Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Conveniently Green

As much as I support initiatives to protect the environment, it is very difficult to go Green. I find myself trying to cut back on energy use as much as I can, but getting through a Canadian winter is no small feat. Putting the onus of environmental protection on the consumer is far too onerous for the average person. It is absolutely paramount that our governments show leadership.

I would like to think that I am governed by my conscience, but I am also influenced by my wallet. I avoid idling my car whenever possible and I take transit whenever I can. However, it is hard to justify going downtown in a group and taking the subway at almost $5 each for a roundtrip when we can just hop into someone’s car. When there are three or four of us, it is certainly hard to shell out to go green (particularly when parking is free).

Recycling is a must in my house. I will even walk around for hours on end with an empty water bottle until I find a recycle bin. But, I have yet to find a way to get green bins into my condo. We have switched our laundry to cold water, but there’s little space to hang dry, so sadly we use our dryer. I’d like to buy organic, but industrial farming is so much cheaper. I’d like to bike to work in the summer and take the bus in the winter, but I would then need a shower at the office and an escort to get me past the dark stretch of highway to the bus stop. We have more infrastructure built for cars than we do for people.

I’d like to go green, but please help me. My lifestyle is akin to a nicotine addiction. It is so hard to let go of what I know is unhealthy. I go green conveniently and affordably. For now, it is much cheaper to pollute. I am looking for some leadership to help me get over my addiction, and I would like financial incentives to support me – not financial penalties that hinder me.

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