Stewards of the Earth

Over the last year or so, I've tried to change the way I live in a few ways to be a better steward of the earth.  We aren't here to divide and conquer, nor to be "fruitful and multiply, fill and subdue the earth."  The days necessitating these practices are long past and those concepts are obsolete.  If we were to freely multiply, not only would we have masses more of suffering people in the world, but we'd overrun this gift we have and take it from our descendants.

Each of us is the earth's steward; "someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else," namely the other creatures of the planet and their descendants, and our own.  This also touches on our responsibility to care for our bodies so that they too are efficient and less wasteful.  I could go on and on about why this biblical worldview is poisonous, but I'll spare you and instead talk about these little changes while I sip a vodka cocktail.

Know the origins of the products you buy.  Today I bought 100% cotton yarn spun in Italy. Western nations are more likely to have implemented regulations that ensure that workplaces are humane, and harm to the environment is mitigated by good manufacturing practices.  Unfortunately, a lot of companies from the United States will outsource to other less wealthy nations to take advantage of loose regulations.  Also unfortunately, products from less-developed countries cost a lot less, too.  But, if you can afford it, buy local.

Be self-reliant.  For our house, I've made placemats, pillows, cloth napkins, washcloths, towels, etc..  It's not the realm of Laura Ingalls Wilder - it's just a great policy for the modern human.  Gone are the days when I'd donate a pair of pants to Goodwill because seams were coming undone!  If you can make it yourself and can afford to take the time to do it, go for it.  You know who puts forth the effort and what environmental and workplace rules govern the "worker" (you) and the company, Myself, Inc.  You also know what went into it, and you might get to learn new and totally awesome skills.

Try not to buy disposable products.  We've been trying to buy unprocessed foods, which are inherently less packaged.  We've completely stopped using paper towels and tissues, and instead use handmade napkins and dishcloths every day.  All of our bread is made from minimally-processed ingredients by our Cuisinart breadmaker.  Just put the ingredients in the pan and press Start.  No processing, no packaging, and delightful bread.

Things I'd like to work on:

Giving handmade gifts.  I could go to the mall and buy a made-in-China, prettily-packaged product from a name-brand store...  Or I could work for a few hours of my time with less expensive but higher-quality materials to produce something unique and useful.  It's a win-win situation.

Recycling.  Yes yes yes we recycle!  But here in Montreal, every single scrap of paper and plastic can be recycled, recycling is sorted by the city and is picked up on the curb in one bag just outside the front door.  Recycling has never been easier, and I need to really work at making sure that every piece of plastic and paper we generate goes into that bag, even if the garbage can is a couple steps closer.

Taking shorter showers.  My plan of action is to keep my showers to 10 minutes or less.  I'm going to implement it tomorrow.

Washing dishes more efficiently.  I hate washing dishes so I tend to wash them in bunches, keeping the hot water running to soak, scrub and rinse.  Tomorrow I am going to buy a dishpan to save hot water, which we have to pay for.

Cutting down on the number of loads of laundry and relying on air drying for more clothes.  I can't resist the dryer!  It's kind of sad, and it's the most energy-guzzling appliance in the whole house.  With a little bit of patience and some of that stuff that exists all around us and provides us freely with oxygen, my clothes can be dried without using all of that electricity.  Air drying not only saves money by saving energy, it's also gentler on clothes, which can last longer.  Man, I'm totally talking myself into looking around for a wooden drying rack ASAP.