Caroline said, “Do you realize the carbon footprint of that?”
Standing at Bristol Farm's drink aisle, I was reeling off about my new hobby of sampling electrolyte waters when her remark shocked my system. I had never, can you believe it, never thought about that.
This was nearly ten years ago before I developed any conscious consumer muscles. My partner and I were working hard and earning more. We didn’t have big luxuries. Spending our money on little things, like fancy new water bottles promising healthier PH levels made us feel like we were living it up. The awareness of climate change had not hit my radar yet.
“Packing it in plastic, shipping it from across the world…”
Images flickered in my mind. A giant tanker crossing the ocean. An oily machinery taming a thunderous waterfall. I put the bottle on the shelf as if I were holding a grenade. I shut up about electrolytes. What a scam. But I haven’t stopped talking about my carbon footprint ever since.
Whenever I hold back from pointing out what’s obvious to me about the materials we touch on a daily basis, to avoid being the party pooper, I remind myself, if Caroline hadn’t made that small remark, I would have continued on in my slumber for much longer.
