Hello, dear friends. What’s been on my mind is our deteriorating environment and my role in it. Specifically thinking about the cost of convenience. As I place a crack-caffeine, coffee pod into my Keurig machine…I’ve come to realize I’m not doing my part.
Mostly, I like to watch the news and rail out at the POTUS for his anti-environmental friendly policies, which are alarming. Pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement was only the beginning. It might be convenient for economic reasons but there is always a cost.
However, never mind the big picture. I haven’t done well in my little corner of the world either. Sure, I don’t dictate policy or have a say in world-wide agreements. I don’t sit at the table with heads of State or powerful men in suits that run first world countries. Turns out that is the job for a thirteen year old. Imagine that, a teen has more smarts than old white men (and a few old women) LOL. I know, it’s not a laughing matter. Still, it is ironic.
Nonetheless, I have to look at my own habits to become more aware of my contribution to climate change.
There are small changes I can make to mitigate the amount of waste going into the land fill. For example, I can be more conscious of the things I bring home; the packaging of those products, the life span, the materials. Can I recycle them when I’m through with them or do I have to simply toss them in the trash? Answering those few questions before purchase may help to reduce our household waste.
It can’t be completely hopeless, can it?
About two years ago, our apartment complex strata made it mandatory that all occupants compost food waste. Hmmm, I sighed and thought how inconvenient…and wondered what difference could it really make? We even avoided doing it for several months. I know!! Old dogs do not embrace new tricks.
Since then, I have learned that the inconvenience of separating food waste from actual trash, makes a significant difference! I have also learned that it really isn’t inconvenient at all—once you get used to it. Composting becomes as habitual as tossing items in the trash but the benefits of reducing our garbage is remarkable.
A couple of interesting facts about composting; food waste releases toxic gas into the air, food waste is HEAVY, food waste tells us exactly what we are eating when we see it separated from the other stuff, food waste doesn’t smell that much, food waste shows us what we aren’t eating…and myabe we can see what we should not cook again 😉
All that said, I really want to hone in on the idea that convenience often comes with a price tag. The price may be more money, but oftentimes it is environmental. My Keurig coffee machine, for example, is highly convenient. I can brew a single cup of coffee with the touch of a button. Since I’m the only coffee drinker in my household this made perfect sense. To not have to traditionally brew half a pot of coffee when I was only going to have one or two cups was novel. To not have to throw out the dregs of the pot, nor deal with the mess of the coffee grounds was convenient!
Little did I realize back in 2013, when I got this machine for Christmas, that it was quickly becoming an environmental hazard. The plastic coffee pods were becoming mountains in landfills. They were not recyclable, you see.
Finally, they make them so that you can recycle them. Although Starbucks coffee pods are still zero recyclable.
In any case, while I appreciate that I can recycle these little environmental hazards, they are still a nuisance. The fact that they are not a necessity makes me really mad at myself. I chose (and still am choosing) convenience over thinking about the environmental impact. And this being a daily habit makes it quite significant.
Where am I going with this? Back to my drip machine, of course. I’m giving up my crack-caffeine pods for slow drip coffee.
Unnecessary plastic-using reusable grocery bags was introduced in 2010. It took a while, but soon it was habit to take my own grocery bags into the store. This simple action has made a big difference.
Unnecessary packaging-Amazon, overseas products from China, all use far too much plastic in their packaging that could easily be packaged without those extra layers.
Big chain fashion-I shop the chains often but it might be time for a change. I need to realize the price tag of cheap clothes that are shipped from over seas. Goal: Buy LOCAL designers but have less in my closet.
Paper waste-junk mail, unused notebooks etc. I have recently discovered junk journaling and absolutely LOVE it. It’s a great way to reuse, or use up old papers, art, or left over journals, and even old books. Finding a new use for otherwise old things that will end up in the land-fill is always a win.
Eating hamburgers-gas emissions from cow poop are having a huge impact, more than car emissions. Too much demand for beef is causing the extinction of wild animals. Everything is connected. Eating less meat has been my aim for a few years now. But I still am of the thinking that a dinner without meat isn’t complete. This is wrong.
I don’t know, guys, I just feel that I haven’t done enough. Starting with my Keurig coffee machine, I feel very guilty about my choice of convenience over environment hazards. Things that are convenient but an unnecessary environmental hazard must be recognized and done away with.
I will try in my own little world to be better. RE-use things, buy second-hand, STOP buying things that won’t last, Stop assuming that I can toss things in the trash when I’m finished with them. Instead, I want to think about making things last longer, extending the life of my things, APPRECIATING them more.
Meantime, let me share an excerpt of a powerful poem on the topic;
...He sustains himself on dirty greed
The land He rapes the air He takes
For the color of commerce the deal He makes
Through hazy skies the mountains cry
The trees are dead God's creatures die...
I will soon share this whole poem. It was written over two decades ago (by someone close to me) and even more relevant today. It’s one for Earth Day…
Thanks for listening to my thoughts today. I’d very much like to hear yours.
Comments are closed.
Design by ThemeShift.
Clinton Taylor
February 12, 2020 at 12:14 aminteresting but i don’t buy the climate change its a hoax
lisa
February 20, 2020 at 10:12 amInteresting point of view.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra
February 10, 2020 at 6:37 pmI agree that we all need to do better. I started bringing my own shopping bags to the store a couple of months ago. It’s going to take some getting used to – I keep forgetting to actually take them with me – but hopefully I’ll get into the swing of it.
jane thrive
February 7, 2020 at 11:32 amAloha Lisa,
I swear I had commented but I don’t see it, lol! Anyway, love this post as always. Something I thought that might help you with your coffee–have you ever used a french press? They are affordable and reuseable…you pour your coffee grounds in, boil water, then pour it in. The ‘press’ is a metal mesh doo-hickey, that you then ‘press’ to push your grounds to the bottom (serving as a filter), and you can pour your coffee into your mug. The beauty of it is that you don’t even have to buy filters and you can make just the amount that you need–one cup, two cups, etc. 🙂 They come in all different sizes. And please forgive me if you know what I’m talking about already and here I am just going on and on, lol! Love and hugs to you!! <3 <3 <3
lisa
February 11, 2020 at 8:40 amJane, I’m so sorry, I found your two comments in the SPAM folder… :/
I have heard of the French Press and indeed, that is a perfect suggestion. I will have to try it. In the meantime, I had to buy a drip coffee machine as I couldn’t locate my old one. I feel better having put away my Keurig and no more crack-caffeine! <3 <3 <3
Marie Kléber
February 3, 2020 at 3:22 amAt least we are aware of it Lisa, this is the key point to start making changes.
At home we are going step by step. I try to always have a shopping bag with me so no need of plastic bag anymore. Try to buy loose when possible. Using washable cottons and black soap for housekeeping.
I know we can do more…
Thank you for raising this topic. We can help each other on this.
lisa
February 3, 2020 at 7:04 pmMarie, sounds like you’re doing great! Household cleaning is another whole area that could use more environment friendly products. Baby steps! 😀 I did stop using Swiffer products over a decade ago. No more throw away wipes. I wash my cleaning cloths now. I guess that’s a step in the right direction.
Rosemarie
February 2, 2020 at 11:45 pmI don’t do the grocery shopping – my husband does. I wonder if instant coffee is still around? That might be a solution.
Lucky me got to hear Greta speak in person when she came to Vancouver.
lisa
February 3, 2020 at 7:02 pmHi Rosemarie, well, I hate instant coffee although I’m sure it’s still around 😀 I will choose drip before instant but still, it’s been around for a reason. It’s not anti-environment! Oh, that must’ve been fabulous to hear Greta! Nice that your hubs does the grocery shopping. Mine does too quite often. He always buys more reusable bags because he forgets to bring them. Our storage closet is exploding with reusable grocery bags :p :p
Balroop Singh
January 31, 2020 at 8:41 pmHi Lisa, I appreciate your concern and love for the environment… we all need to do our part. I don’t drink coffee, I use tea leaves, not tea bags and I have jute and cotton shopping bags for grocery. I wonder how plastic invaded our lives, the greatest environmental hazard! As children, we grew up with paper bags for all we bought, saw iron and aluminum buckets for milk and water, cold-drink bottles were made of glass. We are back to square one! Hope more people realize the importance of preserving our environment.
lisa
January 31, 2020 at 10:14 pmThank you, Balroop. I need to do better—am working on it. Tea is better for the environment, it seems but I can’t give up my coffee. I love it too much 😀 We have gone back to paper bags now so that’s a step forward for those who forget their grocery bags at home. I wonder how our mothers hauled home all those cumbersome bags. They always tear just when you’re almost at your door and inevitably cause a spill of produce! 😛
DGKaye
January 31, 2020 at 5:52 pmGreat post Lis. Lots of people need to be going back to some smarter basics. I’m happy to say I never joined the pod revolution. Every bit counts! <3
lisa
January 31, 2020 at 10:09 pmThanks, Deb! You’re a wise woman, Deb. And yes, it’s the small things that we can do.
DGKaye
February 2, 2020 at 5:48 pm<3
Jeff
January 31, 2020 at 3:01 pmYou can get for a Kerig a reusable pod, but I have found that I can get enough coffee in it to get a good dark cup of coffee so I use drip unless I’m really wanting good coffee and then I pull out my peculator that I take with me on wilderness boat trips (where I can take a little more weight than backpack trips). I like the idea that your apartment has recycling/composting.
lisa
January 31, 2020 at 10:09 pmMe, too, Jeff. I tried those but the coffee is too weak and often full of grounds :/ Percolator makes the best coffee. We’ve had recycling for many years but the composting is new-ish.
Tamara
January 31, 2020 at 1:37 pmI feel the same way as you do. And I worry it’s hopeless.. but maybe not. We shall see. I love how you call it “crack-caffeine” – that gives me a chuckle.
I do think about the impact of just one person, and if so many of us were making even the small changes. We can actually change!
lisa
January 31, 2020 at 10:06 pmExactly, know how you feel, Tamara. Yes, if we all keep doing or start doing pro-active things, it will make a difference. xx
LA CONTESSA
January 31, 2020 at 1:14 pmI too have been SLOW to do without but I am GETTING IT NOW MORE AND MORE since following GRETA and hearing what that IDIOT is doing in THE White House!WE have an industrial coffee machine from ITALY that you would find in a BAR over there.NO PODS!I have started carrying AFRICAN baskets TWO of them to collect my groceries!One for produce LOSE so no plastic bags!And the other for HARD GOODS!So, easy to put in and take out of my CAR!
I too have been eating less and less meat………just because It does not appeal to me much these days!
EXCELLENT POST!
Please pop over to see my AGELESS STYLE GAL who owns a PIGGY like me!
XX
lisa
January 31, 2020 at 5:31 pmYes, good for you. Greta is a force. Yeah, the Rump is somethin’ else. Can’t get rid of him… :/
Oh, I’m jealous of your Italian coffee maker! I like how you get your groceries and have the separate bags for produce an then for canned goods and meats. SMART! I went vegetarian for a year (I did eat bison in spaghetti sauce once every few months). So, I know I can do it but I like meat. It’s definitely healthier to eat less meat. Thanks for popping in, CONTESSA 🙂
Also, your ageless style post was awesome. Claudia is a wonderful inspiration. xx