Earth Tending
Taking Care of the Earth at Home
In my book list, “6 Science-Minded Protagonists Who Confront Climate Change,” I featured 6 (technically at least 8) fictional women in high-stakes situations taking extraordinary stands in the face of climate change. But we don’t need to be fearless entomologists or cryptic artists to make small changes that add up to big results.
Environmental analysis science rests on the concept that to evaluate the adverse impact of an action you must look at the effects of all related actions: it’s not just the new house, but also the driveway; it’s not only the store, but also the traffic it will bring.
The corollary also holds for beneficial action: it’s not just my reduced plastic use, but your lawn replacement, and our neighbor’s electric car.
Looked at like this, there is no “green idol” competition and no reason to wallow in a muck of thoughts that you must do everything.
So while we all (advocate for and) await concerted governmental direction on larger issues like fossil fuel reductions and adapting to changing livability in places, our small choices to tend to the Earth (and each other), can make a difference.
Earth Tending — Part 1: Home Inventory & Hand Soap
Home Inventory
I started by reading about helpful individual actions. Then I undertook a “home inventory.” I looked around my home for actions I could undertake within my direct sphere of control. I came up with these:
- Reduce my plastic use
- Replace non-recreational lawn with native species
- NOT redecorate purely to stay on trend
- Install LEDs
- Identify aging appliances and investigate non-fossil fuel replacements
- Weatherize my home
- Do you have others?
Plastics — Liquid Hand Soap
Today I’m talking plastics, specifically, liquid hand soap.
Once I decided to reduce plastic use, the temptation was strong to replace every single-use plastic bottle in my home all at once (I call this hyper-helping). There’s so much on the market to facilitate this (which will show up in your social media feeds after a few searches) like whole-house sustainable cleaning, beauty, and cooking kits. After I reigned in my initial (over)enthusiasm, I stepped back and thought more about my needs, current supplies, and budget.
Looking at our cupboard, it quickly became clear the first item we would run out of would be liquid hand soap. We typically buy a large jug and refill smaller dispensers for each sink. But I hate paying (in emissions) to ship all that water. And I despise depositing that large jug into the recycling bin, not knowing if it will end up recycled, in the ocean or a landfill, or on a boat to a far-off land (our country really must get on board with developing recycling plants here — it’s frustrating that markets weren’t developed after the big recycling push in the eighties).
My initial thought was to return to bar soaps, but the slimy mess left on traditional soap dishes turns off my family.
After an exhaustive search, I found different options. You can mail-order tablets or concentrates, mix them into water, and store the soapy mixture in reusable containers (either your own or those provided by the seller). Another is a “soap lift” which absorbs or disperses the water from the bar of soap, eliminating the mess and allowing the bar to last longer.
I went with the soap lift because, after that initial purchase, we could easily and cheaply replace bars of soap. Plus, bar soap holds a level of nostalgia and simplicity for me. I’m a kid of the seventies when we just washed with whatever was next to the sink (mouthwash, hydrogen peroxide, beer) and a new bar of soap was divine. Not to mention the temptation of the off-limits shell-shaped soaps at grandma’s. And, in college, I recall a takeout container lid soap holder (takeout containers may be a future feature, or not. Again, not a competitive green idol series).
We have been using a stone-type lift for several weeks. The soap sticks a little, but no slimy mess, less plastic, and a good fit for my house.
I encourage you to find your own good fits.
Next time: dishwasher detergent (or face moisturizer or weatherization or whatever becomes most urgent in my home).
Note: Please drop helpful suggestions below. This does not mean data debates about which products or actions are better than others. This series is not only about less impactful products and actions; it’s about the best products or actions for an individual or family that lead to long-term maintenance, not just the next trend.
Second Note: This is a completely privileged essay written by someone with resources and thought time. In fact, someone who has been part of the problem with all my liquid hand soap buying and wasted thoughts of “eww gross soap slime.” I mean, do we really need anything to hold our soap? No. Of course not (but I’m thankful for anything that reduces cleaning — it seems ridiculous to clean up after cleaning products). If you have no option but plastics due to whatever reason, that’s on all of us, not you.
