I am a Material Girl

Christmas Eve is upon us.  The next day is the day that culminates all of the holiday season's frenzied shopping, cooking, and stressing. Christmas.

This year, after turning 16, I've realized something.  I don't need all the things that I have. Sure, it's great to have the season's ipod ( I have an old school mini), the latest apple products, stylish clothing right on trend, but reflecting, my room is piling up, and my carbon footprint is through the roof. 

Sure, as a teen I bus, carpool and walk everywhere. But since getting my permit, I've been driving, not very much, but more than I used so I can reach those 60 hrs. 

After coming back from China two or three years ago, I realize the American's lifestyle is completely throw-away. We don't keep anything and we throw it away. We are the 2nd greatest emitter of greenhouse gases.  And we can't recycle for our lives. Just take a look in the recycling bins at Blair High School in Silver Spring. We couldn't be green if our lives depended on it. 

But back to the point.  We are so materialistic, and our materialism deters us from our potential to be more responsible for our actions.  We insist on the product with the fanciest advertising, and brag that we are susceptible to advertising. This is a major problem, especially with fancier and more persuasive ads. 

I cringe every time I flip on the cable and witness the onslaught of commercials that kids and adults alike watch. 

To run it down:

a) I like the Holidays, I love the Holidays.

b) I love giving and receiving gifts

c) I love giving and receiving home-made, fair trade, green as possible, no extra packaging gifts

d) American's materialism has gotten out of hand

e) We need to cut back on the amount that we drive

f) We need to educate our peers, friends, family of what is really going on when you buy that hot dog toaster. 

g) Enjoy the Holidays, but don't forget the labor and fossil fuels that went into making that pair of knock-off ray bans. 

Compassion over Killing

So today I started my first volunteering stint as a worker for COK otherwise known as Compassion over Killing. 

First question the girl also working there asked me "Are you vegan?" Now, naturally in the split nanosecond before I gave my answer I felt some guilt. Here I was, some girl who decided to volunteer to get service hours for school and to fill up some spare time, being asked to well in some way validate why she was there.  Of course I answered no. But I also added that I had some ambitions to become vegetarian, and what I really mean is pescatarian. 

Anyhow, we were folding these shirts up which feature a dog on a plate with utensils on either side,  and the dog is oh so sad looking. The text on the shirt asks you "Why Not?" 

1. I was remorseful/guilty

2. It was a cool shirt

3. It was super cool because it was American Apparel and the Sustainable Edition

4. Did I mention I felt guilty? 

I had a feeling that at the end of this two month or so volunteering duty, my diet would change somehow.