A Green Meme
Nov 2nd, 2008 by Dani
I’ve been tagged by DocWitch of Dark Side of the Broom for a green meme (1). It’s a good one that requires some introspection and may inspire positive change in both readers and writers. Or not. I like the hint of possibility.
Lets wrap up the administrative side of things, here are The Guidelines:
1. Link to Green Meme Bloggers
2. Link to whoever tagged you
3. Include meme number
4. Include these guidelines in your post
5. Answer questions (erm - that bits quite important)
6. Tag 3 other green bloggers.
Green Meme number one
1. Name two motivations for being green
There are so many motivations for me. It’s hard to narrow them down to two. But I will try.
Firstly, my ABs. My children are my world and I want them to have a good future. I want them to know how to respect the earth and how to live a sustainable and simple life. I firmly believe that achieving this will enable them to be content. Contentment is my nirvana.
Secondly, despite not being raised Protestant (Catholic in fact), I have to agree with Docwitch that waste is absolutely abhorrent to me. As a young AB, I walked home from primary school each day to my paternal grandmother’s. She was very much of the depression era. I think her frugal ways infecte my conciousness at a young age. Which is a good thing. Although hopefully whoever has to tidy my home when I die doesn’t have to sort through quite the frightening collection of rubber bands, paper bags, jars, washed and folded cling wrap and so on and so forth that was left when Nana passed.
2. Name 2 eco-unfriendly items you refuse to give up
My computer. If a justification is necessary, I use it a major source of information that I use to green up in many other areas of my life.
My car. I do try and minimise it’s use, the AB’s and I walk and ride bikes as much as we can but the reality is that public transport close to our house leaves a lot to be desired. Time is also an ever present factor.
3. Are you at peace with, or do you feel guilty about no.2?
I am at peace. I have learnt through experience that one can do so much until all the juggling balls fall down. It’s better to cut a little slack on a ball or two and keep the others in the air.
4. What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?
I desperately want chickens but don’t know who to convince the BW. He’s dead set against them. OK, I know its a frivolous one but I can’t think of anything else right now although I’m sure there’s lot’s of things.
5. Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average?
Yes. It is considerably smaller than the national average but could stand a LOT of improvement.
The areas that bug me the most are;
Water - BW has 15 minute showers. I could reuse more grey water than I do. The AB’s are a little careless although no too bad for their ages.
Gas- BW has the heater on too much, up too high and doesn’t dress appropriately for the season.
Electricity - BW leaves lights on turns lights in unnecessarily and as family we should turn off at the switch, not use standby.
6.What’s eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?
The most eco-frustrating thing for me is the poor public transport close to my home. Another frustration is litter, particulary broken glass. Our parks and paths are covered with it.
Eco-fantastic is having enough room to grow vegetables, enough room for my ABs to live an outdoorsy life, the bike path that runs from the creek our street is situated on, enabling us to go to different places safely by bike, with minimal pollution. We are close to farmers markets and CERES. We are far enough from the city to have minimalised air pollution but close enough to be able to avoid the car for lot’s of short trips.
7. Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow you own?
Absolutely. We eat mostly local food (bananas are our worst habit). We eat as much organic as our budget allows. We shop primarily at farmer’s markets. We do not patronise Coles or Woolworth’s and try to avoid their subsidiaries where possible. I forage (shh, don’t tell BW, he thinks my hippiness goes too far as it is). We also have fruit trees and a couple of reasonably sized vegetable patches, all of which are, of course, tended organically. I am continuously trying to become a better gardener and am trying for year round production of our staple vegetable needs. I cook close on everything from fundamental ingredients which lmits the manufacturing involved on producing our food. I buy in bulk and look for minimal packaging which also minimises the industrial consequences of our choices.
As for meat, we do eat meat in small quantities. Usually we eat red meat once per week, chicken maybe every third week, pork is rare. Fish about once a week too. We only eat free range and preferably organic chicken and pork. Our red meat is not organic but it is totally pasture fed, not grain fed. I have found that this is the best balance our family can achieve for our health, the world, our ethics and our budget.
8. What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?
The Bread Winner! I wish he cared more. I wish he didn’t use the old “industry cause most of the problem” chestnut. I wish he’d get his hippy on. It was there when we first met, I don’t know where it went.
9. Do you have a green confession?
I can’t bring myself to give up masa harina. Or organic cocoa. Sometimes I crack and buy French walnut oil. I buy some Italian foods in bulk from a local wholesaler. I know I am also buying the transport miles but I can’t help myself. Forgive me uinverse for I have sinned (and will do so again).
10. Do you have the support of family and/or friends?
Most of my friends are like minded. I do not feel supported by my family in my tree hugging ways, with the exception of the AB’s. Realistically, I do not need the active support of extended family, as long as they respect my values, which most of them do but I would be happier if the BW was more on board.
I’m not usually big on tagging, it makes me feel weird. But I really like this meme so I’m tagging Em at Dance of Small Things, Anthony, Philippa, Clio and James at The Veg’able Patch, and Kristeva at Howling Duck Ranch
Oh Dani I soooo hear you on the DH thing, mine is the same. I’ll be trying to do something to be a bit more green and he’ll complain about it, not do it or do it while rolling his eyes at me. You know, you try putting the habit of switching off at the power point and he tries to argue with “do you actually know how much power is being used, its only going to be a really small amount, theres no point” *sigh* We are so at crossed purposes at the moment, I’m saving up for a water tank and would love to get solar power, he just went out and bought a plasma TV and tivo box. He’s very pleased, me - there goes my power savings!
We’re living parallel lives Mich. BW uses *exactly* the same “arguments”. Bugger the higher principles, bugger teaching the next generation a better way to live, unless it saves gazillions of dollars, what is the point? Argh. So frustrating.
Ah, I don’t know how to tag! I just noticed this post and that you’ve ‘tagged’ me, but it didn’t show up anywhere on my blog…how do I do this?
Howling Duck Ranchs last blog post..Gone Hunting.
HDR I left a comment on your blog but wordpress was playing up, maybe it didn’t register? Anyhoo, I’ll head back over there. If you want to play, just copy the questions onto a post on your blog and amaze me with your wisdom
Love your answers here Dani! It seems a number of us have (non) Green Man issues! Mine has a willing spirit, but he’s just not focused on it and can be a bit thoughtless about things. He’s good with turning things off and not using lots of power or water, but I get apoplectic over what ends up in the rubbish bin.
Very inspiring, and informative! Keep up the good work.
Sounds like your Bloke is at least on the way Docwitch. I’m still waiting for the willing spirit.
Thanks Fig.
LOL. What is it with people who need long showers, turn on all the lights and crank up/down the temp with the central heating?
When I get home at night, my DW has nearly all the lights on in the house, and no there are no ABs, and in summer when the temp is 20 deg outside she sets the cooler to 16 deg, while in winter when the temp outside is 20 deg she sets the heater to 27 deg.
Went to visit her at work one day and found her rushing around turning off lights in the rooms that weren’t being used !! said she’d have to tell the staff to remember not to leave on unnecessary lighting and heating !!!!
There is a difference between using and abusing a car - training the ABs to use their bikes is great.
My mother and grandparents trained me in similar fashion to your grandmother. Sometimes drives the DW crazy - no often !!
Thermomixers last blog post..Persian love cake
T.Mixer as far as my BW goes, I think part of the problem is cultural. He grew up in the US and the culture over there is very different to ours, particularly with regard to heating and cooling. The rest of the problem is just not thinking. I’m glad he doesn’t set the heater to 27 though. I would have a coronary at that! I’m glad I’m not the only one to drive my beloved crazy