crazylittlemind

Greta Thunberg has been named by Time Magazine as person of the year. Although many thought that the young activist deserved to be “person of the year”, others like U.S. President Donald Trump has is own opinion about the choice.   

Such opinion was talked about in the american talk show The View, where the shows host Joy Behar, Abby Huntsman, Sunny Hostin, and Meghan McCain expressed their views on the Presidents opinion. However in the course of the discussion Meghan mentioned something that caught my ear. In which she expressed that she feels that climate change is religion on the left. 

As someone who believes that climate change is a fact and not a fad. i personally find such vies quite appalling. I started learning about climate change in high school through watching An Inconvenient Truth by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. The film was released in 2006 warning us that in a matter of years if the issue on climate change is not addressed, it will only progress. 

The other day I went out buy some groceries. I brought my eco bag with me, which I used as a shoulder bag to carry some of my things. But upon entering the grocery store, the lady guard stopped e on the entrance, and told me that I cant`t bring my bag inside the store. When I asked her why it wasn’t allowed inside? she replied I couldn’t bring my bag inside for security purposes. She further instructed me to leave my bad in the baggage counter since the store already provided plastics bag. I then told her that its okay I don`t want to use the stores plastic bags.    

So I took out my wallet, and the pouch where I usually put my eco bad and started folding the bag, and placed it along with my wallet in the empty pouch. I asked her if I could already come in. she gave me a heavy nod as I made my way inside the store.

At first I pretended not to see when her eyes rolled, when I folded my bag and the annoyed look she gave me when I asked her if it was already okay to come in. Honestly her actions frustrated me. Not because she filed to realize that I was making a conscious decision to refuse plastic.

Refusing  plastic bags is a struggle especially when most of the stores provide it. however when we start taking our eco bags with us every time we go out shopping. It shows that plastic bags are already not necessary, and we can live without it. But we live in a society where we become dependent on single use plastics, because people always choose convenience. 

I live in a small city in the province and even though our city already passed an Ordinance banning the use of plastic bags in local stores and other establishments. Sadly the Ordinance fell into deaf ears. Most of the establishments still use plastics; and unfortunately people who carry their own eco bags, who are doing their part in saving the planet, are looked upon with annoyance for not using the store`s plastic bag.

Happy Earth Day!! Tick off your progress of your zero-waste journey! How many do you do already and how many will you be able to do by the end of the year?

Going zero waste is something that everyone adapts to differently according to what they have available, so do what you can, be aware and spread the word!