“A True Story: Love in the Time of Greenwashing”

I’d like to tell you a small tale of love and the things we do for it.  I recently dubbed one of my friends “The Most Wasteful Person in Austin.” He loves it.  He’s so proud of his huge Hummer, his fast-food eating habits, littering, not recycling (actually using his recycling bin for more trash), and committing to an ideology that organic and local food is not real food.  Gotta love him.

Well Mr. Wasteful recently became engaged to his girlfriend (awwww), Ms. Anchorwoman, who happens to be a pretty important employee of a local news channel trying to exude a “green” image.  When Ms. Anchorwoman heard that I wanted to follow her fiancee around with a camera, she put a stop to it; it would ruin the green reputation.

The Hummer is now swapped out for a hybrid rental whenever they attend social events.  This is very compromising for Mr. Wasteful because he loves his car.  But the green craze hasn’t got them  changing too much in the household or in their lifestyles–just on the surface, where it counts.

Moral of the Story: Don’t change too much for the one you love.  I KEED!

What is up with us?!  Now we’re pretending to lead sustainable lifestyles because being “green” is the new and hip thing?  I’ll be the first to admit that my carbon emissions are far from 0 tonnes, and that’s the first step in all of this.

I love when I run into strangers that apologetically admit that they drive a huge truck to work.  That’s great!  At least you understand, now try to improve.  You can’t change your lifestyle if you pretend that nothing is wrong with the way you’re really living.

C’mon, say it with me, “My name is [Insert Name] and I am a CARBONHOLIC!”  Great.  You’ve just found a community of people just like you that are wanting to make a change in their lives.  As usual, here are a few steps that you can take to change your ways and change your city.

4 Steps Towards Becoming Carbon Free

1. Join 10:10ATX!  We send weekly tips, and are the official local chapter to 10:10UK

2.  Apply for a community garden in 2010 through Green Corn Project.

3. Get involved with the Austin Comprehensive Plan.  Attend any one of the upcoming forums for change in our city.  Bring your bright ideas.

4. Leave the Hummer at home and take a walk, or take the bicycle.  And if that’s too much to ask, then take the Hummer.  But please, be kind to cyclist, which also means not to tease them.  When your co-worker comes into the office wearing a bike helmet, it’s not meant to be funny.

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