Category: Sustainability

Never did I think in my middle-aged-hood that I’d refresh what I’d learned in civics class. Over the years, I’ve learned that “innocent until proven guilty” only applied to the most privileged. Now, I’m relearning that this country really doesn’t have checks and balances despite the three branches of government. Even “due process” is an afterthought for this current executive branch.

The founding fathers would be amazed that a bullying, con-artist billionaire wannabe would blow past what we’ve held to be self-evident all these centuries.

In all the permutations about the second civil war in the U.S., who imagined that it would begin with a billionaire takeover of the White House? I figured that white anger would play a part, but, for once, this has not been primarily against Black people. Even our sole Black president didn’t take the U.S. to such a brink of collapse.

This may be the first time that white anger has worked for people of color. However long that exists since the last thing the powers that be wants is for the 99% to be united. They usually pit poor people of different races against ourselves, so that we’re too distracted to fight the power.

In DOGE’s chainsaw haste to cut out fraud/waste/abuse, both real and mostly imagined, it has mass-fired thousands of people, regardless of race, then quickly rehired those who should have never been on the chopping block due to security and health reasons. But, that’s not the totality of the terminated.

This is the first administration that, instead of boasting about job creation, gleefully celebrates adding thousands to the unemployed list. All for the sake of saving money, which in the end, will cost us more money to take care of people who no longer have the financial means to take care of themselves.

As expected, some of the angry masses have taken to graffiting and blowing up Teslas. Future Tesla owners have changed their minds about buying them, plummeting both sales and stocks. Now the White House and big wig GOP are whoring themselves to entice people to buy those cars, or at least the stock when higher ups in the company have dumped their shares.

Additionally, the GOP are extremely vocal when denouncing domestic terrorism when discussing the graffi/vandalism/bombings of targeted Teslas, but are deafeningly silent about the lack of due process under which DOGE operates.

Granted, two wrongs don’t make a right, but the federal government has to return to fair practices to stop fomenting negative, and sometimes violent reactions among its citizens. Plus, the other two branches must step up.

Some have questioned why one judge can block the executive branch. The easy answer is that the founding fathers set up our country so that one person in the executive branch couldn’t be a dictator.

Apparently, the legislative branch is waiting for more of their own to be elected in less than two years. In the past, midterm elections have been a reliable way to send a message to the White House. Just like during the Orange Menance 1.0 and we elected more women to congress than ever.

I’m praying that we’ll have a democracy still standing to accommodate the election process. Actually, I’m adding that to all the other prayers that I’ve found myself meditating on since 2.0. What would make me feel much better, though, is the return of due process.

In my latest attempt to go greener, I bought a pair of blue recycling bins with handles, one for the kitchen and one for my bedroom. Previously, Mom had used a white TRASH BAG-LINED tall kitchen receptacle to put our recycling in. Whenever it was full, she’d close up the bag and toss it in the outdoor recycling bin. [NOTE: Before Dad starting receiving 48-hours a week in caregiver services, I used to properly take out the recycling by dumping the recycling out sans trash bag and reusing the bag until it was no longer usable, THEN tossing the bag into the outdoor garbage bin. Now, it’s the caregiver’s job, whenever Mom cares to ask them to do it.]

I explained to her that the recycling center doesn’t open those recycling-filled trash bags to remove the contents. The whole thing is thrown into a landfill.

Upon hearing that, Mom asked how would she keep the kitchen recycling bin clean if she didn’t use trash bags. “Easy,” said I, “Just wash the recycling before you put it in the recycling bin.”

“I’m don’t want to wash garbage.”

That was round one. I knew I wouldn’t win her over in the first attempt. Contrary to the old saying, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks as long as the dog already knows tricks. Mom definitely has learned a lot in her eight decades plus a few more years.

Round two came when the new recycling bins arrived. I’d dramatically retrieve unrinsed recycling from the bin, wave it front of Mom’s face, then rinse it out, showing her that it didn’t take that much time.

In reality, we both knew that during the week, I wouldn’t have the luxury of inspecting the recycling bin. That was just a weekend thing because I had the time to do so.

Then, I explained in a way that resonated with her more. I told her that not washing recycling prior to putting it in the bin was similar to how one of her grandsons used to complain about having to wash the skidmarks out of his underwear. I’d advise him, more than once, that if he just wiped himself better, he wouldn’t have to wash out skidmarks.

Mom, being both wise and stubborn, readily understood the message of clean recycling leaving a cleaner recycling bin.

Now, it’s matter of how quickly her behavior changes. For my part, I want to avoid being “that guy” about the recycling or giving her an easy out. Because Mom, like any intelligent person, will find a less desirable choice to get out of doing what needs to be done.

For years, she has said that I think I’m her mother. Well, she and Dad are definitely my octogenarian teenagers. This is just another life lesson.

As many projects as I juggle, I don’t have much bandwidth to take on much else outside work and exercise. Yet, I know I can do better when it comes to aligning my life more sustainably. It’s so easy to sit back and watch images on TV, shake my head and think what a shame when I know that I’m not doing everything in my power to lower my carbon and plastic footprint.

It’s even more challenging now that I’m living with my parents, the octogenarian teenagers. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s very challenging to raise their concern for the health of the planet, even for the sake of their four grandkids. Mom is so enthusiastic about single-use plastic bags and is quite annoyed by my insistence to wash and reuse Ziplock storage bags.

I attended a virtual talk by author and environmental activist, Erica Cirino, who talked about the research behind her book, Thicker Than Water. I was so impressed by her experiences, especially her efforts to build a sustainable house by minimizing the amount of plastic it contained. Eventually, I ordered her book.

Was it the Devil, the Universe or Amazon fucking with me when that book about seeking solutions to the plastic crisis came bound in plastic?

Another effort I made was to eliminate single-use dryer sheets. Even though one can clean the dryer’s lint tray with a used dryer sheet, it still winds up in a landfill. A sustainable alternative? A pack of three woollen balls. The kit even came with a small container of frankincense and myrrh to spray on the balls, which provides a light scent of those wholesome oils. Even so, the small container is made of plastic. Once I find a recyclable container of essential oils, there’s always Mom.

One Saturday, I was in the middle of doing laundry when I left to attend a yoga class. Mom figured she’d help me out by taking out the bedspread from the dryer and placing the load from the washing machine into the dryer. According to her, there were only two balls in the dryer when she removed the bedspread.

Since my bedroom is across the hall from the laundry room, the third ball couldn’t have rolled too far. Nonetheless, I couldn’t find it. Mom’s solution: “Two work fine.”

After literally sleeping on it, I woke up, knowing what I had to do. I lifted the mattress to see the challenge from another perspective. The third ball was entangled in the dust ruffle.

Normally we eat leftovers, either warmed up in the microwave or the airfryer. We’d been using disposable airfryer liners. When we ran low on the liners, instead of buying a new pack of disposables, I found an alternative.

So far, everyone has used, washed and reused this silicone airfryer liner. At this point, I don’t even want to know the bad effects, if any. I’m taking the win until I can’t.

Unlike the the reusable straws.

Once Dad came home from rehab after his hip surgery, I bought a pack of metal straws to replace the disposable plastic straws. You would’ve thought I’d invited Satan to live with us. Mom hated them.

Now that Dad has caregiving services for 48 hours a week, I no longer bring him liquids on a regular basis. On the rare occasions that I bring him a drink, especially if I make him a mocktail, I use the metal straws. They’ve been relegated to special occasion straws rather than daily straws AKA drawer clutter.

I’ve been decluttering for decades. Don’t want to take a step back and fill my personal space with good intentions.