Tiny Choices Survey: Eliza Butler Evans
By tinychoices | November 9, 2007
Vital statistics (name, age, location, link to website/blog)?
Eliza Butler Evans, 27, Cary, Illinois
How do you reside (apartment or house, roommates)? Are your housing
decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
I live in a townhouse with my husband and our two cats. Our housing decision was definitely by choice — I don’t think you can actually buy a house on accident! — but the location was absolutely informed by access to public transportation. Proximity to the Metra was probably the number one requirement we had when choosing a home, because we only have one car and aren’t interested in getting another. Cutting down on energy costs by sharing a wall was a surprise benefit.
How do you travel (transit, car, etc)?Are your travel decisions dictated by choice or necessity? Please explain.
While my husband takes the train to work, I personally travel mostly by car. I have a twenty-five minute commute that is on the highway for the most part; it’s not possible to use the sparse public transportation out here in the exurbs to get from my house to my office. We keep our car (a Honda Civic) in as good a condition as possible so as to make driving more efficient. I mass my trips, as well. I’d love a hybrid car, but that’s not in the works just yet. We also very rarely travel by plane.
Tell us about a Tiny Choice you’ve made in your life.
I switched to cleaning with white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It took a while to get used to the smell but it’s much better for the environment. You can clean everything with vinegar! Plus I’ve switched to cloth napkins (thanks, Tiny Choices!) I eat as locally as I can, too, but that one’s a pretty big choice.
What is the one environmental dilemma you personally struggle the most with?
Probably car usage. I feel so guilty but I try to be as efficient as possible when I’m driving.
What is one Tiny Choice you can make in that direction?
I’m going to get a pannier rack put on my super-awesome bike, so that I can haul stuff.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you make that people question (in either a positive educational or a negative hassle way) you the most about?
At first I thought it was cloth napkins, but then I realized I still get lot of hassle about reusable bags. Store clerks often act surprised when I hand them over. If I forget my bag in the car and ask to just take my purchases out in the cart so I can bag them myself, people really get freaked out. On the bright side, I get a lot of comments at the farmers market. I’m hoping my market will offer reusable bags next year.
What is the one environmental Tiny Choice you would like every single person to adopt?
Recycling! Find a way to make it work in your home. If you’re going to throw trash away anyway, why not have a separate bin for recyclables? If your town doesn’t offer curbside recycling services, then find out what it will take to make it happen. I’d love for recycling cans to be on every street corner next to a trash can.
Do you feel like you make sacrifices for environmentalism? Please explain.
No, I really don’t feel like I’m making sacrifices, because I work to make my life more efficient with my environmentally conscious choices. Plus I get to feel all virtuous when I do something like whip out my cloth napkin or reusable shopping bag. Never underestimate the joy of feeling smug for a few moments!
Are you generally: optimistic, pessimistic, neutral about environmentalism and the future?
After Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize win? I’m optimistic as hell.
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