It Ain’t Easy(or clear cut) Being Green
Trying to make the best choice about being green and doing what is best for the environment and being true to your principals is not always clear cut.
For example, have you read about how the compact flourescent light bulbs contain mercury and should be recycled? But where to do it is problematic.
The quandry I sometimes face when I need to buy something is this. Do I ride my bicycle to Walmart to buy what I need? Or, do I take my business to a store that requires driving the car. At least in my mind it requires the car.
Since the first of the year Walmart has generally won out. It is only about 4 or 5 miles to the other shopping center. But in order to avoid route 1 it means going up a very nasty hill. Then I go down the hill and then back up again. Yeah I know, I’m a slacker.
Okay, I have convinced myself. I will test it out sometime.
We are encouraged to buy local. Now I read that in some situations your locally produced food may have actually produced a larger carbon foot print than something shipped from far away.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:38 am
You know, I hear ya. I believe you can try and do your best and it sounds like you are doing a lot more than most.
Don’t jeopardize your safety for a mere few miles…or your health.
Believe me-and it sounds as though you know, if doing those nasty hills might injure you don’t do em!
I give you a high five for what you’re doing right now…
May 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Avoiding the hills has nothing to do with injury. It has everything to do with being lazy.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Shhhhhh….I won’t tell anybody then!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I find myself facing the same dilemma quite a lot, lately. The only farmer’s market around here is downtown. Go that far in that much traffic? Often enough that three-fourths of what one might purchase doesn’t go bad anyway?
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I read a book about this a couple of years ago (of course, I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called). Turns out that a lot of the stuff that people do to help the environment isn’t actually making much of a difference. A couple of examples I remember–using cloth diapers isn’t really any better than using disposables because it uses so much energy to be constantly washing them. “Paper or plastic” is pretty much completely unimportant (of course, bringing your own bag is one of the best and easiest things you can do–but do I usually do it?). And the thing that the authors said was the biggest surprise was that recycling, although good, really hasn’t been anywhere near as helpful as most people think. I think that the two things that really need to be done to make an appreciable difference are changing the way our energy is produced and the way our cars are powered. It’s so stupid to me that there has been so little done in those areas when there are such good alternatives just waiting to be developed a little more. Unfortunately, a lot of the responsibility there falls to government and business, and we know how that goes…. I really wish I could remember what that book was because they had suggestions for things you can do that really do make a difference, but can I remember any of them? Of course not.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Hey, I found it! It was the third book listed when I searched “environmental” on Amazon, so I guess I’m not the only one that’s read it. It’s called “The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists.” The first customer review gives a really thorough synopsis and lists the things the authors say you SHOULD do, if anybody’s interested.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
So the big question on my mind is WHY ARE YOU SHOPPING AT WALMART? Personal feelings aside about how much I hate the place, buying at large conglomerate box stores instead of buying local requires a whole lot of petroleum to move the goods around the entire U.S. Not that I am perfect, I can’t really afford to buy local all the time but that is something to consider.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Local can be a really good choice for reducing carbon footprints and getting really good quality but sometimes it is really not so conservative. I think it really depends on how much fertilizer was used (Chemical fertilize is freaking expensive to produce) and just how intensive the farming practices are. Traditional farming methods just aren’t cuttin’ it anymore with soil conservation, and sound environmental practices. This may just sound like the rantings of bleeding environmentalists but actually sustainable farming can save farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars in pesticides and fertilizer applications. I won’t bore you all with the details of sustainable versus traditional.
One reason I really wanted to move to Oregon was the almost year-round availability of local organic fruits and vegetables. We also got some darned good buffalo meat the other day. Anyway gotta go James is having a melt down!