One Degree of Change Sustained...

The definition of sustainable development is , "development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." ~ From Wikipedia

For the first time I can remember, the lower-mainland dump towers over the farmland and trees surrounding it, glowing eerily at night and constantly surrounded by masses of swirling gulls. For the third year in a row I have remarked on the precise moment I could see the tiniest evidence of spring bursting out and mindfully marked the acceleration of green around me. I know I create waste and I know I reuse and recycle. But I'd like to do more good - I'd like to be a strong advocate for people, the earth and truly sustainable technology. I had no trouble thinking up clever plans and dove right in, but quickly found myself overwhelmed by the amount of things that needed changing (and how expensive this can be)!

This April, Earth Day weighed heavily on my mind. As my connection to the earth strengthens through my interest in gardening, and my connection to my community becomes enriched through relationships with those around me, I feel more and more inspired to live a more responsible, greener life to be able to preserve the planet for generations to come. I have already been making simple changes in my life to reflect this, but as always felt that I should "do it right" if I was going to go that direction so that I could make a measurable difference.

William Bridges, a leading expert on transition says that changes are a normal part of life, that they are supposed to be uncomfortable, and that you can learn to use the process as a springboard to making your life better than before. Usually a feeling of frustration and disenchantment lead up to the desire for change, but that doesn't mean it's easy to move on to something better.

Bridges says that, "Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities." But that doesn't mean we can't use a little help from our friends. I know now that I try to do too much on my own, feeling reluctant to ask others for support for "my issue". It delights me how my thoughts and feelings, once expressed to kindred spirits, meet with not only a soft place to land but so often also an army of like-minded sentiment. It not only takes a village, it makes many many villages.

My village of like-minded moms has helped me countless times with stories concerning similar hopes and fears... inspiring moments that raise my spirits or simple advice for practical, yet inspired living. It is true that one degree of change seems too small to make an impact but over a long distance, one degree changes one's course quite noticeably. Deciding to make a change in your life (like to live more sustainably) does not have to turn your life upside down. There are very small changes you can make that will barely be noticeable and will begin to exercise that "green muscle" until before you know it you are able to take on greater and greater challenges. In my own life, the comparison I like is to one of those long wide turns in my car where I've indicated and the blinker never turns off after the turn. The curve was too subtle. True change needs time to integrate into place. You can make the decision and find yourself taking years to put small actions into place so that they can become positive habits.

Bellow you will find a list of small actions provided by a lovely group of intelligent, successful women (who care about doing the right thing by their children) that can begin to exercise those "green muscles":

✰ Keep fabric grocery bags in your car (or a few spares in case you forget your stash)
✰ If you collect compost but get to lazy to take it out (easy in our rainy climate) dump your compost into a plastic grocery bag and put it into the freezer – then put it in the compost when you are feeling up to it (better than not composting at all). OR if you do not have space for a large outdoor compost then get a worm compost (free kit available from most municipalities) – it is very easy and smell free and you can even keep it indoors
✰ If you make several stops in one shopping complex or plaza park once and walk to your different spots – even if it means crossing the street and walking a block or two.
✰ Pack your kids lunches in re-usable containers. There are many different products that reduce or eliminate lunchbox waste. (bentobox lunch kits make it ways to pack soup, sandwich salad, drinks and snacks with no throw away items – nothing for the trash at all.)
✰ Ease into cloth diapering little by little – it is much much easier than you’d think with the latest diaper “innovations”.
✰ Repurpose household recycling into craft material for kids
✰ Keep egg cartons and use them to grow plants from seed
-use vinegar and water in a hand-spray bottle to combat weeds instead of pesticide (watch out – it kills grass too so spray carefully!)
✰ Collect rainwater for irrigation, you can water plants / garden easily from your rain water barrel and possibly even irrigate your lawn) In Vancouver.
✰ Refrain from watering your grass altogether. It will go yellow and look dead but surprisingly it always comes back
✰ Support local farmers at the farmer’s market – almost every community has one – and shop at your local independent shops, even for just a few key products.
✰ Reusing your plastic bags by keeping a couple in your purse/bag. If I forget my reuseable totes, the reused plastic bags are the next best thing.
✰ Drink tap water again or at least have a caraffe of filtered water in the fridge and a refillable flask to taking with you instead of bottled water.

"As for me, going green was very overwhelming - I felt like I wanted to get rid of everything in my home and start over - and this made me come to standstill! I remember talking to [a friend], and she said 'one thing at a time'. And so it has become a long process, and each year I learn a bit more and make more goals for myself... I started with: cleaning products. So, every time I needed something, I would buy green. Pretty soon, all of the chemicals were gone from my cleaning supplies! Then kids bath/health products. Then my own bath/health products. Then I concentrated on becoming a better recycler. Then it was seeing a naturopath. Which led to eating better and using homeopathic rememedies. Then I decided to cloth diaper [my daughter] at age 14 months. Then came composting. And this year is all about my own organic garden."

"So starting slowly worked for me! Taking one goal at a time and recognizing that it all doesn' t have to change immediately. And there is a snowball effect that happens when you start. As you have more questions, you start to seek the knowledge of others who are also experimenting and figure it out together, sharing tips. And I am still far from being as green as I would like!"
~ Ange, mother of two

We often think in an all or nothing approach when it comes to big changes, but as William Bridges says, "Much as we may wish to make a new beginning, some part of us resists doing so as though we were making the first step toward disaster." Though we feel as though we are losing something - when we acknowledge this feeling as merely a normal defense mechanism and have patience with ourselves, we can keep chipping away at our goal and before we know it, we've come a long way!