Top 5 Things a Secular Humanist Can Do to Start the New Year off Right

1. If you haven’t already, transfer from a big bank to a credit union. Since September, due to Bank of America’s little $5 monthly fee (which they rescinded, by the way), over 650,000 people closed their bank accounts and switched over to either a credit union or a local bank by November 5. That was before the big Bank Transfer Day that, by some estimates, rounded that number out to one million. The message here was received loud and clear by big banks as Bank of America wasn’t the only big bank to rescind their monthly debit card fees.

3. If you have already marked number two off your list it’s time to take the next step—recycle. Now, with most cities offering recycle bins and weekly pick up—there’s no excuse not to. Before, I used to be a recycler wannabe. I would preach to everyone else about it, and even made the attempt to recycle at home, myself, but it was just too time consuming to load everything into the car and drive to a recycling plant, so I had stacks of newspaper, big trash bags full of aluminum cans, and tons of broken down cardboard boxes just sitting on my porch. With the city picking it up for me now there is no excuse. And you will find, as I have, that after a while this will become a competition, almost. How many things can you avoid throwing away in a week? My kids and I even find uses for things that don’t really qualify for the city recycle bins (most still don’t allow glass). Once you start recycling, it will become a habit and you will even feel bad if your trash can actually fill up in a week.

4. These last two items will take a little more discipline and determination, but they can be done, so if you’ve made it this far with a smile on your face, keep that same fire lit. For no. 4 I’m asking that you look into buying eggs from a reputable farm that does not keep its hens caged. This one is a little harder to do. It will require some time and effort on your part, but you will feel better every time you have eggs for breakfast. Most people get their eggs from a supermarket, like everything else, and really don’t stop to think about where the eggs come from. I’m sure if you thought about it for just a minute you would know that they don’t come from happy chickens frolicking about on a sunny farm. No. It’s almost 99.9% guaranteed that those eggs come from an abused animal, stuffed in a cage big enough for about four hens, but sharing it with about ten others. These hens, from the second they are born, are condemned to a sad existence—but don’t take my word for it—look up the facts. Mercy for Animals is a good place to start. And every time you purchase eggs from a supermarket, you are voting with your hard earned money that this is okay with you. So, go to a farmer’s market, or look into getting chickens of your own. Many people don’t know that even within city limits, most cities allow for at least a few hens, as long as their coop is 100 feet away from the house. I was pleased to find that out about my city, and I now am the proud owner of 13 chickens in Kansas City, just five minutes away from downtown. This is a more dramatic step towards awareness, but I assure you your efforts will not go unnoticed.

5. Finally, if you are still with me this next step will really require commitment. But let me just say in advance that this suggestion does not require you to give anything up. Just like the suggestions before, I am offering an alternative. So, if you like to eat meat, I strongly urge you to look into buying only Halal or Kosher from a reputable farm where you know the animals have been treated humanely. Just like with eggs, buying your meat at the supermarket removes you from the horrific conditions that the animal had to live in and the horrible way it was surely killed. It is too easy to just run by the store and pick up some ground beef for dinner when you don’t have to think that the animal you are going to eat was probably confined to an area so small it couldn’t move for its entire existence. It was probably beaten regularly as animals that are raised for food are not usually considered “living things.” And when it came time to slaughter it, it was still alive as its throat was slit. Once again I strongly recommend Mercy for Animals’ website for more information on this topic.

Well, this is my top 5 list for 2012. Remember, I’m not asking that anyone give up anything, I’m only asking that you really think about the way the world works and ask yourself, is that okay with you?