Posted By: emmaspirit on
I think I’m making myself sick. When I’m not thinking about new ways to go green, I’m thinking about how to get rid of the things in my life that aren’t green. As my green options have increased, so does my anxiety over making my life even greener.
Seven years ago, when I first started learning how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, green products and information on how to go green were not easily available. There were just a few local options for where to get local and organic food, and only a few companies (many online or catalog companies) who made non-toxic cleaning supplies, natural personal care products and organic sheets/towels. Back then, finding low VOC paint, reverse osmosis water filters, natural carpeting, natural fiber clothing and sustainable furniture was very difficult. Yet, committed as I was to this eco-lifestyle, I searched out and found the few, true, green companies and just resolved myself to knowing that I was doing my best.
Now, with so many new green companies and products launching, I’m like a kid in a candy store finding new green treats everyday online and in local stores. Green television programming, websites and blogs surround me. Organic tee shirts, bamboo pillowcases, non-toxic nail polish, natural hair color, sustainable sofas…and I want it all! And when I have gifts to buy for others, all I can think about are all the fabulous green gift options, even if the gift recipient is likely not to even notice.
So, my green friends, I ask you…
Is it green to worry so much about going green when that means your mind is consumed with more consumption?
Is it green to want to support new green companies when that means buying things that must be shipped by gas guzzling, carbon foot-printing trucks and planes across the country?
Is it green to recycle my non-green items when that means giving my non-sustainable and chemically sprayed furniture to others?
Is it green to donate my abandoned, unopened, toxic personal care items to the poor when that means they might be the ones to get cancer?
When I struggle with these questions, I remind myself to strive for balance. I’ll continue to try to dispose of my “non-green” stuff properly. When I can, I’ll buy locally so that I don’t expend energy on delivery. And, of course, spending is only one half of the puzzle. As excited as I am about all the fabulous new green products on the market, I’ll aim to just buy what I need, not what I want. And every day, I’ll just keep doing my best.
Mary Beth Gonzalez
Tags:
anxiety, morality, life balance
