Have you lessened your carbon footprint yet? Let’s review what we’ve done so far:
Week 1: Transportation - Our family is still continuing to walk when we can, combine errands to reduce our driving, keeping our tires properly inflated as well as keeping our cars clear of clutter.
Week 2: Shelter and Utilities - This week we turned down our thermostat two degrees during the day and an extra degree at night. We had already switched over our most-used bulbs to CFLs. I have a Kill-A-Watt on hold at our local library. I can’t wait to use it! I am also still completely forgetting struggling to remember to unplug appliances when they are no longer in use. This is definitely something that I am going to work hard to make a habit. FINALLY (and this is a bit tongue in cheek) I hardly did any laundry this week, saving both water and electricity. However, the mountains of laundry that are currently piled up are going to need to be done sometime!
So this brings us to Week 3:
Shopping
I’ve already challenged you to Buy Sustainably. This follows along those same lines. Did you know that the fabric industry is one of the most polluting on the planet? Cotton soaks up 10% of the world’s pesticides and 25% of its insecticides. Countless barrels of oil go into weaving millions of synthetic garments a year. Were you aware that an acre of hemp absorbs five times more carbon dioxide than an acre of forests? Hemp uses much less pesticide and herbicide, and grows faster than cotton without stripping the soil as it grows. Hemp grows well in sandy soil, thus making it an excellent alternative to growing tobacco. Bamboo is also an extremely fast-growing crop (it is actually a grass) and is considered much more sustainable than traditional cotton.
So what can we do to reduce our carbon footprints when shopping?
1. Consider a shopping fast for the remainder of Lent. Only buy the essentials (and be honest with yourself about what truly is essential)!
2. Simplify. Buy less. Separate ‘needs’from ‘wants’. Resist advertising that turns everything into a “need”.
3. Take your own bags when you do go shopping.
4. Buy thrift vintage.
5. Freecycle.
6. If you need something new, consider organic cotton, hemp or bamboo clothing. More and more options are becoming available.
7. Look for clothes made with “Tencel” and “Ramie.”
8. Buy the best quality you can afford, so that you are not replacing items so often.
9. Avoid excess packaging.
10. Replace items only when you really need to.
11. BUY LOCAL!!!!
This really is only the beginning. We have become a consumer society and often shopping is done as recreation. I know I have been certainly guilty of that! Lent is the perfect season for some serious soul-searching. What are we buying? What is its true cost compared to its price? Will buying more ’stuff’ really make me happier?
I am personally going on a shopping fast for the remainder of Lent (aside from food of course). Trust me, this is not going to be an easy goal for me.
How do you plan to reduce your shopping footprint?
