Environmentalism v. our disposable culture

My new toaster arrived today. It's the same brand and style as my decade-old one but bigger, such is the way kitchen gadgets are these days. Pots and fridges are growing while cell phones and computers are shrinking. And it's not even one of those convection oven monstrosities. But it's so shiny and new I'll forgive it's wasteful girth.

In this blog I've been writing about trying to use less stuff to reduce my impact on the environment. My views are reinforced every time I turn on the radio, go online or pick up the newspaper (that may be bad for the environment but I've cut back to just Sunday). The latest reminder? Today while driving home I heard an interview on NPR by yes, another person who wrote a book about how we're ruining our planet. This guy was saying Earth is not the same as what we inherited. The air has 5% more moisture and the oceans have more acid. Yikes.

But life, and the little moments that make it up, sometimes get in the way of our best intentions. I blogged last month about my new ceramic mug with a lid that makes it look like a paper cup. But there I was on Sunday night after dinner with a friend, buying a chamomile tea in the Coffee Bean with no reusable mug. She's working the overnight shift and wanted a coffee to keep her awake. Me, I was cold. We'd sat outside for dinner sans heat lamps and  I wanted to be warm on our walk home. So should I have just gone without and stayed cold a little longer? It's not the end of the world, for sure. Comfort v. discipline. Being conscientious v. just relaxing already.

I've also blogged about how I eat way fewer energy bars since the wrappers aren't recyclable. But I bought one today after work because I was hungry and was going to be running the hill. I could have gone without but I would have been cranky and had less energy.

And well, then there's my daily culprit: my 60-mile roundtrip commute.

I think I'm partly sharing this so I don't have to feel like a hypocrite, waxing poetic about all the great things I do for the environment in my blog, when in reality it's a constant battle. Our disposable culture is all around us so when someone like myself wants to live more responsibly, I'm constantly tempted to run into a store or go online and in just a few seconds, I've got my quick fix. But what toll do all these indulgences take on our environment?

I don't mean to sound depressing. We can't put the genie back in the bottle but we can make the changes that are easy and permanent. Use reusable bags when you go to the grocery store. Store food in plastic or glass containers instead of plastic bags. Clean mirrors using a rag instead of paper towels. I know the list of "easy ways to go green" is endless, but it's worth a listen. I don't think all these authors and experts are blabbing on the radio and doing interviews for nothing.