LIVING GREEN AND GREENER CHOICES Part 1 05/27/2010
Most of us have been making better choices in an effort to live better...live green. We have been bringing reusable bags to the grocery store and buying things with less packaging. Things like this are great and I think we are on our way but we all know there is still room for improvement. Sometimes we run out of ideas and that is what I am writing about today. I would like to take you on a journey through you cupboards. I know that sounds a little strange but have you really looked at what is in there? Martha Stewart has done the planet a great disservice by telling us we need a different set of dishes for every occasion! We do not NEED so much stuff! Take a page out of time when life was much less complicated when you made do with what you had and Quality not Quantity was the key to shopping. This is the message I’d like to bring to you today. I like many of you have changed my thinking in the last few years and one thing I feel differently about is shopping locally. I’ve always shopped locally to some extent but now I really feel strongly about supporting the local economy. It just makes sense. I guess the last economic crises prompted some soul searching but also checking out handmade products available and finding that there are some really beautiful and well made things right on our door step. I’m not perfect by any means; I have 7 different roasting pans/casserole dishes in my cupboard. Why did I buy them in the first place? Well many of them came in sets and were inexpensive. They also travelled by land, sea and/or air thousands of miles to get to the store where I bought them. This realization made me sit back and think of the true cost of these products. Wow not really as inexpensive as I originally thought! I know the argument over buying handmade things like pottery and woodcrafts is often the price but I have come to realize that price and cost are two different things. When you buy something that is handmade there are many benefits. The obvious; you get a beautiful unique piece. The often not so obvious; the money you spend ends up supporting local economies and greatly reduces your carbon footprint. There is something else I feel should be pointed out as well. There have been so many scary recalls and health risks in connection with imported products. When you buy something that is handmade the artist puts there name on it, they stand behind the product and often use the items in their own kitchens. They want you to get many years of enjoyment out of what you buy and love it as much as they loved making it. So next time you feel you need to buy something for your kitchen or any other room in your house, or you need a gift for someone, think about buying something handmade. This is just one more way we can live green. Part 2 How shopping locally for handmade goods effects the local economy. Coming soon. Add Comment | About UsOur name was inspired by where we live. Rural British Columbia. Canada is largely back country, we are on just over five acres and often have deer, moose and bears in our back yard. ArchivesAugust 2010 |
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