Yes, there is an element of self-righteousness, of holier-than-thou, for which I have a genetic predisposition. But I truly do see this as a path, a path I am continually remaking as I walk it, a path not a destination, a path that, like religion, is one of many paths. I believe that we are in a crisis, one that stems from our use of resources. We use too much, more than our share. For me, this is an ethical and spiritual issue: How can I justify what amounts to stealing resources from others, other people and other species, and from our children and their children?

Last year I read Janisse Ray’s wonderful article in the September/October 2007 issue of Orion magazine, “Altar Call for True Believers.” Having heard the phrase “preaching to the choir” many times, Ray examines the issue of environmentalists not walking their talk, not changing their own behaviors. The choir may be a heck of a lot smaller than any of us thought. She looks at her own behaviors and concludes that she is not where she wants to be on “the sustainability continuum.”

I, too, am not where I want to be. And some of the behavior changes make me look even weirder than I usually do to the rest of the dominant culture. But I believe, with Janisse Ray and with Gandhi, that if I cannot be the change I wish to see, then who can? I began a list of these behaviors, a list that changes as I hear more information, as I become more comfortable with one change and then can kick it up a notch in difficulty (especially hard with transportation choices). The result is satisfying to the utmost. “Green glee” reduces guilt and promotes a simpler, yet more satisfying lifestyle: less quantity, more quality.

“Green guilt” does nobody any good. A recent study by Norwich Union, reported in Telegraph.co.uk on August 24, 2007, found that 9 out of 10 people admitted to telling “little green lies” about behaviors that affect the environment. The study reports that people pretend to have changed behaviors when they haven’t. And I know why: Behavior change is stone-cold hard. But lying doesn’t feel so hot either. My thinking is that if we can honestly share with each other what it is like to be in this difficult process, we all benefit.

The following are my choices for action, starting with the ones that have the most potential environmental impact—the size of our families, where and in what we live, how we move around. The choices of light bulbs or turning lights off when not in use I see as easy to do, the givens. Other choices have so much more impact and are, of course, correspondingly harder.

Major Life Choices
I chose to have one child, whom I love dearly. This was a choice that I debated for years, as having none or adopting would also have been wonderful choices for me. I know this is a difficult area for all of us, as children are such gifts. But I have seen the damage done globally by our increasing population. My choice is not the only one or the best one, just the best one for me. Bill McKibben, an environmental writer, wrote an excellent book about this important choice, Maybe One: A Case for Smaller Families.

No pets. This is a constant struggle for me and an area of personal conflict as I am prone to wanting a pet. I love animals. But I do know that our demand for pet food places even greater strain on the world’s resources and this in turn plays a part in the destruction of other species and habitats. If I did have a pet, I would need to examine carefully where its food came from and what were the hidden environmental costs. Spaying and neutering are great, but there are other issues to consider, too. Most pet food comes from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or from over-fished oceans. In some urban areas, pet feces have been cited as a non-point source (runoff) for fecal contamination of our waterways and watersheds.

Transportation Choices
There are many Internet sites devoted to Carbon Footprint Calculators, which tally how much carbon each of us is responsible for each year for our current lifestyles. I went to TerraPass, Carbon Fund, Conservation International, and www.climatecrisis.net (the Inconvenient Truth site) and ran sets of calculations on each. Results were relatively similar for the most part, but were more accurate when I could use my actual home electrical use figure, which is between $13-20 per month.

1. Signed pledge in early 2006 for one flight per year (my pledge was at the Silver level, which was one international flight per year or two domestic ones; the Gold level was no flights). Family emergencies are exceptions. This is my one flight to India and back each year. The purpose of my trip is ongoing study of yoga and Sanskrit. From Roanoke to Bangalore, India, totals 17,330 miles and has an output of approximately 6,760 pounds of CO2. I take the local Smartway Bus to and from the airport. All other long trips are by bus or train. I went by bus to an environmental education conference last year: 18 hours each way! I did drive to Kentucky once last fall for yoga and to see my son—400 miles each way, which I compensated for by decreasing my other driving.

2. Moved to Blacksburg to be closer to my elderly father who had no family close by. I had been driving from where I lived in Kentucky to Virginia once per month for 10 years while my parents needed help. This was a distance of 400 miles each way and was definitely not sustainable. My mother died three years ago, leaving my father (who will not move) alone.

3. Chose an apartment in Blacksburg where I would be within walking distance of the town, library, stores, etc. I can also walk or bicycle a trail between my apartment and my father’s assisted living facility.

4. Have three to four days each week where I do not drive at all (except the 3 miles round-trip to the Y where I do yoga mornings). I walk or bike or stay home. This can be knock your socks off hard. Sometimes it’s hot … or cold … or rainy. Jumping in the car would be so easy. To not do so is swimming against a strong tide. I am hoping it will get easier.

5. During my two months in India, I walk almost everywhere, even to and from the nearest city to where I stay, about one hour each way. If I take a gas-powered rickshaw, I “rickshaw-pool” with others.

6. Absolutely no driving for recreation, or just for shopping, or for eating out, or going to any sort of entertainment. Or to hear a talk, even an environmental one. The driving I do consists of combined needs, centered on trips to my father’s assisted living facility, with errands run along the way: basically, one trip per driving day.

Food Choices
Our food choices rank right up there with our transportation choices, as they have enormous environmental impact.

1. I am vegetarian. I do eat eggs if they are local, free-range, and from farms where I know they are treated well. Occasionally I eat sardines and anchovies, which are still environmentally sound fish to eat, not being over-fished, etc.

2. I buy much of my food from the local farmer’s market, which is a wonderful one and within walking distance.

3. The rest of my food comes from two local health food stores, which also stock local produce, or from the grocery chain. All stores are within walking distance.

4. I buy organic foods whenever possible.

Daily Living Choices
Some of these are difficult; some are the low-hanging fruit of behavior change and are easy to do.

1. All my light bulbs are CFLs. I recycle everything I can. I compost.

2. I strictly limit my non-food purchases, buying almost all clothes and household items used from the local thrift store. I try to not buy things that are just decorative. I ask myself if I really need it or just want it. Does it have a use? I do have many items that I call my “spiritual tchotchkes,” that I feel have a purpose, namely reminding me of my path. These include a Tara statue and a Kwan Yin statue, several carved Buddhas, and feathers and important rocks that I have collected.

3. Dry clothes on the clothesline, rather than in the dryer. This is actually rather difficult, as it is time-consuming and often it rains. No dry cleaning, ever.

4. I chose the smallest apartment I could, about 400 square feet. It is easier to clean, heat, etc. No air conditioning use in the summer and minimal heat used in winter (It is a second-floor apartment, so it traps the heat from the apartment below and the one above. I know, I am coasting on their heat use!).

5. Will never have a second home or a fossil fuel powered recreational device (boat, vehicle, etc.).

6. No vacuum cleaner, instead use carpet-sweeper and/or shake rugs outdoors.

7. No candles that are made from petroleum products; use beeswax or other renewable resource wax. No lotions or personal products that use petroleum products, such as mineral oil or petroleum jelly, no fingernail polish or polish remover.

8. Have my hair cut by my son, sister, or a friend about 3 to 4 times per year. No dyes, no hair sprays. I try to find personal care products in a minimum of packaging and packaging that can be recycled.

9. I try to avoid buying anything plastic if I can get a non-plastic item that is the same or similar. Also I do not buy any clothing, even used, that is made from fossil fuels, such as nylon, or where the process is harmful, such as rayon. If I buy something new, I try to get organic, naturally dyed clothing.

10. Use all natural cleaning solutions for dishes and cleaning, also laundry.

11. Buy toilet paper that is made from post-consumer recycled paper. I don’t use paper towels or napkins or plates, etc. I use cloth.

12. Do not ever buy water or other drinking liquids in plastic bottles.

13. Always take cloth bags (I have a marvelous collection) to the store with me.

14. No catalogs. One magazine subscription to Orion, which I share with my father.

Join Me, Please!
What are you doing to walk your talk? What choices am I missing? We all seem to have enormous blind spots about our own behaviors. I try to think about my choices that have the largest climate change impact, the largest environmental cost.

Yes, laws, government, and corporations are a problem, a big one. I have limited control in this arena but do whatever I can to speak up politically. We need to speak up loudly. This is an emergency. Meanwhile, I have control over my own choices and awareness of their consequences. I believe that I can walk the path of being the change I wish to see, have fun doing so, and maybe, just maybe, I can find a community of others walking this path also. I know I personally can do better. I know we all can.

Karen Cairns has a doctorate in environmental education, a master’s degree in public health, is active with Sustainable Blacksburg, and is an ashtanga yoga practitioner who studies in India every year.