The Cauldron

It's easy to become annoyed with environmentalism. With "green" this and "green" that being constantly shoved in your face, it can get old pretty quick. The mainstreaming of environmentalism, while certainly not bad, can cause a disconnection with the people it once attracted: students and grassroots activists. After all, what once was a movement towards a cleaner, simpler way to live is now becoming overcomplicated.

According to the media you must purchase a hybrid car, energy saving appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs in order to truly be green. Your clothes should be free of dyes and made from organic cotton. Your furniture should be made from easily-renewable wood.

When faced with so many things that tell you that spending money is the way to save the earth, it's no wonder that many people lose sight of the bigger picture. They can't afford these things, so what's the point, they might think. Perhaps my husband sums it up best when he says to always be suspicious of things that tell you to purchase something new in order to be green.

With the trendiness of green products, much of society seems to have forgotten the basics of environmentalism: the three "r"s, reduce, reuse and recycle. Fortunately, these are the easiest and cheapest ways to save the planet from looking like a deleted scene from Mad Max.

The most effective of the three "r"s is reducing consumption of goods and resources. Coincidentally, it is also the hardest to commit to. Though it sounds simple enough, stop buying stuff you don't need and stop using as much electricity and gas, America is a nation where we are evaluated by how much we have and how big those things are. Keeping up with the Joneses by having a bigger car, more cars, and an ever expanding closet of the latest fashions is more important than having clean air.

Getting out of this mindset is extremely difficult. I believe this is why there are so many "green" goods being marketed. It placates those who are too set in their patterns of consumption to actually reduce things. Thus, they feel like they are doing their part by driving a hybrid even though it would be far better for the earth to ride the bus, walk or bike.

However, if you really want to do your part, the next time you are at the mall, stop and think about that new shirt you're considering. Really think about it. Do you really need it? Is the $40 price tag really worth the resources that went into making it or the fossil fuels wasted shipping it here from China? And do you really need to have every light in your apartment on at all times? Probably not.

Reusing things allows you to reduce consumption of resources. You won't need to buy as many new things if you are reusing what you already have. The easiest way to do this is to get a reusable water bottle so you don't have to waste a bunch of plastic each time you're thirsty. Conveniently, this also will save you money so you can justify that Saturday night bar outing you thought you were too broke to attend.

There are lots of other things you can reuse rather than buy anew. For example, why buy plastic containers for food storage when you can just rinse out the plastic tubs that things like hummus and butter are packaged in? And why should you buy a giant tote bag touted as "green" to bring with you to the grocery store when you can just keep some plastic bags in your car, purse or pocket to carry your stuff? Of course, not using plastic bags would be ideal, but let's be honest. We all have about a hundred of them stashed underneath our kitchen sinks. Why not reuse them?

The third "r," recycling, is a practice everyone is already familiar with and many people actually participate in. Unfortunately, what many people don't know is that it is one of the least effective ways to be green. This is because, rather than abstaining from using new resources, it repurposes materials into new goods. This is not to say that you shouldn't recycle. Anything that can be recycled should be, from cans and bottles to junk mail and old term papers. All I'm saying is that recycling isn't the answer. It is the last ditch effort after attempts to reduce or reuse have failed.

We can't hate attempts to better our environment. Ultimately, whether you believe the extent of global warming or not, no one can deny that we should try to preserve resources and lessen pollution. However, it is unrealistic for most people to go out and buy a new car or stop from ever obtaining a plastic bag again. But everyone can very easily do their part by trying to adhere to the three "r"s. Every bag you turn down at the grocery store, every time you have your own travel mug filled up with coffee at Starbucks rather than wasting a disposable one and every can you choose to put in the recycle bin instead of the garbage can, helps the environment.

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