This is not a blame game. Living sustainably is not an either/or, black/white, “you’re there or you’re square” proposition. Each one of the hundreds of choices we make every day hits on a continuum, falling somewhere on the scale between “Yikes, this is baaaad!” and “Yes! Saved a bit of planet today!” Maybe you installed energy-saving light bulbs, chose local tomatoes over imported, recycled that old cell phone? Or maybe you drove when you could have walked or bought bottled water to take on your hike; some actions are more helpful than others. We’re all human, and most of us want to do the right thing. It’s kind of like adjusting your diet…if you fall off the wagon and have a chocolate bar, the important thing is not to beat yourself up and start bingeing, but resolve to learn from the misstep and move on. The hard part is understanding the full impact and consequence of each choice we make. Continue reading →