Report Card: Wannabe Greenie Progress

Last month in my inaugural “Seedlings of Change” post on Earth Day, I committed to practice these five earth-friendly lifestyle actions with more consistency:  

1. Invest in an eco-friendly water bottle and keep it readily available

2. Take my own carry-out packaging when dining out

3. Walk, cycle, carpool or take public transportation

4. Plant a pollinator garden with pesticide-free seedlings and starter plants

5. Take a consumption reduction challenge for 30 days

None of these ideas is new to me nor likely to most of you. Each requires very little effort other than a little planning and focus. Both of which, perhaps, might come less naturally for me than for others, but still … carrying your own water bottle is hardly noble (and I have an arsenal of many).

But despite going public with these easy-peasy greenie goals, here are the results of my self-ascribed report card:  

*I can explain

Admittedly, the past month-plus has been exceptionally hectic for me. I went to California three times (my average for plane travel is one trip per year). Add to that two road trips to Nebraska—Mother’s Day was definitely worth it—and a curve ball in my leading Clean initiative that required some additional time and unexpected resources.

My exceptional travel and other life detours at first seemed reasonable excuses for missing the no-brainer mark I set for myself on April 22nd. But in hindsight, not so much. My last month is really no different than every day in the lives of many everyday people.

The reality is,

making thoughtful decisions is often a balancing act of conflicting values. Thus, the weighted mathematical approach to my grading methodology, blending my best foot forward, things beyond my control, and blatant planet pitfalls:   

Every action has a reaction

The “meal kit” thing, for instance, is a new trial and double-edged sword for our household. We eat healthier, waste less food, spend less on groceries, plus save time driving to the store and cooking. But I’m highly aware of the resource hits ranging from the UPS trucks on the road to the energy required through the entire manufacturing, distribution, and even recycling stages.

I also know that buying fresh ingredients directly from their source is better for us and the greater good—and actual possible in our community. Additionally, I love to cook. But the time and energy to plan, shop, prepare, cook and clean up even one meal comes at the cost of earning income, working out, walking the dog, calling my mother, or any combination of all of the above. You get the gist.

5 key takeaways

Regardless of how low or high we set the bar for ourselves, our good intentions and available means to carry them out rarely form a tidy straight line. The conclusion I’ve come to in 43 days and 569 words is this: 

1.         Awareness is the first step

2.         Everything is relative

3.         We all do our best

4.         Any effort is better than none at all, and

5.         Giving up on going greener is a yellow red flag of despair.

 Let's please not give up!