So, as all of you followers (none as of yet since I haven't told anyone about my new blogging career) could probably have predicted, this little environmentalist has already fallen off the wagon. If you're wondering how, I admit it. Tonight, I ate sushi.
I know it's bad for the envi-ronment (puff puff) but I just couldn't help myself. Sea Urchin and Tuna were calling my name. Not only did I contribute to the collapse of our global ecosystem by patronizing already vulnerable fisheries, I also spent $30 in the process. Thirty dollars of sushi have not only left me with buyers remorse, but with a severe case of heartburn. If only these painful sensations always accompanied my materialism, then maybe I could pull a Pavlo's Dog and soon be rid of my addiction to spending. We shall see...
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
My (CFL) Lightbulb Moment
I have a lot of ideas but for the most part I never follow through with them. Lying all around my apartment are knitting projects, sewing projects, a guitar that I can play all of 5 songs on. This is one project that I believe deserves a little more determination. So here it goes. First some background...
For a long time I have considered myself an environmentalist. Growing up in Berkeley I guess it was just assumed that you would have a love for the natural world and an appreciation of keeping it chugging along for as long as possible. It was cool to get up in arms about injustices perpetrated against the rainforest, with all it's cute little animals, and drilling in ANWR, with all it's cute big animals, and the ice caps melting, with all it's cute wet animals... But over the years my environmentalist attitude changed from a necessity in order to fit in, into what it's supposed to be; a deep conviction in the belief that we were endowed with something special and beautiful and delicate that we desperately need to protect, especially if we expect, as a species, to stay around for a while.
So, as most people reading this will know, I now have my degree in Environmental Science but what to do with this conviction to save the planet I was so eloquently talking about? I have been thinking about this throughout the cold New York winter and though I'm a self-purported idea-woman, I came up with... well, nothing really. Not that I didn't come up with any ideas at all, (they were spouting out my rear-end) but none that seemed like they would actually do anything for the environment (whenever I say environment now I imagine myself reclining on my chaise with my cigarette holder in hand, fur coat draped around my shoulders, talking to my butler about the "injustices to the envi-ronment", but more on that later).
Then lo and behold! I came up with an idea. I was thinking about how I never do anything that has to do with my apparent goal in life, that is, saving the planet. About how I spend all my time worrying about making it in New York and never any of my time trying to be true to the ideals that I so proudly spout to the world. So, here it was. The Idea.
Now, the pitch...
My idea referred to in the cliffhanger above ^ was to start a blog. It would document the materialistic slump that I've fallen into since I moved to New York. Since moving to New York the only thing I've done is buy things. That's a real help to the environment, right? (I hope sarcasm travels over the interwebs). These are things I told myself I needed but when I think back on many of my purchases, I realize that they were really things I wanted. Hence, I would walk out of a store (or away from my computer) wondering whether what I was feeling was hunger or buyers remorse. I realized it was time for a foray into self-awareness. Documented self-awareness. Complete and utter truth about my life as a lazy environmentalist available to all of you to judge as you would. That was the idea.
The blog would also cover any rants that I wanted to expel out in the ether that is the internet. From the one referred to above (see fur coat) to any and all that I felt would fit into the forum of things that frustrate me about saving the world (I don't know if Captain Planet ever ranted but if he did it would probably have sounded a little like this. Their dialog never was very good).
It would also document my travails to better the world, starting one Dalton kid at a time, one tree at a time (again, more on this later) and one little environmentalist at a time (me). It may not be the best idea I've ever had, but at least it's an idea, and who ever said that every invention had to work the first time, was dead wrong. At least I'm giving it a try.
Me
My Stuff
For a long time I have considered myself an environmentalist. Growing up in Berkeley I guess it was just assumed that you would have a love for the natural world and an appreciation of keeping it chugging along for as long as possible. It was cool to get up in arms about injustices perpetrated against the rainforest, with all it's cute little animals, and drilling in ANWR, with all it's cute big animals, and the ice caps melting, with all it's cute wet animals... But over the years my environmentalist attitude changed from a necessity in order to fit in, into what it's supposed to be; a deep conviction in the belief that we were endowed with something special and beautiful and delicate that we desperately need to protect, especially if we expect, as a species, to stay around for a while.
So, as most people reading this will know, I now have my degree in Environmental Science but what to do with this conviction to save the planet I was so eloquently talking about? I have been thinking about this throughout the cold New York winter and though I'm a self-purported idea-woman, I came up with... well, nothing really. Not that I didn't come up with any ideas at all, (they were spouting out my rear-end) but none that seemed like they would actually do anything for the environment (whenever I say environment now I imagine myself reclining on my chaise with my cigarette holder in hand, fur coat draped around my shoulders, talking to my butler about the "injustices to the envi-ronment", but more on that later).
Then lo and behold! I came up with an idea. I was thinking about how I never do anything that has to do with my apparent goal in life, that is, saving the planet. About how I spend all my time worrying about making it in New York and never any of my time trying to be true to the ideals that I so proudly spout to the world. So, here it was. The Idea.
Now, the pitch...
My idea referred to in the cliffhanger above ^ was to start a blog. It would document the materialistic slump that I've fallen into since I moved to New York. Since moving to New York the only thing I've done is buy things. That's a real help to the environment, right? (I hope sarcasm travels over the interwebs). These are things I told myself I needed but when I think back on many of my purchases, I realize that they were really things I wanted. Hence, I would walk out of a store (or away from my computer) wondering whether what I was feeling was hunger or buyers remorse. I realized it was time for a foray into self-awareness. Documented self-awareness. Complete and utter truth about my life as a lazy environmentalist available to all of you to judge as you would. That was the idea.
The blog would also cover any rants that I wanted to expel out in the ether that is the internet. From the one referred to above (see fur coat) to any and all that I felt would fit into the forum of things that frustrate me about saving the world (I don't know if Captain Planet ever ranted but if he did it would probably have sounded a little like this. Their dialog never was very good).
It would also document my travails to better the world, starting one Dalton kid at a time, one tree at a time (again, more on this later) and one little environmentalist at a time (me). It may not be the best idea I've ever had, but at least it's an idea, and who ever said that every invention had to work the first time, was dead wrong. At least I'm giving it a try.
Me
My Stuff
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)