I read about Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge today and was truly inspired and grateful that there are other mindful people out there who are cognizant of their footprint. Do we really need all this stuff? Piles and piles of clothes and books and CDs and DVDs and furniture and shoes and electronic gadgets and papers and and and I cannot breathe just thinking about all of the crap that I STILL have. And I am one of those people that gives stuff away and recycles unused items all of the time. I don't like clutter. Part of it comes from my drive to live as simply as I can for the sake of the planet, and the other part is me not wanting to be a pack rat like certain members of my family whom I love (my mom) but who saves everything imaginable.
Have you ever wondered why we have the drive to accumulate so much stuff? Have you ever wondered where all the stuff comes from, and where it goes when you tire of it and throw it out? Well, check out The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard. She researched this subject for over ten years. It is very illuminating.
While we are questioning the accumulation of stuff, have you ever wondered how much simpler your life could be without all of the stuff to complicate it? You could have a smaller apartment/house, and possibly have no credit card bills, and you could work less hours or ditch that second job or get that dream job you have always wanted but that did not pay much. And you could be happy because you actually had time for family and friends. And people would become human again and care more about people than things. People would love instead of covet. People would give instead of hoard. People could find their souls again.
Something has got to change. We need to find a better way to live. There is so much suffering in the world, and the Earth is being ripped apart for her natural resources with no regard to the long-term consequences, and I just don't see how the human race can continue down this path. We are on the road to self-destruction. We need to find our souls if we are going to have a chance of coming back from the brink.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The "American Dream" Is Dead
I have thought this for sometime now. Not every one is supposed to have the big house with the white picket fence, the two car garage with one parked in the driveway, and the 2.5 kids. This consumerist, suburban attitude is how we got into trouble in this country in the first place. First of all, no one is entitled to anything, no matter what country you are a citizen of except for the basics-Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The pursuit of happiness is not a guarantee of happiness.
I am personally content. I am not trying to keep up with the latest fashion, electronics, etc. I personally could not care less. I care more about trying to reduce my carbon footprint. The environment is the most important factor in how I live my life. How what I do, what I buy, how I live from day to day impacts the world that I share with 6 Billion people and Billions of plants and animals. I am not so naive or arrogant that I think I am the only one that matters.
I am glad that the current economy is putting the last nail in the coffin for the "American Dream." I think it was manufactured by corporations anyway to get people to buy stuff. Have you ever noticed that more stuff does not make you happier? Working harder to pay for more stuff seems like a terrible way to waste your life. I would much rather spend my time reading, writing, taking pictures. spending time with friends, family and Mickey, my cat. I also enjoy cooking, walking and exploring the city that I live in, there are just so many things that I would rather do than work for 8+ hours a day at a job that sucks out my soul. There is no contest-I would much rather live my life.
Now people are moving closer to the urban centers again, downsizing-getting rid of excess cars, house, stuff. People want to commute less, spend more time with family and friends. My boyfriend and I live in a 400 square foot apartment in a big city with a great view, steps to public transportation, shopping and nightlife. We have never owned a car-we have never needed to. There is always an Enterprise a few blocks away if we really need a car. We make a conscious effort to only buy what we need. Most of our purchases are from the grocery store. I feel like I am living my "American Dream." I would not want it any other way.
Check out Anya Kamenetz's take on the death of the "American Dream."
I am personally content. I am not trying to keep up with the latest fashion, electronics, etc. I personally could not care less. I care more about trying to reduce my carbon footprint. The environment is the most important factor in how I live my life. How what I do, what I buy, how I live from day to day impacts the world that I share with 6 Billion people and Billions of plants and animals. I am not so naive or arrogant that I think I am the only one that matters.
I am glad that the current economy is putting the last nail in the coffin for the "American Dream." I think it was manufactured by corporations anyway to get people to buy stuff. Have you ever noticed that more stuff does not make you happier? Working harder to pay for more stuff seems like a terrible way to waste your life. I would much rather spend my time reading, writing, taking pictures. spending time with friends, family and Mickey, my cat. I also enjoy cooking, walking and exploring the city that I live in, there are just so many things that I would rather do than work for 8+ hours a day at a job that sucks out my soul. There is no contest-I would much rather live my life.
Now people are moving closer to the urban centers again, downsizing-getting rid of excess cars, house, stuff. People want to commute less, spend more time with family and friends. My boyfriend and I live in a 400 square foot apartment in a big city with a great view, steps to public transportation, shopping and nightlife. We have never owned a car-we have never needed to. There is always an Enterprise a few blocks away if we really need a car. We make a conscious effort to only buy what we need. Most of our purchases are from the grocery store. I feel like I am living my "American Dream." I would not want it any other way.
Check out Anya Kamenetz's take on the death of the "American Dream."
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Money-saving and Environmentally-friendly Tips
In these hard financial times, many families are finding their household budgets stretched to the max. Things are getting more and more expensive, but incomes are remaining stagnant or even declining. I am going to give you some tips on how to stretch that budget, and it just so happens that these tips are friendly to the environment, as well as to your wallet.
1) Limit eating out to once a month or special occasions. Eating out at restaurants- fast food or otherwise- will definitely put a damper on any budget. Plus, with all of the disposable packaging that ends up in the landfills, it is also not good for the environment. You can pay anywhere from $6 on up for a meal at a restaurant.
2) Be sure to make your grocery list around sale items and clip coupons, and you can definitely make your shopping experience less painful. Doing so will shave your grocery bill by a minimum of $50/month.
3) If there are Farmers Markets in your area, they are a great way to get quality food at a reasonable price. And not only that, but you won't have to buy fruits and vegetables as often because they will stay good longer because they did not have far to travel before they got to you. This is good for you and for the environment because that head of lettuce did not have to travel across the country to get to your plate. *Find a Farmers Market in your area online by typing Farmers Market-name of your city in any search engine.
4) With gas hovering at $4/gallon, it is a no-brainer to find alternative ways to get to work. Public transportation is the best way for people who have access. Car-pooling/car-sharing for people who absolutely have no alternative. But either way, in addition to saving green, you are being green by reducing your carbon emissions. If you are using even 10 gallons a week to get to and from work, that is $160 per month, plus parking fees, if applicable.
5) If you are in need of clothing, furniture, any kind of household item, it is often quite possible to find something suitable for a reasonable price or even free from websites like craigslist.org, freecycle.org, local.com. You can even barter with people, trade something they need for something you need. This can save you an enormous amount of money, in addition to having the added benefit of not adding to the landfill or using any resources to make something "new." By the way, selling things that you no longer need or use is also a great way to make a little money on top of being good for the environment.
6) Take your reusable shopping bags with you to the store, especially the grocery store. Some stores, like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, will give you $.10 off each bag of groceries placed in one of their reusable bags. You can keep money in your wallet while keeping plastic bags out of the landfills. Take your reusable coffee mug with you to the coffee shop. If you must buy coffee out, using a reusable mug will generally get you at least $.10 off of your purchase, and will again prevent disposable cups, sleeves and lids from the landfills.
7) Turn off the lights when you leave a room, and unplug appliances when not in use, or at least make sure they are powered down or off. This is an effective way to keep your electricity bill low. And with summer less than a month away, remember to turn off the air conditioning when you are not at home and keep windows shaded to prevent unnecessary heat from the sun.
These are only a few things out of the many, many things that you can do to save money---and the environment. With just a little bit of creativity and imagination, you can come up with money-saving tips of your own. After all, no one knows your family better than you do.
1) Limit eating out to once a month or special occasions. Eating out at restaurants- fast food or otherwise- will definitely put a damper on any budget. Plus, with all of the disposable packaging that ends up in the landfills, it is also not good for the environment. You can pay anywhere from $6 on up for a meal at a restaurant.
2) Be sure to make your grocery list around sale items and clip coupons, and you can definitely make your shopping experience less painful. Doing so will shave your grocery bill by a minimum of $50/month.
3) If there are Farmers Markets in your area, they are a great way to get quality food at a reasonable price. And not only that, but you won't have to buy fruits and vegetables as often because they will stay good longer because they did not have far to travel before they got to you. This is good for you and for the environment because that head of lettuce did not have to travel across the country to get to your plate. *Find a Farmers Market in your area online by typing Farmers Market-name of your city in any search engine.
4) With gas hovering at $4/gallon, it is a no-brainer to find alternative ways to get to work. Public transportation is the best way for people who have access. Car-pooling/car-sharing for people who absolutely have no alternative. But either way, in addition to saving green, you are being green by reducing your carbon emissions. If you are using even 10 gallons a week to get to and from work, that is $160 per month, plus parking fees, if applicable.
5) If you are in need of clothing, furniture, any kind of household item, it is often quite possible to find something suitable for a reasonable price or even free from websites like craigslist.org, freecycle.org, local.com. You can even barter with people, trade something they need for something you need. This can save you an enormous amount of money, in addition to having the added benefit of not adding to the landfill or using any resources to make something "new." By the way, selling things that you no longer need or use is also a great way to make a little money on top of being good for the environment.
6) Take your reusable shopping bags with you to the store, especially the grocery store. Some stores, like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, will give you $.10 off each bag of groceries placed in one of their reusable bags. You can keep money in your wallet while keeping plastic bags out of the landfills. Take your reusable coffee mug with you to the coffee shop. If you must buy coffee out, using a reusable mug will generally get you at least $.10 off of your purchase, and will again prevent disposable cups, sleeves and lids from the landfills.
7) Turn off the lights when you leave a room, and unplug appliances when not in use, or at least make sure they are powered down or off. This is an effective way to keep your electricity bill low. And with summer less than a month away, remember to turn off the air conditioning when you are not at home and keep windows shaded to prevent unnecessary heat from the sun.
These are only a few things out of the many, many things that you can do to save money---and the environment. With just a little bit of creativity and imagination, you can come up with money-saving tips of your own. After all, no one knows your family better than you do.
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