My Eco-Conscience Conundrum

So, as most of you know, I've worked to be "eco-friendly" for years. It's not easy in a disposable society. I don't consider myself some tree-hugging, neo-hippy or anything -- although I like granola a lot! Still, I try to do my part. I work hard to cut our electric use, recycle, compost, conserve. You know recycle, reuse, renew. Anyway, I've got a silly issue involving paper products & water conservation.

For a long time, I've been trying to significantly reduce our use of disposable paper & plastic. We use cloth grocery bags & kitchen towels. I also use a "gold filter" for the coffee maker. We have paper plates but I try really hard to not use them. This is all well and good except for this...

The Charlotte region is experiencing the worst drought conditions in decades. Along with sustained record heat. Today it was 92 deg. The average high for this time of year is 75. The heat is supposed to subside, but there's still no rain in sight.

U.S. Drought Monitor

It's bad enough that they are handing out hefty fines for people caught filling their pools or watering their lawns. It's not just talk. The fines aren't just on the books. Enforcement is taking place. Local officials are even talking about indoor restrictions.

This got me thinking about my water consumption. After dumping out our daily coffee grinds, I've got to spray the filter clean. That's a lot of water. If I switch back to paper filters, I could probably conserve more water. And that made me think about some other stuff. I can cook more meals on the grill and use paper plates. That would cut down the amount of dishes I have to wash. I can, at the very least, compost the coffee filters and plates that didn't have meat on them.

It's serious enough to consider for the time being. And thus the conundrum. Disposable is bad! We make so much trash in this society. Slick and I have worked so hard to cut back on needless waste. The idea of shifting back to disposable products after we've tried so hard to cut back feels wrong. Yet, until we get rain -- a lot of rain -- it seems like a good idea.