On Going Green

I've recently come to believe that living in Uganda is a form in-and-of-itself in "being green." My contribution to the world is moving to Uganda for two years. I think that should give me a free pass when it comes to environmental issues, right?*

Let me explain.

Common Suggestions on How to Be Green

Turn off electricity as much as possible.

The Ugandan power supply company does this for us on a regular basis. Not having access to electricity is a great way to conserve and keep your electric bill low.

Conserve water. 

My clothes are hand-washed in a small basin with cold water once a week, and they dry on the clothesline outside (bonus points for saving water AND electricity at once!). I read that line-drying will save you 3-4 kWH/washing cycle. Do I know what that means? No, but it sounds good and green.

Leave the tap running while you brush your teeth? No way. Not here. You don't even turn it on.

And because I live near the top of a hill and have somewhat poor plumbing, my water has gone out three times in the past month (again, not having access to water conserves water) and pressure is often low. No need to install a fancy water-conserving shower head here.

Use public transportation, ride your bike, or walk when possible.

I don't have a bicycle, and considering there are generally more potholes than road, I don't really want one either. That means my only transportation options are walking, public transport, or carpooling with a team mate who owns a vehicle. This usually involves filling every seat in the car and then adding another two people who sit in the trunk. Those people can testify accurately about how many potholes there are here.

Keep your thermostat at a moderate setting.

Thermostats don't exist in homes here. You can open or close windows and doors. That one was easy.

Reuse and recycle.

Frequently, I choose the foods I buy based on the container they come in. The other day my friend called me to let me know that Nakumatt restocked the butter in the containers. This is a big deal, guys. Those cheap, plastic little containers are amazing for freezing leftovers, and this is the only butter in town that doesn't come in a cardboard box or just some foil wrapping (though now that I think about it... reducing on packaging is another great way to be green!). And I always buy the jam and olive oil that come in a glass jar because they make great candle holders when power goes out (more bonus points??).

Buy seasonal foods from local farmers.

Well, this one just seems too easy. Who wouldn't want to purchase all these organic veggies for about $6?

Being so cool has never been so easy.

*I'm kidding. I truly do care about environmental issues, which is why I thought of all this in the first place :)