Let's be honest: sometimes it is just EASIER to order exactly what you need from Amazon and or pay a lot for something through some supposedly "sustainable brand"... then, of course, fossil fuel is used to deliver said item, you don't always know the manufacturer's policies - and the item can come from anywhere. We are learning this with fashion, organic food, and basic necessities.
I am a big fan of technology when it is used to help us be more efficient. Everybody has lots of crap to get done, and if an iPhone or a tablet can make that job easier, I say GO FOR IT. But the last few weeks have also taught me that it doesn't always make sense to just get whatever I want as fast as I can. Part of living a more sustainable lifestyle is having the patience to wait things out. It also helps being a bit of a frugal person. While the clothes from Walmart fit my budget and I can pop in and grab a clean white tee, I can certainly hit up a secondhand store just as easily, get the same white tee that someone else discarded, maybe give it a good wash, sew up a tiny hole, and I've given a garment a new life, and maybe when I'm done, I can give it to the same donation shop and it can have a THIRD chance!
Right now I'm stoked on all the lovely avocados everywhere --- and even better that many are from California! I'm also super into eggplant, squash, and tomatoes for the time being, and it works because they're in season. But asparagus... mmm, it's so easy to grill! Tastes fresh and delicious (squeeze some lemon on it & cracked pepper) but STOP! Where is this asparagus from? It's definitely not asparagus season in California, because the Asparagus Festival is usually in what, February? March? So.... how much fossil fuel was used to get my tasty asparagus? And broccoli? Cauliflower? I'm clueless. (Ok, yes, I have technology: Google tells me broccoli is in season all summer. Good.)
Grocery stores are so competitive with pricing that there's no way to tell! And California has higher wages than most of the countries sourcing our fruits and vegetables so that even when they aren't in season, you can't even tell that they were sourced in a different hemisphere! So my plan: either buy frozen or be patient! (Frozen veggies truly are the best for busy nights, anyway).
But I do what I can when I can. It's not about perfection, it's about making the effort. Of COURSE I'm going to have to buy certain things like ink cartridges, miscellaneous office supplies I really can't find anywhere else, etc; But I can always remind myself: The eggplant doesn't need an additional plastic produce bag, we're washing it at home. And really, America... why on EARTH do you always support foreign farmers instead of your next door neighbor. Farmers and their families struggle to make it, yet the same families are shopping at Walmart and other grocery chains buying produce from China, Chile and Argentina while their neighbor leases out his soybean ranch because farmers in the US can't earn enough income to support their families. HELLO! CAN YOU SEE WHERE PART OF THE PROBLEM IS? You can always blame Monsanto for it, but I think we need a revolution in supporting our own economies. I hate to admit it, but, as someone has been saying: America First... If you hate the guy who has been using that saying, then go ahead and support the foreign economy and use up the earth's fossil fuels on out of season vegetables... Or you can give him the middle finger (since I'm sure he owns stock in all the major corporations anyway) and Think Globally, Act Locally (Yes, I stole that phrase, too). Don't support the large corporations, and look for what's available in your own community. Local vegetables are available at some grocery stores (Nob Hill, Bel Air and Raley's have a program where they buy from growers within 50 miles). Vote with your wallet.
Now how about that back to school shopping??? I always want a couple little things to spruce up my style before tackling a new academic year! I'm very happy with my latest Goodwill finds! I'd been perusing eBay, looking for the right shoes, blah blah (p.s. you can sort items by distance and many sellers have local pick up for free)! BUT I decided I needed to get out of the house. I found a few things at Goodwill, cleaned them up at home with the right cleaning materials, and will enjoy them very much as the seasons begin to change (here's where patience comes in handy)!
So, can I carry most of this on through the new school year? Will I turn down the chance to buy that super discounted dress from questionable manufacturing at some store or will I continue to dig through the crap at thrift stores and consignment shops and give a garment a second life? I'm sure I won't be perfect, but I like making the effort (and I really quite like saving the money, too).
My charge: go forth and DO NOT MULTIPLY (as a favorite voice teacher would say) --- do not multiply your fossil fuel use, do not multiply your credit card debt, do not multiply the impact your eating and wardrobe has on our planet. Enjoy a local lifestyle. Support small businesses in your community who buy from small scale fashion designers. Give secondhand shops a chance to impress you (or get that fast fashion thing a month after it came out. Someone's already sick of it, I guarantee). Check out books from the Library! Or read ebooks! Encourage your area's local farms by purchasing THEIR food when in season, rather than sourcing from a foreign country with wages that aren't livable and more danger with equipment, pesticides, and herbicides (same for fashion re: toxic dyes, unsafe factories, and mistreated textile workers). Donate your old stuff to a secondhand shop rather than discarding it (ok, maybe discard your old underwear... cuz that'd be gross -- though I've seen it in some thrift shops). I think that it's really about being AWARE of the companies influencing the global marketplace and choosing to support a more local marketplace.
Choose Local.
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