Green MeMe #1

Michelle from A Vision Splendid has (quite surprisingly) tagged me for this MeMe:

1. Name two motivations for being green?

I cannot think of two. I only have one: to repair the damage made to Mother Earth through over-indulgence, ignorance, and pure greed and selfishness. Quite simply, I dont want my actions to have devestating consequences for the special part of the planet in which I live.

2. Name two eco-UNfriendly items you refuse to give up?

First and foremost: my laptop computer. I cannot live without it.

Second: my clothes dryer. I cant say that it is something I will refuse to give up indefinitely, but for the time being I am hanging on to it, tooth and nail!

3. Are you at peace with or do you feel guilty about number two?

The laptop I'm at peace with: I need a computer and laptops produce less green-house gases (in their production and use) than a regular PC.

As for the clothes dryer, I always feel guilty when I have to use it, but I've come to to the conclusion that at this point in my life I actually need it. I dont always have the luxury of being able to do the laundry during the day, and at certain times of the year (most notably the peak of winter) my clothes simply will not air-dry at night.

4. What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?

I believe that being green is more than simply using less, it's also about what we're using as well, especially when it comes to the products and the produce that we're purchasing from our local supermarkets and stores. I would love to be able to buy all my necessities (food, clothing, appliances etc) FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC, and ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. However, it is unfortunate that the supermarkets and stores where I live do not stock enough and then what they do stock tends to be unreasonably expensive. Clothes and shoes are the hardest purchases for me and I try to only buy when I am desperate. I often wish I knew how to make my own clothes (or had the time to learn), and could just go barefoot!

5. Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average?

I dont know our carbon footprint and I dont know the national average, but now I am very curious to find out! I'd like to think it's not that much, but then again SJ loves his aircon, and I simply couldnt live without my computer!

6. What's eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?

Eco-frustrating: The lack of choice! For example, we dont even have the option of natural gas as the pipeline doesnt run this way. There are also no local grocers, there are not enough fair trade and organic alternatives in the supermarkets and stores, and a lot of people are either ignorant or unwilling to recognise how their daily actions impact upon the planet.

Eco-fantastic: It's a great location for sourcing sun and wind power. You do not need to connect mains electricity if you are willing to spend the money and make the little effort to get solar panels and/or wind turbines (the small, backyard kind). Land size is bigger than that in the city, so there is room for a backyard with a chicken coop, vegie garden and some fruit trees if desired. Everything is only five minutes away from everything else, so there's little travelling time, or you could just walk or ride your bike. And just about everyone has a rain water tank.

7. Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow your own?

I am vegetarian. I eat eggs and dairy products, but not wheat or gluten products. We only buy "backyard" eggs - i.e. they are neither farm produced or shop bought. We buy organic dairy products.
SJ and the Noodle Spoodle are not vegetarian. Although there are no local grocers, there are butchers whose produce comes from the district.

We are forced to purchase most of our fruit and veg from the local supermarkets, however, we do get quite a bit of home-grown and home-made produce from my parents, SJ's parents, and my grandparents.

We are looking to buy our first home. We hope to find a place that can support a vegie garden, some fruit trees, combustion heating, and green electricity. It may not all happen straight away, but it is what we are hoping for the future.

8. What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?

Budgeting! The more we buy organic and fair trade the more we spend. It will be wonderful to be able to grow and harvest our own produce and not have to rely so much on money and the cost of things to achieve being green.

9. Do you have a green confession?

Oh, yes...I do not have a water-saver shower-head! I'm sorry, but I cannot stand them! I find it takes me longer to shower under one due to the lack of water pressure.

In my defence, however, I do try to shower quick, and when time allows I collect the water and put it on the garden.

10. Do you have the support of family and/or friends?

I suppose so. My parents try hard to be green, and SJ's parents have been growing their own fruit and veg, as well as buying locally for around twenty years. My grandparents are frugal (life spent as farmers has taught them to be), and I cannot think of any of my friends who dont try to be environmentally aware in the process of going about their daily lives. They're not always happy with the fact that I moved nearly 400km away from them to "the middle of nowhere", but they understand why I did it, and that is all that matters.

I tag Out Back, Hacek, and Tea Time.

The Guidelines are:
1) Link to Green Meme Bloggers
2) Link back to whoever tagged you
3) Include meme number
4) Include these guidelines in your post
5) Answer questions
6) Tag 3 other green bloggers