there for any length of time, I'm doing what many people are doing: I'm very busy hating BP.

Then recently one evening I was draining my son's bathwater and taking a moment to breathe as my 4-year-old did a naked lap around his room. For those who know me, what you're thinking is exactly right. What? You were draining the what from the what? That’s right. In yet another admission of being a seriously flawed person, I was in fact watching gallons of grey water go to waste. Yes, knowing that I was doing the wrong thing, knowing that I was living in a state with a water shortage, knowing there was something I could have done to prevent waste, I watched every last drop get sucked down.

Then I had a thought: I am BP.

Okay, so I'm not an oil company. I'm a mom who lives in a rented apartment with her family and blabs on a blog occasionally and at times eats more ice cream than she should. But all this energy I'm expending to be mad at BP is doing about as much good as reenacting some drama queen moment from Gone With The Wind. I may not be an oil company, but if I'm not doing what I can to prevent the next disaster, than aren't I a microscopic version of BP? I know the risk I'm taking every time I am too lazy to recycle or waste water just like BP knew the risks they were taking. Heck, I hate them, right? So don't I want to be better than them?

Every day is a chance to not only recommit ourselves to save water and help the environment, even if it’s just so we don’t pull a BP. Sure, I would say that we have been doing a lot in this house. But every now and then, it's time to take it up a notch just like BP should have a long long long long time ago. When the next disaster happens, I would really feel terrible if the one I was hating was myself.

Car Wash

Think there's nothing you can do to Conserve Water in 1 Minute?

Starring - Matt Nared
Written by -  Karen Hartline
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Conserve Water Bathroom

Think there's nothing you can do to Conserve Water in your Bathroom 1 Minute?

Starring - Julie Tortorici
Written by -  Karen Hartline
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Conserve at Your Bathroom Sink

Think there's nothing you can do to Conserve Water in your Bathroom 1 Minute?

Starring - Alicia Arinella
Written by -  Karen Hartline
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

What You Can Do presents: Kitchen Sink

Starring: Tom Morwick
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/indoor.html


Special Thanks:
Dennis Arinella

Going Against the Flow

My husband came home from work one day and told me they showed an award-winning film called Flow. http://www.flowthefilm.com. When I asked him what it was about, he said, “Babe, do not see this movie.”

Let us get past the fact that my husband gets to watch movies in the middle of his workday and contemplate his explicit instructions. Why? Well, those who know me know the extent to which I worry. Even the Bible has nothing on the doomsday scenarios that play out in my head at the slightest hint of trouble. My poor husband was simply trying to save us from weeks, perhaps months of Victorian Era fainting meets Debbie Downer kind of stress.

Too late. I went to the film’s site and read the synopsis beginning “Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis…” Gulp. My husband was right. Nevertheless, more research: “more than one out of six people lack access to safe drinking water,” and “36 states are facing water shortages by 2013.” Oy. What did I do? I shut down the computer! I just couldn’t take it. I’m one person. I get maxed out just thinking about what to make for dinner for goodness sake. Karen, out.

A few months later, I came across a Brazilian commercial suggesting that people pee in the shower to save water - a cute little cartoon that made it sound like the best thing since roller-skating. Now, while it’s none of your business as to whether or not I did it, I did. And even though that means that you will never accept an invitation to take a shower in my home, I saved 5-6 gallons of water by not flushing my toilet. That felt great.

I started developing new habits. The more habits I changed, the more I examined other routines. Did I really need to run the water while I brushed my teeth? Did I really need to rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? Did I really need to wash my vegetables in a colander? No. No. No. Slowly, one thing led to another and before I knew it, we established a household policy of not buying bottled water, just as Ms. Salina’s documentary warns. Not so scary anymore.

So, good for me. Pat pat. Thumbs up. But here’s the problem. When I spread the word about changing habits, I usually see the kind of frozen smiles that make me sure that if there were an ejection seat, they would push the button. I get it. This is scary stuff, and it’s much easier to go on running the sink at full blast to push a kernel of corn down the drain than it is to be in a constant state of awareness about the water crisis. But this crisis is ours only if we want it. You don’t have to be an activist, a hero or Bono. So, here’s a challenge. Watch the upcoming episodes and pick one thing. Just water your plants with ice cubes. Just don’t buy bottled water. Just pee in the shower, for goodness sake, we don’t even have to know about it! Make one commitment. One. Everyone can do that. Any one of those things could save gallons of water. Do that and believe me it will spread. Trickle! It will trickle into everything else that you do. Hey, any subject that ends on a pun that cheesy can’t be all that scary, can it?

Have a Green Barbecue

Think there's nothing you can do to have a green barbeque in 1 Minute?

Starring - Grace Tortorici & Richard Tortorici
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA, www.epa.gov

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Lawn Care

Think there's nothing you can do to improve your lawn in 1 Minute?

Starring - Alicia Arinella & Dennis Arinella
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA, www.epa.gov

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com