There are so many things
in the world, my country and my heart I want changed. The only likely way I can
make worldwide changes is to act on a local and personal scale. Today I will
discuss one of my footprint reduction choices. I am not telling you this as
“virtue signaling” because it is unlikely I will get to feel smug in your
presence. Rather I want to share the ways I lessen my harmful impact on Mother
Earth to reinforce my commitments and to (perhaps) encourage others to make
changes too. Here is the article I read in Slate that really sparked this line
of thought:
The earth is a closed system water wise. We cannot economically and environmentally create more clean water (existing water can be cleaned at a cost in energy inputs). So, I like to envision the earth’s clean water supply like a motor home fresh water tank. I used to kid my mother about how she could take a shower in their moho with a cup of water. And of course, it is possible to refill an empty moho water tank from the hose at home, a state park, etc. But the earth cannot do same. So, I conserve water very consciously. I am currently fortunate to live where increasingly frequent and serious water shortfalls have not YET required this action. But why wait? The water I squander could be trucked to a nearby need. Also, making changes voluntarily is resulting in a change in me along the lines of “Be the change you want to see.”
So, I wash my hands in tap
water (cool to cold, I don’t care): turning it on to briefly wet them, off
while I scrub with soap, and then on to rinse. I use diluted dish soap as it
rinses quickly. Disclaimer: I do not have much up
close interaction with many possibly sick folk and rarely get sick myself. I
will resist the temptation to discuss an over focus on germs. Your results may
vary.
I have cut the time in the
shower too. First, I use a bucket to capture the water it takes to get to
shower temperature. In the dry season I water plants with this. In the wet
season I use it to rinse the bath after my shower (while being open to better
uses). I use a use liquid soap on a wash cloth to soap first my northern
hemisphere, and then southern. During this process I enjoy the warm water down
my back. Then I shampoo and rinse. A final rinse of the nether region with the shower
wand, and all clean. There are local public hot tubs where I can sate my
craving for a lazy submersion in warm water.
Two years ago I replaced
my small front yard with an Eco Lawn Fleur de Lawn Blanche which needs no fertilizer or weed
killer, less water, and less frequent mowing. Also it is more wildlife
friendly, including bees!
Must stop now. If I ever gain a reader’s attention, tedium will surly lose it. Be well, be green.