Spring is finally attempting to push its way into our region, however futile the effort.. We still have two feet of snow on the ground, huge snowbanks, and slushy roads, but there are pockets of warm air that carry a faint scent of fresh ground, that every now and again surprise you as you battle your way through the gusts of wind and icy rain. Sounds marvellous doesn't it? I realized just how desperate I was for some sign of an end to this winter when I caught myself getting excited that the air no longer freezes my nose, despite the wind rushing at me with enough force to blow my hair around and flip my umbrella inside out.
Inside, I have started my first wave of seeds (this year, despite not having any dirt for the gardens and still being unsure as to how I'll get dirt since I own a cavalier, not a truck, I've decided to plant seeds for a variety of annuals, perrenials (and grasses too!) and veggies). It's exciting to see the little baby green plants all poking up from beneath the earth in the sunny basement window, but I'm starting to wonder where I'll keep them all as they grow, considering the ground won't be ready for another month and a half. Hmmm... I might have to break down and buy some grow lights for my 'babies' as our house doesn't have a ton of windows that offer strong natural sunlight (note to self: must ensure the next house we buy is not facing NORTH)...

So lately I've found myself drawn more and more into this 'eco' thing going on in the world. I first discovered it, not all that long ago, as something that Earth-friendly Pagan circles and new-age psychologists were constantly talking about on the web and in books - this whole return to a simpler life, consuming only what you need, living 'green', as a means to reconnect with the Earth in both a practical and spiritual sense. For me, it started as a spiritual thing - trying to simplify my lifestyle so I could appreciate more the things I have and free up time for things that matter, like the people in my life. Now everywhere I look I see more and more 'green' furniture (that costs twice the price but hey, it's made with bamboo), organic clothing, eco friendly cars, 'straw bale' houses, organic foods and a major push to properly label and hopefully market local produce. It's confusing - I'm having a hard time differentiating between keeping things simple and environmentally friendly and being lured back into the consumerism game with products that claim they're 'green' but are actually laden with toxins and were actually produced in a smoke-belching factory where a forest once stood.

Then there's the 'serious' side to the issue - where I am seeing numerous books, tv shows, and even college courses, that address the future and the economic and social impacts we're bound to face when we finally do run out of non-renewable energy sources. Someone recently said 'it's the end of the 'Age of Oil'' and it really hit me - you read about that stuff in history books, where one era ends abruptly and out of the ashes comes another, even more revolutionary era that changes the way society as a whole thinks and functions. I'm fascinated to know what's next. Apparently 'renewable energy' and small-scale living is the key to long-term success in the future. Just hearing that kind of freaks me out because so many people out there can't do anything for themselves anymore - they've become so reliant on paying someone to do everything for them, from producing and preparing the food they eat to cleaning their houses to getting them to work, to telling them what choices to make.

Of course with all the 'hype' that has been generating over the environment, people are starting to climb aboard the "treading lightly" movement, and with the people comes the booming commercial industry. The same organizations who tell you that you 'need' to buy their products in order to be 'happy', are now telling you to 'live lighter, buy green' - then putting pretty signs filled with crisp green foliage and bright blue sky around their toxic chemical-laden products and jacking up the price (whether this is to make more money or to drive you to the cheaper non-eco friendly stuff is something that I still haven't figured out). In one jewellery store (Claire's) they had done this with wooden jewellery - setting it up on a big fancy 'fresh' looking display in the middle of the store that had a sign about 'going green'. I'd love to see where exactly that wooden jewellery was produced, and where the wood came from. To me, cutting down a tree so I can put a wooden bangle around my wrist seems counter-intuitive to the whole 'green movement', no? In my opinion, people who are eating this up (and okay, I admit they do a great job of making it look so damn pretty!) are going against the entire idea of living a self-sustainable lifestyle, where you consume only what you need, and make conscious choices around the products that you buy. I am starting to wonder if people are still going to miss the point as they are once again flooded with a barrage of 'eco-friendly' garbage from the oh so savvy commercial world. It might be 'biodegradable' but did a factory mow down trees and belch out polution in order produce this product? Do you even NEED this product?

On a different note, I found this book recently and think it will be a fascinating read (if and when I ever get around to joining the library): Stupid to the Last Drop: How Alberta Is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (And Doesn't Seem to Care). It's stuff like this that really gets my goat. People are people, and many of them just don't care. It's the rest of us (who aren't raking in the profits) who have to live with the consequences. And yet, while I'm ranting away, I do have to admit that I am being just a wee bit hypocritcal as I too am still a slave to the idea of 'quick and easy' - if it is too much of an effort, I still take the non-eco friendly option.

On a positive note, I can't wait for the Ottawa Farmers Market to open in May - they even have local produce, baking, beef, pork and chicken there, so you really don't need to look outside the region to find what you need. And as for the rest of it, I'm taking small steps - to me, it comes from everyone making those small changes in their daily lifestyle, coupled with a 'paradigm shift' toward local, simplistic living, that matters. This weekend I'm going to try cleaning my mirrors and windows with 1/2 vinegar to 4 cups water and a squeegie. (As opposed to using harsh chemicals) and I'm hoping to replace more of my lightbulbs with energy saving ones.

Ta ta for now.