I’ve been committed to the environment for the last 18 years. Back when the light first dawned on me, it wasn’t easy being green. I remember pleading with my boss in my first real job out of college to let me start a recycling program. The deal was that I, personally, had to remove all the paper and bottles and cans and bring them to the recycling center . . . on my own time. And I did it . . . happily. [Well, except the time I was accidentally locked in the recycling center, but let’s not go there.]
If you watch the news, the end is near. No one cares, and we’re all doomed. But I have a different perspective. Over the last 18 years, it’s gotten so much easier to go green. Recycling, for many companies, is a given. Cloth bags aren’t rare sightings. Compost bins are popping up on street corners. Eco-fashion is actually fashionable. It’s a new world, and I want to celebrate all we’ve accomplished.
Yeah, yeah, I know, we’ve still got a ways to go, but it’s so much healthier and more encouraging to acknowledge how far we’ve come. I was just talking on the phone with my Dad and he said something that shocked me: “I was at the grocery store—with my cloth bags, of course—and I saw a mother leaving with a cart full of plastic bags and I thought: when is she going to learn?”
Wow. My Dad said that? My Dad? I believe that’s called a breakthrough. In this case, it’s a green breakthrough. What more could I ask for on Earth Day?
Question of the blog: What was your green breakthrough?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Have You Had Your Green Breakthrough?
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1 comment:
WOW! 18 years is definitely a long time so Kudos to you. Now that you mention it, going green has become much easier than before. Now that it is becoming one of the hottest trends in 2008 more people are being encouraged to participate. I know that when I heard about eco-fashion I was sold. I mean, I was already doing the usual recycling, carpooling, changing my bulbs, and carpooling, but that was just small potatoes compared to the things that I do now.
I crossed all the way over to the green side not to long ago, and one of the biggest changes that I have made so far was switching to bioheat. It's great too because it's made with heating oils and biodegradable products like avocados. I know it sounds like things that would make a nice facial mask but it actually works AND it's kind to the heating system. And OMG you have to believe me when I tell you that it is absolutely my best friend during the winter. With the way I get cold it certainly holds its end of the bargain up by making sure my little piggy’s stay nice and warm.
Working for NORA is what persuaded me into being green all year around instead of just once a year. I got really great tips on how slight changes in my daily routine could benefit our environment in the future.
Check out:
http://oilheatamerica.com/index.mv?screen=bioheat.
See what kinds of suggestions are available to make your transition as easy as mine.
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