The Train

"If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come." - Chinese Proverb

I am not exactly sure how this quote fits in with my entry for today, but it was Tuesday's thought on my Go Green calendar, so I felt it necessary to share.

I made some progress with preparing a lunch and thus reducing the amount of garbage produced from all my takeout containers. I made one out of five lunches this week. Okay, so that was a pathetic attempt and I can definitely do better. I am going to start by resisting the attempt to justify my bad behaviour, something I have realized I have become a pro at.

Something I had better success at this week, was using public transit. I took the train to visit a friend in Hamilton this weekend rather than drive my car, which I have put way too many kilometres on since I bought her in June (yes, I am one of those people who names inanimate objects. My metallic slate G5 is known as Miss Monroe or Marilyn for short). In the last year I have driven from Ontario to Newfoundland, where I spent eight months before making the long drive back to Ontario and I now drive more than 500 kilometres per week for work alone, so needless to say I have grown very tired of driving. This all led me back to public transit that I used so often in my university days. The best part about taking the train beyond the environmental benefit is the lack of focus it requires. I was able to close my eyes, get lost in the world of Bella from the Twilight saga, and people watch at my leisure. I could also safely eat my yogurt on route, although I am not entirely positive it is acceptable to eat on the Go train. I figured it was okay considering the fact that a rowdy group of 30 something year old men were drinking beer (which I am pretty sure is illegal) to prepare for the sporting event they were about to see. The funny part was seeing the face of the lady sitting next to the washroom as each of the men failed to close the door after they finished. They were oblivious to her disgust even as she slammed the door after each one of them. This is something I would have missed had I driven my car.

We went for sushi in Hamilton and I felt a slight twinge of regret when I overheard one of the sushi chefs telling another patron that the delicious salmon sushi I enjoyed had come all the way from Scotland. I plan to explore the issue of responsible seafood eating as the year progresses. For anyone who wants to get started now, go to http://www.oceansalive.org/ (you can print out a handy wallet card that helps you decide which seafood choices are the most sustainable).

Other than the sushi incident, I was so elated by the travel experience that I have resolved to take the train or bus whenever possible. I will try to keep track of the amount of emissions I reduce this year by using public transit.

In addition to using public transit, I also used only reusable bags for groceries and shopping and brought a travel mug everywhere I went. I begin this new week on a green high and I will try to carry that with me as I once continue to reduce packaging waste by preparing lunches and follow the suggestions of my Go Green calendar. My personal goal for the week is to read the first step in the Gorgeously Green plan. Wish me luck.