TBT -- On this 6th Blogiversary, I am reposting my very first post.

Throwback Thursday -- and we're throwing it way back to August 20, 2009. My very first post! Not much has changed since then, other than the fact that I'm more of a tree hugger than I was then! And we've added three more cloth-diapered grandbabies to the mix!

A tree hugger I'm not

A while back, my cousin suggested I start blogging on environmental issues and call my site, Green Grandma. It took a few months of contemplating my purpose in this.

First of all, don't let the name fool you...I'm by no means a liberal tree-hugger. Politically, I lean more toward a moderate to conservative point of view. However, I get quite frustrated with the whole concept of one party over the other caring about the environment. I, for one, do care. As a matter of fact, I seem to care much more than many of the people I know who lean a different way.

That said, let me expound on why I'm starting this blog and why my cousin, Kelly, suggested the name "Green Grandma" for me.

In October of 2008, my precious first grandbaby was born to my youngest daughter. The lovely little Lady Laura has motivated me to be even more environmentally conscious than I'd been in the past. After all, this is the world we're leaving behind for her. I have to care.

Fortunately, my concern for the environment has spilled over to my daughters as well. As a result, Laura wears only cloth diapers. We will never add a disposable diaper to a landfill because it goes against everything in us.

Ewww. Many of you are cringing right now. Why? Because a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/babysitter might get their hands a little dirty? Oh please. Rinsing out a cloth diaper in the toilet is not all that difficult. Messy? Sometimes. But doable. And well worth it. Every time I hang diapers on the line to dry, I remind myself that I am investing in Laura's future. Maybe I don't have much money to put aside for her. But I can invest in this planet she'll inherit.

There are a lot of naysayers when it comes to using cloth diapers. People will protest and even try to use environmental excuses.

"Washing diapers uses too much water."

Well, I hate to burst that bubble, but in actuality, it takes far more water to manufacture disposables than it does to wash cloth diapers throughout the two years or so a child wears them. Plus, according to the law, it is illegal to put human waste in the landfills. Guess what that means, folks? That means disposables should technically be washed out before being thrown away! You may as well just use cloth...especially if you consider yourself a law-abiding citizen.

Let me say that I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. She could take the easy way out. Despite her desire to be a fulltime SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), her need for benefits makes that impossible for her right now. So every morning she's up early nursing and caring for her baby and getting herself ready for work. Some mornings she drives Laura to my home so I can watch her and other mornings she hands over her parenting duties to her husband. Work is stressful and the days are long. Jess spends lunch hours standing in the Ladies' Room pumping bottles. Evenings are spent doing normal mommy things, plus washing, drying and folding diapers. It would be much more convenient to pop open some formula and slap on some disposable diapers. But who ever said life as a parent was supposed to be convenient? Like I said, I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. In today's world of celebrities, bigger-than-life politicians and super heroes, she is my hero.

Yeah, you can call me Green Grandma....it's a title I'm honored to wear.

Keeping it green,

Hana

Cutting through the jargon. Today's word: sustainable

Do you ever get confused by all the jargon being tossed around by green-minded folks like me? I know I do. There's organic, fairly traded, non-GMO, environmental, eco-friendly, sustainable... Sometimes it sounds like a foreign language! 


The most confusing to me is the term "sustainable," so I thought I'd flesh it out a bit for any of you who experience the same confusion. Some may say sustainable living is just a catch phrase created by a bunch of tree huggers. But they'd be wrong.

However, sustainability cannot be easily defined. It's like an onion with many layers and involves people choosing healthy lifestyles, supporting their communities (you know, shopping local and all of that), and even doing our part to contribute to the economy. Of course, it also is about green living and it involves local and global actions.

Here are some more defined definitions (thank you Google):

• To keep in existence, nourish, maintain, or prolong
• Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Long-term preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems
• Providing for the needs of the current population without compromising the needs of future generations

Sustainable practices are those that can be repeated without any negative consequences to the environment or to people's pocketbooks or bank accounts. 

See, it's not just about being green (which involves simply caring for the environment). It's a body of conscious choices that sustain a good life for us and for our grandchildren. Does that make sense? 

If people continue to think only of their current needs without regard to the future of this planet, the consequences will be immense. While you may not be able to make huge changes in your life or home, we can all make a difference if we choose a sustainable mindset. 

That means

• Stop mindlessly tossing things into the trash. Ask yourself: Can this be recycled, reused, or composted? The lazy way is to toss it. The sustainable way is to care enough to at least contemplate the answer.
• Turn off the water when it doesn't have a direct purpose. Does it really need to run while you're brushing your teeth or washing your hair?
• Turn off the lights when no one is in the room. Teach your children to do the same.
• Opt for local shopping, even if it does cost a wee bit more. Support your small mom and pop stores before they become a thing of the past. Walmart's not going to mind if you spend your dollars at the local market. But you can't say the opposite is true.
• Don't pollute your yard and garden with harmful chemicals that kill the pollinators, like the bees and butterflies. Seriously... think about what you're doing!
• Start using more reusable products rather than depending on disposables. In our home, we use rags instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper ones, and reusable dishes, cups, and flatware instead of throwaways (even for picnics and parties). And our grandbabies don cloth diapers, not Huggies or Pampers.

Are you starting to get the picture? I hope so. 

I'd love to hear your suggestions for sustainable living, so why not post a comment? The best part of community is learning from each other, don't you think?

 

This month, the Weekend Quote is Hana's quote

From Chapter 1 of Vinegar Fridays... in case you were wondering Who is Green Grandma:

 
"But there is quite a bit more to Green Grandma than just vinegar. On the first anniversary of the blog, which fell on a Vinegar Friday in August, I addressed the question I received from an irate reader who didn't understand why I posted something she didn't think fit the environmental angle of the blog. I explained what my intentions were as Green Grandma.



Green -- I care about the incredible creation God has entrusted to us, His children. While I am not a part of any huge environmental activist groups, I am doing what I can to encourage others to make common sense choices in their daily lives that will be beneficial to the environment. 

Grandma -- Aha! Here is where the broader spectrum of my blog comes in. As a grandma, I care about more than just the environment. I care about products that can harm children (and adults, as well). I care about marriages, about emotional issues, about health... the list goes on and on and so do the topics I cover. My goal is to touch your lives in some way with each posting. If I have made you laugh, cry, get angry, toss something in the recycling bin instead of the trash, choose organic and natural products, start using cloth diapers, or tell someone you love them, I have achieved my purpose. Oh, and if you've reached for the vinegar instead of the Windex, that's an added bonus!"

It's going in the landfill...why should I care?

Why should you care? Indeed. Landfills are made for junk to get thrown in, so what's the big deal? As long as it's not in your backyard, right?

Well, I hate to break it to you, but every broken video console, out-of-date computer, and non-digital television that you carelessly set out on the curb on trashnight, eventually may be the cause of cancer for you or one of your loved ones. With all of the toxins these used electronics house, don't you think it's likely they're going to leach into the soil and pollute the water and air? That's what happens to this stuff, folks, so it is about you and about your health. There's no getting around that. Every toxin thrown into the landfill has the potential to serve as a carcinogen somewhere down the road.

Remember that 10-year-old in your community that died from a brain tumor? Maybe it stemmed from the old microwave you tossed out 12 years ago. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Now, I'm not trying to lay guilt on anyone. We've all done it...carelessly tossed stuff out without thinking about the consequences down the road. Why? Because we didn't know any better! But now, I'm making you think about it. And now, you know better.

I know this is a recurrent theme here on Green Grandma, but I just think it warrants the repetition.

Recycle, reuse, reinvent, remember.

http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.craigslist.org/
http://www.goodwill.com/
http://www.ecyclingcentral.com/


Keeping it green,

Hana