SUSTAINABLE LIVING life and also certain human skin conditions .
I was amazed by the Aruban government ’ s determination to make the island nation into a green super power and in so doing , set an example of good behavior for the rest of the Caribbean .
What we can do
It left me wondering , if they can do it , why can ’ t the rest of us ? It made me think of my own personal practices and attempts on my island home St . Maarten , no matter how feeble and little . I only use reusable water bottles instead of plastic , I say no to plastic bags , cups and straws . In my bag along with my wallet are my other must-have items : a reusable water bottle , reusable rum cup ( because you never know when you ’ ll get a last minute invitation to happy hour ), bamboo straw , metal straw and a pouch of silver utensils in case I find myself unexpectedly getting takeout . Sometimes I ’ ll have a lunch box with me as well . People look at me funny when I ask for my order to be packed in my lunch box instead of a styrofoam container . I hear the occasional snickers behind my back and I ignore the odd looks and rude commentaries . At the grocery store I frequent , I am known as the No Plastic Lady and my friends and family give the usual grunt whenever I remind them of the harms they are causing by taking a drink that is served in a plastic cup . My husband is about to divorce me because of the many arguments we have whenever he stops at the store to get some last
minute items and he packs them in a ( gasp ) plastic bag – the horror !
Aside from some of my friends who have finally started to see the impact they have on the incredible waste produced on the island , most people just seem immune or uncaring . Our islands have such fragile ecosystems and all we seem to care about is securing our groceries by double bagging and making sure we can continue the happy hour fun by asking for a to go cup , which we then unceremoniously dump into landfills that are overflowing and where methane gas bubbles are threatening to explode us into the next century .
Yes , we all love to complain about our local dumps and landfills , especially when something disastrous happens that makes us realize how it can easily negatively affect our bread and butter called tourism . Yet , we never stop to think that WE are the biggest contributors to these minor disasters . Why look in the mirror when you can always blame the government and keep purchasing and using plastic
To Table of Contents
Travel + Lifestyle 73