How the Recession Saved the Planet

I have never been much of an environmentalist. I don't recycle, I leave the water running while I brush my teeth and I ask for my groceries double bagged. Oddly, that has been changing lately. I have not had an eye opening experience brought on by some bleeding-heart-save-the-earther, but my behavior and even my mindset have changed. I bring my own bag to the grocery store, I tell the guys at the bodega that I don't need the paper bag or napkins for my coffee, I turn the lights out when I leave a room. When I receive large packages with small contents, I immediately think about what a waste of packing materials that was.

Waste. I think that is the key here. As we move along in this recession, I feel like we are all a bit more aware of waste and need and that mindset carries over to our personal habits. No, those bags at the grocery store don't cost me anything, but the idea of being wasteful in anyway feels distasteful. Maybe it is just me, but the Recession has made me a more environmentally healthy person.

Recessions have a funny way of working on people. I think about my grandparents' generation. They survived the great depression and it made them a more cautious and responsible group. They were satisfied by the simple things in life and their desires were focused on survival over frivolousness. Our parents on the other hand, swung the pendulum in the other direction. They wanted more, they wanted it all, they luxuriated in the ability to waste. I think perhaps my generation has struck a kind of balance between the two extremes. We grew-up in the land of excess and now are living as adults in a land of new found scarcity.

My generation still wants the good things, but we are keenly aware of their value. We are not interested in wasteful excess, but controlled indulgence. I see my friends, wealthy and poor, enjoying the delights of New York. We have grand dinners, but perhaps at an East Village Trattoria instead of at Babbo. We buy fine ingredients, but only what we need for a special dish. I think that our ability to maintain our desire, while living responsibly may be the key to our success and happiness as a generation. I certainly see it as a key to my own! I appreciate the finer things, but I am just fine without them.

In the spirit of simplicity, I began thinking about cooking today. I have been waiting for some exotic new dish or ingredient to inspire me to try something new at home. This morning, gleefully eating my Sunday morning bagel, I realized that this simple pleasure might be worth exploring. I began to research the wonder of the bagel, trying to see if there was some kind of magical technique that makes them so irresistible to me. What I found was a simple recipe, somewhat time consuming, but absolutely doable in my tiny kitchen. I am going to end my new recipe strike next weekend, I am going to attempt to create my favorite carbie vice! Next weekend will be the weekend of the Bagel.

Yes, the recession might not be a barrel of laughs, but it has made me appreciate the grandeur of the simple things. It has fostered a new sense of responsibility without robbing me of the luxury of hope. Perhaps the recession will not save the environment, but it certainly has gone a long way in saving me from my parents' fate of an insatiable hunger for more.