Today is Earth Day.
I live on earth so I guess I should join in the celebrations. When you stop taking life for granted and hop off the treadmill that is our rat race and look about there are so many elements of the world around us that can make us stop and catch our breath. The wonder of a seed germinating, the glorious colour and symmetry of a flower, the miraculous design of a spiderweb, the way our water is the same water that has been around since forever cycling through the air and land and quenching the thirst of everything, not to mention the majesty of a waterfall in free flow. Nature does amazing things.
We also do amazing things – as people. We have invented, designed and created some incredible things with each generation tweaking and improving on the achievements of our predecessors. We live in an age where we have some truly miraculous innovations. But we’ve got a little sloppy and to be honest a tad entitled. But when things are easily available and we want the best we can afford, because we’ve worked hard to be in a position to afford it, well here we are. However, we’re being constantly reminded, after the cumulative efforts of those who came before us that we’re stuffing things up.
Ok – yeah, I would admit I’m doing my bit – in both directions. I appreciate the convenience of satisfying a need with something easily obtainable, but at the same time I’m tinged with guilt that I could have included the planet in my decision-making process and not let the low price of an item have the final say. But I’m not made of money and if I can’t do what I need to do, then there are more immediate consequences for me and my family.
Once you know something you can’t unknow it. I am fully aware my actions have direct impact on the planet. Not a huge one in the grand scheme of things, but I know I could do things differently – if I choose. But there are so many factors involved in what I need to do.
I use plastic pots in my greenhouse to raise seedlings. I could do soil blocking and make potless seed containers, make containers out of paper, upcycle loo rolls or use peat pots. But the thing is – I already have these pots so I’ll use them year after year, washing them in between seasons. They may be plastic, but they are in use and involved in a process that actually enriches the environment – growing plants.
But then other plastics I use are purely out of convenience and I really should swap for something better, but the trade-off would be time or the best job. I make compost but not enough, so I buy extra compost in bags – for the convenience. I probably should get it in bulk, but as I mostly garden on my own – with a little help, it is easier to move a packaged portion-controlled amount to where I need it, saving the effort and time of moving it from one place to the other with filling and emptying wheelbarrows. It would make things a lot harder on my poor MSsy body and take a lot longer in an already busy schedule. And to be fair I use a lot of compost. I try to reuse the empty bags as creatively as I can, so they’re upgraded from single use, but each empty bag reminds me that my priorities are certainly all about me and not the greater good.
Living where we do, beside a beautiful pristine coastal spot is easy to be aware of my impact on the landscape. It is a windy spot and if I don’t keep things tidy there is a high chance of it being picked up and whisked 100m away into the ocean and choking some poor fish swimming innocently by.
But we can’t go crazy and blanketly say ‘all plastic is bad’. It may not be desirable to have plastic in the garden, but it is an essential part of our homes and our lives. It is inextricably linked to almost everything. We just have to be aware of our responsibility to be responsible with our use of it. Make wise choices with our purchasing decisions, but not to the point we can’t effectively do our jobs that at the end of the day have the ability to contribute to a better environment in a different way.
We just need to do what we can, and a little bit here and there is better than nothing at all.
So Happy Earth Day. Join the celebrations, celebrate your seemingly insignificant contributions to making the planet a better place, but don’t let the guilt of what you can’t do to help prevent you from doing anything at all. At the end of the day single paper straw no matter how soggy is a win.
Come again soon – Let me tell you about my changed thoughts around my garden.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
NB: – I’m not trying to court controversy or undermine those doing good things, but I just wanted to speak to those who feel that it is a hopeless situation or that their efforts are too insignificant to count. Or even those who haven’t thought about it at all. Collectively we can all make a difference but you don’t have to go cold turkey – just take one step at a time in the right direction.
Dependence on modern technology, including plastics, is frustrating. Where I lived in town, I lived quite simply. I thought that when I relocate, I could live even simpler. However, because I will likely need to build a new house, which I will not ever be completely comfortable with, I must accept many modern technologies that I would prefer to do without. Modern building codes make simple lifestyles (within modern homes) illegal, literally.
We walk a double edged sword with this one. As much as we want to walk lightly on the planet, there are things required of us as members of society that we need to conform to – whether we like it or not. And there are aspects of the plastic experience that we do like – like our cars, computers and phones. But we can easily see the bits we don’t like as well – like excessive packaging. It certainly isn’t an easy topic and I don’t have any answers, but have a hope that one day life will be better for our kids.
All the best with the new house – environmental conundrums aside, I hope it is a really exciting adventure and everything goes well! : o)
Oh, I am confident that it will go well. It will just be . . . different. Those who know me believe that after the new house is built, I will live in a nonconforming shack in the garden, and leave the house for guests. A colleague near here did the same. He lived in a new house for a while, but then went back to the old house next door because it was more comfortable for him.
Part of it is how we dispose of plastics. I avoid plastics as much as possible but ….. We don’t have soft plastics recycling in my town so I collect mine up, including bags compost came in, wash them and take them to the environmental centre two hours away when I go south. It’s very satisfying. Every little bit helps. I love seeing those ocean cleanup projects. We have a long way to go. And need to make it easy for people.