I'm Greener Than I Thought!!

I just got done reading an article about a family that "went green." It is funny how our society picks up on little phrases, like the recent "going green," and incorporates it into every part of our life. Every single article in the magazine I was reading brought up how you can make eco-friendly choices everyday. I am somewhat of a sceptic to the whole phenomenon. I have read articles (and of course you can't believe everything you read) that told me that "Free-range" chicken just means the chicken is outside for 1 hour a week. ummm...I'm not sure how much 1 hour a week is going to influence the flavor/quality/and overall health of the chicken. In a time when we are scraping the bottom of the barrel for food and necessities, I hesitate to spend more money on something just because it will have less of an environmental impact. (Sorry future generations!) But really, how much difference does it make? I think that we as humans like to think that we have this great impact on the earth and environment around us, but if you think of how this earth was created, and how we were created....do you really think we have that kind of power? Don't you think that maybe God is really in control and biodegradable dish soap doesn't really stand a chance against Him? Speaking of biodegradable dish soap....rumor has it that the state of Washington just passed a law that forbids any dish soap other than biodegradable dish soap to be sold. Rumor also has it that Jason is planning a bootlegging operation to bring in illegal dish soap from Idaho! :)

Anyway, back to my article... A family with 4 kids was sharing their plan on how they were going to "go green."
Here are some of their thoughts:
1. Rather than drive to the park 2 blocks away, they have started walking. (Are you serious? Who would load 4 kids 6 and under into a mini van, drive 2 blocks, then unload them all again?) So, to show you how green I am, I walk to the post office, bank, library, grocery store, etc. and they're like 5 blocks away!!! I am SO green!! ok..on to #2
2. They open the windows to let in a cool breeze! (Me too!!! Wow!! I'm getting greener by the minute!)
3. They make sure the lights are turned off when they leave the house. (Come on, these are not "green" ideas, they are "common sense" ideas, but yes, I too turn off the lights when I leave the house.)
4. They refill water bottles rather than using them once and throwing them away. (I do this because I'm cheap, tap water tastes just as good or better than bottled, and again...common sense! I'm now a beautiful shade of emerald!)
5. They bought a piece of furniture at the thrift store rather than buying new. (If this is all it takes to be green, I'm Sarah Shamrock!!)

So, now that I have officially gone green, I will close with one last energy-saving irk. I was buying light bulbs the other day (the electrical system in this rental house is haywire and I have replaced each light bulb at least twice since we moved in last September. I know, totally not green!) and I noticed that I can no longer buy my 4-pack of 75 Watt bulbs for $0.88. They don't carry 75 Watt bulbs anymore (or 100 Watt or 60 Watt). Instead of 75 Watts the new bulbs are 67 Watts. The package actually advertises that these bulbs use fewer lumens than the old 75 Watt bulbs did. Duh!! Of course they use fewer lumens (some measurement of light) they have fewer watts and are dimmer than the old bulbs! That would be like selling me a 1/2 pound package of hamburger and telling me that it has less fat than the old 1 pound packages did! Of course it has less fat, it also has half the meat! I peered at the bulbs through my green glasses, rolled my green eyes, picked up the new package with my green hands and gritted my green teeth as I paid $0.41 more for less! Argh!

Next year, I'm going red!