“Wouldn’t be prudent!”

Is it just me, or do you have a picture in your head of Dana Carvey doing an impression of George H.W. Bush when you think of the word “prudence”?  Ok, maybe it IS just me.  If I’m the only one, don’t tell me.  It would just bum me out.

Anyway, prudence is all about discerning what the right path is and making decisions based on that.  This easily can be related to stewardship of the earth.  Using prudence in our decisions can be beneficial to all of creation.

Imagine you are looking for a new refrigerator for your kitchen.  (I confess.  I have refrigerators on the brain because ours keeps breaking down.  That was not a prudent purchase!)  There are a myriad of choices from low-end to high-end.  Some include lots of bells and whistles but those bells and whistles use more electricity than a more basic model.  Then again, the more basic model may not always be the most energy efficient.  Choosing the appliance that meets your family’s needs while using the least amount of energy would be prudent.  On the other hand, choosing the cheapest refrigerator with little energy efficiency or the largest, fanciest one that uses lots of energy “wouldn’t be prudent.” (Now are you thinking of Dana Carvey/Pres. George HW Bush?)

This is just one example of environmentally prudent decision making.  Others might be choosing to invest your money with conservation minded companies or downsizing your home in order to use less energy and save more money.  Planting a vegetable garden, composting or recycling are prudent decisions.   Purchasing quality items that will last for years instead of being replaced in one year is very prudent.  Obviously, my husband and I were not as prudent as we could have been when we bought our less-than-stellar refrigerator!  There are endless situations where the virtue of prudence can benefit the environment.  Share some of yours with us!  I’d love to hear from you!

What are some of your environmentally prudent decisions?

Blessings,
Laura

Next week: Just justice