Environmental fan upset
Q: I am a newcomer from a Third World country. I married a workaholic. I don’t get much attention from him so I have invested a lot of time learning about environmental issues. It hurts me to see what people around me do. I’m not comfortable with what is in our town’s drinking water system. We bring water a long way from a spring to drink. And when we don’t have time to go there, we drink bottled water.
It’s impossible to maintain a clean environment with what people pour down their drains. It’s bad enough to throw unnecessary soap and detergents into our water system, but it’s even worse to add another bunch of chemicals for softness or to smell like a baby.
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There is so much stuff in the air today, like fresheners and chemicals, that some people with allergies have a hard time breathing.
We don’t need more plastic containers. Some people are recycling, but we need to reduce more, not just recycle more.
When I see all that unnecessary waste, I feel very stressed out. What should I do? In your column of Jan. 14, you talked about minimizing and blaming as being dangerous. I believe that’s what we are doing about pollution.
I’d really like your advice about how to be calm and relaxed in spite of all this damage we are doing to our environment.
A: I agree with you totally. We all need to look realistically at what we do. Simple vinegar, which is acetic acid and breaks down naturally, will clean your floor almost as well and cheaper than the most exotic and highly advertised cleaners on the market.
Years ago, friends of mine had to subdivide their property in Langley, B.C., because of high taxes. They found people pouring varnish and paint into what these people foolishly thought was a drainage ditch. In reality, this so-called ditch had until then been a spawning stream for salmon. Not after that.
Anger and stress affect you a lot. You need to express those frustrations with words and actions. But don’t expect to be popular.
People who advocate positive social changes are seldom liked, especially by corporations that worship the balance sheet instead of the environment. Find a few other people of like mind. Meet and talk over what you can do. Perhaps some group will help you to put on a “save the environment and save some money” demonstration.
Set small but realistic goals for yourself. Enjoy your achievements instead of fretting over what you may not be able to do. If you can educate even one person to make some small change in protecting the environment, you will have done something worthwhile.
