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Bea says, “I realized that we enjoyed all the trappings of the American dream, what thoughtless citizens and consumers we had become. How did we get so disconnected from the impact of our actions? Or were we ever connected?” (p. 5) What is your reaction to this statement? Do you agree/disagree and why?
What an eye-opening statement! When I read this, I realized that I have become incredibly disconnected from the impact of my actions. A perfect example of this is putting trash in my trash can. Before I started down the Zero Waste path in February of 2017, I threw away items and never thought about what “away” actually meant. For me, it was like that trash automatically disappeared once it was hauled to the curb to be picked up and taken to the landfill. But now I realize that this out of sight, out of mind mindset is totally unsustainable. Everyone needs to educate themselves about the waste they are creating and what kind of affect waste has on the environment (myself included!)!
It is very interesting to listen to Bea talk about her lifestyle in the Bay Area as we grew up very similarly. Suburb of San Francisco, cul-d-sac, upper middle class, and lot’s of waste! Oh the many trips to Costco and the waste that was generated by purchasing so many thing we didn’t need. A lifetime of waste x 6 family members, ugh. I think this continues today and that it’s far too easy to fill the waste, yard, and recycle bins and roll them to the street no contemplating the long term affects of all that trash.
I agree that it’s easy for people to become disconnected from their actions, and I’ve very much appreciated the Zero Wasted website and other resources making me more aware. I was more connected when I was young, growing up in with parents who had grown up in the Great Depression and did not tolerate waste. I loved many of the new conveniences that eventually came about, bought them, and threw them in the trash. Not good. But I feel Johnson speaks from a highly privileged perspective that ignores how most hard-working people in the US and elsewhere live — couples who work long hours (often multiple jobs) just to make ends meet for their families. They can’t afford to buy organic produce, or make multiple trips to various food sources (bulk store, other grocery store, cheesemaker w/ no wrapping, meat store w/ no wrapping, fresh baguettes). She also ignores people who have special needs for serious food allergies (gluten and dairy intolerance, as just one example). It is much more difficult to find package free food to meet this need. (I know from personal experience.) Her wardrobe ideas would never work in MN where I live. I would have appreciated a nod by her to the fact that her “demands” (and that’s how I felt she wrote them) won’t work for everyone. We can all make progress on a Zero Waste journey. We cannot (and I mean cannot, due to individual circumstances) go to the extreme she’s gone.
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