To my husband and me, it means many things.
It means, essentially, the beginning of our relationship. Our first "date" was on Earth Day, 2006. The date was comprised of a walk around Uptown Minneapolis, a "tour" if you will, as I was not yet living in Minneapolis and was looking for a neighborhood I could call my own. Without knowing too terribly much about me (but, apparently, just enough) Michael was insistent that Uptown was MY neighborhood (he had moved here from Iowa that January, and had instantly fallen in love with Uptown). It was 2-3 hours of walking, talking, exploring and friendly & spirited conversation. I got a taste for the neighborhood (I was immediately hooked as well), a taste for what would eventually become our Saturday morning breakfast spot every Saturday for now the last 2 1/2 years, and a taste of what life would be like with this wonderful person new to my world. (since then, of course, I've stopped nervously tripping over everything - apparently, I trip when I'm nervous, and I did several times while we were hanging out, but Michael was kind enough not to mention it until I did so, at least a year into our relationship)
Looking back, it seems that was the beginning of what our life has become. A culmination of things we had held dear prior to our meeting one another, our life has grown into something wonderful as we have grown as a couple.
You know the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing? Yeah, that was something we considered, genuinely, and we did it when we could. We recycled glass and plastic bottles (when we remembered to); I always donated my used items to the Salvation Army and my
magazines to the laundromat; and we'd even started taking reusable bags to the grocery store (again, when we remembered). Not long after the beginning of our courtship, but especially once we moved in together, however, there was a subconscious shift. Not sure how it happened, but somehow - perhaps, instinctively - we began an unspoken journey together. Soon, we were looking at ways to not only recycle (nearly everything!), but ways to reduce our waste to begin with. From there, we started evaluating our consumption, and taking notes as to what we could live without. Before we knew it, we were passionately seeking out local restaurants to patronize, making trips to the farmers market part of our Saturday morning routine (seeking out local growers instead of just "the good deals"), and there was no longer a roll of paper towels to be found in the apartment (I had switched to using rags made from old pillow cases, boxer shorts and t-shirts).And, I'm serious when I say this happened almost silently. We've never sat down, yet to this day, and said to one another, "We need to do everything we can do reduce our carbon footprint. Lets make a list!" I don't think most people do. Things like this just seem to have a snowball effect. You do one thing, it feels good. You're inspired because you see how easy it is, so you do something else. Before you know it, all this stuff that seems overwhelming to most of us (I get that argument all the time), isn't so overwhelming after all. It happens gradually, and it "sticks".
Still, today, we're seeking ways to utilize the "3 R's", but for the most part, our daily practices are just that - daily practices. They don't involve much thought, because they've been incorporated, slowly but ardently, into our routine. I feel very proud to sit here today, on the third anniversary of the beginning of our relationship, and on my third anniversary celebrating Earth Day, and say that our "footprint" is minimal. There's still much to do, and I believe, by carbon footprint standards, it would still take 1 1/2 planets to support our lifestyle should everyone do what we do. But we're getting there. (find out what your footprint is, here)
You can get there, too. Start small, start slow...but just start! Start by just asking yourself some questions.
When you go to throw something away, ask yourself if it's something that has more life in it (if not for your own use, for someone's?); if it can be thrown into a recycling bin instead of the trash can (nearly everything can); or, if it's organic matter, can you throw it into a container dedicated to composting (someone you know is composting; if not, find out if your city has started a pickup for it; or start your own compost!).
When you purchase something, ask yourself where that item came from (how far did it travel to get to your hands?); who is benefiting and who is suffering to make that product; what natural resources were used to make it, package it and ship it, and is it possible to find a friendlier alternative? Can I buy it used? You'd be amazed how many everyday items are just sitting there, waiting for you at thrift stores and consignment shops, with plenty of life in them. And, you'll save money! (make it a routine, as I have, to go through your own items and edit out what you're not using, drop those things off at a thrift store, and then head inside the store with a list of things you "need").
Ask yourself if you can go paperless. I'm here to say it IS possible to have a virtually paper-free household (the major exception, of course, is TP. For now.). Instead of paper towel, use rags for cleaning. Rags can be washed. And washed, and washed, and washed. Sure, it takes water and soap to do that, but they take up very little space in the washer, and you'd be amazed how little soap you really need in your washing machine. That, compared to the energy (not to mention the resources) it takes to make paper towel, and then to recycle it (if it's recyclable, and if you remember to do that), is minimal. Same goes for napkins. When we ditched the paper towels for cleaning, we also started using cloth napkins (well, a shared kitchen towel at first), and I started using handkerchiefs (took a while, but Mike got on board with that last one eventually). Can you do your banking and bill paying online? Most of us can these days, and that will cut down on paper coming in by mail, checks going out, etc. Go one step further and request to be removed from junk mail and credit card lists.
When it comes to waste, there are many, many things we've grown accustomed to using, and most of us don't think twice about them. Simply because that's the way it's always been done, doesn't mean you shouldn't ask yourself if that's the way it needs to be done. We are creatures of habit, and we've also very much grown used to convenience. Nearly everything contributing to landfills today is a result of convenience, from the plastic bottles that your favorite water comes in (most of which is no cleaner or safer than your own tap water), to disposable diapers (which never really decompose; stats are based on decomposition requiring air to do so - how much air do you think gets to them?), to packaging (seems everything has a ridiculous amount of packaging, and every little thing is worthy of a bag to throw it in!).
If you have access to bulk foods (becoming more and more available even in large supermarkets), do it! Your favorite spaghetti noodles in the box are no different than the bulk stuff - in fact, the bulk stuff is often times better for you. These next few months of nice weather mean farmers market shopping - take your own bags! Running to Target for toiletries? Skip the bag, or buy one of their canvas ones (they're for sale right there, by the register; oh, and be adamant about not taking a bag - it's a bit awkward for the cashier who has been trained otherwise, but that doesn't mean you have to take one).
Really, where you start is becoming more conscious of things. Being a part of life instead of just an onlooker. It doesn't mean saving the planet. It means being aware of the things your're using and wasting, and doing your part to lessen that. So you can sleep at night. So you can leave something of a healthy place for your children and your grandchildren to live. So you can start living healthier, saving money (believe me, you will), and finding the things in life worth having and hanging onto.
