By Vanessa Farquharson, greenasathistle.com
I'm currently on Day 249 of living as green a lifestyle as it gets. No, I'm not your standard hemp-clad, dread-locked hippie; just an average cosmopolitan woman who lives with her cat and has a flat-screen TV and wanted to do something to help fight global warming but didn't know where to start.
So, I started with baby steps, and was determined to take a year's worth of them, changing my life in an eco-friendly way every 24 hours. Sometimes I do small stuff, like switch to recycled paper towels; other times I do big stuff, like sell my car. What's surprised me the most is that it's often the big stuff that's the easiest to deal with.
Doing things like letting it mellow, signing various online petitions and air-drying my socks can be such a hassle, for various reasons I won't get into now. But living without a car? I love it - who needs road rage, lousy talk radio and traffic jams when you can be coasting along on a bicycle or reading a book on the subway; and without the money being spent on gas, insurance, license plate renewals, maintenance, car washes, parking tickets, and so on, I have plenty of extra cash in my pocket at the end of each month.
A dishwasher? Well, I used to run it all the time, but have found that it doesn't take any longer to do the dishes by hand, and is actually quite relaxing.
The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend about which green changes I think I'll keep doing after this challenge is done and which ones I'll scrap. It's a question I often get asked and usually my response is that I'll keep up at least half the changes and gradually let go of the others. Then, out of nowhere, I heard myself saying that I probably won't plug my fridge back in (yes, I unplugged my fridge). I couldn't believe my own ears - nor my mouth - but upon further reflection I realized that living without a fridge has become completely doable. I've learned how to keep my veggies from spoiling (put a bunch of spinach in a vase), I've learned that eggs and most condiments really don't need to be kept cold, and I've learned that a lot of energy is saved without it running all the time. In fact, if I did switch it back on, I'm not even sure I'd know what to put in it besides champagne (and yes, I'm totally going back on the local-alcohol-only rule).
I can't recommend this particular idea to everyone - especially not big families or people who need to keep lots of leftovers - but for all the other folks out there willing to take a chance, remember that there are lots of countries that don't use fridges, and there are inventions like the butter bell and the cheesecloth for a reason!
Vanessa Farquharson
http://www.greenasathistle.com
thank you for being there. This country is so illinformed about our envirnment and the crisis we face, How do I stop all the catalogs from coming to my house?
Your story is wonderful. Actually your facts are wonderful. I have made SO many changes myself, and have been doing so since a very young age. Even before all this Global Warming explosion lately, I used to be green. I love the fact that there is actually people out there that go that exrra mile, and dont have the mentality of "if everyone else has their fridges on, why should I turn off mine?, is not like is gonna make a difference!!" I think that is the main reason it is a problem and shall continue be it, when everyone thinks that whatever they do, wont make a difference.
I am all for protecting the environment, but don't you realize that volcanoes produce more CO2 emissions annually than humans. The oceans do too. It is part of the natural water cycle that occurs in our planet. What happens to trees in the fall?? They usually fall off the trees and die, right? What happens when a living thing made out of carbon dies. It releases CO2.
Planting trees does not help stop global warming, it only adds to it. Think about it....
Included in a "green" lifestyle should be vegetarianism or veganism. After viewing the elements that contributed to a "green" and healthier diet, I was disappointed that a vegan diet was not mentioned. Factory farming of cattle for beef and dairy products, chicken for flesh and eggs, are the single largest contributor to greenhouse gases! The contamination and pollution caused by raising animals for food is destroying our environment faster than any other factor. As a nation, as a planet, we need to begin the conversion to a plant based diet. PLEASE - do not overlook this very important element of changing for the better, and going "green".
I keep my fridge temp down to a minimum, but keep it on since we are not vegetarians! But I sell ad space onto magazines that are mailed to 50,000 local homes. What a waste of trees! And these people get them free in the mail - how many simply throw them out? I have recently rethought how local businesses can promote themselves in a paperless way. Perhaps we all need to rethink how we do things or even how we make a living.
Hope you are aware there is a wonderful new eco-oriented kids book series, the Gaia Girls books by Lee Welles.
I am a retired teacher, and am so grateful to see a series with accurate information and pressing issues wrapped in such great storylines. The ideal christmas gift for green parents to give their kids. SO well written, even the adults (like this Grandma) will LOVE THEM TOO.
I think what you are doing is great....but get all your facts straight....doing dishes by hand wastes more water than a full load in the dishwasher. Always wash full loads on cold, don't pre-rinse and use natural detergent.