Thursday, March 24, 2011

going green

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I adore this wool jumper to death, but it is incredibly difficult to style. For some reason I always end up pairing it with yellow, which has a rather cartoonish quality... of course, as I was on my way to work this morning I thought of an alternative way to wear it, so it may show up again in the next couple of weeks :)

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(jumper: SnapVintage on etsy; dress: h&m via plato's closet; hat: vintage; belt/scarf: thrifted; tights: hue; shoes: seychelles)

In reviewing these photos I noticed that my hat was exposing its underbelly (how embarrassing...). I'll have to perch it less precariously next time :) Also, the sun was BRIGHT today and I look totally washed out and pasty, so please pretend I don't. That is all.

On my mind today: Last weekend I watched No Impact Man, a documentary about Manhattanite author and environmentalist Colin Beaven, and it got me thinking more seriously about my personal carbon footprint and the areas in which I could scale back my own impact on the earth. While some of the things he and his reluctant wife (and toddler daughter) did (no toilet paper? That's taking it too far...) were a little extreme, the "point" of the experiment was to take the no impact philosophy to the absolute limit, and determine along the way what really was too extreme and what could comfortably be cut out of daily life. They rode bikes everywhere, gave away their television, ate only foods they could buy within a preset radius, didn't travel outside the city limits (with one exception: a vacation to the sustainable farm that provided their food at the local farmer's market), did their laundry in the bathtub, and even went without electricity for six months.

While I would never attempt such a radical lifestyle change (and wouldn't want to), there are a few things that stuck with me (which I already knew but sort of ignored). For one thing, I produce way too much garbage. This does not mean that I will never get Chinese takeout ever again, because that would most definitely disrupt my quality of life, but (for example) I use one of the provided paper cups at the Keurig machine every single day at work so that I can grab the coffee on my way in the door instead of going back down the stairs after grabbing a mug (plus, let's face it, I don't want to have to wash the mug). I'm lazy. So that's one area where I can cut back significantly. I am also going to (finally) invest in a water bottle, because a) I reuse them all the time and am therefore slowly poisoning myself and b) I eventually stop reusing them and buy new ones. Lots of waste. When my dad and brother put me on the spot and asked me to give up ONE THING or do one thing differently to reduce my carbon footprint at the Climate Change rally earlier this year, I couldn't think of anything. I blame the fact that I can't think when under pressure, but still. Here's my list:

1. Invest in a reusable water bottle
2. Bring a mug to work for coffee
(and get some exercise going up and down the stairs that extra time)
3. Buy rice, pasta and (maybe, can't commit to this one) beans in bulk from the market
4. Talk to my landlord about setting up a compost
5. Always choose locally produced foods whenever possible (I already buy local eggs and bread, but could be better about buying local produce, especially during the summer)

What about you? Any suggestions for reducing our daily waste? Reducing is the first step (reuse is the second, which we thrifters are excellent at)!

20 comments:

  1. This green dress is amazing, and looks so wonderful with yellow, not cartoonish at all! Absolutely gorgeous though.
    I need to invest in a reusable water bottle too, thats definitely a must. Im trying to get my family to buy more local meats and stuff like that. Summer time with the farmers market makes it much easier.
    xJennaD

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  2. i loooove the girl guide feel of this outfit, the dress is gorgeous and colours work perfectly together :) good for you for aiming to reduce your carbon footprint, shamefully i'm pretty poor at that x

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  3. I absolutely love this outfit...the colours are perfect!

    The house we bought this year has enough of a yard for me to put in a garden, so I'm definitely looking forward to growing my own fruits and vegetables!

    Natasha ~ Required2BeInspired

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  4. I love this jumper, it's D-A-R-L-I-N-G! It's one of those pieces that's so versatile...you can wear it over, under, layered, just about anyway you want with anything you want :) If only I could get my hands on it...

    <3 Cambria
    http://twoforteaplease.blogspot.com/

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  5. I love wool dresses in winter time! And I really love the color and shape of yours. I think it would look so cute with a cream/lace blouse underneath.

    xx

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  6. Oh, I just posted about this here:
    http://jesseanneo.blogspot.com/2011/03/plassic-free-march.html

    And here:
    http://jesseanneo.blogspot.com/2011/03/follow-up-on-plassic-free-march-post.html

    Mostly about plastic! It actually inspired me to use my slow cooker to make bulk beans, which I have yet to post about though!

    I really like this dress. I keep meaning to add more sheath dresses to my wardrobe since they're so perfect for dressing up or down.

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  7. You wear that dress quite a lot, don't you? By which I don't mean that you should stop wearing it for a bit or anything, because I really love it too. But you must come up with some styling alternatives. ; ) I love this one, though, great scarf and sweater combo.

    Carbon footprints, sigh. I could be a lot better about cups. At school and work in Canada I always had a travel mug, but I don't have one here, with a resulting atrocious paper cup habit.
    I don't drive and always walk, bike or take public transport... but there is the little matter of all those flights I take. Doesn't really bear thinking about...

    P.S. You may not wear jeans often, but I include you among the people who look effortlessly great in them. : )

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  8. By that nonsensical first comment, I meant it's evident that you do come up with styling alternatives, as I've never seen you repeat and outfit that I know of on here.

    Sheesh, data entry is killing my brain!

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  9. That is a WONDERFUL outfit, filled with gorgeous color! Love it!

    Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge
    Otis and James accessory giveaway

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  10. It doesnt look cartoonish at all, if anything you're like a stylish retro girl scout. I loooove your lipstick too.

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  11. That green jumper is awesome and I love the yellow scarf with it. I don't think it's cartoonish, just bright and sunny. :)

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  12. omg, adorable ; )

    xx
    alexandra

    www.alexandragrecco.etsy.com

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  13. First, this outfit is adorable, and I think that the yellow compliments this shade of green so well, so your styling is perfect. Second, I definitely love your list, and I agree with you that being lazy (especially about the trash thing and using disposable cups at work), is such an easy thing to change.

    I'm so glad I found your blog, I really enjoy it. I am now following! :)

    xo,
    Kirstin Marie

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  14. Your outfit is amazing! I sorta nicknamed it "Girl Scout Cookie" in my head hehe! Also! As for a water bottle, I recently bought a re-usable one and I love it to death! Its called "Liquid Solution Cascade Stainless Steel". I haven't bought plastic bottled water ever since. I love carrying my new bottle around. Its a little big, but I drink a lot of water. Its easy to clean too :)

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  15. Love the green dress, and the ideas are inspiring!

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  16. First, love this outfit! Sort of a sexy girl scout ;)

    Second, little changes like using a re-usable water bottle or coffee mug makes a big difference! I also opt for the metal silverware in the office cafeteria vs. the plastic throw-away ones. I also try to use canvas shopping bags, but I have to admit, I'm really, really bad about remembering them when I go grocery shopping!!!

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  17. Honestly, it really is the small things that make a big difference, so I'm glad you're thinking about those. I think a lot of people think that the problem is just too big, and end up doing nothing, so I like when I see people doing the little things anyway. :)

    Also, I LOVE the outfit combo.

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  18. I do the exact same thing! The water bottle reuse then eventually throw away thing. I really need to get a reusable water bottle, too.

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  19. I am a coffee cup fiend too - although I use my mug most days sometimes the NEED for coffee is too great to track it up to the second floor and back down again. Same about the water bottle too. I think I might follow suit in that.

    I am rather forgetful about unplugging the telly rather than leaving it on stand by for years and years but I think considering I rarely ride nevermind drive a car and rarely travel on plains I guess my indulgence in imported clothing is my biggest guilty pleasure.

    You look brilliant by the way - the sweater peaking out and the dress are perfect partners and I for one love the little bits of yellow :)

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