So many people use the Gandhi quote about "being the change you wish to see" that it seems to have lost all significance. Honestly, being the change and inspiring others to change are two equally Sisyphean tasks. But every little bit helps, right?In light of all this political campaign jargon, I have given much thought to my own actions. What can I do that will improve life - my own, my neighbors & friends, as well as the lives of future generations? What legacy am I leaving? And more importantly, how can I expect others to do their part if they don't see me doing all I can to improve the world and its inhabitants?Maybe I don't do enough. Maybe it's enough for one person. Time will tell. But at least I am taking an active approach, which beats nothing at all.Here's what I do:- RECYCLE: not just blue bags containing carefully sorted paper and plastics; I save every Sam Adams beer bottle and all other glass, too. (If only the city would accept glass for curbside recycling; it would save me a monthly trip to the recycle center.) Recycling is the #1 reason why I only have to take out my trash once a month: very little is wasted.
- REDUCE: I reduce my consumption of energy (multiple layers, fuzzy socks, better insulation, energy-efficient light bulbs in every socket, 1 load of laundry per week, etc.) and my electric bills are lower. I keep the thermostat set to 67 in the winter and ~80 in the summer. I also limit the amount of driving whenever possible. This lowers my carbon footprint somewhat. It's too bad I still battle my lifelong lead foot...
- REUSE: I do not use plastic bags at the grocery story; I bring my own cloth totes. When I shop anywhere besides Greenlife (where bringing your own bag earns you a discount!) or The Fresh Market, people look at me like I'm crazy - especially the clerks when I say, "no bags, please, I brought my own." I might as well be speaking Greek to them. But who cares? Fewer plastic bags has to make a tiny difference. I have stopped buying water in plastic bottles; I wash & reuse the ones I have. I also reuse all of the plastic containers when I buy food. Instead of storing leftovers or small quantities of food in zip-top bags, I reuse the plastic deli containers. I also stopped using paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils, plastic cups & paper coffee filters several years ago. My weakness is not always taking my travel coffee mug when I'm in a cafe, but at least I offset the waste of a paper cup by recycling it with my other paper items.
- DONATE: I give away as much as I can, whether it's food from my pantry to those who are hungry and clothing & other unused items in my garage to people in need. I would give more money, but I hardly have enough for my own bills sometimes. (I would love to have enough disposable cash to be a secret philanthropist. Imagine being able to anonymously help someone when you overhear their financial troubles. I would love to pay a struggling single mother's utility bills for a year so she could spend her money on her children. Or buy office supplies for teacher's classrooms so they wouldn't have to spend their own money. Or imagine how cool it would be to secretly pay off someone's mortgage just because you could? Oh, the things I would do with unlimited funds...the world would be a better place if everyone thought and acted that way!)
- ANIMATE: OK, so this has nothing to do with improving the environment but everything to do with improvement the collective temperament of those around me. I try to make people laugh and smile. I like to enliven stressful situations, whether with a witty retort or a quiet ear. Sometimes people just need somebody who listens and then makes them laugh. I try to be that person. God knows I need that in my own life. Surely other people agree.
Sure, these are all trivial compared to dedicated environmentalists who protest and boycott and lead globe-trekking expeditions to save endangered species and forests. The thing is not to do more than everyone else - just do more than you have done in the past. Every year, do more. Then get more people to take more action. Action multiplied is the secret to success. That grassroots approach is timeless, and it's what this planet in peril needs most.
That's my two cents' worth on activism...for now...
