Think Greener!
by
I was a member of Greenpeace back in the 80s. They had checks printed on recycled paper well before anyone else. And even though I had a minimum wage job, I paid for my membership and my checks and was proud to support a greener world.And in law school, I still clearly remember the day I got into a huge argument with a friend just before class about Earth Day. He believed the hole in the ozone layer was propaganda, and the gist of my argument was, “What harm is to you to not use aerosols? To recycle paper? Plastic? If you won’t do it for yourself, won’t you do it to be sure the world will be here for your children? Your grandchildren?” It was an ugly argument. People left the room. And most who heard it thought I was a tree-hugging extremist.
I wish I was still as impassioned as I was a decade ago. I don’t even use recycled checks anymore. And since Katrina, there is currently no recycling of trash going on at all in my home. I am disappointed in myself.
I do reuse things–we are using many borrowed and second-hand items for Sun. And I pass on magazines and books that I read. Better than that, I use the public library regularly and try not to buy books. I use a coffee mug instead of plastic cups in the office, and I even use the recycled grocery bags instead of the disposable ones. We do not buy bottled water–we use a Brita filter instead. And I DO NOT drive an SUV–the hubs and I both drive small, gas-efficient cars–and neither two dogs, a cat nor a baby will change that.
But it isn’t enough. Rekindling my Yoga practice has reminded me of the yamas, the rules for living virtuously. And one yama, asteya, provides for non-coveting, taking only what one needs and no more. In an America consumed with consumerism, this rule can easily get lost. Keeping up with the Jones’ has been brought to a new level.
So my endeavor as I work the physical aspects of Yoga is to likewise work on asteya. And my hope is that this heightened awareness will be reflected in how I treat the environment. I’ll start with stopping my use of the plastic-laden floss picks that I love and return to the use of just plain dental floss. Sometimes its the small things we do collectively that CAN make a difference.
Wow, I like the message of your post for Blog Action Day.
It’s true that those little green things we do can add up. Sometimes I don’t feel I’m doing enough for the environment, but when I pause and think about the everyday actions I’ve converted into habit…I’m like, hey not too bad.
But of course, there’s always room for improvement! I’m glad to hear your doing that!
You may not be using recycled checks, anymore, but if you pay online then you are saving more paper.
I just wish the cashier at the grocery store will stop sighing and eye rolling when I bring in my own grocery bags. I bought them at the store you idiots.
I won’t tell your little secret, though. Teehee.
I like how you address it in both the physical/practical sense, that recycling and making environmentally concious choices makes sense for the earth and our children, as well as the spiritual/philosphical sense, that eschewing excesses is a healthy and virtuous way to live life. The two are usually coexistant in one person, but they are totally different forces and motives. I did not know it was called asteya, but I know that even when it wont help the earth, I still find myself weighing whether I need to get/keep/use something, so I understand the practice. Interesting topic. Tell us how it goes.
Well said, NOLA! I like your attitude!