Earth Day Moral Dilemma
Today is a great day to think about decluttering as well as reducing our current rates of consumption. I recently checked out a library book called: “Material World” by Peter Menzel. The book is made up of photos from around the world with families standing outside surrounded by their possessions. Some with very, very little and usually still a smile on their faces. The photo from the US was with a family from Texas; they took up the entire cul-de-sac with their many, many belongings. The title for the US was: Moral Dilemma. That’s kinda sad. We do work hard and we do deserve to have nice things and be comfortable in our homes. But there is such as thing as overdoing it, crossing the line and too much of a good thing.
Let’s strive to strike a balance between too much and just enough. Not only do we usually have what we need, but we have many duplicates of the same items. This produces two things: more money spent, more clutter.
So today, on Earth Day, I would like to suggest a few things to help keep the balance:
- Declutter drawers, closets and shelves of extras, duplicates, and things you don’t use and pass them on to someone who will.
- The next time you need something, see if you can borrow one before running out and buying one.
- Join Freecycle.com to engage in trades and giveaways instead of using the landfill to part with items.
- See if a substitute will work, like using a shoebox for a storage container instead of buying a plastic container.
- See if you can just make do without sometimes.
May you have what you need, enjoy what you have and have a happy Earth Day!
Tags: balance, container, Earth Day, freecycle, landfill, moral dilemma, Peter Menzel, US
