greenliving

And I’m not referring to french fries or MacDonald meals. Upgrading to a larger size has become an increasingly popular trend in North America. Take our homes for instance. From the 1970’s till the current years, our home sizes have increased by an outstanding 50%, while the residents who live here have decreased by 17%. Don’t believe it? Speak to your neighbours or friends over 50 years of age, and they’ll tell you how they and their children grew old together in a 3 bedroom, one bathroom home and very comfortably at that.

And how about cars? Not only have we upgraded to two or even three cars per family, but most of us will own at least one SUV amongst them. Even our RV’s are no longer small ‘towed by the family car’ trailers, but huge road dominating vehicles which carry all the comfort of our homes in them; including big screen plasma TV’s. Did you know for example, that a 42″ plasma screen consumes 400 watts of energy. Or that an LCD TV is more efficient than a plasma screen? If  you didn’t, then you’re not alone. Most of us will not do the research it needs to find out what is the most energy efficient path to take. Yet, as we continue to supersize our lives, we contribute to more and more greenhouse gas emissions, waste and dumping increases and a greater burden for the Earth to carry.

Consider sub-sizing your lifestyle, in small increments if need be. Smaller choices are often wiser choices; lower mortgages, lesser strata fees, fewer parking and petrol costs and a healthier and cleaner world for all of us.

It’s been a while since I last blogged and thanks to my careful planning, I have lost the weight I intended to. However, with food being constantly on my mind (dieters will relate to this), it’s no wonder that recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance it plays in our lives and yet, how much for granted we take it.

Every 60 seconds, there are 250 people born! And of course, China and India are leading the world’s population race, with each country being inhabited by more than one billion people. Scientists claim that at this rate, the world’s population will touch more than 9 billion people by the year 2040! To feed such a population, we must either grow more food on existing farmlands or carve out more space from our wilderness on which to harvest it. And what about the other challenges that food cultivators face? Electricity consumption, disposal of waste products and pollution are only some of the side effects that have to be dealt with.

And that’s only one side of the picture. Currently, we produce enough food for our 7 billion inhabitants. But not everyone gets a taste of this production. Food distribution is still widely unbalanced and families in poorer nations will still feel the pangs of hunger each night as they lay their heads down to sleep. In the recent years, food production has increased, but the question is what goes into creating this extra food. While ‘organic’ farming is on the increase, so is the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the production of crops and the use of steroids and hormones in cattle farms.

So in the end, whose problem is this really? Rich nations often lay blame on developing or poorer nations with high birth rate figures. But can a family of 4 with a gas-guzzling SUV and an extra large home really afford to point fingers of blame elsewhere?

And so, as I munch on my apple and contemplate not only my future, but the future of the two children I’ve brought into this world, I can only think of ways I need to contribute, small as they may be. And I hope that this can be a lesson to my children and theirs too; to think before buying, to stop before wasting, to recycle before throwing out and to appreciate all what they have, instead of wishing for all they do not.