SylviaLoh

I try to keep my home relatively clean, livable. It is only natural that I try to keep my home (in a broader sense), Earth, clean and livable, isn’t it?

Too green? No, I don’t think I am.
I still eat meat and fish, milk and eggs.
I do try to eat responsibly.
If I can buy from local, I do.
If I can buy organically grown. I do.
If I can get sustainable seafood, I do.
But I live a lifestyle that doesn’t always allow me to be responsible. Yes, it is partly due to my laziness.
I think I can do much better.

I use biodegradable and phosphate-free detergent, hand and dish soup, doggie shampoo.
But I can’t say the same for the rest of the many products that I use. Make up, shampoo, hair and skin products.
I think I can do much better.

Maybe it is because I’m getting older.
Maybe it is because I finally understood that what I wear doesn’t reflect who I really am.
Maybe it is because I realized true comforts come from how it feels, not how it looks, on me.
My wardrobe is getting simpler by the day.
But I can pay closer attention to the clothing tags, closer attention to the manufacturing facts.
I think I can do much better.

Am I too green for others? Maybe.
I currently help out at a relative’s bakery. Many times a day (actually, probably more than 75% of the time) I am asked to place a cake box in a plastic bag. Now, I understand if it is raining, I will also understand if you are with a child, and a plastic bag will make things much easier. But what significant difference does it make when you have two free hands? And so then 50+ plastic bags go wasted each day, from a single bakery. Customers can be rude, or leave an embarrassing tip, but nothing angers me nearly as much as being wasteful.

I had a little disagreement with someone today regarding me going out of my way to be green. He thinks the line needs to be drawn. And I think I haven’t even reached the line yet. I realized I cannot impose my beliefs on others, I can only hope they will one day understand. Until then, I will just have to swallow my frustrations.

Yes, this is a rant.

Think about the polar bears.