Well, it did not take long! Less than one hour on North American soil after 12 days in China, and I am overwhelmed during the layover at the airport. In the washroom there is the sound of paper towel tearing – 3 yanks per person. In China there are mostly hand dryers. Then a child of ours insits on eating pizza in the food court. The waste, of packaging, of cups, of food not eaten (the pizza was less than ful-fill-ing), and other people eating, overeating, and tossing, seemingly irregardless of the excess. Oh, it hurts.
After a quiet solitary stroll for fresh fruit I see “signs” of hope. First the drinking fountain below, recording the number of bottles saved through reuse and refilling. Then a poster promoting smart meters – also shown below. These meters encourage the use of appliances off peak hours, to save the environment and money. A few steps later I stumble upon a reycling bin, right there, in an airport!
Yes, we are doing it! Awareness leading to changing behaviors.
I have just flown to China. What is the carbon footprint on that?! Then I come home to our house, obese in size by Asian standards.
Who is in the position to judge? Be aware, accept our own inconsistencies, and be open to changing habits.
So, shun, the paper towels for the hand dryers in public washrooms! Refill bottles many times before recycling. Little by little, we can make it happen!
