For those of us who are trying really hard to live more sustainable lives, it is often frustrating when we revert to our wasteful ways. Maybe you were visiting a friend and etiquette required that you flush *every time*. Or you were dining out and knew the food wasn’t sourced locally.
Or you were on vacation with a sprained ankle and couldn’t walk more than 40 feet at a time to find a restaurant with a good vegetarian selection. (Been there.)
Environmental guilt happens. Not one of us is perfect. Sometimes we do something that isn’t 100% great for the environment. The best thing to do is to acknowledge what you did and how you could’ve done it better. Then move on.
It benefits no one to make a mistake and then say “Well, I’ve ruined it now… I might as well pollute away.” Nonsense! Your 90% effort is way better than others’ 10% or 0% efforts.
Here are the good things I did for the environment on my vacation:
1. Ate only tiny amounts of beef and pork.
2. Bought local bread, cheese and wine at the local grocery.
3. Almost exclusively used public transportation and the power of my feet.
4. Hung up my towels at the hotel so they wouldn’t wash them every day.
5. Stayed at hotels that utilized movement sensors on hallway lights.
6. Packed lightly.
Always acknowledge the GOOD you’ve done, even if you occasionally break from your green routine.
