Living in the Green

I’ve been thinking a lot about sustainable and green living lately...

To live a life that uses what is needed and only what is needed. And of course, to give back as much as can be afforded so that this earth can replenish, re-grow, and rebuild itself.

“Green or Ecological living is a life philosophy. Proponents of ecological living aim to conduct their lives in such a way that they have an all-encompassing awareness of earth and its processes. Each choice made under such a way of life requires a consideration of the consequences of the choice, and the way that the decision will affect the environment and all living things within it. Ecological consciousness and care for the earth are of paramount importance in the decision-making process…”

As most of you know, I made the decision to stop eating almost all types of meat about 2 and half years ago. (Still working on eliminating the seafood...) Reasons for this have grown immensely but the decision came about simply because I didn’t want to support the mass neglect and exploitation of animals prior to their being prepared for our consumption.

So is it any wonder that my mind wanders toward the many aspects and behaviors of conscious living?

When I think of how we continue to abuse this amazing earth that we’ve been given (myself included), my heart aches. Why is it so hard for us to take a moment to THINK about how our actions affect ANYTHING other than ourselves? Would it really be that difficult to go a step beyond recycling? Dependency on cars as a mode of transportation has quite frankly gotten out of control… and with gas prices… well we’re all feeling that.

So what do we go? Walk when we can and reuse our plastic? I feel we can and should be doing more. I am committing to at least learning how to live a life that is as “Green” as possible. Having been raised in a purely consumptive environment, changing mindset, addictions, and dependencies will be no small task. For example, there is no way that I can walk to work… but I can change my light bulbs to something less wasteful of energy. I know I’m not prepared to grow all of my food and work by candle light at night… but it’s about the small steps. Those little, sometimes quiet but always powerful, statements that say to the world, “You don’t have to care. But I control me. And I do what’s in my heart.”