It seems like blogging and discussing one’s carbon footprint have, as someone I know would put it, “some Venn Diagram Shit going on.” Meaning: they have some stuff in common. Both are kind of non-specifically conscientious and kind of pointlessly well-intentioned. Ergo, I will blog about my carbon footprint.
Let’s put it this way: the only thing that seems bigger than my actual footprint in China* is my carbon footprint. Despite my best efforts, it’s incredibly difficult to make even mundane gestures towards green-ish living in Beijing: a fact that looms ominously over the city as a thick smoggy blanket.
Obviously, there are much more pressing issues at hand when it comes to China’s catastrophic environmental problems, but it would be nice to feel like I have more control over my own ability to consume responsibly, but I feel roadblocked or just devoid of will power in so many ways. The things we’ve all been taught to do as individual efforts: bring reusable bags shopping, try to eat locally, use public transportation etc. feel like much more of an effort in Beijing than elsewhere I’ve lived. Certainly, I’m riding my bike a lot, but this barely makes up for the super cheap taxis at every corner that beckon to whisk me home. Allegedly, Beijing enacted a policy that charges customers for plastic bags, but I’ve literally never seen evidence of this. On the contrary, local food vendors often look confused or even offended when I ask them to just put all the vegetables into one bag. As for eating locally: yeahhh…they don’t really make cheese in China. Or hummous. Or any kind of dessert product that doesn’t taste somehow like slightly stale corn. So, that’s a tough one. There are other factors preventing healthy living here, too: the poor air quality makes it almost impossible to exercise outside and I find myself counting down the days until the coal-powered heating comes on city-wide. It’s bad news, people.
Despite these frustrations and the gloomy feeling that I’m contributing to the post-apocalyptic-looking industrial landscape I can barely make out beneath the dense white fog, there is some hope. Beijing’s air quality is today better than it’s been in years and organizations like Greening the Beige (more on them later) are bringing environmental thinking into the local discourse.
For now, though, it’s a little scary to live with the kind of environment pictured above almost every day. To add even more to this blogging cliche, I leave you with the following: It’s not east being green. And especially in Beijing, 绿色的 生活不容易。
*Ok fine. Not just in China. I have freaklishly long feet.
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