By Guest writer Malia Buskirk

Malia Buskirk is a graduate student at Northwest University in Kirkland and is working on her masters degree in a program called International Care and Community Development. I received an email from her a short while ago: “ … for one of our classes we are studying environmental justice, and for the entire quarter we were asked to take on 'acts of justice,' meaning making changes in our lives that reflect green living and green choices.” This article is the result of that project.

We find ourselves living during a time of a green revolution, a time when people are shopping locally, driving their cars less, and simply being more environmentally conscious. But what does it actually mean to go “green?"

What does it look like to make socially conscious choices in regards to the way we live our lives and the choices we make?

Going green is hard! It is much easier to talk about all the things we could do than it is to actually DO them, but the bottom line is going green is worth it. I have been challenged these past few months to alter my perception of the environment, and I have been reminded that we were not created to be mere users of the earth, but stewards of it.

For the past few months, I have been asking myself these tough questions, and I decided that I needed to make some changes. So I have started using my bike as a method of transportation rather than as decoration, and I have become obsessive about reusable bags.

I have been extremely diligent with yard waste and recycling, and we have even started growing some beautiful, edible things!

THE BIKE… I have been riding my bike as a method of transportation to work, and I love it! It is extremely freeing and the simple act of getting on my bike makes me feel as though I am making an immediate difference for the environment.

There is truly nothing better than feeling the wind blow by me, and I can’t say I get that same satisfaction in my car, maybe I would if I stuck my head far out the window, but I truly doubt that. However, it is hard to get up a bit earlier so that I can get to work on time because let’s face it, I’m just not as fast on my bike as I am in my car. But it is so satisfying to get off that bike after a ride and realize that I got a workout, burned some calories, and saved money on gas! So it truly is a win, win situation.

REUSABLE BAGS… I have become a little obsessive about using reusable bags, and I get a little upset when I see others using plastic bags. I want to thrust one of my bags into their hands and say. 'here use one of these because this is green and reusable.'

I want to give them a lecture about buying reusable bags and the benefits of them, but instead of the lecture I simmer down and keep quiet. I just wonder how long it will be till stores stop offering plastic bags.

Shops in other countries charge people for the use of plastic bags and I wonder how long it will be till we start doing the same? When I was living in Ireland I remember thinking I MUST bring bags with me to the shop because I don’t want to PAY money for those darn things.

YARD WASTE… Compost and yard waste is a beautiful thing. After a few months, I have truly seen a HUGE decrease in our actual waste, which is extremely reassuring, but it is a tough task to undertake if you have roommates that aren’t willing to dispose of their food scraps appropriately.

However, after much harping and after seeing me take things OUT of the bin that they placed in it, they have begun to see how serious I am about this task! It is so easy to just throw everything away, and it takes time to figure out what can go in the yard waste and what can be recycled, but it is worth it.

FOOD… And lastly, we have started growing things! We are growing lettuce, cilantro, rosemary, chives, basil and tomatoes, and I must say I get so much satisfaction seeing all the beautiful things that sprout up from the pots. It is so satisfying to make something with the fresh ingredients that I can find right in my backyard.

Going green is a process, and I always feel as though there is so much more I COULD be doing. However, I have learned that change is important even if it is small. Those small changes can have a great impact not only on you, but also on others. They can change the way you view yourself, the environment, and the world.

Even something small can turn into something beautiful!

Rhonda Brown, a Ballard resident, is the regular columnist for Green My Ballard and is the Urban Crop Circle Project Leader for Sustainable Ballard. Questions, Comments, Ideas? You can reach her at Rhonda@sustainableballard.org.