The Environment and Me

As a child, I was taught not to waste. At the time, I just followed how my parents acted, looking back I can see that it came from wanting to save money – but I also think my mom and dad respect that there is a limit to our resources. I remember being very excited when I learned that our neighborhood got an A in recycling. I was diligent about the process and remembered to sort. I also grew up during a fairly severe drought in my area, so I learned not to waste water.

These things were always on my mind – I continued to recycle, reuse, not overbuy. But I really didn’t think much about my own impact until (and this is so cliché) I saw “An Inconvenient Truth.” It was around there that I became aware of my usage of the planet and its resources. The movie also came out shortly after I graduated from college, when I was finding my place in society.

In the years since, I’ve only become more diligent. I am ashamed that my apartment complex doesn’t recycle – but my boyfriend and I do, at least what the recycle place at the store will take. But I know it’s more than recycling – after all, the only product that doesn’t use up more energy to recycle it than just making a new object is glass (although then you can get into the whole, well, using up energy is better than creating a new product all together – the same reason I still drive a ’95 Volvo instead of buying a new electric car – well, one of several reasons). Anyway, recycling is just a way of living that says “I pay attention to what I consume,” or at least that’s some of the idea.

And now it’s more than that. I take the subway when I can, bike when I can, I try not to turn on the heat, or the air conditioning. I try to buy local, I try to focus on which companies are better for the environment (this doesn’t mean I’m going to give you a shot, recently-better-at-environmental-stuff Walmart). And of course everything gets confused with all the other issues I’m trying to keep in mind. While American Apparel is good for the environment because it uses less oil to be shipped to my local store, they’re not using organic cotton. While I know they’re not using children in sweatshops, the owner has been accused of some pretty awful stuff. Plus, I don’t really appreciate the nearly pornographic ads strewn throughout my city.

If you’re in LA, there’s an amazing store called Green and Greener, and I love going there because I know I can just buy anything in there and not have to worry about where it came from and what’s in it and all that. It’s so much easier. Even at Whole Foods I don’t have that exact freedom.

Anyway, I’m happy to help the environment, even if global climate change turns out not to be true (considering the weather lately, though ... it’s really looking like it is). I would love it if the United States could figure out how to break away from being a consumer culture. Just using up everything around us feels ... selfish and out of tune. It’s hard work, paying attention to where my clothes and food and cleaning products come from, but I know it will be worth it. Is worth it.