Two Sides of the Same Coin: Environmental and Economical for Cuba

Again, I find myself preaching the same message, if you are environmentally friendly, you are economically friendly.

Let me give you a few examples.

Organic Farms: Pesticides-Very few families use them- why? Pesticides are expensive. It makes more sense (cents!) financially to practice alternative methods of pest control.
How to Keep Away Plants

1) Use alternative plants with a powerful smell

• basil
• marigolds

2) Multiple Crops in One Spot so the plants can benefit from one another
3) "Hotel" Plant

• corn stock or alternatives can be used as an "hotel" to distract insects on their way to their destination

They also recycle their beer bottles by using them to store tomato paste! They compost, and use solar techniques such as the aluminum bowl to store heat.

Recycling: The interesting thing about recycling here, is that many impoverished people do it not necessarily for the environmental reasons, but more to gain the extra cents. They get 8 pesos for 2.5 lbs of plastic (not very much!).

Reuse: Unlike the consumer culture in the West, the people here reuse most items. They make their old coke cans into race cars and pretend cameras. They hardly ever use plastic bags, simply because it is not economically viable. When people are provided with less, they seem to be more creative and waste less to conserve money. At the same time, they are also helping the environment.