Back to Basics

The City of Toronto has just given the 'ok' for retailers to charge 5 cents for throwaway plastic bags. The City of Toronto is also no longer allowing plastic water bottles on City property ~ it sounds as though the City of Toronto is going back to basics and I think that's a great idea!

People are into more organic than processed. Growing your own food, buying locally and using coupons is once again 'in' as opposed to the bigger, better, faster products that we've been consuming for the past few decades.

I have to admit that I am excited about the simpler times ahead and about getting back to basics. I am very pro recycling and doing as much as I can to reduce the 'carbon footprint' that I leave behind. I love paper bags and bringing my own bags for that matter ~ bring it on!

When I was in the elevator heading down for lunch today (I work on a floor where there are way too many stairs to take!) there was another lady in the same elevator and we were both reading the headlines on the monitor. The story about the 5 cent charge for plastic bags came on the screen and I saw her shake her head in disagreement. I couldn't believe it! I was actually surprised! It is really that big of a deal to take your own bags to the store? Or to pay the 5 cents if you really need a bag? Is she so selfish that she is only thinking of the inconvenience to herself that this 5 cent charge may cause rather than thinking of the benefits to the environment and to future generations? I can tell you that I have no desire to see my children playing in mounds of dirt!

For that matter, I have voiced many times to my friends that I am tempted to buy a plot of land in the country where I can grow my own food and raise my family! I'll be more satisfied to know that the air they are breathing is cleaner, I'll know exactly what is in the food that they are eating and I'd even be quite happy to home school them so I can teach them all of the skills that I feel they need to know to be successful, happy and confident in this world!

Back to basics is just fine with me ~ this is a great start but please keep the changes progressing!