By Maggie Shi, iVillage.com
So I admit I'm not the greenest person in the world. I still use plastic grocery bags. I drink bottled water. Sometimes I forget to turn my computer monitor off at the end of the day, and I rarely remember to use the blue recycle bin when I'm throwing out papers at work. I'm certainly in favor of saving energy, reducing waste, saving the world and all that. These are, unquestionably, good things. But truthfully, sometimes I'm just too lazy or too... selfish (there, I said it) to actually do all the good stuff I'm supposed to. And you know what? I suspect I'm not alone. I'm sure there are others of you out there who are still using energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs and are guzzling down $9 bottles of Poland Spring with reckless abandon.
But here's what I say: Embrace your inner selfishness, because while you're doing good deeds for yourself, you can still live a greener life. For example: Buying locally grown food. I'm lucky enough to have a farmers' market right across the street from my home; the produce and other goods I find there are fresher and cheaper than the soggy celery and limp lettuce that are in the grocery store nearby. The payoff? I get higher-quality produce at a lower price, while helping to preserve rural land by supporting small local farmers who practice sustainable farming. Plus, many of the goods for sale are naturally grown and some are organic, which brings me to my next selfish act: buying organic.
So I admit I'm not the greenest person in the world. I still use plastic grocery bags. I drink bottled water. Sometimes I forget to turn my computer monitor off at the end of the day, and I rarely remember to use the blue recycle bin when I'm throwing out papers at work. I'm certainly in favor of saving energy, reducing waste, saving the world and all that. These are, unquestionably, good things. But truthfully, sometimes I'm just too lazy or too... selfish (there, I said it) to actually do all the good stuff I'm supposed to. And you know what? I suspect I'm not alone. I'm sure there are others of you out there who are still using energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs and are guzzling down $9 bottles of Poland Spring with reckless abandon.
But here's what I say: Embrace your inner selfishness, because while you're doing good deeds for yourself, you can still live a greener life. For example: Buying locally grown food. I'm lucky enough to have a farmers' market right across the street from my home; the produce and other goods I find there are fresher and cheaper than the soggy celery and limp lettuce that are in the grocery store nearby. The payoff? I get higher-quality produce at a lower price, while helping to preserve rural land by supporting small local farmers who practice sustainable farming. Plus, many of the goods for sale are naturally grown and some are organic, which brings me to my next selfish act: buying organic.
The more I read about all the chemicals going into the meat, fruits and vegetables we eat, the more nervous I get. Cows hopped up on hormones and antibiotics, apples and spinach inundated with pesticides. I certainly don't want all that stuff in my body - do you? It's no wonder we have so many health issues these days. Organic products are often more expensive, but I think it's worth it to protect my body from harmful chemicals (as much as possible, anyway). And while I'm looking out for my own health, I'm also supporting a toxin-free environment. Again, everybody wins.
My third selfish act? Turning off the air conditioning in my apartment when I leave for work during the summer. While I detest coming home to a hot, sticky, stuffy apartment, my electric bill goes through the roof if I leave the air conditioner going all day long (I know - I did it one summer and was horrified when I got the bill at the end of the month). I also turn off all the lights when I leave the apartment; I always wait until my dishwasher is full before running a cycle; and I've recently started shutting down my laptop when I'm done with it, instead of leaving it in sleep mode all night. While all these things might not sound selfish, I admit my motives aren't strictly altruistic - I'm mainly trying to cut down on my monthly electric bill.
Yes, I'm an awful person. But hey, my money-saving strategies are also reducing the amount of energy I use during the year. And as we strive to preserve and purify this crazy, convoluted world we live in, isn't that the ultimate goal - no matter how we get there?
Maggie Shi
Senior Editor
iVillage.com Food
Comments
Leave a comment