The Planet and I

Have you gone green?  How do you feel about the Green New Deal?  Do you think climate change is real?  How do you get along with the planet?

I try on a regular basis to 'do the right thing' as they say.  I recycle (according to friends and family, I'm a 'recycling Nazi'), I signed us up to receive a compost bin which is picked up and emptied weekly, I try very hard to keep plants and trees alive, and not to waste food or water.  

I have a LONG way to go, though, before I can even get a "good" grade, and I have been trying to be more conscious of my behavior.  Having said that, I am a person who uses things until they either fall apart, or are otherwise no longer usable.  I've always been that way, mostly due to growing up in an atmosphere of uncertain finances.  We wore our clothes and shoes as long as they could last.  I think those habits are hard to break, but it's also hard to start new habits.

We have a lot of plastic food containers (mostly those Rubbermaid ones you buy in packages of 6 or so).  They are all near the end of their useful lives, and though it pains me to get rid of them, and add more plastic to the recycling bin, at least I can recycle them rather than just toss them.  Of course, then the question becomes how to replace them - buy the glass containers that are heavier, but will likely last longer?  Look for something better?  It's overwhelming a lot of the time, but I also know that I just need to do my research and make a decision and that will be the best decision for me.  And hopefully, it won't have an adverse effect on the planet in the long run.

I really enjoy looking to see what people post on Instagram, and I'm not sure how I found the account, but for the last couple of years, I've been following Sophie Benson.  She is a writer and fashion stylist who is incredibly eco-conscious and thoughtfully informed.  Through her and her Instagram posts, I've become so much more aware of how the fashion and beauty industries are some of the worst offenders to the environment.  She writes in a straightforward, easily understandable manner, and is able make it seem like a regular person is talking to you, not lecturing you.  Her article last year about purchasing and wearing/using second hand animal products (she is a vegan), and the follow-up, were very thought-provoking.  I really suggest following her on Instagram, even if you don't care about the fashion-y posts, as she links to the articles when she has written something.

Thanks to her, and just a better overall awareness, I feel a bit better informed about what products I buy to wear and to use.  I still have plenty to learn and new habits to turn into old ones, but I feel like it is all doable.

It has to be, right?