Havanas lessons in green living

A building a whole helmet as well as alternative objects, repurposed as flower baskets. All photos by author.

Havana is a filthy city.

Each morning, when we step out a door as well as onto Infanta, theres a three times attack upon a senses: dog shit from dachsunds as well as mixed breeds; diesel fumes belched out in plumes from a tailpipes of Ladas as well as camellos, as well as piles of rubbish sitting upon street corners, baking in a sun as they wait to be picked up as well as carted off.

Within minutes, we feel dirty.

By day 7, Im wondering what a long-term health hazards of living here might be.

For all of its grit, though, Havana offers a developed world a little utilitarian lessons in immature living:

1. We dont need to-go cups.

The guy who sells guarapothe fresh-pressed juice from sugar caneon Infanta doesnt make make use of of to-go cups. You swell up to a bar, such as it is, plunk down your change, as well as take a prolonged bottle straight from a glass. When youre done, we hand a potion back, it gets dipped in a little water, as well as a guy during a back of we gets ready for his swig.

Whatever youre drinkingguarapo, or coffee, or Tu Kolayou dont need so most of it which it requires a special, disposable cup. And we really dont need to be in such a hurry which we cant mount around or sit down for a few minutes to finish whatever youve ordered.

2. Minimalist wrapping functions only fine.

My mother, in Cuba for a initial time, leans over a deep freezer during Carlos IIIs meat emporium to inspect a chicken, a little of which is packaged, a little of which isnt. No matter a price stickers have been pasted onto a non-packaged chicken, only as they have been to a thighs, legs, as well as breasts bundled as well as disfigured in to clear cosmetic baggies.

In a US, solidified duck giveaway of wrappin! g would likely to be scooped out of a freezer as well as disposed of, a management citing health concerns. None of a fellow shoppers, however, seemed to be disturbed about a minimalist packaging.

3. Almost everything can be repurposed.

During my initial Cuba trip, we watched my mother-in-law wash as well as reuse disposable grocery bags until a nylons, as she calls them, were ragged out. we returned home with an obsession: everything could be repurposed. A rubber band, a cosmetic selling bag, a newspaper: zero should be wasted.

Though Ive tranquil a mania (partly by becoming unwavering of what we devour in a initial place), each subsequent outing to Havana has made me comprehend only how most we could upcycle if we really wanted to try a hand during repurposing objects which have outlived their original use.

4. We dont need nearly as many artificial lights as we think.

Part money-saving strategy, partial resource-consciousness, Cubas capital is hypervigilant about appetite use. Businesses which dont need to spin upon all their lights dont. Banks, restaurants, hotel lobbies, bookstores no matter where we go in Havana, youre not likely to witness any excessive make make use of of of artificial light. And really, we didnt skip it.

5. Our bodies have been an incredibly efficient source of energy.

Like a alternative lessons, this ones painfully obviousexcept for a fact which it isnt in societies where folks have been overly attached to cars as well as gadgets which guarantee to make their lives some-more convenient.

Pedal power.

But check out a guy upon a right. Hes repairing a little spike clippers by pedaling a bike to which hes attached a sharpener. What would happen if some-more people used a energy of their bodies to do a work they need to do?

Many aspects of Havanas immature lifestyle were/are precipitated by sheer economic necessi! ty- as w ell as by no means is my intention to romanticize poverty. Nor do we say which a Cuban supervision consciously proposes or enforces any of these strategies as partial of an ultra-environmental amicable consciousness, a la Curitiba, Brazil.

But economy as well as politics aside, 7 days in Havana remind me of how easy it is to go immature during a individual as well as societal levels. Its worth a try.

Community Connection:

Which of these strategies could we try? Any others youve seen in your travels which would be simple to implement? Share in a comments.