Welcome to my favourite issue of the year. Spring is fast approaching, and words like “green,” “earth-friendly,” and “recycling” are trending on Google. Every year, around this time, I start remembering how much I miss green. March has a tendency to tease us with short spurts of sunshine that remind me how wonderful it would be to be writing this article underneath a tree in the park across the street. The process is, of course, a natural evolution of thoughts‚Ķspring > green > tree > warmth > poor trees > my goodness I need to stop using plastic bags, and lower my heating, maybe air-dry my clothes. And, there begins the cycle that puts into perspective how wasteful we can be.
For those of us who have a difficult time remembering to be earth conscious all year round, being green is a lot like being on a diet. Two solid months have passed since your new year’s resolution to trim down, and the likelihood is that you’ve already fallen off the wagon here and there. In that same vein, I’ve been sitting in my apartment with the heat up to temperatures resembling Cuba, forgetting all about last spring when I vowed to never use paper towel again. Glimpses of sunshine and warm weather remind me that I need to not be wasteful, and put on a sweater instead. The little steps add up. Saying no to the cheeseburger or turning off the bathroom light may not be earth shattering progress towards our goals‚Ķbut something is always better than nothing at all.
However, it’s this type of “me mentality” that Canadians suffer from when it comes to environmental issues. Coming away from the Environmental Print Awards, hosted by Print Action, the guest speaker left me thinking about the problem with this logic. While Tzeporah Berman had a lot of powerful messages (finishing off with “we don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds it” – still have shivers from that one), this small thought has lingered in my mind — why am I tackling such a large scale problem in such a small scale way? Yes, I should turn down my heating and use reusable bags and change my light bulbs, but what about us? Surely, as a community we can accomplish much more!
With this, I think there are two key points to remember. The first is that we should celebrate our small successes. Canadians have done a great job at tackling environmental issues individually, but it’s time we demand change as a society. This means that the law needs to favour the environment. The solution is not as simple as taxes. We need to creatively manage how we do business and whom we do it with, so that the earth benefits. This month’s issue talks about many aspects of positive change; from small scale clean up suggestions to more intensive endeavors like eco-certification.
I hope we can help with some constructive ideas. And, when you are through, I suggest you reward your efforts with the greenest holiday of them all: St. Patrick’s Day! I hear beer bottles are the most renewable form of packaging.
Cheers!