Small Choices Towards Tangible Change

Soon after we moved to Brooklyn, Ali suggested that we start buying glass bottles of milk from Ronnybrook Farms at the local farmers market. I was resistant to the idea to say the least. The fact that we would be paying more- it's nearly the same price for a quart of Ronnybrook milk (which is not organic, but much fresher) as we would for a half gallon of organic milk from the coop. Not to mention the inconvenience of having to get to the farmer's market every saturday morning (rain, hail, sleet or snow) before noon. But Ali was persistent, telling me she would make the weekly trips to the farmers market, claiming that the cost difference was marginal.

Here we are, nearly two years later, and we've gone through more than 120 quarts of milk (along with a few heavy creams and half & halves). As far as the small inconvenience of walking or biking the mile to Prospect Park to pick up our weekly supply, I gradually embraced it as part of our Saturday routine and became rather fond of it. I enjoyed seeing the same people every week who sell the milk, plus I would often grab a pastry and sit in the park reading for a bit. While I'm sure we paid a fair amount more for Ronny's milk, the satisfaction of knowing that we didn't have to waste a milk carton every week is more than worth it. Now we have a collection of bottle caps, which I had envisioned using to create a piece of art from. I even imagined, well actually fantasized would be a more accurate word, that it might line the walls of the Whitney Museum on a sustainability exhibit.

I believe the single greatest factor that inhibits individuals from making more sustainable lifestyle choices is a feeling of helplessness. What's the point of bringing cloth bags to

the grocery store if all of the other 50 customers are choosing paper or plastic? It is daunting even to attempt ecological choices in a very unsustainable culture. I learned on NPR that the amount of plastic produced in America every year is nearly equal to the combined mass of every man, woman and child in the country. Not only that, but nearly 30% of that plastic is intended to end up in the garbage (such as packaging plastics). These figures are scary, but tangible change can be made with minimal inconvenience. If it were up to me we would have thrown away more than 60 milk cartons, but luckily I've been blessed with a partner who's a bit more thoughtful...

Progressive Nimbyism

I read an article in the Times this morning about people who live in the most "liberal" hubs in America, yet they're not willing to make small sacrifices in order to progress the green movement. I try to be compassionate with these kind of scenarios, but frankly, it disturbs me when the populations of Brooklyn and Berkeley are NOT willing to make marginal sacrifices for the greater good of the environment. How can these people consider themselves progressives when they're not willing to promote progress in their own back yard? And if those citizens aren't going to make the effort or sacrifice, then who will? Checkout the article below to see the full analysis of the Progressive Nimbyism(Not In My Back Yard).

Lets Become Smarter Consumers

This morning I read an article in the Times about how as consumers we've gotten into a cycle where every two years we dispose of our old gadgets-phones, camera's GPS (often times into the garbage), to purchase something brand new with all its bells and whistles, or maybe just its reduced price. Unsustainable doesn't even say it. This kind of consumption will lead us into materialistic suicide. It's not just with electronics either. With the help of China, a mentality has been developed in this country where cheaper is better, in almost every sense of the word. That means that we're ready to buy an item for half price, even though it would only provide a quarter of the shelf life as the full-priced item...

I have fallen into this pattern throughout my consumeristic existence. Why? Because if I can buy an item that appears to be exactly the same as another, and still walk away with extra loot in my wallet, why shouldn't I? Because of that mentality, our consumeristic ways have demanded cheap, poorly made products with minimal shelf-life. The companies are winning. This way they sell their products at a much faster rate, generating more capital. The producers are winning. Just google how much debt our country owes China. We seem to think we're winning when we leave Target with that brand new digital camera with 12 Megapixels for under $100. But then when it dies on us out of nowhere 15 months later with a year warranty, we tell ourselves- "I'll never buy another Kodak Camera..." But the chances are, the next company isn't all that different.

It's time that we become smarter, more long-term consumers, not just in regards to electronics, but with everything that we purchase. Instead of buying jeans for $20 at The Gap, Ali recently spent $200 on a pair that are so rugged she had to wear them in for a couple months before she could ride her bike wearing them. Supposedly they will last for the rest of her life. My logic tells me that I could buy 10 pairs of brand new jeans at the gap, if I can get for $20 a pop, so why drop a couple of Benjamin's? But that logic doesn't take into account details like our economy- Ali's jeans were made in this country, the environment- 9 extra pairs of jeans stuck in a landfill sounds like a lot. Or inflation. I highly doubt that I'll be able to find a decent pair of jeans at the Gap for $20 in ten years.

I will continue to struggle with this battle, but I've got my brother to provide me with plenty of inspiration. The roof of his house has reached it's shelf life, allowing leaks in his house. So instead of replacing it with the most affordable option- only $5k, he's going to spend twice as much to have metal roofing with an extra foot overhang in order to protect the house. It's not going to be easy for him, since he doesn't even have that kind of cash sitting around (who does?), but with a little time and sacrifice, he'll be making the intelligent, long-term purchase that should provide a shelf-life through 2111. Not bad, ehh?