Going Green Gradually

Earth Day 2010! A day of triumph and celebration for the Momnivore, right? Well, kind of. Sort of. Not really. See, first I overslept, then I turned on the idiot box in my sleepy haze. I wrestled with our rusty old hose so long that the sun was up by the time I got the sprinkler going, so not only did I lose water to leaks, but to the heat of the sun. I also watered as much pavement as lawn because for some reason, the sprinkler was channeling Niagara Falls today. Oh, and then I forgot it was on and totally over-watered. Usually, I'm really good about avoiding that, but I was distracted by giving my toddler a high-VOC pedicure (at her request - c'mon, you don't think I'd encourage that sort of thing, do you?). I haven't eaten any critters yet today, but my soy sausage was highly processed and my peanut butter had sugar in it. Not the best start to Earth Day, but you know what that means? Nowhere to go but up!

I've learned a lot during this Momnivore experiment, but the greatest lesson I've learned is that I can't change the world overnight. Heck, I can't change my socks without warming up a bit. Even though I'm often frustrated by my inability to implement everything immediately, or by the overwhelming information there is about going green, I have to admit that my family has made some progress in the past few months. We have filtered water, we support a local, sustainable farm, we recycle more and waste less. Perhaps most importantly, I'm always thinking green, questioning everything, looking for better alternatives and options. We didn't get here in a day, and we won't make any new radical changes in the next few hours, either. The improvements we've made have been earned one baby step at a time. Done this way, there's less overwhelm, less financial strain, and less lifestyle shock- all of which are important when making any change that involves the whole family.

In this spirit, I offer the Going Green Gradually post (Ta-Da!), a quick list of little ways to go green. Some you may have heard of, or done, others may be new, but all will be small. Even if something is beyond my present means to implement, I hope it will encourage you to discuss, research, or try it yourself. I will update this post as often as reasonably possible, keeping the list active and growing. One small kindness at a time, we can heal the Earth and leave her healthy and strong for generations to come. Namaste'

1. Visit one of the dozens of free online calculators and determine your carbon footprint. Knowing where you stand right now may motivate you to make some changes. Save your results and compare them with new results next year! I encourage you to take several tests, since many of the sites are sponsored by special interest groups. Taking several of them will help you get a good, balanced picture of your environmental status. Ready, set, GO!

2. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. I learned that little poem from my mother, who learned it from hers... Basically, it means use the stuff you already have, make the most of it, and fix it when it breaks. The world is already full of stuff. Buying more of it just uses resources and adds more stuff to the global pool. Think twice before buying anything.

3. Learn to cook. Ideally, we would all thrive on raw food vegan diets, but I like bacon too much to encourage that. Granted, cooking requires fuel, but cooking from scratch ensures that you'll know what's in your food. The closer your foods are to their whole, natural state, the better they are for you and the environment. Try comparing a recipe for a dish with that same dish prepackaged in the grocery store - the version you make from the recipe will always have fewer (if any) chemicals or preservatives. Cooking from scratch saves a ton of money, too, if you're into that sort of thing.

4. Research alternatives before you buy. Chances are good you'll still buy some stuff sometimes. Before you do, try to find out if there are greener versions of the same product available. For example, I shamefully still buy paper towels (gasp!). When I do, however, I try to avoid those with the pretty patterns, even when they're on sale for less than the plain ones, since the patterns require ink (chemicals) and more processing. It's a small impact, but at least I'm thinking about it. It's all about training your brain to think green.

More to come...