I haven’t been paying much attention to the blog lately. Like, what is the point of blogging about making personal sustainable and ethical moves with (gestures all around) everything happening under this federal administration?
This time around feels worse too. As a woman of color, as someone from an immigrant community who cares about the environment, science, public education, civil rights, and many other things, I feel assaulted by the news every day. And I’m dismayed by all the people who are seemingly fine with authoritarianism.
I’m trying to figure out how to balance work, blogging, personal endeavors, and doing something to resist or at least help other people. Part of resisting is finding joy where we can and taking care of ourselves (which at the moment seems to have translated into eating more pastries, a delicious but not exactly healthy move).
I’ve been calling my reps. And I’ve also used some of my Quince coupons to donate undergarments to a mutual aid group that helps migrants. (Thanks to everyone who has used my referral code.)
For now, I plan to continue blogging on here, though not as frequently. We’ll see. Also, I signed up for a Bluesky account. I remain on Instagram and Threads for the time being, but meh Meta. Cannot be beholden to these social media companies run by CEOs who are kissing the ring. Hell, I’m even contemplating restarting my newsletter (though I don’t love writing newsletters) because at least that’s something I can control.
A Successful No Buy January
I didn’t buy stuff in January. Please clap! Honestly, though, this was not hard for me. I’ve been slowing down my consumption for eight years now, and not buying any clothes or housewares for a month is easy peasy now. (Well, I did buy the plant above, but my rule is that plants don’t count!)
If I want to challenge myself, I should extend the time, so I’ll do just that. Can I do a No Buy Q1? I also remain committed to various boycotts and added a few. (I’m looking at you, Target.)
What I Read on Sustainability
What happens to 50,000 lbs of extra LA wildfire clothing donations? – When the wildfires happened, I saw people in NYC asking how they could donate clothes. And I thought, “Use your common sense! It makes no sense to ship your clothes across the country!” There were plenty of clothes donation locally. Too much, in fact as this story and others report. A surge of donations — and the labor it takes to sort and organize them — can actually impede relief efforts. It’s always best to give cash, if you’re able to, during a crisis.
Really appreciated this pair of articles from The City that demystified how to recycle in NYC. The first one is a guide to how to recycle, including what they take and don’t. And the second story takes you behind the scenes at the recycling plants. NYC says if you’re not sure about something, put it in the recycling bin and let them figure it out. Because if you put it in the trash, it is definitely going to the landfill.
