Shirley Siluk Gregory's Blog

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory

Looking ahead to the New Year, I've come up with a few wishes I'd love to see come true in 2007. I hope, in the coming year, that I see:

Government leaders at all levels all over the world finding the will to start taking immediate action against global warming and for a greater reliance on renewable energy;

The elimination of government policies -- farm subsidies, import tariffs, corporate tax breaks -- the result in processed and junk foods being cheaper and more widely available than healthful, natural and unprocessed foods;

A popular culture that starts valuing responsible living and conservation over conspicuous consumption and wastefulness;

An auto industry that voluntarily aims for the highest fuel-efficiency standards possible;

Grocery store chains that choose local produce over shipped foods whenever they can;

Programs and policies -- both governmental and business -- that make energy-efficient appliances and lights, fresh and healthful foods, and alternative energy -- affordable for even the lowest-income citizens; and

Continued success and ever-expanding influences for every person who's working -- whether at the family, local or international level -- to build strong, green, healthy and sustainable communities.

Best wishes for a green and happy New Year, everyone!

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory

Some things about living green are so easy, they're practically no-brainers: things like using compact fluorescent lightbulbs, turning your thermostat a little higher or lower, and recycling. But other green habits are harder to adopt and keep.

What habits? Oh, things like wrapping gifts in old magazine pages, which -- while noble -- still kind of screams "cheap and cheesy" to many people. Or not flushing the toilet when only liquids are involved, which still send the message, "Yuck!" in our so-called civilized society.

Not that these habits aren't right and worthwhile ... they're just harder to adopt because of the currently accepted social mores and practices. Being a green trailblazer can sometimes be embarrassing or even a little painful.

But here's the thing: sooner or later, the pressure will be on everyone to adopt green living habits, inconvenient, embarrassing or uncomfortable though they might be. The growing burden we're placing on natural resources, and the increasing scarcity of those resources that's likely in coming years, will reach a tipping point that will make the things we now take for granted too rare and too expensive to waste.

When that day comes, the habits some now call cheap, cheesy or yucky will probably take on new adjectives: smart, economical and responsible.

In the meantime, though, I have to confess that I'll probably stick with simply recycling my old wrapping paper for another day, and saving those flushes only when there's no one else around.

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory

Every chance I get, I try to teach my almost-four-year-old son the virtues of green living. Not an easy task, considering the natural mercenary tendencies of toddlers, but I do see occasional signs that the lessons are sinking in. He's starting, for example, to ask whether we could save leftovers or reuse things around the house, rather than throw them away. I find that encouraging.

Now I believe green living habits are worthwhile no matter what our circumstances -- privileged or not. Unfortunately, I also believe my son's generation will be forced by necessity to live more green than my generation has: climate change, an ever-expanding world population and growing competition for finite natural resources make that almost a certainty. I think it's smart to prepare him now so the adjustment won't be so hard in years to come.

While that sounds like a bleak vision of the future, I do believe there's also cause for hope. More and more people are thinking green lately too, and taking action to change their own habits and lobby for wider change as well. Living green is also healthier, so my son won't be exposed to some of the junk I was as a child because we didn't know any better: fast food, processed foods, pesticide-coated fruits, toys made of PVCs, chemical-laden personal-care products, chemical-soaked pajamas and so on. I'm hoping that means he'll have a better, healthier start on life.

Finally, it's worth noting that the best way to teach kids green living habits is by example ... the way children always learn best. So I'm trying my best to improve my own habits every day, for him as well as for myself and the world at large. Seems like the right thing to do.

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory

One thing you discover when you start living green is a new tendency to study, really study, food labels.

The next thing you discover is how appalling the list of ingredients in most foods is. Sweeteners, additives, preservatives, artificial this, artificial that ... this is food?

The absurdity of how we've come to eat struck me yesterday while shopping for a simple jar of raspberry preserves. All I wanted was something with real raspberries and as few other ingredients as possible to spread on whole-wheat bread for my 3 1/2-year-old son's daily lunch of "jelly sandwich."

I started with one promising choice that claimed to be all fruit. Check the label: high-fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient. The next "all-natural" one ... same thing. The reduced-sugar variety? OK, raspberries came first on the list, at least, but the ubiquitous sweetener was still second. Most of my choices, it turned out, were moer corn-syrup/chemical/raspberry cocktails than all-fruit, natural raspberry preserves.

I finally settled on an imported variety (I know, too many food miles, but I had taken a stand against junk ingredients at that point) whose label at least started with raspberries and ended with nothing more offensive than citric acide.

All this for a simple attempt at a healthful, kid-friendly bread topping. Shopping for good food -- real food -- shouldn't be this difficult.

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory

How many times have you picked up a bag of organic grapes or a basket of firm, red organic tomatoes, only to put them back in the produce bin because they cost substantially more than "regular" fruits or vegetables?

It's OK to say yes. I've done it many times myself. After all, most of us aren't Paris Hilton (heaven forbid!) or Richard Branson: we're mere mortals who need to keep a running tally in our heads when we go shopping to make sure we don't empty our checking accounts or blow past our credit limits.

But living green involves more than choosing pricier, organic foods. And, I've found that, if you pursue an across-the-board green lifestyle, you'll probably save money.

I'm not talking about the long-term savings you'll reap by using compact fluorescent lightbulbs or a programmable thermostat either. You can live more economically by going green because of all the other expenses you can eliminate from your life.

Like what? Like the cost of paper towels and paper napkins (it really is easier most times to use wash rags, dish towels and cloth napkins). Or the cost of chemical-laden household cleaning products (vinegar and baking soda handle most jobs just as well, and are bargains when bought in economy sizes). Or the cost of pricey cosmetics and personal care products (pure castile soap, olive oil, lanolin and baking soda can take over many beauty tasks). Or the cost of gasoline (when walking or a bike ride can get you there instead).

Once you start looking at the big picture, you realize that living green doesn't have to cost a lot. In fact, it can save green -- both the tree kind and the cash kind.

So go ahead, put those organic grapes and tomatoes in your shopping cart next time.