Not so recently, a conversation took place between two Peace Corps volunteers on a street corner; who happened to meet each for the first time over dinner with friends on a cold February evening. This conversation was about many things, but most importantly, sustainable living in Macedonia. Some of you may be confused by the term sustainable living so here are a few definitions that might help.
Dictionary.com defines sustainable living as “any lifestyle based on energy – saving and environmental responsibility”. For a broader definition, AssociatedContent.com says that “to live sustainably means to live in a manner that preserves our environment. The path to living sustainably has many roads. To live sustainably one would need to reduce the impact on the earth’s resources”. One more worth mentioning comes from a sourced Wikipedia entry that defines “sustainable living as a lifestyle that could hypothetically, be sustained without exhausting any natural resources.” This is almost impossible to do, which is why many do not believe in sustainability. So the definition here goes on to say “It adherents most often hold true sustainability as a goal or guide, and make lifestyle trade – offs favoring sustainability”.
In saying all of this, it is important to look at the factors that motivate people to become “sustainable”. Some do it for the environment, while others are motivated by money and do not even realize the impact of their actions…..(Macedonia)
The conversation that took place between these two volunteers stated some examples of just how Macedonians unknowingly live “sustainable” lifestyles. Recently this conversation was taken to the next level in a blog entry written by one of the two volunteers. The second volunteer in the conversation added to the list of the first and together they compiled an almost complete list of the things Macedonians do that are sustainable to the environment.
Whether you are motivated by money or just a desire to reduce your carbon footprint, here are examples of how one society has and continues to practice such standards.
- Car Pool – 3 – 5 people take one cab and split the bill. Most don’t own a car, nor motor bike.
- Travel less – talk to Macedonians, you will find that most PVCs have traveled to more towns in five months than locals travel all their lives.
- Conserve Water – use towels more than once, take baths a few times a week, shut off water at the municipal water plant daily in some towns
- Conserve Energy- Close doors to all rooms, Heat one room of the house (albeit with wood burning stove) Turn on overheard lights only when necessary, use cold water, walls are made of cement to keep the house cooler in the summer, Most aircon one room or no aircon at all. Lights are off in some stores. Stores will close during the day when the temperature reaches over 35 degrees Celsius. Most homes use energy saving florescent bulbs. Refrigerators are quite small.
- Reuse- plastic and glass bottles, plastic bags (as garbage or trash bags), plastic containers, aluminum foil, canning jars, hairdressers wash and re-use the foil used for highlights and coloring
- Sell items in broken packages, so you don’t have to bulk storage 10 of something that takes you 2 years to use.
- Recycle -plastic bottles
- Organic gardening, canning and storage, mini co-ops formed by neighbors -jointly purchase in bulk, keeping packaging to a minimum and creating efficiencies.
- Minimal to virtually no carry out containers in Macedonia
- The large and frequently used public transportation systems
- Locally grown fruits and vegetables are sold, so we only get what is in season or grown in a greenhouse
- Municipalities pay people to sweep and pick – up trash from public areas and sidewalks
- If there is any food waste, it is given to stray animals
- Day of the Tree – twice a year the Macedonian government has an initiative to plant 2 million trees.
Looking back at the time I lived with my host family, there trash bin was very small, the tiniest I had ever seen. That was all they needed, for there was no trash to be taken out. All Peace Corps volunteers can attest to this, for one thing is consistent from Macedonian household to household, even in Skopje, there just isn’t a lot of household waste.
Many thanks to Tracy, the first volunteer in my story.
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