The Smoother Side of Green

There's been a lot of talk lately about the government using grants and tax credits to inspire companies and consumers to go green. True, these incentives only pertain to large initiatives, like buying hybrid cars and converting your house to solar energy- for now. Wouldn't it be great if they would apply even to the smaller commitments?

Did you know that roughly 2,000,000,000 razor blades are thrown away each year? For those who get lost in the zeros, that is TWO BILLION!!

I was thinking about that this morning while shaving my legs. I hate shaving my legs. Not only is it boring, but it takes up precious time I do not have and requires me to analyze my body with entirely too much scrutiny- an act I find highly inappropriate at 6 am.

I am a confident, independent woman committed to conservation and reducing waste, but I am no Alicia Silverstone. Even I will admit that natural is not always the best way. And so I continue to shave my legs- probably not as often as my husband would prefer, but enough to keep my dignity in tact. However, I am not easily defeated. I will always search for a better, greener solution to my problems. This morning it came to me like a beacon in the night.

Laser. Hair. Removal.

True, not a new concept. Lucky women around the world have been enjoying hairless legs (among other, ehem, "things") for years now thanks to this brilliant gift of modern science. Yet, most still see it as a frivolous luxury and many even consider it an indulgence in vanity reserved for the shallow and narcissistic. I admit, these thoughts have even crossed my mind at times- normally as not-so-subtle attempts to make myself feel better about not having the money to do it.

But now that I begin to tally up the ongoing expense of shaving- the Mach3 razor blades for a shocking $12 a month, the shaving cream at $3 a month, the time it takes out of my day to do it (time is money isn't it?) and then the eternal cost of burying all those cartridges and cans in our earth... suddenly laser hair removal has a new noble image.

We are faced with this horrific environmental burden- an ongoing waste issue do
to our hairy legs. And now science has offered us a way out. A cleaner, greener,
permanent solution. It would be selfish and irresponsible to turn our backs.

So I have made up my mind. I will subject myself to the laser in the name of conservation. I can hear the earth thanking me already. It will be a sacrifice- finding the money in an already tight budget means something will have to suffer. But I am not beyond that- I've always been willing to take one for the team. And my toddler doesn't really need all that food. (It's never too early to learn the valuable lesson of sacrificing for the greater good.)

I'll keep you posted on this, my newest green initiative. I am considering petitioning the government for a grant to cover the expense of treatments. With the way this administration is spending money, I may be in with a chance. But just in case they don't come through, I'm off to price shop.