- TAKING LONG HOT SHOWERS - Granted, "long" has gone from 30+ down to around 10+ minutes, but its still several minutes of just standing there wasting hot water.
- EATING PACKAGED FOOD - ...usually from all over the globe. The farmers market is great, but what if I got a hankering for those sheets of toasted nori seaweed? Chips are practically a dietary staple in this house. I don't know any local sources for chicken and I'm not about to raise and slaughter my own. Packaged food appears to be a necessity.
- ONLINE SHOPPING - cheaper than the store but it needs to be flown half way around the world just to get here. Really, this category could just summarize my struggle to pay more for things that aren't made in China.
- TRAVELLING - if I had the money, I would be on a plane right now. An enormous carbon footprint will hardly deter me from spending summers with family, seeing the wonders of the world, or enjoying some R&R (hopefully in a place where I can eat all that exotic food locally!).
- PLASTIC TOYS - we get almost all our toys used. But, the fact of the matter is that most of the toys we have are plastic and we don't exactly treat them nicely (considering they didn't cost a fortune, I just let the kids have at 'em). The nagging voice in my head tells me that our playthings should be wooden, require regular upkeep so they last a lifetime, and I shouldn't be letting Ikaika take them to the beach and pummel them on the lava rocks.
30.7.12
5 Simple Eco Struggles
I consider myself to be "environmentally contentious". I try to do my part for sustainability. At the very least, its a topic that interests me. Unfortunately, my ideals don't always match my actions. Even with seemingly simple things, I struggle and fail to do what I know is right. I like to think that knowing is half the battle and someday I will be able to reconcile all these great ideas with my everyday life. But this isn't a list of goals so much as a list of "I'm happier with the way it is right now (if not for the guilt) and don't want to change even though I know I should" list.
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Yes, all of this can be difficult. I like taking a hot bath almost every night and I wish that stores would make more of an effort to not package everything with plastics! If they used cardboard and/or paper, then at least we could recycle it! As for wood/natural toys, I think it's totally do-able! My mom and I have found so many great wooden toys at goodwill. The color might fade or the wood might get a little dented, but that's the beauty of a wooden toy. Also, less is more, cycling toys in and out does wonders, and you can keep them forever! I would let your mom know and I'm sure she would find some amazing things for the boys!
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