Crude Awakening.

This article from GOOD finally pushed me over the edge. I'd be dangling my toes over the abyss for a while now, twiddling my digits in the idea that my large family needs to be greener. Sure we recycle, I turn the lights off when I leave the room (and follow behind the kids nagging as I flip light switches), I've thought about buying reusable shopping bags (but I've been too cheap!) I post the occasional outraged post on facebook...but in all honesty, that has been the extent of my attempt to lower our environmental impact. 

I spent the first eleven years of my life in Florida before moving with my parents to Boise, Idaho. Seeing the devastation of this most recent oil spill in the Gulf has been horribly sad for me. My childhood playground is befouled, and I've yet to share the magic of the ocean with my kids. It may never be the same...it hurts my heart. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is keeping a running tally of the animals oiled and/or killed by the spill. You can see the daily reports here.

Then I read the above article from GOOD & realize that ALL of that devastation, all of that filth and death and destruction only amounts to 5.5 hours worth of American consumption. What is wrong with us? We can kill thousands of animals, ruin the ecosystem, destroy jobs, kill people...with 5.5 hours worth of oil. Sure everything in the nation runs off that, but still, how is that healthy? How is that just?

It's one of those moments when once I know, I can't in good conscience keep on the way I've been. We have a big family: two parents, five kids, one dog. We have the ability to make quite an impact, and so far we haven't been consciously working to make the world better, cleaner, or safer. 7 people and a dog can make a BIG footprint. I'm going to try and change that. 

This blog is a record of accountability as I start my journey to try and reduce my family's ecological impact on the earth.