Comments on: Combating Green Fatigue & Eco Anxiety

By: RenaissanceRonin

RenaissanceRonin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:35:00 +0000

@j carrington;

Wow… What a great comment! Do you pour salt in other people’s wounds too?

Give Heather a break. She works her tail off to help change things for the better EVERY day.

She has done nothing to “really feel bad for…”

Sheesh… Some people… And I thought that “I” was a jerk…

By: j carrington

j carrington — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:41:27 +0000

You should really feel bad about throwing a jar of solidified honey in the trash. There was no reason to waste it. It’s not uncommon for honey to solidify over time. However, it is not spoiled in any way and can be revived by placing the jar in a microwave for 3-5 minutes to return it to its natural smooth honey golden consistency. ( A hot water bath works as well. )

By: Linda Greck

Linda Greck — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:01:26 +0000

Hi I just happened on your website as I was looking for a greener way to clean jewellery and this article caught my eye. I also feel very guilty and doubly so because food in a jar has spoiled so not only have I put the jar in the rubbish bin but I’ve also wasted the food. But do we really need to clean our jars? I know that recyclables get sorted and cleaned when they reach the recycling depot. Normally I give things a rinse just to keep the recycling bin ‘nice’ and the recycling company says to clean things but is it really necessary? Doesn’t it mean cleaning twice?

By: Kristin @ Prudent and Practical

Kristin @ Prudent and Practical — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:30:05 +0000

Hi Heather!
I go through this too. Sometimes stuff gets stuck in/on a container and I can’t get it off. Do I waste time and water trying to get it clean? I throw it out and then feel bad about it. I also get guilt sometimes with the organic vs. local produce at the store. I agree with Kathy about accountability on a blog – sometimes I feel like that about being frugal.

By: heather

heather — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:23:08 +0000

@Shona- I so totally know what you mean! I was at a concert this weekend and it was the same thing. There were bins for recycling plastic bottles, but no one was using them. And you’re right, it’s a sad thing.

@Karen- Thanks so much for your sweet comment. And for that tip about the honey! That’s is such a great idea; I’ll definitely do that next time!

@Tyler- I loved your post! Thanks so much for linking to it. That bit about the toilet paper made me laugh out loud. Good stuff.

@Erin- That is a really great philosophy. I’ve heard about the 80/20 rule applied to other things like business, but I never thought about applying it to going green. But it makes sense, and would definitely help with keeping my sanity! Thanks a lot for chiming in with that.

@Nicole- Going vegetarian is a huge way to go green! My husband and I went veg two years ago and have never looked back. It’s become such a part of our lives I didn’t even think about it when I was coming up with my list of 3 things! Thanks for bringing up that issue.

@Rebecca- Moving- I can totally sympathize. We’re moving soon too and I’ve been trying to do as much as I can early (donating, recycling, etc.) But I’ve had moves in the past where I had to do what you did. Don’t beat yourself up! Remember, we’re not beating ourselves up anymore. And kudos for going cloth in the bathroom! I’ve been considering doing that (for about forever now) and still haven’t made the leap. You rock.

@Kathy- Yeah, like I said to Rebecca, we can’t beat ourselves up anymore! Having a blog definitely makes me more accountable to myself, which is good, but I think you’re right; we can set the bar too high for ourselves. Blogging about going green is a huge way to make a difference in the world! No telling how many people you’re inspiring. So cheer for yourself for that!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:04:40 +0000

Oh man can I relate to this! I think it’s even easier to get down on yourself when you have a website or blog on green living – I have one too – so I feel like I should be even better because I’m using the web as a forum to tell others how they can be more green. There are so many times that I’m just too tired or too overwhelmed or too something to do the right thing and then, after I do something that’s definitely ‘ungreen’ I beat myself up over it, which only makes it worse. I think you’re advice is great – anything you do is better than nothing at all!

By: Rebecca Rivera

Rebecca Rivera — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:52:59 +0000

I have been feeling really guilty as I am moving and sometimes time does not allow me to try to reuse, recycle, or give away an item so I just have to throw it away. I freecycle alot, but when it is soo much stuff I can’t wait around for people to take the item.

I recently had a yard sale that was a flop and most of the stuff (except the clothes-I did donate them to bins) went in the trash.

I felt so bad (still do.)

But I love the three idea, so the three things I will do:
-use all cloth in my house (I even use cloth toilet paper, but buy recycled for my guests.)
-recycle all plastic and glass properly
-donate all used, still good clothes to bins or thrift shop and cut those no good to wear anymore to use as rags

my goals:
-use my cloth bags at food store instead of plastic bags
-give away all the items I no longer need, but still have life left in them
-repurpose stuff I already own instead of buying new stuff

Thanks for the post!!

By: Nicole Motzer

Nicole Motzer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:30:39 +0000

I commend you on leading a “green” lifestyle, but the number one action one can take (that is by far more effective than reusable shopping bags or recycling) is to give up meat, yet people rarely mention this. A vegetarian uses 1/10 of the resources a meat eater uses, and animal agriculture accounts for up to 51% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Watch Institute.

If you really want to make a difference environmentally speaking, go veg or at least become a meat reducer. It is difficult for one to call oneself an environmentalist if one eats meat, for the meat industry is the largest contributor to climate change and environmental degradation as per a United Nations report.

Thanks for listening, I really enjoy reading your posts : )

By: Erin aka Conscious Shopper

Erin aka Conscious Shopper — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:00:46 +0000

I can completely sympathize. I have a rule for myself called the 80/20 rule, which means that if I live environmentally responsibly 80% of the time, I can say “screw it” the other 20% of the time. Mostly, I try to live environmentally responsibly 100% of the time, but we all know that’s a really high bar, so the 80/20 rule means I don’t have to feel guilty if I mess up sometimes. And it also gives me some wiggle room as I transition my life to be greener and greener.

Also, you may not want to hear this, but solidified honey doesn’t mean it has gone bad. If you gently heat the jar, it will turn right back into honey. See this link from the Bee Folks:

http://www.beefolks.com/shopcontent.asp?type=faq10

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:08:18 +0000

This has been one of my favorite topics recently. I’m constantly trying to up the bar on myself and stretch for the next goal, but it can get exhausting.

On the other hand, sitting idly and doing nothing will cause complacency and apathy. There is really a fine line that each person needs to find to keep themselves in the happy zone.

Guilt, on either end of the spectrum, can really do a number someone trying to improve. Best to, like you said, find resolve in what you think is important and kick ass at it.

I wrote an article last week that’s really relevant to this topic. I’ll link to it here since you seem to be looking for more resources:

http://frugallygreen.org/2009/11/stop-feeling-guilty-and-go-do-something-awesome/