This time last year I was so proud of the changes I was making in the name of Mother Earth: my baby’s bum wrapped in a cloth diaper, the cloth shopping bags I carried to Publix, the old T-shirts cut into squares I used to clean the house, along with vinegar and other natural cleaning products.
I was energized to do as much as I could for the environment and to keep my daughter safe.
This year, instead of feeling uplifted, I’m grouchy about the green movement. It’s too consumer-oriented, too confusing, and just plain annoying.
I wince at the buy, buy, buy aspect of green living, now that it has become a trend companies use to market their wares. On the plus side, notes Christopher Gavigan, author of Healthy Child, Healthy World, green products are widely available. Even Clorox, once a name to be avoided, has come out with supposedly “natural” cleaning agents. I’ll stick with brands that have a track record, but the more people who use kinder products, the better. I agree it’s good to see this stuff accessible.
However, the idea that we can spend our way to an Earth-conscious way of life is pathetic. Treading lightly on our overtaxed planet is about buying less stuff. Less packaging. Less junk in the landfill. Less profit for companies that exploit overseas labor. Less money in the pockets of CEOs who care not a whit about the shrinking polar ice cap.
I get peeved when I see these expensive bags with sayings on them: “Look at me, I’m not using plastic bags at the grocery store!” I found a dozen tote bags buried in closets. No need to buy any.
When it’s time to buy something I need, my head is spinning from conflicting information. I tried to find a safe mosquito repellant for my child. Some of the products labeled “safe” don’t repel bugs. I have spent so much time on the Internet only to acquire a drawer full of stuff that doesn’t work. Hello landfill! I’m going to try Bite Blocker, a product Christopher recommends.
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