Are you really, I say REALLY trying to leave a smaller footprint on
this earth? I have been for years, and believe me, it can be
frustrating and darn right tedious at times. But we have to keep
trying. Eventually it will become second nature.
One thing that helps me is to take the word new out of my vocabulary all together. If you can't get it used, don't buy it, I say. And you'll save lots of money as a bonus.
I
currently live in a small city of some 70,000 people, and one joy I
have here is poking around in the antique, consignment and thrift
stores. From just these three types of stores, I can furnish my house,
put shoes on my feet, clothes on my body, lotion on my face and hands
and more money in my pocket. (Ok, the antique stores are not the top of
the line antique stores, but that's okay because their stuff is cheaper
that way!)
About the only thing I can't buy at these stores is
food, but then there are ways to economize on food while also leaving a
smaller footprint, too.
But getting back to the consignment
stores, thrift stores and antique stores, another good point in their
favor is that what you buy there will most likely be different than
what your neighbor is buying at (how I hate to even type it...)
Wal-mart. A blue blouse made in China is on display there now (I assume
that's the case, since I haven't been in the store for at least half a
decade.), that has another 50 carbon copies on it on the same rack, and
when we consider that there are probably 4,000 Wal-marts in the US, not
counting elsewhere around the globe, that's at least 200,000 blue
blouses on women of all sizes in just this country alone. But the blue
blouse, maybe five years old from a consignment store, maybe hardly
ever worn, may be a one of a kind.
Oh, but the germs! Well, wash
it stupid before you wear it. Maybe you should wash the new ones, too.
You don't know where they've been or who sewed them either.
Another
good feature of shopping at your local store that features used
products is that when you do, most likely you're supporting your
community's small businesses. I know some of the owners, and you
wouldn't meet nicer people at your church, where they may also attend,
by the way. Plus, when you buy local, you're helping support your
schools, your police and firemen, your public works employees and your
parks through your sales tax. Sure, your Wal-Mart purchase is also
taxed, but most of the profits made there go to Benton, Arkansas and
China where most of the giant discount store's stuff is made.
And
if you go to your local thrift store, almost all of what they make goes
to charity, such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Disabled Veterans.
Volunteers often work in these stores and learn how the capitalistic
system works.
As I type this I think of what I have on. If
anything was new when I started wearing it, it had to be a gift. All
the other stuff was once worn by someone else. Even most of the books I
read, I bought used. My laptop was given to me used by my oldest son.
Other great services you need to check into in your community are freecycle.org and craigslist.org. I
had some old darkroom equipment that was taking up space in my small
apartment. It needed to go. I offered to give it away on my local freecycle.org and
at least 15 people immediately responded saying they would take it off
my hands. When I moved into a small apartment in another city a couple
years ago, I found my bed on craigslist.org. Yes, I cleaned it before I used it.
And
while we discuss the world of used, think about purchasing a house that
has already been lived in instead of going to virgin territory and
building your own new home. You'll be saving land, money and building
materials if you live in a lived-in house.
Looking at the big
picture, look how our landfills would be filled up later rather than
sooner if we all bought used. Look how our valuable resources of this
earth would be saved for future generations. Look how our energy
sources used in the manufacturing of stuff would be reduced. Jobs?
Well, maybe if we went this route we could all work fewer hours,
jobsharing, take longer vacations. There is nothing in the Bible or any
other book on ethics that says that humans have to work at least 40
hours a week so they can make lots of money for someone else while they
simply exist to buy new products and throw away the old.
This is
the time to rethink our capitalistic system. We need to now think about
our eco-system instead. So go used, boycott new. One day, our
grandchildren will thank you. And hey, buy them used stuff too. Their
friends will be amazed!
From People Power Granny (http://peoplepowergranny.blogspot.com).
we have recycled and preserve for yaers in germany ,now i do my little part here.by selling clothes add my own consignment shop , save the earth one item per day.
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