As I mentioned in my food post, I know, I know, corporations are the biggest generators of greenhouse gases, by far, and any individual changes that a person makes won’t make any discernible difference, blah blah blah…

I’m a big believer of putting my money where my mouth is, and also that money speaks louder than words, and writing those out one after the other makes me think that they mean the same thing? Anyway, I believe very strongly that corporations will shift their behavior based on the public’s spending habits (for example, I thank moms everywhere for making a fuss about nut-free snacks, because I get to reap the rewards!). Likewise, if my and other’s spending habits reflect our values, then that will send an even louder message to corporations to do better. (Unfortunately, this also means that the journey is a marathon, not a sprint, which sucks! but that’s capitalism!)

There’s also a part of me that needs to act in ways that “solve” my problems, even if those problems are actually way outside of my hands. For most political and social issues, that means signing petitions and donating money to charities. Likewise, for environmental issues, this means making lifestyle changes, no matter how small, and being more conscious about my consumption.

I acknowledge that this is a very privileged place to be! Not everyone can afford the upfront monetary and time costs of even attempting to go zero-waste! or buying and cooking fresh produce! or a compost service! But my hope is that, ultimately, using my money to opt into these programs and show that there is interest will demonstrate to the rest of the world that the demand is there, and hopefully, over time, increase access for everyone.

Is that too optimistic? (Probably!)

Continue reading “New Year, New Me: Environmental” →