It Isn't Easy Being Green

I was watching HGTV yesterday (something I admittedly spend WAY too much time doing) and the show House Hunters was doing a special 'green' episode in honour of Earth Day.  I watched it for about ten minutes before beating my head against the wall until I fell down, unconscious. 

Okay, not exactly, but I did change the channel.

Now don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to bits that environmentalism is now 'hip' and people are beginning to see the error of their non-recycling, over-consuming, pesticide-using ways, but since when is a 4,000 square foot home for two retirees "green"?  Oh, it's got energy efficient light-bulbs you say?  My bad.

But I guess I should be happy that attitudes are shifting.  A love of nature has been a big part of my life, and I, like most people, struggle with the aspects of my life where my behaviour does not match my values.  My eco-friendliness is inconsistent, at best.  I am willing to put in more elbow grease if it means cleaning the tub with baking soda instead of noxious chemicals, I often walk instead of drive, I buy most of my clothes used, and I have forgone the bleach blonde look and am rocking my natural brown hair (who knew?).  

Still, in the winter, when the local veggie market is closed the prices in our supermarket's organic section give me a heart attack, and I find myself selling out.  Also, I try to eat only local, seasonal fruit and veg, but many weeks those big naval oranges just look too good, or else I NEED that cucumber from Mexico to make sushi.

So I guess the moral of the story is that we all try, and fail, and then try again.  And it's a good thing to remember next time we get the urge to proselytize.