Earth Day!
Alright, as this picture demonstrates, the only way my kitchen could be more tricked out is if I let Xhibit and his friends visit for a weekend. Yes, it is true, the overall design is not to my liking (and I refuse to be one of "those people" who rips out the swank cabinets and countertops in the kitchen merely because she dislikes the color), but the appliances are quite drool worthy. However, I find myself really wanting a sun oven so that I may take advantage of the few months of sunshine we do get and to reduce my drain on non-renewable resources.
I don't really understand why people find the idea of reducing their drain on non-renewable resources to be so offensive. I mean, regardless of your views on global warming, I think we can all agree one the definition of finite.
Why not ride your bike and walk more often? Why not try to dry your whites on a clothesline as opposed to the dryer? Why not unplug appliances (like toasters and coffee machines) when they are not in use? Everyone focuses on the grand gestures (like buying a hybrid car or installing solar panels) and while those are very helpful big steps, we can all do our part by taking small steps.
Comments
I have been trying to do my part. We walk to the library, don't run errands just to be out and about, and would use public transportation if we had any.
I just can't bring myself to hang clothes on the line, though. As a kid, our dryer broke, and we couldn't afford a new one, and so even though I understand that a lot of people like to hang their clothes to dry, it's something I wrongly associate with poverty, and tense up at the thought of hanging up clothes. I HATED having to do it as a child, and we even had clothes lines in our basement because we couldn't always hang clothes outside.
We're considering solar panels, though, since this area is perfect for that - lots of sun lots of the year.
And I agree that I can't figure out why people don't do the little things, especially when it is no extra work or to their own benefit. There was just an article in our local paper about how little people here recycle, even though they are required to pay for it, don't have to sort the recyclables, and are provided a big recycling bin. It made me very frustrated.