Kermit Had It Right

It's not easy being green. For all you outsiders, Austin is a hippie city and the majority of the population strives to reduce its' ecological footprint. We are not the greenest city in the states, I mean who can top Portland? But I would guess we are in the top ten. Now I have always been drawn to environmental issues, and even when I lived in the dorms I took recyclables to the landfill. In Austin the green lifestyle can include anything from only riding a bicycle to get around, recycling almost everything, buying organic/local foods, buying organic clothes, composting, using reusable bags when shopping, and I could go on, but I won't. Any everybody differs in their level of greenness.

As for us:

• we use the recycle service from waste management
• we bring things the curbside won't collect to a recycle service downtown,
• we try to limit our energy usage (our whole house has the swirly light bulbs!)
• we have the energy efficient front loading washer
• we use the reusable grocery bags
• we occasionally buy organic, very occasionally
• we use "green" cleaning chemicals

But compared to the city as a whole we are probably at a level five out of ten, maybe a six. But I have turned into "that person" who grumps whenever someone (no names mentioned, but take a guess) puts a plastic container in the trash. ;) And next spring we will hopefully build our garden in the back yard and I can grow my own veggies, YUM! But first we have to wait for the grass to spread out. It's getting there slowly but surely. A little rain would help though!!