Skip to main content

What difference does it make


There is one question constantly nagging me; am I even making a difference? Is what I am doing really worth it? To be honest, I am not sure. I have been able to measure my changes somewhat though not necessarily accurately. I have remeasured my carbon footprint, but the change was not remarkable. I still drive a car and heat my apartment with electricity in the winter. I do know that I buy less and throw away less. But I am just one person, and I alone will not make a difference.
            I advocate for and talk about reducing waste with nearly every person I meet. Family, friends, classmates, people I volunteer with, and even unsuspecting strangers in the grocery store have heard me talk about ways to reduce waste. I have learned that the best way to get attention for my cause, is practicing it myself. Bringing my own Tupperware to the grocery or my plate to school will always prompt questions from other people. I find it to be the best way to get a conversation going. 

Plastic free school supplies. Image source.

Truthfully, I can really see the impact I am making when friends and family come up to me to show the changes they have made. Whether it is a small thing like bringing their own water bottle or my brother calling me for information about composting. Awareness is spreading and that is huge.

Popular posts from this blog

Not quite a mason jar

About two years into my journey into sustainability I started law school. It was the first time I was really on my own. Everyone I knew was back in Indiana, more than 500 miles away. All of that outside influence from friends and family was gone. There was no one encouraging me to go out to eat or go shopping. Instead, I needed to focus on school. And very quickly I realized that this was my opportunity to hone my skills at living without waste. Coffee without plastic. Image source.             After my lifestyle “audit” I had already committed to several small changes. I had replaced plastic bags with a reusable cotton bag. I had both a reusable water bottle. I shopped second hand for clothing and mended things that could be repaired. I traded in tampons for a menstrual cup.   I stopped dying my hair and learned to accept that I am not a natural blonde. I recycled a good portion of the things that I brought into house. And I read food labels like they were the
Read more

There are two sides to every story

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, there are plenty of people that will push back against my choices. One such push back came in a GEG class quite unexpectedly. It was simply an off handed comment by my professor. I do not believe he intended as a slight against me in any way, but it really made me think about how people view my choices in protecting the environment.             I believe were talking about the impacts of disposable diapers and my professor said, “just wait until you have kids, things will change.” It really struck me in that moment that people see environmentalism as a trend. Something to be put on hold or given up when life gets in the way. To be clear, I was in no way offended by his comment, quite the opposite in fact. I took his comment to mean that I have work to do. Maybe I should give more credit to advocating for changes in the law. That would provide more legitimacy to the changes I am proposing. GEG has inspired me to do more legitimiz
Read more

It’s not personal, it’s business

Everyone blames coal and oil companies for the current situation regarding climate change. There is always seems to be this focus on companies who care for nothing more than their bottom line. As I have said previously, everyone is so willing to place the blame on someone else in an attempt to avoid actual change themselves.             Now I am not a great defender of big oil, but I argue that they are not the ones we should be blaming. The ones at fault are us, the consumers. If there was not a market for these resources, no one would be selling them. There is a reason you will not find cassette tapes at Walmart.             If we the consumer want change, then we have to ask for it. We have to make conscious choices about the things we purchase. This means we are going to have to really understand the brands we are choosing to support. Brands follow the trends set by the consumer. If the consumer demands transparency and sustainability, the brands will deliver.
Read more