The end of my own post last night was a such cop-out. I knew it when I wrote it. I shouted at myself in my head: “you lazy cow. You don’t have time to sit on your arse! Get out there into the rain!”.
It’s not just about laziness. It’s about despair too. It’s just so bloody hard to keep working when it just seems hopeless.
And then, while I was sitting on my arse reading about other people’s efforts I read the following which reminded me of why it’s so very, very important to change my way of living (and then my family’s way of living, and my community’s way of living…):
“The only hope we have is the notion that the assumptions we make are merely assumptions - that we don’t actually have to live as we do right now. That we don’t have to extract food from the third world, while burning our own dinners in our cars. That we don’t have keep growing - in fact, we can’t. That we can’t reduce our usage by not 50%, but 90 or 95%.
As far as I can tell, there is no better plan than this. Build soil. Plant trees. Grow food. Make Do. Do Without. Give what you can to others. Fix your mistakes. Cut your emissions to the bone, and then cut them some more. And every time it hurts (and it will sometimes), close your eyes and imagine your nieces and nephews or your children or grandchildren or your friend’s beloved children grown to womanhood and manhood in a world where there is food and peace and water. And then imagine them without. And ask yourself “What else don’t I need so I can bring about a decent future.”
Otherwise, when we say we can’t do it, we’re choosing the next generation’s future. The places we love underwater. Wild creatures that live only in zoos. The deaths of more than a billion people from drought and famine - some of them people we love personally, and all of them people we should be capable of caring about.”
Quoted from Sharon at Casaubon’s book.
Nikki suggested to me that I needed to find something to focus on and this might be it.
If you read the same sites I link to, then you are probably already aware of the Riot for Austerity 90% Emissions Reduction Project (is it too soon to call it a movement?).
I think to make it relevant to me, all the targets would have to be translated into New Zealand averages. It’s a lot to think about.
If you’re intrigued, have a look at the rules.
Then if you’re still keen, maybe we can do it together?
I am a fairly useless person.
I grow nothing (well, nothing really useful at the moment. I have some herbs, late tomatoes and a chilli plant-hardly enough to feed myself or anyone else).
I make nothing (not including meals or my bed occasionally).
I produce nothing except waste and greenhouse gases.
Would buying nothing for a month (or a year) make up for this at all?
The problem (well maybe it’s just my problem) with being “green” is that as soon as you start thinking about things - whether it’s your personal contribution to the carbon in the atmosphere or the oil running out - it quickly gets too depressing to bother getting out of bed in the morning.
There’s just too much to do and often it’s hard work pushing against the cultural norms which we live with. Sharon has some interesting insights and I agree with her conclusion that the struggle is “worth undertaking, if for no other reason than the health of myself and my family, and for the little drop in the ocean (or atmosphere) that I can save for the future.”
Anyway, while I was wallowing in “what’s the point” thoughts, Rag Grrl posted a list of things she’s doing to green her life and world. And so, in the interests of my mental health, I’ve shamelessly stolen the idea:
Things I’m doing to green up my life and world
1. Cloth nappies. They’re just nicer in so many ways.
2. Reusable menstrual products (Mooncup and washable panty liners. Cloth feels nicer for me too ;>).
3. Minimise my use of commercial chemical-laden cleaners. Not difficult – I’m a bit of a slattern anyway. I use the more eco-friendly types of commercial cleaners but as they run out I’m finding you can often do the same job with hot water, baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice (not all together at the same time of course).
4. 1/2 flush toilet (easy because the tank is broken and the tap has to be turned on to fill it for each flush. With screaming children in the next room I don’t often bother unless I have to!)
5. Front-loader washing machine with cold water washes.
6. Short showers – often shared with one or more child!
7. Turned off the heated towel rail and all appliances in ’stand-by’ mode.
8. I use energy efficient light bulbs in all the sockets which will take them. In the 2 light fittings with dimmer switches I use normal lightbulbs but only 40W.
9. Resist the purchase of unnecessary appliances (easy when you have no money for such frivolous things anyway)
10. I try not to use my dryer too much. It gets a lot harder in winter with a small and sunless house.
11. I use cloth shopping bags.
12. Angst over packaging. I try to buy stuff with less of course! I try to make things like hummus and bread which bring unrecyclable packaging with them.
13. We compost our kitchen scraps and farm worms. More on my sad little worm farm later!
14. I’m trying to make more things from scratch and grow my own vegetables. Well, you know I’m trying.
15. I try to buy New Zealand made/grown.
16. I don’t eat meat.
17. I try to recycle everything I can.
18. I try to buy recycled stuff-clothes, furniture, books etc. Again, this is easy when you have no money for new stuff anyway…
19. I try really hard not to want new stuff.
20. I have a “No Circulars” sign on the letterbox which helps with the trying not to want new stuff.
21. I use the car minimally. It helps that we have a tight petrol budget and I always have an eye on the tank. Right now I’m pushing myself a little further – with Car-Free Tuesdays and walking to Playcentre more often.
Rag Grrl’s follow up post is a list of things she’d like to do next. I started one, but it quickly got too depressing.
I just want to bask in the feel-good glow of the “I’m doing” before I bog myself down with with the “I should be doing” list.
