Friday, April 11, 2008

I am not your personal carbon offset

I really feel like I should post something about how awesome it is that I sold my car and that we are now a one vehicle family, but really it's not that big of a deal. John and I sat down and tried to think of a time in the past year that we actually needed both cars and couldn't think of a single one. So yeah, we're down to one car with the eventual goal of no cars and a flexcar account for those times we really need a vehicle.

However, what has really been getting my goat lately is the patronizing attitude people direct towards my attempts at being as green as possible.

Oh look at the silly hippie printing on the back of things. Isn't that cute? I'm so glad she's doing that kind of stuff so I feel better about being a lazy slob.

Well I'm here to set the record straight, I am not your personal carbon offset. Don't you DARE feel okay about not being part of the answer because I work so hard. I don't do this so you can feel good. I do this because I FUCKING CARE. I work hard to make a difference because I don't see that there is any other way, kind of like if I saw a woman being raped I wouldn't see continuing on to the grocery store as being an option.

We as a culture have a tendency to view everything as someone else's problem. Well you know what? The welfare of the planet is EVERYONE'S PROBLEM. We ALL live here, our future generations will live here and if you can't bring yourself to care about your neighbors at least attempt to care about the future of your children.

This blog is my way of sharing with the world all of the ways I have found to live a slightly greener life. I'm not asking that everyone go as far as I do, though it's NOT hard and is VERY rewarding, I'm just asking you to THINK about how you live and maybe take some small steps. Before you know it those small steps turn into bounding leaps and then you are running through the trees.


1 comment:

George said...

Congrats - you made me laugh green tea out of my nose. I am so going to use that phrase!