Be kind to the Earth

I’m not giving up on this, despite what it may look like. I’ve simply decided that another goal I have on my list better expresses this. This is still very important to me.

Today I signed a pledge not to drink bottled water. No biggie, as I habitually use tap water and a reusable bottle anyway.

I also had a think about some of the things I already do, including:

• Do most of my travelling on foot or via public transport
• Compost
• Recycle all paper and some plastics
• Eat vegetarian
• Recycle water from bathtub
• Donate to Greening Australia

Some further things I thought of that I could do are:

• Rescue the bicycle from the garage, have it serviced and buy a helmet.
• Pick up more rubbish a la Jenn
• Use less electricity and more beeswax candles
• Buy second hand
• Volunteer for Greening Australia
• Recycle water from the shower, washing machine and kitchen sink

I’ve found myself with a lot of free time on my hands lately, so I’ve taken to browsing No Impact Man Between him and Dave they’ve got me itching to do something. Yesterday, I bought some Compact Fluro Lightbulbs and installed them. It’s small, but you have to start somewhere, after all.

The World Wildlife Fund is organising another Earth Hour for Melbourne and assorted other cities around the world on March 29 2008. I’ve marked it down and shall be keeping my ear to the ground for more details.

My work has a workplace giving program in place. I am able to nominate an amount to be deducted from my pay every payday and donated to one of the charities they list. I was considering the RSPCA, but my boyfriend and I have an agreement that every year I make a donation to them as part of his birthday present.

So I chose Greening Australia instead. A friend of mine does some volunteering work for them as well. Perhaps I should ask her about that too.

There are a million different ways I could work toward this goal. So why am I not doing it?

That there are too many other things requiring my attention and energy seems a poor excuse when it comes to a goal of such importance. All it would take would be the development of a few small habits that wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete.

I have one already established. Every time I have a bath, I empty the water out onto my garden with a bucket.

One of the problems I face is that the house I live in isn’t mine, it’s my father’s. Trying to get him to change is like trying to get blood out of a stone.

Even so, I’m sure there are more things I could be doing about this. More thought is required.