Journey To Green

When most people think about going “green” they do not think of litter and its impact on the environment. For a long time I did not. I have always hated litter because it is an eyesore and there are health and sanitation issues associated with it. There are loads of stats about the environmental impact of litter. That is not what this post is about. The focus is about how people believe it is acceptable to litter in a less pristine neighborhood as opposed to a “good” neighborhood.

Recently, I was chatting with a colleague about how there are many things I like about my neighborhood but over the last few years of city living I have come to realize that I want a community with quality restaurants, one that is walkable, litter- and dog-poop free. I was relaying a story about how someone in my neighborhood allowed their dog to crap in the vacant lot and did not pick it up. [Digression: I strongly believe you should not own a dog if you are unwilling to clean up after it publicly.]

I moved from my dog-poop rant into a litter rant. Over the last few years, I have seen people drive up to a stop sign and threw a bag of trash out their car window and kept going. The first time I saw it I was incredulous and it continues to be disconcerting when I see it.

My colleague was in complete agreement about the whole littering issue. Then seemingly out of nowhere she said something to the effect that she would never litter in her previous neighborhood but if there was a neighborhood that was less pristine, then she would litter with something biogradable, of course. I have heard that argument before that if something is biodegradable, it is acceptable to litter. Note: Littering is littering, biogradable or not.

I did not know what to say and still do not. It is disappointing to learn that someone feels there is a justification for littering. It begs the question: Can we really save the planet? My reply is maybe, but we have to work like hell to do so.

It’s always something with this green thing. Sometimes I waste so much time trying to decide what to do and how to do it. Do I wash (as opposed to rinse) my yogurt containers, or orange juice bottles or other plastic containers before I put them in the recycle? I couldn’t remember and got so frustrated, I threw them in the trash.

After awhile I felt guilty, pulled them out of the trash, rinsed them, and put them in a bag to take to one of the Chicago Recycling Center containers. My goal is to be committed to the green life but sometimes thinking about every little thing can be quite exhausting especially when one commutes by car 40 miles a day. Before you judge, it is unfortunate, that due to job circumstances, greening my commute life is not possible at the moment.

Later that night, I had a dream in which I was over taken by bacteria growth because I didn’t clean my yogurt containers well; it was sort of like the blob. However, I woke up before it could over take me.

The title of this post was inspired by the Neil Sadaka song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.”  Some how I had a general idea to write about reducing the amount of time I spend in the shower each morning.  I do not know how or why that came to mind other than I like hot showers and on more than one occasion, they are extremely long.   So, I must have been feeling a smidgen of guilt.  The operative work is “smidgen” because those long hot showers seem to come at the right time.

One often hear how there is a shortage of water or there will be at some point in the future. A shortage so dire that rationing can occur and all kinds of terrible things will happen just to have water.  Initially, it appears to be a dubious claim.  You may think, how can that be?  The reality is the issue is with potable water.  The earth’s surface is mostly covered in water but  but it’s salty.  In order for it to be usable, this water would have to be desalinated, which is an extremely expensive process.  What would be done with the by-product?

Is conservation the best way?  Is rain water another options?  Is there freshwater available?  Is transport an issue?  I will continue to think about these questions and more as I try to find ways to cut back on on my water consumption.

The modern American life does not lend itself to being eco-friendly.  It is too convenient to carry plastic bottles, throw everything in the trash, and zoom here and there in our 21 MPG cars.  Although I want to do my part to make the earth cleaner and healthier, I must confess the messages out there are confusing, absurd,  and often overwhelming.  It can be downright crazy.  In fact, I am not alone in these feelings.  When I talk to most people I know, conservation and sustainable living is the last thing on their mind.  Not because they don’t care but because their immediate needs of housing, food, work, family and transporation are pressing.  Besides, there are only 24 hours in a day.  So, in order to save my sanity, I’ve decided to journey to green one step at a time.   This blog is an attempt to document that  journey given time and budget contraints.