I am finding this change difficult.

The goal of this post is to shed some light on how I view change and taking a stance for something you believe in. I feel that all too often, people frown upon those who strive for environmental change and label them as individuals who are going through 'a phase' or as someone who is becoming a fringe member of society. My green values for example are not coming easily to me. When I became a vegetarian, many in my family were skeptical and did not appreciate fully why I decided to make that change. Plus, I LOVE meat.

I am also trying to consume less. I would however not like to be so quickly put in the "hippie" category and brushed aside. I am constantly in conflict with myself about how absolute or flexible I should make my goals because I want to still be status quo and yet still be able to have some credibility in what I say in discussions with people.

Another example: I want to feel beautiful. I see images in magazines and on the television. I watch "What not to wear" and see how new clothes and make-up can transform a person and give them confidence. But I want to consume less. I value modesty and meeting needs, not wants. I also believe that beauty comes from within (though through my experiences, I am not quite so sure anymore). This is a constant struggle and it is incredibly difficult. I want to buy haircare products and jewelery. I want nicer skin and killer pumps and purses. I want all that.

But what of my values? Where do they fit?

To conclude, I want to encourage those who are trying to make change, even when you feel society may not be on your side, to keep going. I recognize that change is difficult and requires sacrifices and I applaud you.

My January eco-challenge for you

This is the first of twelve challenges I will post this year. I can not tell you how excited I am to start being green. Are you ready for January’s Green Challenge??

This month, let’s stop using disposable coffee cups and use permanent travel mugs instead!

Tips to get you on your way!
• If you have multiple travel mugs, have one in the car and one for the office
• If you only have one, use a carabiner to attach it to your bag, or use a bag that has a pocket at the side specifically for umbrellas and mugs etc.
• If you plan to stay at the coffee shop a while, request a ceramic mug

So say good-bye to all disposable cups! Even if you don’t go out for a drink very often, keep your mug handy, you may need it at some point.

Please take the effort to participate. If it means going a day without coffee because you forgot your mug, I hope you find the strength to make that sacrifice. We need role models in our society and actions speak louder than words.

Good luck everyone!

Going 'loco' looking for local

My sister and I had an interesting conversation on the train about what more we can do this year to live more true to our values. As you know, one of my values is the environment and so this became the focus of our discussion. We figured that we are continuously trying to minimize waste and consumption in our lives (we wait for multiple pees before flushing the toilet for example), so the next frontier we figured was food. Perhaps we would try buying only local or organic food this year? This past weekend, we ventured out in an attempt to shop do just that.

We normally shop at places like No Frills and the near-by Chinatown neither of which reliably carry organic or local produce. We therefore decided to trek to the Metro, a large chain grocery store known for its variety but unfortunately also known for its high prices. Buying local/organic could not have been more difficult! We made our way to the produce that had the green Ontario logo on it. The labels on all these vegetables said that they were produced in Ontario. "Well that wasn't too hard" we both thought, only after having started to select our tomatoes did we realize that these tomatoes had a "from mexico" sticker stuck to each one of them! The cucumbers lying adjacent to them said the same thing. It was such a disappointment. With a sigh and with our basket empty, we proceeded to peruse the organic aisle. To our surprise, organic tomatoes were $8.80/lb! In Chinatown, one could buy tomatoes for 49 cents/lb. It was quite a shock to the system.

So alas, after mulling in the store for half an hour, trying to decide if buying local/organic was worth the cost or the frustration, we made one purchase and left. As we were walking back home, we wondered, what does "organic" mean exactly? Is there a universal standard? Needless to say, my sister and I have a lot to discuss and a lot to research before trying this again. But hold on! What was that one purchase we made you wonder? To end this on a more positive note, we have decided to purchase free-range eggs! They are roughly 4-5 times more expensive than non-free range, but having heard of what they do to chickens who are not free-range, this is a cost I am not just willing, but proud to pay.

Turning over a new leaf

Hello Everyone! I have not blogged for a very long time, and goodness knows if anyone follows this blog anymore. Regardless, I am restarting this blog as a means of documenting the success of my new year's resolution: I resolve to reduce the environmental impact of my actions.

Now, before you dismiss me as a hippie or extremist, I assure you that I am not. I just value a clean environment because pollution contributes to asthma, and my grandmother grew up as a farmer who relied on the earth and its natural processes to survive. I also love outdoor activities and I find biodiversity to be just fascinating.

So what is it that I propose? I do not hope to change policy with my resolution. But I do hope to convince you to take on tiny changes, as individuals with a greener more sustainable future in mind. So what I have done with my family is that I have set up monthly eco-challenges for them to master. And each month, as I push my family to be green with me, I ask you to join in. I will try to provide evidence and make a strong case. If I am ever wrong, I would love to have you comment. But in the end, I hope to raise awareness and to make you realize how living green is easy:)

So look out for my next post which will feature January's goal as together, we work towards more sustainable living!