Is it possible for a young, recently laid-off grad student and wannabe environmentalist to go Green in Atlanta? I have no clue, but that's what I'm going to find out. And I'm going to blog about it along the way.
True confession: When I first decided to "Go Green," I was sitting in the audience as Bill Clinton campaigned for Hillary in a rousing speech at the school where, as if one degree that makes me unemployable wasn't enough, I study toward a Master's in another dubious major. Here's how it went down:
Bill Clinton: Hillary plans to encourage investment in alternative energy and other Green initiatives.
Jennifer: Hmm? Encourage investment? Wha-? Money!
It wasn't that I didn't have a healthy concern for the environment before, but as a 27-year-old on the cusp of having her job outsourced, I was more concerned with making green than going green. However, that involved research. Research involved asking questions. Asking questions led to awareness. Then, somewhere in there, I really began to care about this stuff beyond fodder for a business opportunity. Worse, I got worried. And I met a lot of other wise, educated, experienced and worried people.
But enough of the worry stuff. I also found out that going green can be fun. It can involve farmers. And gadgets. And slaying vampires. What's the only thing better than farmers and gadgets and slaying vampires? Vampire-slaying farmers with gadgets! (Oh, I hope I find one of these in my green quest.)
I want this blog to be more of the positive, "vampires with gadgets" variety than the negative, "we're going to die here" variety. So, I plan to detail my (possibly successful, possibly hilarious) efforts to go green, buy local, reduce energy consumption, and generally be a better citizen of Atlanta and the planet. Wish me luck.
And because I think blogs are more fun and interactive when they ask a bunch of questions, I'll do that now. When's the last time you bought locally grown food? Where'd you get it? Why'd you do it? Was it tasty? And finally, when's the last time you slew a vampire?
About Me
- Jenn Escalona
- I am a perpetual grad student who gets interested in things and then writes about them. Sometimes I even let other people read it. Twice, someone even published it!
4 comments:
Hi Jen: Great blog! I really love the tag line! I confess that I have not recently bought any locally grown food, but I am actually growing food as we speak. I have some nice tomato plants in containers on my deck, and I have some mature apple trees that I hope will produce some nice, organic apples this year. My containers for my tomatoes are el-cheapo that I bought from a junk store – container gardening is really easy and fun!
I can’t say that I’ve every slain a vampire; but, I do recycle all of my cardboard right down to the toilet paper tube. Maybe I could bury one under all that and light it on fire?? Oh, wait! Greenhouse gas! That idea’s out. I also recycle aluminum, paper, magazines, glass, and plastic. Maybe I could find the vampire’s casket and recycle it before he/she returns before daylight?!
Oh, I bet you meant the kind of vampire that viciously sucks up energy. Like when you leave the phone charger plugged in when you are not using it. I’m all over that. None of that at my house. I actually don’t even dry my laundry all the way dry. I run my hanging clothes about 20 minutes and then put them on hangers around the room to finish drying. A little smoothing out and you don’t even have to iron some things. Whoo Hoo!
Anyway, keep fighting the good fight with you blog, and good luck with the job search!!
Well... if you go to localharvest.org you can find lots of farmers markets and such. in fact, i found an organic farm about a mile from my house where we will be buying fresh veggies from this summer. and out in the sticks where i live, it is surprisingly easy to recycle most of my trash. i have to drive it to the place, but still.....
anyhoo. you can totally do it. i don't know about the vampires, though.
Thanks, Boudica. Someone as lovely as she is talented at raising offspring gave me the idea for that tag line.
It sounds like you are already well on your way to going green. Maybe I should be getting advice from you. Can I have a tomato? I'm betting you don't plant the whole tomato and then expect mini-tomatoes to sprout. (See, that's a good cross-section of my gardening knowledge right there.)
Thanks for sharing your example. Double thanks for being the first to comment on Bleeding Green!
Welcome to Bleeding Green, Reg! I've found that GeorgiaOrganics.org is a good resource, as well. I'd love to hear about what you buy there, how it differs from grocery store products, and especially how tasty it is.
I hope you come back and read my continuing adventures.
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