Earth Day. Such a fabulous idea. I’m all about environmentalism, and doing things easier on the earth: breastfeeding, cloth diapering and elimination communication, dressing in hand-me-downs, choosing and growing organic foods, buying local, owning one small car and keeping it up, recycling, crocheting with plarn, washing with baking soda and vinegar (including my hair), making do using up and doing without, et cetera, and so on.
(I can do a feminist defense of environmentalism, too, though for now I’ll just offer Having Faith as my evidence.)
So how did I spend Earth Day?
In my car. Driving around aimlessly. For nearly five hours. Probably drove about 100 miles. In circles. (Big circles.) With a feverish toddler zoning out and napping and zoning out and drinking water and napping and zoning out in the backseat.
Yup. That’s how I spent Earth Day.
I may not be a bad mom, but I’m not so sure I’m not a bad environmentalist.
Ah well. There’s always tomorrow.
Yeah – my girl and I drove across down to the theater that was showing Earth on the UltraScreen. The irony didn’t hit til the papa-polar-bear was out to sea, starving, cause all the ice is melting too early. But damn, did it look good at three times as big as it would have at the theater close to my house!
The whole execution of Earth Day in sub/urban America is sort of amusing/horrifying: drive to a fest/movie/event to spend money on things to take home (like guilt) that might help you reduce further consumption or waste in the future. I mean, I am entirely ED’s target audience: white, liberal, environmentalist, crunchy granola, middle-class, large guilt complex… so I love it. There’s a fest I’m totally planning on driving to tomorrow. But I am aware of how darkly amusing the whole thing is.
Glad you enjoyed the movie. :)
there is always tomorrow.
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