As with any journey I want to start at the beginning and that for me is the why. Why did I want to go on an eco friendly journey? Well like a lot of people I have been inspired by this years Plastic Free July campaign but another recent sensational illustration of the impact of plastic on our seas, has also been at the forefront of my mind. The images from National Geographic’s Plastic or Planet? articles, are dramatic and have put the plastic reality into a quantifiable image for the average person. You don’t need to understand the science behind it to see that a bird wrapped in plastic is bad.
I have always been dedicated to re-cycling and if you run your own home and want to be cost efficient then looking into saving energy and reducing waste is just common sense and is beneficial even if devoid of a moral/environmental motive. I have also been a member of the Green Team at my place of business looking at how to improve the building’s carbon footprint. I have attended a course funded by the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which is probably the first time I really thought more about the need to reduce demand and the initial production rather than just dealing with the waste. I studied History at University and I often find myself applying the logic of cause and effect to many aspects of my life and this topic is no different. Some times you need to identify the cause instead of focusing on the effect. One of my favorite rants is ‘I wish people would be pro-active instead of re-active’. Or put another way ‘arse over tit’.
But overall it is for my daughter, becoming a parent gives you a different perspective on pretty much everything, well it did for me. I am a lot more conscious of my actions as they have a direct impact on the most important person in my world. I want her to have the best memories of her child hood, like I do. When some one asks her about her parents I want her to be able to tell them more than what we do for a living. She should know who we are and what we stand for. I want to expose her to as many ideas as possible so she can make an informed decision on her own life choices. But I mainly want her to be safe and happy, a world drowning in plastic and poisoned by chemicals does not a happy life make.
The reason for the blog is quite practical. A lot of my friends and mainly my own Mam have begun their own eco journeys and it is hard to share ideas, website links, product reviews etc. during a 2 hour play date, 30 minute catch up or family visit. I feel like my life often happens in sound bites, you never get the full story. Therefore I thought if I create a central place to at least record what I have been up to (my eco journey), I can easily share it with anyone interested.
I am not an expert and I will get things wrong but this isn’t about telling you how to do it, it is about showing you how I am trying to do it. And perhaps we can learn and travel together.
Eco Lass 