Green Meme #1

Kittyboo over at A little slice of life has tagged me! Thank you Kittyboo, I've enjoyed doing this one!

The Guidelines:

1. Link to Green Meme Bloggers

2.Link to whoever tagged you

3.Include meme number

4.Include these guidelines in your post

5.Answer questions (erm - that bit’s quite important)

6.Tag 3 other green bloggers.

1. Name two motivations for being green:

1. If the planet is polluted, so am I.

2. I love children, I love animals and I love plants. Who am I to take away their future?

2. Name 2 eco-unfriendly items you refuse to give up

1. Milton. If I'm doing things with raw meat I have to know that I've cleaned up properly. Maybe when I get used to it I'll be able to give it up!

2. Tweezers. These are THE most useful things on earth (and umbrellas). They'll remove splinters and the stubborn hair I get on my chin!

3. Are you at peace with, or do you feel guilty about no.2?

I tend to work hard not to feel guilty at all, about anything. I try to be mindful of what I'm doing, so if I choose to do something there's probably a good reason for it (or bad one I'm trying to work through). I wouldn't say I was at peace with no.2, I'm more at peace with being mindful and my awareness of no.2 helps me to remember to be mindful.

4. What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?

I would love to live on our land. It's just not possible as it's in a national park and we can't afford to buy a house near to it (or at all, now we've bought the land!). Maybe one day.

5. Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average?

We've only just moved in to our rental property. I should think it's quite high though as there's no insulation in the roof.

6.What’s eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?

Eco frustrating:

This village has excellent roads. Why then, does every house have a 4x4? Why do all the mothers need a 4x4 to pick their children up form school and pick up the shopping?

Eco fantastic:

I am a member of the VEG SHED box scheme and get the most delicious organic veg and eggs delivered every week.

7. Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow you own?

I eat local, organic(mostly) and I forage too.

Food is a big deal for me. I was vegetarian most of my life. I then became vegan for years when I learned that in order to have dairy products cows had to keep having young, if male calves were born these were sent to slaughter for meat.

Then I realised, after many years of research and meditation, that (in this country) the most environmentally sound diet includes a small amount of meat during the lean months of winter. Living in the UK means that to be vegan/vegetarian you have to import a lot of products. With soya having the worst impact on the environment two fold. Primary rainforest being cleared to grow it in huge mono cultures and then the transporting of it across the world to our belly's.

I hate eating meat. I find it deeply troubling and spiritually difficult. However, my life is dedicated to the nurture of life on the small piece of Earth that I've landed on. So if that means I have to do something I find difficult then that's the way it's got to be. If I do eat meat, it has to be local, compassionately reared and organic - or I go without. Ultimately I will produce my own meat.

8. What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?

I feel constantly held back by the rules and regulations of society. I could be living 99.99% green if I could be left to get on with it.

9. Do you have a green confession?

When I turned 17 I was bought driving lessons. I finished them and decided that if I didn't get my license I wouldn't be tempted to get a car. I managed to stick to this for 13 years until I finally relented and got my driving license 3 years ago. Family and friends had spread themselves across the country and I'd had enough of the days and days spent traveling on over-priced public transport. So now I have a car. I'm not proud of it but I do enjoy being able to decide to go somewhere in the morning and just throwing stuff in the car and going!

10. Do you have the support of family and/or friends?

I've been ranting on about the environment and animal welfare since I was 10 yrs old. My family thought I was mad. Now they can see what I've been going on about all this time - now it's been on telly. I feel vindicated!

It's very annoying when they put me right about recycling that bit of paper instead of chucking it in the bin!

I tag...

Oakmoon

21st Century Housewife

Sensible Living

hen

xx

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