Drew, Also Not Green Enough
Although this may surprise some of you, I was not shocked to find that I do not lead a globally sustainable lifestyle. According to the Earth Day Footprint Quiz, I use 14 acres of land through my personal consumption, which is still much lower than the national average of 24 acres. Regardless, if everyone on the Earth lived like me, three whole planets would be required to sustain our gluttony. I am still relieved to find my habits much better than those of Tom Cruise (Beware of Fuzzy Math).
What can I do to decrease my level of consumption? I really, truly ponder this dilemma with frequency.
Obvious answers arise but are dashed to the rocks by the waves of delicious dairy I so love or sunk by the weight of succulent dead animal flesh I cannot resist. Even if I were to turn Vegetarian or Vegan, at odds with my eternal mantra of "Fat is Where Flavor Lives," I would find nigh impossible the procurement of an enjoyable and diverse diet of foods produced within 200 miles. Trader Joe's Chocolate-Covered Pretzels, tell me you're from Seattle. Lie to me, baby, yeah.
I have considered diverting the funds I purge at the pump to the purchase of a beautiful new bicycle, or possibly one plain and pre-owned. My legs would become strong and I could feel superior to all those gridlocked in wheeled, metal coffins. Possibly, Trina would earn more enviro-cred at her job at Grist. Still, I spent only just above $100 on gasoline in the last month and drive a relatively clean and efficient car. What little driving I do would be relatively inconvenient to replace with pedaling, especially my grocery trips to purchase the aforementioned products of animal servitude.
So, here we have found the test subject (me) rationalizing and joking away any possibility for improvement of his (my) ecological habits. It would be inconvenient, I whine. My quality of life would suffer, I excuse while day-dreaming about cheese. I am relatively well-informed in matters environmental, Trina even more so, and yet I still balk when considering personal choices necessary for sustaining life on our planet.
When will our situation become so dire that I actually change? How much slower will those changes come in the less educated rest of the world? To trot out one more cliche, to what sort of life I am damning the children I hope to have?
Who the hell knows.
Incidentally, if you would like some insight into global environmental issues from a local perspective, I highly recommend Earth Odyssey by Mark Hertsgaard. The author's anecdotes balance the hard facts and research, resulting in reading neither dry nor slow.