I am an Environmentalist

I'm not sure why I feel the need to say this, but I want to. I am an environmentalist, and I'm darn proud of it. I'm concerned about the planet, and I do what I can to help preserve it.

• I mow my lawn with an electric lawn mower. (It doesn't look like the one in the picture. It's green, and an older model.) My mower doesn't have a ton of power, and it only holds its charge for about an hour and a half (less with all the rain - tall, wet grass), so I can only do half my lawn at one time. It's a compromise, but it's worth it. I'm not using fossil fuels, even to generate my electricity (see below), and I'm not releasing exhaust into the atmosphere. When I was a kid, the combination of grass clippings and gasoline fumes had me sneezing all day when I mowed the lawn. Not anymore. It's a lot quieter, too (though I do use hearing protection).
• I buy green electricity. It's completely from renewable sources (primarily hydro, but also some wind power). I know that hydro dams and wind turbines have their own impact on wildlife, and this does concern me, but I believe that the negative impact on the planet is much less than that created by oil, gas and coal. One day, when Maine's incentives are in place and I can better afford it, I will put solar panels on my roof and live even less on the grid.
• I try to conserve energy as much as possible. I have my TV's and other electronics plugged into surge protectors, and I try to turn off all electrical supply to them whenever they are not in use (otherwise they draw electricity even when turned off). Sometimes I forget, but it's still better than never turning it off at all. I also drive a 1995 Mazda Protege. It's not a great car, it's not the safest car on the planet, but it gets 35-40 MPG, and I'll drive it until I can afford a hybrid.
• I buy as much all-natural and organic food as is practical. We have a few great natural foods stores locally, such as Royal River in Freeport, Morning Glory in Brunswick and the Whole Grocer in Portland. I've only been there a couple of times, but I would also like to point out the Fare Share co-op in my (almost) home town of Norway. Buying organic is better for my body and my planet, as no harmful chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers) go into either of us. Buying organic produce also means that I am usually supporting the local farmer, because the lack of preservatives makes it difficult to ship tender vegetables over long distances. Supporting the local farmer is good for the local economy and helps perserve the wonderful rural nature of Maine.
• The vegetables, herbs and flowers that I grow at my own home also do not receive any chemical stimulation. I use only natural fertilizers, and I even spade the soil rather than using a roto tiller. Some of my efforts fail, but I'd rather do the right thing and come up a little short in the veggie department than vice versa.
• I also buy all natural cleaners from manufacturers such as Seventh Generation and Ecover, and personal care products from companies like Kiss My Face and Burt's Bees. I am starting to buy more organic cotton and hemp clothing, such as sold by Santa Fe Hemp. The reason is simple - the less bad stuff that goes into the earth and the atmosphere, the better off the planet, the animals, and the people will be.
• I recycle as much as I possibly can. In a typical week, my wife and I will fill about 2/3 of a tall kitchen bag with garbage. That's not much. The rest is either recycled or composted.

I'm not your stereotypical environmentalist. I don't have long hair or wear tye-dyed clothing and Birkenstocks. I don't listen to the Grateful Dead or do anything with hemp other than wear it. I'm an accountant, for pete's sake! But I'm more committed to the environment than I am to GAAP.

So why am I writing this? I guess it's because I believe that it's time to put my mouth where my money is. I don't understand why more people aren't environmentalists, because the long-term health of the planet is more important than any job or any company's bottom line. I don't have any children, but I believe that it is unfair for us to use up the planet at the expense of other generations. At some point, the human race is going to have to come to grips with what we are doing to the Earth and change its ways. I want that day to be today, not 50 or 100 years down the road. We know that our consumerism (especially in America) can not last forever, so why put off change.

I don't know if anybody will even read this blog. It's been very much neglected until the last week or so, but I'm getting much more traffic at my other blog, so maybe somebody will skip over here. But I am writing this because, if you do read this, I want you to think about what you take out of the planet, and what you put into it. We should all strive to have a positive impact in our lives, not a negative one.

Some day I hope to be working in an industry that is having a positive impact on the environment. When I was laid off by megabank last spring, I started looking for environmental jobs, but they are few and far between in Maine and I ended up with a smallish wholesaler. I had a sort of "pre-interview" with the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy last winter, but no job materialized. It was a disappointment, to say the least, as I had identified this particular job as my ideal while I was unemployed (they are located in Brunswick, after all). I have a lead with a major retailer that is very close by that is also heavily committed to the environment (I won't name names, but it shouldn't be hard to figure out). If that works out, at least I can feel good about working for a company that shares my values (I'm not sure that my present employer even has values). Ideally, however, I'll eventually be working for someone who is preserving land from development, or investing in alternative energy solutions (solar, wind, biodiesel, etc.). At that point, I will really feel good about my contribution to the environment.

In the meantime, however, there is this post on this blog, and if you read it, I hope I had an impact.