The Convenient Truth of Green Living
Of course green living is more than just replacing light bulbs with CFL's and adding insulation to your attic, although these are certainly beneficial steps. It means a fundamental change in thinking and considering how every action effects our environment and the sustainability of not only our society as a whole but you as an individual or your family unit. Green living that leads to self sufficiency means you are no longer dependent on that corporation to give you a job so you can go to the supermarket to buy your food, pay your bills, and buy more stuff to support the corporation you are working for. This is how green living can lead to freedom.
The convenient truth about green living is that most green things you can do lead to self sufficiency as well as being good for the environment. It is a misconception that green living is all about sacrifice. It is really about being selfish and taking back your life. A penny saved is one less penny you have to earn and living green equals big savings. Even the simple things like changing light bulbs and turning off "phantom" power loads save you cash. Organic gardening produces cheap food, taking the bus is cheap transportation, no more paper plates equals cheaper meals.
Green living is not only monetarily selfish but can lead to using your time how you would prefer to use it. Work less, its' okay, the money you save and the money you can make from living green allows you to do so. I think of pioneers when I think of Americans, yet where has this pioneer spirit gone? It is still there, only misguided by our corporations and government that has made it "easier" to rely on them. Sustainable green living can free us from "them". Give it some thought, and a chance and I venture to say we can all think of ways to live green and free ourselves. "Them" is really us, and it is time we improve our lives for the better of humans and our planet.
Published by Don A Shepard
Don writes for numerous online sources while conducting research for a Master's in Natural Resources/Environmental Management. He enjoys working on his urban homestead with his family, outdoor activities, mo... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentI went out earlier and collected wild spring mushrooms and wild asparagus. Add some eggs from a neighbour's hens and you have a meal. No packing, no wrapping, no plastic, no preservatives. Wild food is wonderful when it's available.
Unfortunately going green is expensive and people don't have the money to do it.
Thanks :)
Interesting, and I agree people need jobs, if we don't have jobs, to pay for the things we need, like food, clothing and shelter pretty soon we just won't be here any more. Seems like everything costs way too much.
Going green can help but I agree with your opening statement, the economy has to come first.
Really excellent points here.
great article..sometimes becomes mind boggling how one thing leads to another, wow!
Great idea Ein, unfortunatly farmer's market produce is not always cheaper, but raw "food" with the the hands is a winner.
The real solution is to eat raw food with your hands Patricia. Also, go to the farmer's market. The produce is cheaper too.
Excellent point. I have an article pending now that talks about these issues a bit. The "real solution" is not easy. It will really take a whole new way of looking at how we solve problems and live in general. When it comes to electricity issues, there is no reason why we should not already be further along the path of switching to clean sources, that would solve a lot of probs. There are chemical free cleansers but of course they are generally more expensive.
Our educational institutions seem to be coming around to the idea that "green" living should really just be second nature...chemists,architects,engineers all of them are being taught to design materials that actually have a continuous life cycle (cradle to cradle) rather than the cradel to grave most goods have now. Personally, I think eliminating the treatment of corporations as citizens would go a long way to helping the situation.
There is also the idea of changing attitudes from a "having" society to "Being" society. This