The Big Girl Chronicles:
Earth Day 2013
Each day I awake I go through my daily hygiene routine in
somewhat of a robotic subconscious trance.
I brush my teeth first because I abhor that pasty morning mouth. I wash my face and proceed to cleanse and
dress myself. After I’m donned in the
day’s apparel, I climb into my luxurious, fully-loaded family sedan and go on
about the day’s business. Any given day
will include a visit to my local Starbucks to get my morning fuel, traveling
hither and fro for “retail therapy” and perhaps patronizing the local bookstore
to catch up on some good reading or pick up a magazine or two. By the afternoon, I’ll have lunch and prepare
to receive my children from school.
They’ll do their homework in the living room with the television on to
keep them company while I prepare their snacks of bottled beverages and boxed
goodies. Throughout the evening, the
kids will spend time watching television or entertaining each other while I
prepare dinner. After we eat, we’ll
continue piddling around until we begin to end our day with nighttime routines
of oral hygiene and cleansing. I’ll
crawl into bed and read with the television on for company, satisfied that I’ve
had a productive day. I’ll marvel at the
magnificence of the world and fall asleep feeling extremely lucky to be who I
am, ready to do it all over again tomorrow.
The snapshot that I’ve described above seems like what
would be considered a productive day, but is an irresponsible one. You might wonder why. I’ve taken care of those things for which I’m
responsible safely. Yet, I’ve neglected
the one thing that sustains us all. That
one thing to which I’m referring is our world.
Environmental responsibility is likely to be considered one of the most
neglected priorities that we “earthlings” misuse, ignore and abuse. The earthly population is astronomical. What if each individual that shares our world
acted as I do each morning? How many
gallons of water would we have wasted because we don’t turn the faucet off
while we brush our teeth or wash dishes?
How much pollution would continue to dilute quality oxygen because my
luxurious, fully-loaded family sedan isn’t fuel efficient? What number of plastic and paper goods would
be disposed of daily? How much energy have I taken for granted because everyone
in the house is doing their own thing with all the lights on?
It seems tedious to have to be conscious of every small
detail of my daily living habits. Seems
kind of like too much to think about.
Too much... of an adult
concept for a big girl like myself. The fact of the matter is that I’m too
selfish to want to discipline myself enough to make a few small changes that
can quickly become habit. Besides, the
Earth is colossal and I’m only one person.
I can’t possibly make that much of a difference. I guess that’s what most everyone else is
thinking also. I’ve heard it exclaimed
that we make time for those things that we find of enough importance. And it’s been a proven fact that until
consequences of your actions manifest, you continue to do things that can be
self-destructive.
So, The Big Girl is making some changes to graduate into
womanhood. I’ve done some research about
the topic and found that the changes I’d have to make to exercise more
environmental responsibility aren’t much of an inconvenience at all. That seems absurd - environmental
responsibility as a matter of convenience.
The truth is that everyone is responsible for creating and preserving a
world that will welcome future generations.
These are what I’ve found to be small improvements that together can
become a collective effort to have a huge impact on our single most important
natural resource.
*Rethink
Making a habit of being environmentally responsible isn’t
that difficult. All I’d have to do is be
more conscious of my actions for a while until I’m subconsciously making the
changes that I’d like. Reprogram myself,
so to speak. To begin with, instead of
allowing the water to run endlessly when I brush my teeth, turn the faucet on
only when in use. Doing this was
surprising. I found that I didn’t need
nearly as much water as I was allowing to run while scrubbing my pearlies. Just enough to wet, rinse and wash. Small detail, enormous difference. Makes a difference when washing dishes and
preparing meals also. Another area I can
maximize energy conservation is to limit my showers. On those stress-riddled days when I know I’ll
want to relax, bathe instead.
Should wear and tear on that luxuriously, fully-loaded
family sedan cause it necessary to replace it, I now have more to consider than
if it has heated leather and satellite radio with a usb port for my iPod. What about fuel efficiency? What good does this automobile do toward
reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals that are released into the
atmosphere? It seems that the
environmentally-friendly models aren’t as stylish as the more established but
less “Earthly” vehicles. It is necessary
to make that sacrifice now and have the automobile manufacturers meet my demand
for more responsibly made vehicles with my buying power. “If you spend it, they will come.” And to further my efforts toward minimizing
pollution while driving I now plan my “therapeutic” excursions so that I’m
taking the shortest routes and spending less time on the roads.
*Recycle
Another important step in helping to manage environmental
waste is to either form or begin to participate in a recycling program. Those items that can be repurposed to help
reduce waste include metal, glass, plastics and paper. Setting up a recycling center in your home
isn’t difficult to do at all. Depending
upon how frequently you’d like to make deposits to your local recycling
program, you can nicely decorate a few inexpensive wastebaskets to set up in
your garage and place recyclables there until the day of drop-off. It could also be a good idea to contact your
child’s school. Their savvy educational
flair and leadership has probably prompted the school’s PTA/PTO to establish a
recycling program there to teach the children how to conserve resources. You never know. Your child could get extra credit for
participating.
Becoming knowledgeable about what Earth-friendly programs
are already available in my area was also necessary. As much as I participate
in retail therapy, I was unaware that some mega-retail chains offer to recycle
plastic bags. Surprisingly, the local
public library also accepts plastic bags for recycling, making those two
designated drop-off locations.
*Repurpose
Taking a second look at things that would normally just
get trashed and replaced has become profitable for those who specialize in
repurposing unwanted items. Stores like
IKEA sell those recycled metals, glass, paper and plastics that have been
transformed into furniture and other useful products that are both appealing
and modern. I intend to capitalize on
this trend as well. Rather than toss my
dresser with the unsightly scratch in the mahogany stain, I’ll sand it down and
repaint it. Not only am I lessening waste, I’m also saving money. And when it’s
time to replace the tires on my luxurious fully-loaded automobile, make certain
that the tires are repurposed rather than dumped.
*Reduce
Once I’ve committed to the idea of waste reduction I find
that there are even more ways to remain conscious of the environment and get
discounts as well. Some are as simple as
bringing my own bags or containers when patronizing stores. Remember that Starbucks that served as my
morning fuel? If I take my Starbucks
tumbler instead of using their “already made from recycled cardboard” cups, I
not only reduce waste but get a small discount off of my environmentally
friendly habit. Same for bringing your
own bag at some grocery and retail chains.
When building your home or remodeling, opting in favor of
the recycled glass countertops and reclaimed floors instead of the popular but more
costly alternatives can give your home a more personalized touch, put you under
budget and add to the overall satisfaction of having made responsible choices. Other ways to modernize your home with an
energy efficient make-over include choosing energy-efficient appliances and
lighting.
If nothing else, one small initiative to begin helping
manage the environment responsibly can include opting to enjoy books, magazines
and newspapers online rather than purchasing the hardcopy. Each effort that you make towards reducing
consumption matters. After all, you’ll
want a world free of clutter left behind from past generations for your
children and future generations’ enjoyment.
I know I do.
The above seems as though if put into action can effect
some positive changes. However the
challenge doesn’t end there. It’s
important to teach children how necessary it is to preserve our environment and
not take it for granted. Practicing
environmental responsibility with your children can be a starting point for
instilling in them habits that will have lasting results. Choose this Earth Day to begin a family
effort toward reducing waste. Happy
Earth Day!
