After writing my last post for The Greenists, I jumped into the green movement head first. And hit a wall — a wall of do’s and don’ts with razor-wire warnings of buy “this” not “that” and confusing acronyms such as BPA and VOC peppering my path like Wile E. Coyote’s TNT. It was overwhelming. I didn’t know where to begin learning what I needed to know about going green in the city without breaking the bank or robbing one. To be honest, it was much easier to sit on my couch and watch Grey’s Anatomy reruns but my mama didn’t raise a quitter. Besides, one can only take so much of Izzie Stevens.

So, I began where I usually do when looking for information. I started with Mr. Google. Mr. Google is usually very helpful. Sometimes, however, he has Tourettes-like tendencies and starts spouting obscenities like “give up meat!” or “your cotton PJs are killing the earth!” I may eventually come to love tofu and wear organic cotton jammies but I needed something I can do NOW. Something I can stick with. Not like the Master Cleanse diet that I started at breakfast and supplemented with a Snickers bar fifteen minutes later. A few more clicks and I was ready to gag Mr. Google. Sometimes he just doesn’t know when to shut up. A search for “How to go green?” produced 169,000,000 results. “How to go green in the city?” 197,000,000. Oy vey!

That’s when I realized that my barriers to going green were barriers faced by many well-meaning people every day: access and information. The Greenists is an excellent source of information about going green without having to hug the trees so hard you spit out toothpicks. It’s led me to change some of my own behaviors: I’m using eco-friendly cleaning products as my earth destroying store-bought chemical solvents run out and I’ve rejected bottled water. Baby steps, peeps, baby steps.

As I clicked through The Greenists and other user-friendly sites I thought, “Hey! I can do this!” But what about people without internet access? In this age of information overload and iEverything, not having a computer seems like science fiction. But I know many people who, due to economics or lack of opportunity, are without a computer. For them, internet access is a luxury. So, what do you do if you want to go green but don’t have The Greenists or Mr. Google at your fingertips? You do it the old-fashioned way. You read a book. I stepped back from my laptop and took a short walk to my local library.

The line for the library computers was five people deep and moved slower than dial-up. When it was finally my turn, I did a quick search to find the most popular books about urban homesteading and living the green life in an urban environment. One book offered to teach its readers how to hunt and dress wild game. Pshaw! What do I need that for? I live near the Central Park Zoo! I can grab a polar bear by the paw and march him down Fifth Avenue for a personal shopping experience he will never forget. But we’ll have to work around the whole no white after Labor Day thing. I crossed that book off my list but kept four others.

The New York Public library database was hit or miss. Some of the books were available but On Hold. I mean really On Hold. By Father Time. If I ever got those books the paper would turn to powder in my hands. One book was non-circulating. I could sit in the library for several hours and take notes from a 306-page book or I could spend fifteen to twenty-five cents a page and eighty acres of old growth forest copying the sections that interested me. Who has that time? Who has that many quarters and isn’t using them to do laundry?

All of this took about two hours out of my day and I still left empty-handed. But I would not be deterred. Off I went to the Big Box Bookstore. They had two of the books on my list and for once I remembered to take my re-usable shopping bag. I was patting myself on the back for my small green victory when a clap of thunder and the storm that would finally sink New York City began. I had to go back to the cashier and ask him for a plastic bag to help protect my books from the elements. Mother Nature = 1, Dingo = 0.

You’re probably wondering what in the rapidly warming world any of this has to do with going green. I got my books, right? So what if I had to spend an afternoon at the library before shelling out a few bucks at Big Box Bookstore? But those are big “so what’s” for many people. The green movement is often looked upon as a luxury of the middle and upper class. Time and money, folks. Time and money. One of the things I want to accomplish is to find ways to make information about the green movement accessible and appealing to those who feel shut out of movement due to the lack of finances or a misunderstanding of what the green movement really means. It’s not just about urban composting and container gardens. It’s about how to eat locally and nutritiously on a budget. It’s about community gardens, clean water, and fresh air for everyone. I also want to to make it fun. It’s not just about doing things for the environment. It’s doing things for ourselves and our loved ones that make us feel good and we can feel good about — cruelty-free non-toxic make-up, eco-friendly pet products, and money saving tips. See what I mean? Fun!

I’ve got some great ideas for upcoming posts: Which Farmers Markets have the best prices on farmers? Tofu or To-Phewy! I welcome your comments, suggestions, ideas, myths to debunk, and gifts of cash and fabulous prizes. ‘Til next time!