Just Don't Call Me "Green"

It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads me regularly that I am not a "green" person. I think global warming can be easily disproven by facts- posted by the UN, no less- and while I think Hummers are stupid it has nothing to do with their fuel consumption.

Yes, I use an 85% ethanol fuel in my truck. Because it's cheaper and I can, not because some scientists think it's better for the environment.

Yes, we added a "space blanket" to our attic. Not necessarily to cut the amount of fuel we use but to cut the amount of money we spend on heating the house.

Yes, we are looking at updating our home to utilize geothermal heat and solar power. Not because they are better for the earth but because they are better for our wallets.

Yes, I turn off lights if I'm not in a room. Yes, I use plastic containers that can be washed and reused. Yes, I save paper bags, will let Brenna draw on paper and then use it to wrap gifts, and recycle. I do these things because it is how I was brought up. When you grow up poor you use and re-use. It's to save money, period.

So do NOT let the fact that I take my own IKEA bags to Target and the grocery store with me let you think that I am, in any way, doing it to save the environment. I do it, plain and simply, because people have no idea how to bag groceries anymore (I was a clerk and sacker at a grocery store in high school. We had a rigorous training back then. Really, it was a week long.) and I am completely sick of coming home with a dozen plastic bags when the items I purchased will easily fit in 6.

So, while we were in the Twin Cities recently we bought 3 IKEA bags. The big one was 59cents and the two smaller were 30 cents each. (Completely off topic- does anyone else miss the "cents" sign being on the keyboard?) I used them today at Target. And although the lady who checked me out may have thought I was odd it was a great relief to know that I wasn't going to have a dozen more plastic bags littering my garage.