This is Planet Earth
It's no secret that B and I are greenies of the highest degree. Well, maybe not the highest. We haven't converted our Subaru to bio-diesel or anything that extreme, but we do try to be mindful of the affects our actions have on the natural environment. We try to be conscious of our environmental impact pretty much all the time.
Being green is about making calculated choices, when more times than not we are choosing between the lesser of two evils. In the end, the real issue is about consumption. How much of the crap we buy do we really need?
One product line that drives me completely insane is the Swiffer and all it's related throw-away accessories. Nothing says wanton disrespect for our planet than throwing away little fabric wash clothes after a single round of dusting. Seriously? You can't use a reusable dust cloth? Or a regular dust mop? It means that much to you to just throw the dirt away with the cloth than to sweep it up with a broom? Similar products like dryer sheets and household wet-wipes make me want to go postal in the cleaning products aisle.
I would like to note that Americans, true to our nature, are quickly catching up to Europe with regard to being environmentally conscious. I'm psyched that CFLs are becoming an everyday item, and that grocery store tellers don't look at us funny when we bring reusable grocery bags to the store.
I have no doubt America will soon surpass the rest of the world as we continue to curb our consumptive habits. Collectively, we're pretty good about rallying when we need to.
I challenge all my half dozen odd readers to spend a few minutes today thinking about what you could realistically give up or just consume less of? Maybe you can install CFLs around your house to consumer less electricity, maybe you can start using rechargeable batters or reusable grocery bags? Can you ditch that blasted Swiffer or buy a water filter instead of drinking bottled water?
There are so many small things you can do, and I bet you wouldn't even notice a difference. Otherwise, I'll make you listen to Duran Duran every day.
Comments
We're planning on composting, and we want to install a rain catcher so we don't have to use water from the tap to water our plants and grass. We've also replaced our bulbs with CFLs, use resuable grocer bags, and I recently found an alternative to dyer sheets. This weekend, we bought an old fashioned push mower over the weekend to cut our grass, so we won't use gas or electricity to cut the lawn. We also use washable cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
You gave up the car a long while ago. What are you going to give up?
But I didn't know about the dryer sheets. That will certainly change things.