eco weavils

One challenge of ethical living is the need vs want tension. Just bought a bathroom - desperately needed one - plaster is falling of the ceiling of current one, the sink is held to the wall with a bit of glue, tiles are cracked and the toilet is so old that it sounds like a rocket launching into space when you flush. So it really needs updated. Lots and more than we could do ourselves. So, Homebase are doing the whole thing and we'll see how it goes. By the way, disappointing information or knowledge about eco or green thinking at homebase; salesperson simply looked nonplussed when I asked for eco options. They did have some which I've gone for - eco toliet and taps, but..... still ........... I find myself dreaming about the cool designed streamline toilets and beautiful taps and whirlpool for the bath and hot air dryer, imagining a glamourous 'cadbury's flake' bathing experience (even though I hardly bath as I always shower). The difficultly is that eco options can be limited and in this case the dowdy plain jane of the bathroom range. I try, in my head, to make 'eco deals' e.g. 'if I get the hot air dryer, then I won't have to use and wash so many towels,' or 'if I get the whirlpool then maybe I could get underfloor heating that would be cheaper and offset the environmental cost.' Truth is I have no idea of how to calculate these things, or even the units to use, I might as well be saying 'if I buy four elephants then that will offset four hippos.' It makes no sense and I'd have to google it, or write into Simon Mayo's 'homework sucks' slot on radio 2 so some bored pHD student with nothing better to do can work it out for me.

Ultimately, imaginary 'eco deals' are the weavils of ethical living; they get into your simple principles and nibble at them till all you have is something that doesn't look or taste anything like the original, and you want to throw it away.

How did I deal with it in the end? I threw away the pretty brochure, on the 'out of sight, out of mind' principle, and went back to basics: 'luxury unnecessary new stuff that uses electricity = bad,' and 'new stuff that is as ethical as possible = good.' Weavils banished. For now.