A Poor Environmentalist's Manifesta: THE MISSION

I make less than 16 thousand dollars a year. It's not horrible: I'm single, in graduate school, and generally living quite well considering. However, I do have a problem when my economic concerns keep me from making the environmentally responsible decision! Check out all the new, cute, "green" gadgets out there. Do I have an extra 30 dollars to spend on a wind-powered phone charger to snap onto my bike helmet? No. And I would imagine a lot of other households in America don't either. Here's the bottom line:

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY CANNOT BE THE LUXURY OF THE WEALTHY!!!!

Because if it is, we're all sunk. "Green" is being marketed to yuppies at an astounding rate. But the message is largely still the same: buy buy buy, just buy different stuff! This doesn't work for me, and so I set forth in this blog to chronicle how i'll force my lifestyle to be in sync with my value system. I want to explore how being environmentally responsible can be economically sound, because until that's the case for everyone, I doubt people will make the strides we need them to. Who cares if your car is emitting poisonous gases in the air if you can't feed your family? Further, who cares about eating organic or local if you can't feed your family?

THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT NEEDS TO BE FOR EVERYONE!

I’ll try to show that is can be, and I'll let you know how it goes in terms of dollars and cents (sense?)

I'll add Project Rules as I think of them.


RULE # 1 (As of 2-27) --> I WILL BUY LESS CRAP! And If I make the decision to buy anything, I must post a picture of it and a rationale, thereby opening myself up to ridicule.

RULE #2 (As of 3-1) --> I WILL NOT USE DISPOSABLE FOOD CONTAINERS. No takeout, or delivery. And if I go out to dinner and can't finish my meal, I need to have had the foresight to bring along something to wrap it in.

PULE #3 (As of 4-23) --> I WILL NOT USE LIGHTS BEFORE SUNSET. It's so silly when the sun works much better!