The Things I Do and Don't

My friend who writes over at 24-7 Mommy recently wrote a post inspired by the miserable, horrible oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico right now. She asked her readers for tips on how we mom's (or all runners of households) can help preserve the environment. I wrote a few in her comments but it got me thinking about things I do, and don't do. There's the usual list, like recycle, turn your heat down and lights off, take public transit, buy eco-friendly and organic products. But I thought I'd try to pass along some of the little specific things I do and could do but haven't started doing yet, in case anyone may think, "Hey, I could do that."

--Buy Dr. Bronner's soap in bulk then use if for everything! I have it in hand pumps for washing poopy hands, spray bottles for washing fingerprints, and I use it for my floors, dishes, and even sometimes my body. You can buy a one gallon bottle once or twice a year and recycle it, and save all the packaging for any other cleaning product you may use.
--Plant a garden. I haven't seen the yields of this quite yet, but I suspect it will save us a lot of trips to the grocery store for fresh produce, and also all the packaging that produce may come in (I plan to can and freeze some stuff in recycled plastic bags and glass jars). It has the added benefit of helping our family witness the miracles of nature, which can only help us stop taking the earth for granted.
--Re-use all those plastic bags, containers and jars you end up with no matter how hard you try. There is no need to buy saran wrap or tupperware, ever!
--Cloth diapers! It's not that bad, really. We put in a diaper sprayer which takes out the majority of grossness. After that, just hold your nose once or twice a week and dump them in the wash. Saves money, and the earth. If you can't stomach the idea though, most urban areas have a diaper service. We used one until we move to our house and could have our own laundry. Man, I loved them. They were cheaper than disposable, and they didn't even make me knock the poo off.
--Don't use pesticides. No brainer. We don't really care about our lawn's appearance enough anyway. Besides, dandelions are edible.
--Buy used. Everything is out there. Craigslist is a fun way to meet your neighbours. And if you buy from most thrift stores, you are probably also helping out a charity. Plus it will save you money. You can also trade baby items back and forth with friends that have kids a bit older or younger than yours.
--Buy local. We all know this by now. Summer is a great time to find your local farmers markets and again, meet your neighbours. Bulk buying in season can save you money and stretch the local produce into the winter.
--Buy recyclable. When you're shopping and you have to pick up that plastic bottle of something, check the bottom to make sure it's a recyclable plastic. There's usually a little recycle symbol with a number in it. Our local program only takes #1, 2 and 5, so I buy a brand that uses that type of plastic.

OK, now, at the risk of sounding holier than thou, which I always worry about with these types of posts, here is a list of things I don't do, but if I did, it would make a big difference.

--Eat vegetarian. I did this for about 8 years, then fell off the wagon. We eat veggie once a week or so, and we buy mostly chicken and fish, and all our meat from local, organic, ethical, naturally raised sources. We rarely have meat as the main attraction, it is usually in a stew, soup, curry, or sauce full of veggies. But...still. Vegetarian diets are just way better for the earth.
--Remember to re-use all those plastic produce bags. I remember my grocery bags, but I have not yet begun to remember to bring bags for produce and bread. Maybe writing this will get me there.
--Drive less. I have to admit, since moving to the country, I drive way more. In the city it could be a couple weeks before I would take my car anywhere. But here, the nearest grocery store is 4 km away, and a lot of my friends are 40 minutes away. We used to average 1 tank of gas a month, but it's creeping up to 2. May be time to invest in a hybrid.
--Conserve...enough. I don't unplug appliances when I'm not using them. I leave my laptop on. I turn up the heat when I'm cold (well, we did that until we got the first bill...now we're into conservation!). I could do much more--this list could go on and on.
--Be an activist. I write the occasional letter to a company complaining about their packaging or practices, but I have been talking about getting more involved in activism and haven't done it...yet.

It's hard to do everything right by the earth. I find myself standing in the grocery store wondering trivial things like: buy the organic bananas wrapped in plastic? or buy the non-organic not wrapped in plastic? or don't buy them because they are never local? And I have to admit at times it feels hopeless, the small impact my family can make and how that compares to the large impact a company that pollutes can make. But the more I commit to living sustainably, the more I incorporate good habits, and the better I feel about my own life, even if I can't change everyone else. I do believe that on this issue, the people have to lead and the leaders will follow. And if they don't, well, at least we'll have done something to keep the earth a place our children and their children can enjoy a bit longer.

Feel free to share your own tips below!

Getting a Grip

So, after my last post, I started to feel kind of depressed. I think I have now gone through the whole cycle the title of the video I posted promises—Wake Up, Freak Out, and Get a Grip. Not that I wasn’t already “awake” to the whole environmental Armageddon issue—but I’ve been snoozing lately. It’s a coping strategy. If I let myself think about the worst that could come in the next 50 years or so, I can quickly become hopeless.

And for a day or two, I was. I hate feeling powerless. And when it comes to global warming, I feel that way. I didn't know where to start. Clearly, a huge part of the work is in confronting institutions of power. But I’m not very into arguing and confronting, and I have no patience for people who don’t see what seems obvious to me. Thank goodness some people are good at this. It’s just not for me.

At the same time, I know I can’t just do nothing at all. Because what if it’s not too late, and the changes we make now really will make a difference? And if I don’t do anything, when I’m aware of the problem and I care deeply about it, how can I hold out any hope that anyone else is going to do anything? Besides—now that I opened my mouth about it on my blog….I kind of have to act, don’t I?

We have an expression in our family: “El Taco”. As in...el taco est cheapo. Whenever one of us comes up with another brilliant idea or a "why don't people..." complaint, we like to gently prod each other with a little “El Taco.” To Sean’s credit, though, he didn’t do that to me this time. Instead, when I shared with him how bummed I was feeling, he told me about something he’d seen on a David Suzuki special the other day. Suzuki was talking about his daughter, and how when she reached a certain age he and his wife saw that their worldview was being reflected from her, and that she was hopeless. Their sense of doom had come into her as they raised her. It sounds like this was a turning point for Suzuki, and it was a good thing for me to hear too.

So I and mulled it over one afternoon as I lay next to the sleeping Boodge in a state of depressed inertia. It seems to me that in terms of parenting, I need a two-pronged approach to global warming. One, model and advocate for a conservationist approach to life for the Boodge, teaching him about our interconnectedness with everything on earth and how to lessen our impact. And two, teach him to the best of my ability the skills he will need to survive what may happen. I decided to start where I am, and with the talents and time I have, and build from there. So here are a few things I’ve decided to do.

1: Come up with a family budget based on what we usually spend per month (we’ve tracked that for a long time now). Then see how much I can tighten it by active non-consumerism. I’m going to really think about every purchase, and ask myself—is it necessary? Can I get it used? Can I make it? Where can I cut down on what I habitually consume? Whatever we save from our budget through this process, we will donate half of it to a group that does the active confronting of power and corporations. Bless them. (Why not donate all, you ask? We’re saving for a down payment now, so cutting back our expenses was part of the plan anyway. Once we’re in a new place under a new budget, we’ll work on a bigger donation.)

2. Find a place that I can volunteer with the Boodge. I’m in the process of researching this, but suggestions are welcome. I figure we have time to go out and do something practical that will be our drop in the bucket. But volunteering will help me learn more about what I can do, and also, over time, will model lots of good stuff for the Boodge. I always envisioned community service as part of my parenting and role modelling, so why not start now, with this issue?

3: Read David Suzuki’s “Good News For a Change.” Cause I need good news, and I need to know more about the specific positive things that we can do. I’ve heard this is a great book. I wrote the name of it down in my address book 3 years ago. The other day I got it from the library, since I’m trying not to consume.

4: Start growing our own food (and composting organic waste). This is part of our plan anyway when we buy a house. The food we eat is fraught with ethical issues—is it fairly traded, is it local, is it sustainable, is it genetically engineered, is it full of chemicals or antibiotics? Growing our own will help eliminate some of those issues. Plus, I want the Boodge to know how to grow food, in case it should become scarce to buy sometime in his lifetime. What we don’t grow, I will buy from as ethical and local a sources as I can find.

5: Blog about it all. This blog is about my journey as a mother, in whatever dimensions that takes. This is part of it. I will keep you all “posted” on any discoveries I make, tips I can share, or insights I have, as I work towards these commitments I’m making. Of course, it won’t be the only thing I blog about, but…it will hopefully become part of what I can offer in this space. If anyone gets anything useful and takes it into their own lives, that’s one more drop in the bucket….

So, stay tuned as I get the wheels rolling. I’m going to work on these commitments and then add more as time goes on. The whole thing has helped me out of my funk a bit. I can’t stop global warming single-handedly, but I can be part of raising the new consciousness about it. Now excuse me while I go turn out the kitchen light.

Mother's Work for Mother Earth

I was telling Sean yesterday that lately I find myself thinking about a lot of minute details such as "Should I teach the Boodge not to throw rocks ever, or just not to throw them at people, animals, things, etc?" "Should I let him play with the yogurt if it helps him learn to eat, even if it makes a mess?" "Should I kneel here with him while he plays with these big boys in the park, or is it better if I hang back and let him stand his own little ground?" These little trivial questions are the important work of mothering, the daily decisions that go into teaching our child or helping them learn--everything. Into making good, self-sufficient people.

But yesterday I was reminded by this short video that none of that will matter much if our children spend their adult years on a hostile planet where they have to fight for their basic survival. I hope you will take the time to watch this, though I will also warn you that it paints a bit of a bleak picture. Just as I felt when I watched "An Inconvenient Truth", the film put a pit of fear in my stomach, and a simultaneous feeling of hopelessness and desire to do something. Maybe all that the film says won't come true. But whether it does or not, we have to face the reality that we are teetered at a precarious edge when it comes to our planet.

It seems too big to comprehend, impossible to imagine all of humanity coming together and dramatically changing the way we live. We have gone so far astray in our consumer lifestyle. I am just as guilty as anyone, just as used to being able to get what I want, when I want. And the small steps I take such as recycling, washing out my ziplocks, refusing to buy certain things or buying used, trying to walk instead of drive--these are all too small to make the kind of difference needed. The change needs to come at the level of power, of government and corporations, and we need to pressure them too.

Just the thought of beginning to do something daunts me because I feel I'd have to dedicate my entire life to it. But now I see this as another part of my work as a mother--to find a way to help ensure that my child has a safe world to live in. And it is part of the Boodge's work in becoming a good person, self-sufficient. So I'm planting a seed in my mind, looking for what the two of us can do together. As long as we just keep doing more than we did before, that is good enough. This post is a start. I'm thinking me and the Boodge are the founding members of Parents and Children for the Earth's Future. Anyone want to join?