The Green Bubble
A typical day in our house begins with my son singing his own rendition of the latest nursery rhyme. Thanks to the time change, he's waking us up about 7 am, as opposed to half past dark. I'm certain as I write this, he'll be up bright and early tomorrow to prove me wrong. We change his Seventh Generation diaper and go downstairs for breakfast...Organic Waffles with Agave Nectar, a banana, and Organic Rice Milk. As our day goes along, you'll find him playing with wooden toys, reading stories with mommy, and bathing with paraben-free bubbles...if we're not out and about of course.
Several years ago, my husband and I started making small changes to improve the health of our family and protect our planet. We started with small steps...like changing out conventional light bulbs for CFL's (compact fluorescent light bulbs)...or replacing conventional shower heads with low-flow shower heads. We began shopping at natural food stores and buying locally grown organic produce. We purged any cleaning product that had "poison" or "toxic" on it. We installed eco-friendly carpet in our home and painted the interior with low VOC paint.
The memory of how we used to live our life is foggy. I can't remember when we didn't recycle...or use a reusable grocery bag at the store or carry around a reusable water bottle. I know that there was a time when we were wasteful and oblivious to the harm that Pine Sol or worse could do to us.
Spending an entire weekend at Expo West, *almost* led me to believe that everyone is "green" to some degree. 56,000 people from across the country convened at the Anaheim Convention Center...and that must account for something.
But then I speak to people all around me...my neighbor...my in-laws...the head of the preschool my son attended. And I hear things like, "Wow...you're so good with your brown diapers and Wateroos." And I think to myself, I'm not even half as green as some. I don't cloth diaper or do my own composting. We buy plastic (BPA-free plastic that is) and don't use solar power. But then again you may find me cleaning with baking soda and lemon when I've run out of my eco-friendly cleaning products.
Are there varying degrees of "greenness?" Am I so naive to think that most people don't program their thermostat to save energy? Or carpool. Or use Energy Star appliances? Perhaps those of us trying to create a non-toxic environment for our families really are in the minority.
Going green, as daunting as it may sound, is really quite easy. Small steps like recycling or investing in a water pitcher soon become a way of life.
This is an original post to Orange County Moms Blog.
Caryn is a full-time mom raising two beautiful children. Her hope is that some of her "crunchiness" will rub off on them. You can read more about Caryn and her passion for "all things green" on her personal blog, Rockin' Mama.
