Do you ever suffer from green guilt? Nobody talks about this much, but it seems to me that trying to live a sustainable life can sometimes be a Big Biohazardous Bummer.
Earlier this week, I headed to the compost bin with a pan of water. The water had been soaking in a cooking pot, and instead of pouring it down the drain I thought I’d virtuously recycle it.
I managed to open the back door with one hand, staggered out with the pot (only spilling a little on my shoes), quickly shut the door so the cat wouldn’t escape…and that’s when I noticed that the back porch light was on. I had forgotten to turn it off in the morning, and the light had burned all day – just wasting electricity and money, expanding our carbon footprint, and negating my feeble effort to reuse cooking water.
My inner critic berated me the same way it does when I forget to bring the reusable bags to the grocery store, or the time I accidentally left the sprinklers on during a rain storm. So careless! So wasteful! So UN-green!
Later I tuned in to the evening news, which showed footage of trash and debris washing up on Alaskan shores. My stomach was in knots as I heard the concerns about toxicity and watched the images of so much plastic and trash all over the beach. I wondered for the millionth time how much more our planet can take. The news is so depressing, and every day seems to bring a new worry.
I’ve experienced my share of personal eco-angst, too, like when I spearheaded an effort to get our public school to stop using disposable, petroleum-based, non-biodegradable Styrofoam trays.
Just as the district buyer was considering a move to a biodegradable tray, the cost of the Styrofoam trays suddenly dropped by 30 percent. I learned firsthand about the force of the American plastics industry and the continued nationwide purchase of these trays by school districts, despite outrage and protests from students and parents.
Oh, my friends, what’s an earth-loving human to do?
After feeling discouraged last week, a lightbulb went off (pun intended). Trying to live green should be a reason to smile, I reasoned later, not an excuse to walk around in an Enviro-Funk.
It’s not always easy to consistently live this lifestyle, but we can keep doing our best to make a difference. We can keep encouraging each other, staying positive and pushing ahead.
I realize that every day I have a choice. I can beat myself up for every eco-opportunity I miss, or I can celebrate the green living efforts our family does make.
I can obsess about everything that’s wrong on our planet, or I can focus on trying to make a difference in my own way. I can despair about the bad news, or I can stay informed and continue to try to make the world a better place.
Besides hugging the nearest tree, one thing that cheers me when I’ve got the Toxic Waste Woes is you, the caring community of people who read Happy Simple Living.
How remarkable it is that so many good people are spread all over the world, each trying to do the right thing. You lift me up, you challenge me, and you inspire me to keep trying.
Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
Thank you! I enjoyed reading your post. I have moments like these and have to remind myself to do just as you suggest – concentrate on the changes myself and my family have made and continue to make(with my spear-heading it all) and stay positive. Just last night, I was re-filling the giant water dispenser that we keep in the fridge. I hadn’t realized that the spout was stuck in the “on” position and was filling away using the reverse osmosis spigot, not noticing for at least 2 minutes, that the purified water was going right down the drain. Duh! I was tired. I have however, made sure that our baths are not even “half-tub” full, for the past year – in my efforts to conserve. Again, thank you for sharing. It feels good to know that I can relate. Being more aware and making changes that sometimes take more effort isn’t always easy!