January 29, 2006
Green soul transplanted
Yesterday evening I sat at the dinner table with the boys while my maid cleaned up the kitchen. She washed the dishes, and she washed them Romanian style, under running water. While I winced listening to all that water gushing down the drain, fractions of all the conversations that I ever had with her and her predesessors flashed through my head.
"Why?"
"It's a waste of water."
"Water is cheap." Delivered in a dead pan voice.
"Hm, water is actually a very valuable resource. It's important to conserve water because...," trailing off as I see a blank look appear on her face. Oh, my green soul, it ached.
I like my house clean. Unfortunately, my definition of clean differs vastly from that of my maid(s). I don't like to have cleaning supplies in the house that have the potential of killing my children. Anything that cannot be ingested without little more than a stomach ache is, in my eyes, a hazard to my kids and very probably not good for the environment.
Before we started to use rechargeable batteries, I collected the empty batteries and brought them to Germany on the plane, to be disposed of in a more responsible way than just dumping them into the trash. (These days, I think one can actually bring them to a collecting place at the Carrefour. I have no idea what happens to the batteries afterwards, though.)
Every time I throw away paper, plastic or glass, I wince. I'm used to a thorough recycling system and while the German one has its weaknesses and its problems, it's better than just piling every thing on one big dump.
One cannot buy organic cleaning products in Romania and I could not convince my maid to use lemon juice and baking soda for scouring the sinks. So I bring green cleaning products from the US and from Germany. Blue juice and red juice are not for drinking in my household (although it wouldn't hurt you terribly if you did, which is the whole point).
This resulted in the following little incident: a few weeks into Alan's toilet training, my (prior) maid went out and bought a big bottle of Domestos from her own money. She then proceeded to use half of the bottle on the tiny downstairs bathroom which, granted, stank to high heaven. Alan had watched his adored friend Jesse (aged 5) pee while standing and couldn't be convinced to sit down ever after. So yes, the bathroom needed cleaning every day. But it was just fine to use one of the green products for this. Urine is in itself not a terribly horrible substance to remove. It doesn't even withstand simple water and soap... Anyhow. I came home and could not even stand to be in the house, that's how much the stink of Domestos had invaded every nook and cranny. Domestos has a big fat black cross in a red square on the back of the bottle - health hazard! Keep out of reach of children! I was pregnant at the time, David was just two years old, Alan some over three. I made her take the rest of the bottle home and did not offer to pay for it. I don't think she ever forgave me for that.
I tried to explain my reasons to her. I tried to explain to her the connection between cleaners, clean water, and our future. I guess I am not a born teacher (coming from five generations of teachers on both sides of my family, this must have required a rare genetic mutation).
This ties in with the heating-plastic-thing. We used to heat the kids' bottles in the microwave. When the studies came out about chemicals leaking out of heated plastic, we abandoned this practice. The following conversation ensued:
"L-, we don't heat the bottles in the microwave anymore. There is a study out [snip long explanation]. We are going to use this [ceramic milk pot] instead and then fill the milk into the bottles. I'd like to get glass bottles but that will have to wait until we get to Germany next."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"We always used to heat the bottes in the microwave before."
"Yes, but now we know it's dangerous. The study found that [longer explanation in simpler words, or so I thought]."
"But the kids never got sick from their milk."
"Eh..."
Well. I have to say that she follows my instructions. The milk gets heated in a ceramic pot. The dishes are washed in the sink filled with water. Red and Blue Juice are used in abundance. However, I have the sneaking suspicion that she thinks I'm a little bonkers. In which respect she is, of course, totally correct -- but for different reasons than she assumes.
On an final note, I tried to contact the local Greenpeace chapter which, for some odd reason, sits in Maramures. The activist center sits in Cluj. Both never replied.
(That was almost three years ago, though. Now, there is something called the Rainbow Cafe for activism in Eastern Europe. I couldn't get the site to work in either Firefox or Explorer, though. Hm.)
Posted by claudia at January 29, 2006 07:40 AMClaudia, thanks so much for that post! The environmental situation in Romania is so under-reported, and it's really good to see other perspectives on it.
I support the green way of life too, and it's really annoying that environmentalism and green politics aren't really valued here. I mean, surely there are more important issues, but ecology is something that no Romanian government has ever cared about (the EU is pressuring us slightly to reduce industrial waste, but that's about as far as they go). I've lived outside of Romania, and when you tell people about reciclare they do stare quite blankly and probably say in their mind "Ah, he's a hippie" :)
I suggest you contact the Ecological Federation of Romania, which is Romania's only green political party (yes, it's a shame that in Romania there is no visible green party). They're located in Bucharest, and their email is ecologic at arexim dot ro.
Looking forward to hearing more and more posts about the enviroment!
Posted by: Mihai at January 29, 2006 02:32 PMWhat is the reason for saving water in Romania? It is not Spain. Water isn't scarce and it's a renewable resource. There is a point in not putting detergents into the water, but why conserve water? It will end up in a river anyway.
Posted by: Oliver at January 29, 2006 04:38 PMOliver,
Actually, water can be quite scarce here. No, it isn't Spain, but the further east you go in Europe, the more irregular rainfall becomes. Romania has years of flood (like 2005) and years of drought, both fairly regularly.
Also, water here is heavily subsidized; we're only paying between a quarter and half of the real cost. This means that, every time we let the tap run, we're draining money out of the Romanian taxpayer's pocket.
Doug M.
Claudia,
A very good post. Although I wouldn't call myself a Green by a long shot (actually, I a very passionate opponent of the Swedish Green party, a big supporter of nuclear power and lower energy taxes) I do take it very badly when people waste natural resources, including water.
Even though in most countries, including Sweden, the vast majority of water is consumed by agriculture or industry and households only account for a smaller percentage, I get a bad conscience whenever I let the tap run while I'm washing my teeth.
The low subsidized price of water and the waste it encourages (especially within agriculture) is actually a very large part of the recurring water shortages they have in parts of Spain. Water is is about five times more expensive here in Sweden than in Spain, and, believe me, it's not because there's a shortage of supply!
The situation you describe makes it clear that communism is just as good at wasting natural resources as it is human resources.
Posted by: Oskar L. at January 29, 2006 11:00 PM"Green" products! This is a real good one! rofl
Did you ever mentioned something about "organic" food?! I've missed that one ... Sooorrryyyyyy! rofl
Well ... Let's go back to "green" products! There is NOT such a thing when it's about cleaning products. Just in case you've forgoten they are also "sanitizers" on market! Designed "to kill" bacterias and other micro organisms. "Green" products! Soaking with chemicals! rofl
Should I put that on your ignorance ... ?! rofl
Guys ... do you realy want a "green" product?! Use water. Hot or cold. It doesn't matter! It's cleaning everything (including sins). Doesn't sanitize everything though ... rofl
Btw ... the incubator is the best (and the only way) to keep most of the micro organisms away. You should get one! Or quit breathing. It's also working! rofl
Did you quit using cars? And go between 2 places by horse? It's also "green", you know. Not to mention that you're saving money on gas :)) Alot!rofl
And about the hippie meaning ... it's simple: quit smoking! Cigarettes, of course! Don't step on the grass, smoke it! rofl It's also "green"!!
Jesus! How about "stop making fouls of yourselves"?!Huh!?:(
Oh, Victor.
Aren't you embarrassed when you reveal your total lack of chemistry 101 -- and of spelling 101 --- in this blatant manner?
"Green" products! This is a real good one! rofl Did you ever mentioned something about "organic" food?! I've missed that one ... Sooorrryyyyyy! rofl
I'm glad you're amused!
Well ... Let's go back to "green" products! There is NOT such a thing when it's about cleaning products.
A'hm. Victor? Ever heard of biodegradable? Look it up. Google it.
Just in case you've forgoten they are also "sanitizers" on market! Designed "to kill" bacterias and other micro organisms. "Green" products! Soaking with chemicals! rofl
Chemistry 101: Everything is made of chemicals. My baby, this computer, the grass on the other side of the fence. The sun! The moon! The stars!
Even you.
It's just that some chemicals are more harmful than others. It's wise to avoid those.
Should I put that on your ignorance ... ?! rofl
Are you really rolling on the floor all the time?
That would explain a lot, actually.
Guys ... do you realy want a "green" product?! Use water. Hot or cold. It doesn't matter! It's cleaning everything (including sins). Doesn't sanitize everything though ... rofl Btw ... the incubator is the best (and the only way) to keep most of the micro organisms away.
Water doesn't clean oil. Read your chemistry book.
Incubator? I'm not following you here. Maybe you mean sterilizer? Like a steam sterilizer for baby bottles? We actually do own one. Or an autoclave? You know, that big thing they use to sterilize OP tools?
Tea tree oil is a very good sanitizer. And I'm not one for sanitizing everything everywhere anyway.
You should get one! Or quit breathing. It's also working! rofl
[Confused] Quit breathing will do exactly what?
Did you quit using cars? And go between 2 places by horse? It's also "green", you know. Not to mention that you're saving money on gas :)) Alot!rofl
You are absolutely right. Now, I don't own a horse. But I walk a lot. And we have a car that doesn't use much gas. And you?
And about the hippie meaning ... it's simple: quit smoking! Cigarettes, of course! Don't step on the grass, smoke it! rofl It's also "green"!!
I don't smoke. Never have. I don't really know where hippies come in here.
Jesus! How about "stop making fouls of yourselves"?!Huh!?:(
Oh, I wouldn't dream of making a foul of myself. Really.
Posted by: claudia at March 6, 2006 07:32 PM