Going Green

I have no idea what Blair and my combined "environmental footprint" might be, but I suspect it's on the largish size. While we verbally support going green and the environmental effort, the sad fact is that we are more words than action.

In an effort to come about, we recently ordered green bags off the Internet. These square, roomy, and sturdy bright green bags are made to replace the need for plastic bags--which refuse to decay and are taking over the earth. So the bags arrived and we carried them into the store and, I must say, I was feeling rather superior as I opened them at the register, eschewing the plastic bags mere mortals were using and hoping everyone was paying attention to the fine example we were setting.

The superiority didn't last long. While we did pack the groceries in the bags, we had forgotten to order produce bags. Which meant, of course, that we stuffed celery, carrots, peppers, apples, and grapes into plastic bags and then put those bags into our nice, environmentally-friendly bags. Drat. Foiled again.

Plus, while we take the bags in for weekly grocery shopping, we're finding it more of a challenge to remember to carry them into a Target or CVS. We've each draped several of the bags in the passenger seats of our cars in the hopes of remembering to USE them a little more often.

Baby steps. First the bags, then maybe one day we'll get rid of our gas-guzzler/polluter of an SUV in favor of a hybrid. But for now, if you see me walking around with a purchase in a plastic bag, you have permission to smack me.