Does living green seem hopeless or pointless to you?

What does being "green" even mean?

Excerpts from this article reflect how I felt when I first started researching how to contribute to the health of the Earth. It can be overwhelming when there is so much info out there, and so little money in your pocket or time in your day to access the things others are doing to be "green".

"....."Environmentalist"

A word that conjures up images of sandal-wearing off-the-gridders who've sworn off T.V's and cars, and who can't walk past a tree without hugging it.


Today, "going green" has a new set of stereotypes. To be green you must have green — money. Can't convert your home to solar power or grey water recycling? Then why bother!

In the face of something as serious as climate change, can small steps like making laundry soap really make a difference?

Do small steps detract from the big picture, which can be overwhelming and depressing?

Or does going "green" one laundry load at a time give us the perspective we need and a sense of the responsibility to act?..."

And I guess the only answer is, it depends on you, and how you feel about it.

As a student with 1 child and a husband who works, I buy as many organic products from the grocery store as I can, as well as recycled toilet paper. I unplug as many things as I can when I am not using them. I try to remember to bring a mug to work, and reusable bags to the grocery store (but I often forget). Am I making a difference in the world? Who really knows the answer to that?

But I feel like I am, and I also feel like I will be instilling something important in my son, which is to care, and to make as much effort as you can, even if it is very modest and miniscule.