Day 11 of Daily Footprint Project. The main thrust of the project has been to examine my personal contribution in terms of ecological footprint. Seems simple enough.
Is it really? That’s when the roasted chicken from Whole Foods comes in.
I decided to buy the creature this morning, in anticipation of Catherine’s needs for a nutritious late afternoon snack. I know, I should not contribute further to pollution with yet another non recyclable plastic container. But I did. I was going to be busy all day. No time to cook. She was to have dinner with her Dad late, and I figured she could munch on the chicken when she got back from her school with her friends.
The chicken got me thinking.
As the nurturer in our home, I am responsible for purchasing the chicken. What happens to the chicken after that, is up to the consumers, my teenage children. How much of it gets actually eaten? How much of it goes to waste? I have little control over that part.
I am a member of the family system, and whether I want it or not, my ecological footprint gets muddled in the course of my interactions with other family members. I already alluded to the emotional component of green parenting, in regards to my need to nurture with more food than necessary – Day 1 of Daily Footprint Project -, and my difficulty setting limits, as in the laundry example – The Complicated Landscape of Green Parenting -. With Prad, issues of control, power, and authority, make it difficult for both he and I to take charge of our own green-ness, or lack thereof. When Prad insists on taking repeated far away trips, am I to stay home, or go along with him, but compromise my views on limiting air traveling. When I disagree with him on his stance on food portion control, and I generously buy and cook food as if there were a few more people in the house, how does that affect his own intentions?
All of the above highlights the importance of the ecological impact of not just each individual member in the family, but also the role of the family as a system, with a complex set of relationships, and emotions. The boundaries between I and the rest of the family are not so clear when it comes to our ecological impact, and it is simply impossible to separate my individual footprint from the whole.
Staying with a family systems framework, it is worth noting also, that as a member of the family I have the power to influence other family members through the positive environmental changes I choose to make on a personal level:
‘The connectedness and reactivity make the functioning of family members interdependent. A change in one person’s functioning is predictably followed by reciprocal changes in the functioning of others. Families differ somewhat in the degree of interdependence, but it is always present to some degree’. Quote from Bowen Center website.
Daily Footprint Project Daily Log Day #11 Water personal: flush toilet 3 wash face 2 brush teeth 2 wash hands 4 two showers at the gym mom: rinse dishes communal: Electricity/gas personal: electric toothbrush 2 microwave tea 4’ microwave oatmeal 4’ laptop on half day mom: heat chocolate milk heat muffing cook cream of wheat communal: lights Food personal: oatmeal with organic milk organic orange tea organic milk organic chicken soup organic bread mom: organic blueberry muffin organic hot chocolate cream of wheat with organic milk roasted chicken pomagranate communal: Waste personal: toilet paper orange peel chicken bones mom: uneaten baked potato communal: 3 newspaper plastic wrappers Recycling personal: mom: paper bag for muffin cream of wheat paper box communal: 2 papers roll from paper towel Transportation personal: drive to gym 6 miles drive to business presentation 5miles mom: communal: drive to grocery store 4 miles Non food shopping personal: mom: communal:
La Marguerite 
Three boys grown and gone, nearly all green. Do as i do, not as i nag. my motto.
Teens are keen to observe parental habits.
This photograph of jeans is static art, your wearing fewer jeans during the same length of time is dynamic art.
the common denominator is at mid-point.
how about simply rinsing the jeans with a dab of earth friendly softener, drying them on rack in her room?. A fan speeds the process. That’s half the footprint and half the hassle.
I was having this discussion this very afternoon – we, the almighty female are the baramator (OK how is that spelled ?) of the home. It’s just what’s so – If I create chaos then it exists. I lead the way. If I treasure the family meal. I am the one who creates it. I am the example. I have a teenage daughter who cooks – i regret that my son’s interests in this detail was minimal – he lives more out of a box – and a whole foods one at that – pizza is on sale on wednesday’s $ 4 off! Yet with just us girls her cooking is mighty handy – If I am not available to make dinner – she makes it.I can either resent being the one who sets the tone or rise to the challenge. I admit that sometimes I don’t want to be in charge all the time
Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com
Nadine, Karen,
Both of you are testimonials of the power of parenting through example, to which I completely subscribe. Being a new greenie, I, unfortunately, have to deal with years of not so green modeling impressed upon my children. Add a pinch of teenage rebelliousness, and you’ve got the picture!
My wife has read your blog for a long time (long time reader, first time commenter – to paraphrase radio shows). I like the idea of the daily footprint. Its quite an ambitious project. Good luck with it and I’ll be happily following you.
Luckily my wife and I are on the same green page and raise our kids in that same light. We have a 7yr old daughter and a 4yr old son. They’re both learning to live eco-responsibly – although they don’t even know it yet. They think feeding worms is fun. They think their Sigg is cool. It’ll always be normal to them that we bring bags with us to the store.
Your blog is great – it really highlights the struggle of being green in today’s society. You have to do your part and make sacrifices or you’ll drive yourself nuts.
Keep it up!
Jason
http://www.screamtobegreen.com
Thanks Jason,
Your family seems so sweet. Starting children young on that green past is really the best. And I applaud all the seeds you are planting in their young brains and hearts. I will also check out your blog!
just noticed that i commented on the wrong blog… well, may i add a bit of food humor to this one? then.
When my children and i emigrated to America, we kept some of our habits whenever possible. they had liked sardines in France, that was a most affordable and convenient protein for all of us.
until…junior high… the oldest was elected to let me know that Americans do not eat sardine sandwiches for lunch.
so fierce a nurturer had i been, that i forgot nutrition is second to peer pressure.
all 3 boys are good cooks, we shared many a laugh-till-you-drop kitchen sessions. (after i gave up the sardines)
Ah this is good fun. HTB and I are yet to have a family, but we have our family upbringing baggage with us. The hardest part is when those around you are not “on board” – do you leave them to it or nag them?
We take it in turns to tell each other off for leaving lights on or putting appliances on standby. We’re getting there!
Nice to hear from you Kate.
Good fun? The truth is sometimes for us, it can be a strain on our relationship. Green becomes yet one more thing to negotiate. We each have our own ideas of green-ness.
It seems you have turned it into a game. I have tried that approach, and it works sometimes . . . Keep me posted on your green saga!
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