Sustainability Discussion 2011

 

People Matter

In my last article, I wrote about relating to your neighbor and the other people in your lives. Some of you may wonder what that has to do with environmental sustainability, but over the years I have grown to understand how they are inextricably linked, and this understanding has changed how I live day to day.

One important habit I have developed is to question each and every dollar I spend. Who will receive the highest percentage of the money I am paying for something? Will the person who has spent the most labor on it get most of those dollars? Who else will receive money for it and why? The fewer people involved and the closer a good is grown and produced to where I live, the more likely those funds will stay and benefit my community. Most times, this means paying more for an item that I would if I bought it at a big box store.

To counteract those increased costs, I have learned to buy less. Firstly, I always ask myself if I really need that item. (I try to impose a 24-hour waiting period on all items that are not necessities.) If I decide that I need it or really want it, I ask myself, “Who will benefit from my purchase of this item?” How do the manufacture, packaging, shipping, use and disposal of this item affect the environment? If I don’t know, I try to find out.

Secondly, I target local sources for goods and services, because it reduces our reliance on oil for transportation. A great place for necessities (like food) produced locally is a farmers’ market. The North Union Farmers Market (of which the Shaker Square market is a part) requires that its sellers produce all goods themselves. So, you know that those dollars you spend are going to the people who did the work—and you are helping them earn a wage that supports their families. (That $8-per-pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tasted great on Tuesday, but I need to compensate with a few less expensive vegetarian meals the rest of the week; tonight it is pasta with pesto—made with basil from the Christ Church garden!) In addition, I get to know the people that have actually grown or produced what I buy. Over the years, I have built relationships with the various vendors, and they have become those familiar faces that I happily encounter week after week. I certainly don’t experience that at big box retailers.

I recently ran into a friend who works at Playmatters in Shaker Square, someone I met simply because she worked at the local toy store. Since my son entered his teenage years, I have not had the opportunity to visit with her (or her colleagues, also friends) like I did years ago. I used to spend a fair amount of time (and money) in that store, knowing that I could find these items for less money elsewhere. However, I enjoyed my friendship with the folks there so much, that I was willing to support it. Sharing that encounter with her last week was a reminder to me that experiencing that sense of community is one aspect of the Kingdom of God. I hope my story helps you consider ways that you can encounter that kingdom. See you at the market!

In peace,

Katie Ong-Landini

 

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