Saving myself
Of course I want to save Earth and protect the animals and stop the rainforest destruction and heal the ozone layer and refreeze the glaciers and reforest vast swaths of land and revive the coral reefs and refresh the oceans.
I pay more for wind power and have a hybrid car and reuse towels without washing them daily and recycle without wish-cycling (at least I hope I am doing it correctly) and buy Energy Star appliances (only after something defies repair) and got energy efficient windows plus the new light bulbs and don’t run the water while brushing my teeth and plant native species while trying to provide a habitat for bees and adopt fixed cats with special needs and try not to buy anything with palm oil and turn the lights off (mostly) in rooms I am not using at night and donate household goods plus clothing I no longer need and give away furniture.
My friend travels with a metal straw in her purse. That may be too much for me.
Some things are, and I feel like a bad person, but I don’t use bars of soap down to nothing; I toss the final slivers. I sometimes stand in a delightfully warm or refreshingly cool shower just because I love the way the water feels, even though the actual work of washing is done. On rare occasions I print an email. The electric company sends newsletters cheerily explaining that setting the thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer can save a lot of money, but I am my own oven and cringe at the thought of living in a sweat pit so refuse to go any higher than 74.
I am a much better Earth goddess in winter when the heat is on low. Plus I invested in thick wool socks.
I pay more for wind power and have a hybrid car and reuse towels without washing them daily and recycle without wish-cycling (at least I hope I am doing it correctly) and buy Energy Star appliances (only after something defies repair) and got energy efficient windows plus the new light bulbs and don’t run the water while brushing my teeth and plant native species while trying to provide a habitat for bees and adopt fixed cats with special needs and try not to buy anything with palm oil and turn the lights off (mostly) in rooms I am not using at night and donate household goods plus clothing I no longer need and give away furniture.
My friend travels with a metal straw in her purse. That may be too much for me.
Some things are, and I feel like a bad person, but I don’t use bars of soap down to nothing; I toss the final slivers. I sometimes stand in a delightfully warm or refreshingly cool shower just because I love the way the water feels, even though the actual work of washing is done. On rare occasions I print an email. The electric company sends newsletters cheerily explaining that setting the thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer can save a lot of money, but I am my own oven and cringe at the thought of living in a sweat pit so refuse to go any higher than 74.
I am a much better Earth goddess in winter when the heat is on low. Plus I invested in thick wool socks.
Bio
Sarah Bigham is the author of Kind Chemist Wife: Musings at 3 a.m. She lives in Maryland with three independent cats, an unwieldy herb garden, several chronic pain conditions, and near-constant outrage at the general state of the world tempered with love for those doing their best to make a difference. Find her at www.sgbigham.com.