We see various slogans that remind us to love the earth almost everyday ,however, often our understandings of environment issue is a simplified version of the whole story: colored rivers, climate anomalies and polar bears losing their home. The truth is, we need to know more to do better.
Eco conscious is just like a kaleidoscope, green or not is up to the perspective you’ve paid attention. For example, some people love the feeling of touching paper, the joy of writing letters by hands without thinking the massive water usage for making paper and the water pollution caused by bleaching paper white. On the other hand, what if we give paper up and switch to digital completely? We will have to face another question that the computer waste is poisonous and cause metal contamination of soil .
No matter what it is, no matter what issues we have to deal with, sooner or later, people still have to face the fact that those pollution will invade into our lives eventually.
Another worth observing topic is the beauty care products we use daily- regardless the user gender, or the product category it is: skin care, makeup, or simple as shampoo. The critical issue here is not just about us but is the evil animal experiments. We can survive without those products [ well, maybe some will not?] but this is a choice we need make after pondering, would we really love to build our security of using chemical products upon the pain of other animals are suffering? Actually it merely takes our little time to figure out the chemical materials contained in products, and then we can avoid some obvious risk, which is not only a few, by the way. Like lipsticks with high lead content, mysterious fragrance indicated on tons of body care products and Dioxane in baby shampoos which is carcinogenic! The good news is, people have started to pay attention to it. Just so you know, here’s the website everyone can use to examine the toxic levels and affections of those meaning unknown ingredient labeling may cause to our bodies. (www.cosmeticdatabase.com)
Here we like to share a recent story about a young woman called Lauren Singer in NY has been shot to fame lately. She claimed that she never throw a garbage these two years by carrying jars and linen bags when buying cooking ingredients, not using paper and pens. She use homemade lotions and soaps and wears vintage clothes(so that she doesn’t have to deal with the price tags!?) The good news is, Lauren didn’t need to give up the fun of making herself feeling nice and pretty after she changed her consumption habits . As a matter of fact, she plans to fill her old mascara tube with her handmade mascara refill and keeps on using it. In her opinions, she feels a new level of happiness and easiness in this “ zero waste” life style than ever. Yet she doesn’t require friends and families to live it in the same way she is. She said living like this is a personal choice, this is her way to handle and to feel joyful.
And perhaps, you wouldn’t agree with all choices Lauren’s made after reading her story, however, we should respect her life determination and her care to the environment. After all, with endless temptations and choices, she is stepping forward to the target of non-garbage consciously.
The rest of us may be not ready to go all the way , the first thing we can do is observing the details and spending more time to think about it. Sometimes so-called low cost consumption behaviors might contain high opportunity cost which price tags wouldn’t tell you. The second thing we can do is to implying it according to your own habits. Last but not the least, always stay curious.
We can’t tell a full story from the surface, and also, there is not just one formula to love the environment. It is all about our choices.
reference：
Story of stuff, Annie Leonard, 2010
Trash is for tossers:
http://www.trashisfortossers.com/
Meet New Yorker gone TWO YEARS without producing trash
http://goo.gl/YBLlFy