Owning up to My Ecological Footprint

Today is Ash Wednesday and I've decided to give something up for Lent--something I use every day that adds to the size of my ecological footprint: take-out cups. This all came about because during my visit to New York City last week to participate in the 7000-person AWP (Associated Writers and Writing Programs) conference, I couldn't help but notice the number of Starbucks take-out cups piling up in my hotel room trash can. Over four and a half days, including airport delays, I probably threw out something like twenty paper cups, plus numerous plastic bottles for water, take-out food, and the like. Sometimes the coffee had been double-cupped. And then there were those handy little paper java jackets--something like putting a sweater on your dog, except dogs don't tend to burn your fingers and sweaters are washable. Multiply this paper-and-plastic trash tossed by 7000 poets and writers and teachers of creative writing, notorious caffeine hounds, over a period of four-and-a-half days, and you have just calculated one exorbitant-sized drop in the bucket of the huge amount of waste that's being thrown away daily in this country. In the Berenstain Bears books there's a mythical monster named Big Foot. That last day in New York I turned around and recognized the size of my own paw print.

Since I've been an ecological sinner, abetted by a busy life and a desire to push myself beyond my limits on a daily basis, I have promised myself not to get self-righteous about this instructive choice to abstain from disposable containers. On good days, I hope to extend that giving up to include take-out containers of all kinds. And for extra credit, I'm going to try to give up using new plastic or paper bags at the super market. I definitely need three levels of goodness, as I'm as much a captive of busy take-out culture as the next person. Maybe more. But as Pema Chodron says, you must start where you are. And because I need accountability, I'm putting this blog out there on the web--the Big Paw Chronicles--to stay honest. If there are other recovering take-out types who need some support, great, and if you can lend some, it's welcome.