Can Environmentalism Go Too Far?
I should be cleaning out the garage for our final garage sale before we move to London in 2 weeks, but something has been on my mind since yesterday. My good friend, who I moved to California with ten years ago came up from Los Angeles and had a visit with us. She came with my mom, son and me to do some errands so we could catch up.
After dropping my mom off at our holistic dentist, we stopped at a coffee shop to cool off with an iced coffee and tea and sit outdoors to enjoy the northern california sunshine while we waited for her to finish. My 2 year old sat contentedly enjoying juice and his organic Teddy Puffs tucked inside an environmentally-friendly Waste Not Sak that replaced our Ziploc bags months ago. Nearby another mom sat reading a paper with her 6-ish year old boy.
My son dropped a Teddy Puff on the ground, like toddlers do sometimes and wanted me to pick it up. I, of course obliged and tossed it into some nearby bushes and told my son that “the birds can eat it now. They’ll like it, it’s organic.” Within a minute the little boy with the sandy blond bowl cut from the table over was peering into the bushes in front of us with a napkin in hand, trying desperately to locate something. I asked my friend quietly, ” do you think he is looking for the Teddy Puff?” She thought he might be, although we both thought that it would be strange and ridiculous, if true.
The boy walked away defeated with a angry, sour look on his face. My friend, never shy, asked him what he was looking for. He replied, with a scowl “the food you threw in there”. I was shocked for a couple of reasons. My friend told him it was just a little organic piece of food that had fallen on the ground, so we gave it to the birds. The boys mother finally chimed in and said “he doesn’t like it when people give food to the birds. They eat their own food. He wants it to go in the trash.” (Something to that effect.)
Okay, so I am annoyed for several reasons. I found the boys concern for the environment commendable, but his manner completely rude. I gathered that he got his cues from his mother, who, while not quite as rude, was snide in her remark and obviously agreed with her son. Now, I understand that the more we feed animals the more they rely on us. But birds? They hang around wherever there is a dumpster or trash cans looking for food. They always find it. Some of these birds have become domesticated and do rely on us for some food now.
Secondly, I wasn’t purposely trying to feed birds. I would rather an organic piece of food decompose under a bush than sit in a plastic bag in the trash can and take who-knows-how-long to decompose inside plastic at an air-starved landfill. Honestly, if my compost bin wasn’t on a ship to London, I would have brought it home. After all, I brought home my plastic cup, since the coffee shop didn’t have a recycling bin.
So while the Marin Mom sipped her coffee, she and her son sat judging my choice to throw one teeny food morsel into the bushes. Meanwhile, right behind the boy sat 4 or 5 cigarette butts and a couple of napkins on the sidewalk. Did those not offend? Couldn’t the poor bird mistake the butts for food? So I am offended that his actions -right in front of me- were meant to offend me. And, I find that rude of a child or anyone. What happened to manners? Can’t we have polite little environmentalists?
Now, I ask you. Is something as small as a Teddy Puff the gateway to larger littering? Is it the idea of littering in general that bothered them? I hate litterbugs too. But I always saw littering as throwing cups, bags and cigarettes on the ground, instead of their proper receptacles. Would I have thrown a banana peel in the bushes? Probably not. So why did I think a little piece of food was okay? I don’t know. But I did. And I would do it again. What would you do?
As Marin Mom, in all her self-righteousness, drove off in her silver Prius, I am asking myself if I did the wrong thing. I don’t drive a hybrid, but I also haven’t eaten red meat for 15 years. I bring my own reusable bags to the store, I shop at my local farmer’s market, I carry a reusable water bottle, I grow some of my own vegetables, compost, reduce, recycle and reuse. We drink tap water now and limit disposable plastic in our home. We make strides everyday so that my son will learn to appreciate and care for the environment too. Do you think my son will get the wrong message about throwing food in the bushes? Or do you think Marin Mom and Marin Child are over the top?
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September 4th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Come on Deb…that lady is a freak. Sounds to me like a bit of environmental terrorism blended with reverse green snobbery rolled into a compostable ball of “shame on you for trying to make the world a better place by being eco-conscious” judgement.
All we can do is to do our absolute best, and no doubt many of your practices supercede hers. Big deal, she drives a Prius. You should have asked her where she planned on disposing of the car and that completely non-biodegradable and environmentally detrimental battery that it runs on.
I’m not against hybrids, of course, just defending you
!
September 4th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I love my friends! Of course, I wanted to start a “discussion”, but I know myself and my passion level and didn’t want to get into a green debate in front of my child with my friend who came to see me for a relaxed time!
It wouldn’t have been pretty!
September 4th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Hi Deb, I totally see what you mean with this, and I’d throw the organic piece of food into the bushes, but not a banana peel.
I agree that we must try our best, and my best is different from yours, of course.
I live in Ecuador and here most people is NOT too environmentalist, which could bother some “green” foreigners. On the other hand, here most people don’t have cars (like me) and consumes way less than in the developed world. These people don’t call themselves environmentalists, nor they try to consume less plastic, but they end up adding less waste to our Earth.
On another note. For me (a car free person), hybrids are still far from being a green solution, but I understand that if you’re in a different environment it could sound like a green choice.
I believe we should trust our own common sense.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Of course it can! I was pondering this as I browsed a department store and saw a really big label sell a t-shirt that says, “Earth Day is Every Day”. Really? Do you really think that or are you just jumping on a trend?
It’s the danger of “green” being hip. You’re going to get all type of interpretations and once again we can’t control other people (and their weird lives), but only our reactions. Obviously you guys were just chillin’ and did nothing wrong.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:44 am
[...] our quest to always be a little greener, Pure Mothers asks: Can environmentalism go too [...]
September 21st, 2009 at 7:21 am
Hi! We loved your post over at KiwiLog and decided to feature it as part of our weekly mom blog round-up. Thanks!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
To answer the question if environmentalism can go too far; no it really can’t. That is not to say that personal efforts should be taken to the ridiculous. Conservation should be rewarded and encouraged but also kept in the context of modern day living. However, the concept of environmentalism is of utmost urgency and should be everyone’s first priority and needs to be embraced globally.
December 18th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Hmmm…
Interesting how events unfold. Children do learn what they live and it becomes their “operating system” – like a computer.
I think organic food is… well organic, and therefore what you did is in my opinion, harmless and actually helpful on many levels. The little human being there was probably mimicking his mother’s rudeness in action in a similar situation, and for some reason (obviously unexplored at the time), hold’s and interesting point of view.
Would have been fun to be able to engage the boy in his reasoning without the mother’s influence. Fat chance at that, I know. But I totally see your point with the given information.
While we can’t always be concerned with what others think about ourselves, yet at the same time it’s information we can use to refine who we are. People will see whatever mirror they hold us to in their own world of perception.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Just found your blog, and interesting topic. I probably would have done the same thing, if I was sure no one was looking. Otherwise, I throw it in my lunch bag and take it home to compost. Now if they had a compost bin there, instead of just a trash can…I can only hope that happens soon!
I notice that you clothe your son only in organic clothing. I have tried to do that, but also re-use clothes. I am new to your blog, and perhaps I have missed something, but isn’t reusing clothing as good or better?
I find it very hard (and extremely expensive) to do all organic clothing for all of my children. It is one place where I cannot always make my goal. However, our fist stop when getting new clothing is always the consignment shop. I realize it may not be organic, but at least it is being re-used.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Hi Jen, I’m sorry if you got the impression I only clothe my son in organic clothing. I only clothe him in organic pajamas. His bedding is all organic too. I think since kids spend so many hours sleeping and breathing in close proximity to bedding and clothing they should be organic. I buy consignment clothes too. All organic clothing is way too expensive and limiting. I am all for reusing clothes and other items. Good for you for doing the same! So happy you found me.
April 13th, 2010 at 7:38 am
I applaud the author (Deborah) for her great insight, here. Conservation is a great thing, and she obviously makes her own efforts to make a difference without letting it become a superiority complex. That’s how it should be done.
Everyone has their passions — that does not justify pushing it/judging other people because they don’t share those passions. At some point, everyone “could” get after someone else for being deficient in some important aspect of life.
I like this article (see link), and I think it goes well with Deb’s. It’s not intended to make a stab at being a conservationist. It’s there to talk about how some people go about it. It’s no different than hard-core Christians telling everyone they’re going to hell. It’s not a loving way to approach what one thinks is important. It gets in the way of the GOOD part of the message.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/the_green_religion.html
April 13th, 2010 at 7:41 am
One more comment — too so many of you who have posted comments — why do you have to be so pleasant and reasonable!!! Don’t you know it’s “hip” to be bitchy? Ha ha!
Seriously, though — very good comments. Well thought, and caring.