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Conservation
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Conservation
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"Not Buying It" |
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Suppose for a moment that a friend well known as a great cook has invited you to a pizza party. When the day comes, your mouth is ready. You knock on his door, are ushered in, and there with three other invited friends behold a hot, tasty pizza with all of your favorite toppings. The host walks in, and with a cutter, divides the medium-sized pizza into five slices. As you reach to take your portion, he quickly slips four of the slices onto his plate and beckons the four of you to share the remaining one. So how do you feel now? Surprised? Wondering if you heard right? Insulted? My guess is that the last thought you have now is about hunger. This story may seem silly, but it isn't as far-fetched as it might seem. The richest 20% of the world's population consume about 80% of its resources each year -- the same ratio as in that example. Our vast appetite for food, fuel, and consumer goods cannot continue for much longer. The planet is suffering. And the bottom 80% -- can we blame them? -- are clamoring for their share of pizza and thousands of other things. If China and India were to burn up resources at even half of our rate, the game would be up for the planet's health. More and more, as people learn about the perilous state of the planet, they are evaluating their purchases in terms of sustainability. It's gotten even fashionable. Shopping and caring for the earth can go together pretty easily, requiring little, if any, more expense. The main effort involves pulling out of those familiar ruts of going to the same store and tossing the same product into the cart. On my dining table in Santa Monica sits a pile of spent C and AA batteries that I've lazily yet to recycle. (All batteries, as you hopefully know, contain highly toxic metals, and state law prohibits throwing them in the trash.) I am, however, reassured about one thing: the pile isn't growing. Six months ago, a RadioShack salesman embarrassed me, a self-proclaimed environmentalist, into buying a battery recharger. The nickel-cadmium batteries cost several times more than the old ones, but they should last a decade or so, more than recouping the extra cost and making me feel slightly better about my ecological footprint. For other examples, let's start in the earthiest possible way. To be blunt, must we sacrifice the old-growth forests of Canada to wipe our butts? Virtually every brand of toilet paper from the big, well-known companies is derived from these trees now, with no recycled content. I could not find any exceptions at Ralph's, Albertson's, or others of the local chains. But go to Whole Foods, and there you will find Seventh Generation tissues, and Trader Joe's house brand is also 100% recycled. Pick up napkins and facial tissue while you're at it. (If these stores aren't near you, then make the drive out to one and buy a few dozen rolls.) And, of course, get those compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), much more durable and efficient than the standard filament ones. They cost a bit more -- though the price has noticeably gone down in the last several years -- but last ten times as long and use one-fourth the energy. Also available now are improved CFLs that light up quickly and ones that serve as floodlights or small enough to put in recessed areas. Have you considered cutting back on meat consumption, maybe having a meatless day once a week? Our carnivorous habits do much harm to the planet. It's surprising to learn that production of a pound of meat requires 4.8 pounds of grain (fed to cattle) and uses hundreds of gallons of water. Add to that the deforestation produced by creation of grazing land and the pollution of waterways by animal waste (the #1 water pollutant in the U.S.), and one could make a very good case for vegetarianism. Did the avocado you used to make the guacamole yesterday come from California or did a ship burning fossil fuel bring it from Ecuador? Stores like Trader Joe's are more often listing the origins of their fruits and vegetables, and I find I can usually ask an employee in any market to show me which produce came from California. Most of the food we eat, experts estimate, has come an average of 1,500 miles. The good news is that the numbers of farmers' markets are increasing -- over ten times as many as in 1970. We have the chance of tasting fresh-picked strawberries and tomatoes again and grown nearby. An important consideration in green shopping is purchasing more products from companies that are restoring the earth, fewer from ones that are major polluters. A website: www.betterworldshopper.org gives details about many dozens of products. For instance, CLIF and Luna bars are made by companies renowned for their green practices, while Balance bars are manufactured by Altria (Nabisco), a company with one of the worst environmental records on the planet. For the same reason, I try to find an Arco or BP station, and drive past Exxon, Mobil. It's natural to wonder whether one should bother with green shopping practices. After all, my impact on the earth, for good or ill, will be negligible. Perhaps, the best response is that it is simply the right thing to do. Why should my lifestyle contribute to worsening the earth for other living beings rather than protecting it? |
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Browse past conservation articles here: Conservation Archives |