Sylvia Earle spoke at Smith College's Commencement this past weekend. She is definitely one of my role models. She entered the world of marine science when it was completely male dominated.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Why?
I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday, and we were discussing how confusing, and overwhelming "green" decisions can be. The need to take into consideration everything from biodegradability, to what kind of chemicals are leaching from plastics, to which companies use sustainable practices, and which ones test on animals is a lot to reconcile.
The way that I approach this is to consider what is best for my situation, and my family. I know, that sounds really self-centered. I typically have a problem with Johnny-come-latelys, and that statement reeks of that type of attitude. The truth is, I have been interested in "saving the planet" for as long as I can remember. I was even getting my family to recycle when I was about 12 years old. (Not easy.) I had found a book called "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth" (the latest version: http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Kids-Save-Earth/dp/B003F76HOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306689435&sr=8-1), and I became an eco-warrior. You wouldn't know that by looking at me, or the way I live now. I don't garden (I have a notoriously black thumb), and I need air conditioning in the summer to survive. However, I do recycle everything that I can, I drive an economy car, and we just got our first compost bin in the backyard. (I really, really want to love gardening!) I buy organic, and am trying to become more of a locavore, but, admittedly, it's hard to break the grocery store habit.
Ultimately, I would like this to be a place of discussion, and ideas. I think that education really is the key to the future, and I've always known that we can do better than to say "you're either with us, or you're against us" in the environmental world. Once you start, it's easy to keep that momentum going, and even fun to find new ways to be green. I must disagree with Kermit, and say, "it is easy being green." Sometimes, it just takes baby steps.
The way that I approach this is to consider what is best for my situation, and my family. I know, that sounds really self-centered. I typically have a problem with Johnny-come-latelys, and that statement reeks of that type of attitude. The truth is, I have been interested in "saving the planet" for as long as I can remember. I was even getting my family to recycle when I was about 12 years old. (Not easy.) I had found a book called "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth" (the latest version: http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Kids-Save-Earth/dp/B003F76HOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306689435&sr=8-1), and I became an eco-warrior. You wouldn't know that by looking at me, or the way I live now. I don't garden (I have a notoriously black thumb), and I need air conditioning in the summer to survive. However, I do recycle everything that I can, I drive an economy car, and we just got our first compost bin in the backyard. (I really, really want to love gardening!) I buy organic, and am trying to become more of a locavore, but, admittedly, it's hard to break the grocery store habit.
Ultimately, I would like this to be a place of discussion, and ideas. I think that education really is the key to the future, and I've always known that we can do better than to say "you're either with us, or you're against us" in the environmental world. Once you start, it's easy to keep that momentum going, and even fun to find new ways to be green. I must disagree with Kermit, and say, "it is easy being green." Sometimes, it just takes baby steps.
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