Tough To Be Green
Wednesday - March 05, 2008
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Del.icio.usI have found, thanks to the help of my 10-year-old daughter, that the buzz word for 2008 is “green.” That’s green as in being responsible to our environment. I guess I have Al Gore to thank for that with his theory on global warming and all the attention issues like this are receiving these days.
Whether you agree with this or not, there’s no avoiding the fact that we are responsible for our mess. Now, I am not a “tree hugger,” but as the father of children who have to live in this world when I leave it, I have to set the example.
I’m happy to report that here at the newspaper, we recycle all our newspaper waste and metal printing plates. We also use recycled newsprint and soy-based inks. Our wastewater is strictly monitored by the City & County so nothing bad goes down the drain.
On the home front, however, I’m still learning. You might say that I’m light-green. It started out with me watching intently the Jade Moon commercials on switching to fluorescent light bulbs. I don’t know what the science behind it is, but if Jade Moon says it’s a good thing, then I’m doing it.
Without telling anyone, I went out to City Mill and purchased all these bulbs. I went home and replaced nearly every bulb in my house. What I didn’t realize was that these bulbs, at least the ones I bought, don’t go on instantly when you flip the switch. It’s kind of a gradual thing, like the sun rising.
At least that’s how I described it to my wife, the needer of instant light, who now complains to me when our daughter isn’t around that the light delay is driving her crazy. I tell her to be patient, that the savings in electricity will more than make up for the inconvenience.
She didn’t buy into that until I said Jade Moon said so. That brings me to my next green project as I read in MidWeek from Jade Moon and Susan Page about the use of plastic grocery bags. The next time I went to the grocery store, I picked up two of those reusable canvas bags.
When I went to the checkout and paid for them , the cashier out of habit asked if I wanted them in a bag - a plastic bag, that is. I too out of habit replied “Yes,” before realizing that I just negated my green intentions, that carrying out my reusable bags in a plastic grocery bag cancels each other out.
I’m getting there, but when the day comes that I have to recycle my underwear, that’s when I will draw the line.
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