I'm back, and even more hippie-ish than before

Oh my goodness it has been a while since I've been able to write in this thing. I had finals, and then I was moving, and then I had no internet in the new place.

Well all that has come to an end, and summer has officially begun.

So to ease back into the blogging thing, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the makings of my own green revolution. It all started around the time I was packing, I looked around at all my stuff and my old apartment and I thought, this is not healthy.

I hadn't even completely unpacked from my last move, and there were islands of clutter and mess all over my room. Worse still were the common areas of the apartment. I had a lot of stuff that I didn't need and I've been trying to be really aware of the systems in place that continuously deprive the needing. Every time I go out and buy something, I am most likely feeding that system, and doubly so when I hoard things I don't use or need.

If I want to make sure that I practice consumer ethics for the good of the people who make the consumer goods, I also have to be ethical towards the environment. Generally, what's good for the earth is good for its people.

It may sound like a lot of work and money to be an ethical consumerist, but that's not true at all. And no one can change a lifetime of unethical habits over night! You gotta start small.

Here are some the thins I've started implementing recently:

Donate clothes I'm not wearing!!!

Limit the number of "new" clothes I buy from chains and departments stores by frequenting thrift stores and consignment shops. Buying second hand clothes decreases the demand for the manufacturing of new ones. Sometimes, it may not be possible, like if you need a fancy dress or suit or even shoes. But when I need to buy those things, I'm going to take a careful look at where I'm buying them from.

Stop buying so many cleaning products! Its too much money to get all those things that end up polluting the earth in the manufacturing process when you can use more household agents just as well. Like, vinegar and baking soda. If I do need a specific kind of cleaning products, like dish soap or laundry detergent, there are lots of environmentally friendly options that are just as inexpensive as the stuff I already buy.

For the most part, I'm doing my research via a few different websites. The internet is an earth and people friendly resource! I use Treehugger, Planet Green, and the Discovery Health Channel.