THE LOCH TUB MONSTER!!
Going into this plastics challenge I have to admit I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. After all, I have a head start on everybody by being vegetarian, no wrapped meat plus I am vitally aware of what is in my food. I also simply tend to pref
er natural compounds such as wood, metal, stone, and wool to furnish my home, clothe my body, and keep my food. Yep, I have you all beat; no one is more environmentally conscious than me, and here is my chance to prove it. To show his support and enthusiasm for my dedication to an all-natural way of life, Isaac is doing the challenge with me. Isaac is not my boyfriend, at least not in the typical way, he is my six year old Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus), and he knows everything about being natural. Thus, with victory all but within my grasp, I set out to meet this challenge – and slam-dunk it.
Morning
I slept well without having to relocate at midnight since my bed passes the plastic test. Sheets are brushed flannel, comforters are cotton or wool, and pil
lows are down (lots of my stuff has to pass a cruelty free test as well, so no worries). Breakfast required some slight maneuvering since I prefer to have cream cheese on my bagels, but to my knowledge, unless I made my own all cream cheese is kept in plastic containers. My bagel was not plastic associated because I bought it from the bakery across the street and they used a paper bag. My silverware is all metal. I satisfied myself by using PB&J instead of cream cheese. The organic peanut butter comes in a glass jar, and is yummy! Add to that an organic pear and granola and breakfast is done. Aha! Challenge schmallenge, is that all there is to it? The bathroom is slightly more difficult. My toothbrush is recycled plastic, but it is still plastic, so I decide to play it safe and brush with my finger. My toothpaste tube is actually metal; I think nickel or something, so no fail on that point. Showering was made brief since even I can’t seem to find shampoo that comes in glass. Fortunately they still make bar soap. I was really upset when it came time for deodorant. How had I missed this? Well I am committed now so I just go without. I’m not sure what my hairbrush is made of but it doesn’t look plastic. Better safe than sorry, so I skip the brush. I think it actually looks better that way; it is all wavy and full looking. I choose clothes without elastic to wear, since I think that would be my only source of plastic in clothing. Cotton tank top with drawstring sweats, sexy.
Isaac is rolling his eyes at me. Well he always rolls his eyes at me but I think there is a reason for it this time. I tell him, “Hey, this is not that easy.” Then he proceeds to prove me wrong. He sleeps on a piece of wood that is mounted on a metal plate. I think that passes. For his breakfast he is eating worms of all shapes and varieties, which I buy from a local colony keeper and save in a glass jar. Meat is not a problem for Isaac either. He will eat small mice raw, so there is no need for wrapping. I do not have any mice for him today, and I cannot driv
e to the keeper to buy them, so it will have to be bugs. Normally he will eat vitamins, but they come in little plastic cups so that will not work. One day should not hurt him. Isaac is a bit looser on hygiene than I am so he doesn’t brush his teeth or scales, but he absolutely must shower; there is no getting around that. The plastic lining is still removed from when I showered. I fill the tub and he swims about. He takes a drink, and then takes a poop. This guy does not look like he is missing plastic for even a second.
Afternoon
My light switches are disappointingly plastic, but I have some lamps that do the trick. Most of my time was spent doing homework, which pretty much coincides with what I had planned originally. Since I still have a ton left to do before the semester ends anyway, I really do not notice that I am not using plastic except for having to do all of my writing in pencil. I am not lead’s biggest fan. All of my notebooks and binders are recycled paper/cardboard and spiral bound, so everything is good for that. I was surprised at how much I had finished. Maybe less plastic equals greater productivity? I am not a cell phone junkie, I only use it to call my husband and for emergencies, so I do not miss it. The internet was a little different. I am a chronic planner and the internet helps me with that, so when I am disconnected, I really feel disconnected as if I have no clue as to what is going on in my life or in the world. I have no cable TV so I only use the TV for video games and movies when I have time. There is no temptation for me, really. For lunch, I ate pasta leftovers from last night which were still in the pot that I cooked it in inside the refrigerator. I had to put it back on the stovetop to warm it up since the microwave was out of the question. The dials were metal so I dodged a bullet there. I could not put any extra cheese on the top like I normally do. It was only a little hassle. I drank organic tea from a glass bottle.
Isaac basked on his wood perch under his ceramic lamps basically all afternoon, except for a little mountain climbing later on. The mountains were the backs of my couch and recliner plus a pile of books. He is a little more athletic than I am. Again, he makes it look so easy to live without plastic! Little green snotball!
Evening
I run. Normally during the winter I would use the treadmill, but I am pretty sure that whole contraption is nothing but plastic. So instead I run outside and around the DNR fish hatchery. Finding clothing was interesting. All my stretchy stuff that I use specifically for this purpose was out of the question. I was stuck with sweats. I inspected my shoes carefully. They were older, and the plastic nubs on the laces were gone and frayed. They looked all rubber and fabric or mesh to me. So I was off for an hour. The snow and being outdoors distracted me enough to where I didn’t miss my iPod. It was good to get outside finally, even if I was not going far. I had begun to feel cooped up and restless. I come back home and shower again. Making dinner was going to be tricky. I was fortunate to have gone shopping recently, but all that could be for naught if I have to avoid cans and plastic packaging. I need to learn how to cook in earnest. I did have a decent variety of fresh vegetables so I decided that a stew was doable and even desirable considering the seasonality of the day. Some onion soup mix, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato, potato, onion, and chives mixed with herbs and the kitchen smelled wonderful. I served it up in some ceramic dishes with dinner rolls from that same bakery. I wrapped up a little more homework and read My Year of Meats again just for fun before heading back to bed.
Isaac climbed his perch and I turned off his light. He did not want to eat anymore and he was already dozing off, having spent all of his energy playing at Cliffhanger off the side of my bookshelves. Such is the life of a lizard. Not too shabby considering he does not have to worry about plastic like I do.
Conclusion
I made this sound like it was easy to do. That was on purpose because there is no love lost between me and things I deem unnatural, so I strive to cut out the things I feel are dangerous either to myself or to humanity and the earth as a whole, i.e. my choice to be vegetarian. The truth is that this was not easy, and that upsets me. There is no reason why I should not have the choice to not be exposed to plastic if I do not want to be. I do not feel like I would have to live in “the dark ages” as someone put it to avoid plastic, but I would have to think about it constantly, and that is not right. Like everything else in this country, we cannot rely on our government or industry to make the right choice for us; they will only make the best choice for them as we have been shown in this class. Change starts with us, the people, or it does not start at all.
Isaac says that the best advice he can give about being plastic free, is to live more like a lizard. Which I think means have a human pet around that can touch all the plastic things for you. There might be some validity to this though. I will often think about how people managed to do things before a certain technology was developed, and personally, I live with a less is more attitude. Glass can be substituted for lots of plastic things we use, and so can wood or porcelain, which have been around for thousands of years. Think about what you really need, do you really need it in plastic?
er natural compounds such as wood, metal, stone, and wool to furnish my home, clothe my body, and keep my food. Yep, I have you all beat; no one is more environmentally conscious than me, and here is my chance to prove it. To show his support and enthusiasm for my dedication to an all-natural way of life, Isaac is doing the challenge with me. Isaac is not my boyfriend, at least not in the typical way, he is my six year old Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus), and he knows everything about being natural. Thus, with victory all but within my grasp, I set out to meet this challenge – and slam-dunk it.Morning
I slept well without having to relocate at midnight since my bed passes the plastic test. Sheets are brushed flannel, comforters are cotton or wool, and pil
lows are down (lots of my stuff has to pass a cruelty free test as well, so no worries). Breakfast required some slight maneuvering since I prefer to have cream cheese on my bagels, but to my knowledge, unless I made my own all cream cheese is kept in plastic containers. My bagel was not plastic associated because I bought it from the bakery across the street and they used a paper bag. My silverware is all metal. I satisfied myself by using PB&J instead of cream cheese. The organic peanut butter comes in a glass jar, and is yummy! Add to that an organic pear and granola and breakfast is done. Aha! Challenge schmallenge, is that all there is to it? The bathroom is slightly more difficult. My toothbrush is recycled plastic, but it is still plastic, so I decide to play it safe and brush with my finger. My toothpaste tube is actually metal; I think nickel or something, so no fail on that point. Showering was made brief since even I can’t seem to find shampoo that comes in glass. Fortunately they still make bar soap. I was really upset when it came time for deodorant. How had I missed this? Well I am committed now so I just go without. I’m not sure what my hairbrush is made of but it doesn’t look plastic. Better safe than sorry, so I skip the brush. I think it actually looks better that way; it is all wavy and full looking. I choose clothes without elastic to wear, since I think that would be my only source of plastic in clothing. Cotton tank top with drawstring sweats, sexy.
Isaac is rolling his eyes at me. Well he always rolls his eyes at me but I think there is a reason for it this time. I tell him, “Hey, this is not that easy.” Then he proceeds to prove me wrong. He sleeps on a piece of wood that is mounted on a metal plate. I think that passes. For his breakfast he is eating worms of all shapes and varieties, which I buy from a local colony keeper and save in a glass jar. Meat is not a problem for Isaac either. He will eat small mice raw, so there is no need for wrapping. I do not have any mice for him today, and I cannot driv
e to the keeper to buy them, so it will have to be bugs. Normally he will eat vitamins, but they come in little plastic cups so that will not work. One day should not hurt him. Isaac is a bit looser on hygiene than I am so he doesn’t brush his teeth or scales, but he absolutely must shower; there is no getting around that. The plastic lining is still removed from when I showered. I fill the tub and he swims about. He takes a drink, and then takes a poop. This guy does not look like he is missing plastic for even a second.
Afternoon
My light switches are disappointingly plastic, but I have some lamps that do the trick. Most of my time was spent doing homework, which pretty much coincides with what I had planned originally. Since I still have a ton left to do before the semester ends anyway, I really do not notice that I am not using plastic except for having to do all of my writing in pencil. I am not lead’s biggest fan. All of my notebooks and binders are recycled paper/cardboard and spiral bound, so everything is good for that. I was surprised at how much I had finished. Maybe less plastic equals greater productivity? I am not a cell phone junkie, I only use it to call my husband and for emergencies, so I do not miss it. The internet was a little different. I am a chronic planner and the internet helps me with that, so when I am disconnected, I really feel disconnected as if I have no clue as to what is going on in my life or in the world. I have no cable TV so I only use the TV for video games and movies when I have time. There is no temptation for me, really. For lunch, I ate pasta leftovers from last night which were still in the pot that I cooked it in inside the refrigerator. I had to put it back on the stovetop to warm it up since the microwave was out of the question. The dials were metal so I dodged a bullet there. I could not put any extra cheese on the top like I normally do. It was only a little hassle. I drank organic tea from a glass bottle.
Isaac basked on his wood perch under his ceramic lamps basically all afternoon, except for a little mountain climbing later on. The mountains were the backs of my couch and recliner plus a pile of books. He is a little more athletic than I am. Again, he makes it look so easy to live without plastic! Little green snotball!
Evening
I run. Normally during the winter I would use the treadmill, but I am pretty sure that whole contraption is nothing but plastic. So instead I run outside and around the DNR fish hatchery. Finding clothing was interesting. All my stretchy stuff that I use specifically for this purpose was out of the question. I was stuck with sweats. I inspected my shoes carefully. They were older, and the plastic nubs on the laces were gone and frayed. They looked all rubber and fabric or mesh to me. So I was off for an hour. The snow and being outdoors distracted me enough to where I didn’t miss my iPod. It was good to get outside finally, even if I was not going far. I had begun to feel cooped up and restless. I come back home and shower again. Making dinner was going to be tricky. I was fortunate to have gone shopping recently, but all that could be for naught if I have to avoid cans and plastic packaging. I need to learn how to cook in earnest. I did have a decent variety of fresh vegetables so I decided that a stew was doable and even desirable considering the seasonality of the day. Some onion soup mix, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato, potato, onion, and chives mixed with herbs and the kitchen smelled wonderful. I served it up in some ceramic dishes with dinner rolls from that same bakery. I wrapped up a little more homework and read My Year of Meats again just for fun before heading back to bed.
Isaac climbed his perch and I turned off his light. He did not want to eat anymore and he was already dozing off, having spent all of his energy playing at Cliffhanger off the side of my bookshelves. Such is the life of a lizard. Not too shabby considering he does not have to worry about plastic like I do.
Conclusion
I made this sound like it was easy to do. That was on purpose because there is no love lost between me and things I deem unnatural, so I strive to cut out the things I feel are dangerous either to myself or to humanity and the earth as a whole, i.e. my choice to be vegetarian. The truth is that this was not easy, and that upsets me. There is no reason why I should not have the choice to not be exposed to plastic if I do not want to be. I do not feel like I would have to live in “the dark ages” as someone put it to avoid plastic, but I would have to think about it constantly, and that is not right. Like everything else in this country, we cannot rely on our government or industry to make the right choice for us; they will only make the best choice for them as we have been shown in this class. Change starts with us, the people, or it does not start at all.
Isaac says that the best advice he can give about being plastic free, is to live more like a lizard. Which I think means have a human pet around that can touch all the plastic things for you. There might be some validity to this though. I will often think about how people managed to do things before a certain technology was developed, and personally, I live with a less is more attitude. Glass can be substituted for lots of plastic things we use, and so can wood or porcelain, which have been around for thousands of years. Think about what you really need, do you really need it in plastic?
ISAAC SAYS: STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS.
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