Are We Going Green or Back To Normal?

Are We Going Green or Back To Normal?

Isn’t it fascinating how in one generation what has been done for centuries is now viewed as an alternative lifestyle?

Many of us would become green if we had time, but most people view sustainable living as an alternative, time consuming way of life... Or that is what we are led to believe.

Looking back at our parents and grandparent’s lifestyles, everything that we classify today as being a sustainable, alternative way of living, our parents and grandparents did as part of their normal day to day activities.

Every home had a compost heap in their back yard even if it was just a pile of 4 by 2’s. Everyone grew their own Vegetables and fruitand nothing was wasted because they could not afford to throw good produce out. They did not over buy food, only getting just what they needed.

All of the packaging was paper or reusable bags and everything else was packed in glass or paper.

We all had reusable milk bottles, clothing was high quality so it lasted a long time, all of our furniture was made from renewable sources and everyone used cloth nappies.

Today, if you do any of the above you are seen to be going green and living alternatively. To be honest I think that we are just being lazy!

Our generation have taken what were always alternatives for our parents (expensive convenience items) and turned them into being normal and labeled everything that was normal alternative.

What is normal? This is a question put to parents attending sustainable parenting courses all over New Zealand run by The Nappy Lady, Kate Meads.

The Nappy Lady’s workshops are becoming increasingly popular all over the country. Kate runs educational workshops for new families, encouraging the new parents of our future generations to change the way they think about the world they will leave their children living in the years to come.

‘I am excited to be working with lots of councils and environmentally active individuals and groups all over New Zealand who are passionate about our environment and changing the way people treat it.’ Kate says. ‘As citizens of the earth we need to look after our most valuable asset, the planet.’

When will we once again become responsible for our increasingly waste filled lifestyles and actually go back to the centuries old normal way of living by being responsible for our own crap?

‘It is not hard, we don’t all have to be environmental saints’ says Kate, ‘we all just need to do a little bit and that is better than doing nothing.’

Kate has over 25 workshops in the next 3 months at locations all over the country where parents who attend receive a free trial pack of modern styled cloth nappies to take home.

The value of the packs vary from region to region and offers a great opportunity for new parents to have a go at being sustainable with their nappy choices.

Kate encourages parents to use just one cloth nappy per day to do their bit and estimates if all Kiwi parents committed to just one cloth nappy change per day, we could prevent over 1 million disposable nappies from ending up in our depleting landfills every week.

Nappy Lady workshop Dates for 2013:
For full information, times and to book you will need to visit The Nappy Lady’s website www.thenappylady.co.nz

August:
Auckland - 23rd of September at the Baby Show
Auckland - 24th of September at the Baby Show
September:
Auckland – Three Kings 3rd September @ 7:30pm
Tauranga – Papamoa: 6th September @ 6:30pm
Selwyn District / Lincoln -11th September @ 7:30pm
Christchurch - 12th September @ 7:30pm
Ranfurly – 23rd September @ 10:00am
Roxburgh– 23rd September @ 1:30pm
Alexandra – 23rd September @ 7:00pm
Cromwell –24th September @ 10:00am
Balclutha – 26th September @ 7:00pm
Oamaru – 27th September @ 1:00pm
Dunedin 28th September @ 11:30am

October:
Auckland – Manukau: 16th October @ 7:00pm
Auckland – Te Atatu: 17th October @ 7:00pm
Auckland – Glenfield: 18th October @ 7:30pm

November:
Lower Hutt – 9th November @ 10:30am
Wellington City - 9th November @ 3:00pm
Kapiti – 10th November @ 2:00pm
Upper Hutt – 11th November @ 10:00am
Porirua – 11th November @ 2:30pm
Palmerston North – 12th November @ 5:30pm
Hamilton – 22nd November @ 6:00pm

December:
Tauranga – 6th December @ 7:00pm

Yearly Trial Pack offers for 2013
There are a few councils that have a trial pack offer available that you can purchase from them directly through the council throughout the year. These include Queenstown, Kawerau and Oamaru.

For more information about what your council offers, and to book, go to: www.thenappylady.co.nz

More workshops are added as councils join the scheme so make sure you check back often to see more future workshop dates or keep up to date on The Nappy Lady face book page here: https://www.facebook.com/thenappyladynz

ENDS

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