it was discouraging, in a two-steps-forward-one-step-back sort of a way, to settle my stuff on the Starbuck’s microtable and realize that i’d forgotten to request a staycup. (staycups are real cups, made of glass or pottery or whatever it is that those big old off-white coffee cups are made of, to be returned to the barrista when emptied, rather than dispatched to the landfill with a million other chlorine-bleached go-cups.)
if i were really serious about greening myself i wouldn’t be in starbuck’s at all, of course, i know that. but i do love sunday mornings with the horrid new york times and a cup of coffee that i didn’t have to brew for myself. it’s the type of thing that a long-time-single person learns to rely on, to look forward to, almost like having breakfast delivered to you in bed. anyway, this morning i forgot to specify a staycup (which usually has to be explained and is never, under any circumstances, offered or suggested).
i can see from my Con Ed bill that i am honoring my commitment to green, though:according to yesterday’s bill, i used only one-third as much electricity as i did during the same period last year. i admit to having been an energy slob — the computer (including DSL modem and wireless router) left on night and day along with the living room exhaust fan, incandescent bulbs in every socket… well, i’m having no more of that, and i am very proud of the progress i’ve made. i mean, one-third less! and i wasn’t even out of town during the month. allow me a pat on the back, unnecessary go-cup and all.
even the times is in synch with me today, with a small front-page story about an upscale zero-emission home just built in santa monica. this house is completely off the grid, generates all of its own power, is almost entirely made of recycled materials, and is selling for (hold on to your seats!) 2.8 million dollars. it’s a green trophy home, something like a hybrid rolls royce (maybe not yet, but mark my word the day is nigh).
one step at a time i am reducing my carbon footprint. this gives me something to take pride in, some small measure of hope in what feels like an increasingly hopeless world. the fact that it’s ongoing, not a one-shot deal but many different choices that i must consciously make throughout my day, is changing my life and my consciousness in unexpected ways. i very rarely forget to bring my own bag to the supermarket when shopping. if i forget the bag but only buy a few things, i’ll tuck them under my arm for the block-long walk to my apartment. i am trying to catch up with germany, which is rapidly becoming the world’s greenest state.
i’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front these past couple of weeks. my trusty desktop computer has been in hospice for about a month, and what with mercurcy retrograde, dell needed weeks to ship the laptop replacement that i ordered in may. finally it has arrived, and i’ve spent a couple of max stress days xferring all (i hope) my links and docs and settings over to the new system. it’s another element of my greening, this laptop, as it uses far less power than a desktop/monitor combination (i am not using a docking station nor external monitor, and so expect to see my electric usage continue to plummet, air conditioner notwithstanding.)
i tried to make the switch to mac. i really really tried. i love the mac, i do, it is a delightful little personality of a machine. but i may be in the realm of old dogs at this point, not very good at learning new things, so i will focus for now on my greenlife, and maybe take another look at converting to the religions of apple a bit more down the line. (that goddam delete key that works backwards! i just can’t get used to that — anybody know a hack?)
in the meantime, i am going to get myself a copy of Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, to get me back on consistent track with my blogging!
Recent Posts:
- getting bagged in harlem
- turning green
- killing time
- shall we take an environment break?
- i had a dream
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
We must be on the same electric wavelength (ugh, sorry); the power company just cut my monthly equalizer bill by nearly 25% due to lowered usage over the past year. Of course, I felt glad to save the money, too.
Got Distracted on the hold list now. This blog is a great source of book recommendations!
I think learning to be mindful is key, realizing some of the impact of our habits. When we stop to really think about the stupidity of some of the things we do, we take another small step.
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