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I'm not saving the world. I don't want that responsibility. And honestly, I don't think the world needs my saving anyway. That would imply that I thought I had the "right" answers and we all know what kind of trouble righteousness gets people, governments and religions into. Plus, I kind of like my world. Or at least I'm choosing to like my world. I mean, my experience of this world is entirely what my life reduces to and I see no point in sitting around complaining or conspiracy propagating or immersing my consciousness in avoiding things when I can surround myself with ideas that I am instead striving for.

I use rechargeable batteries. No, I'm not saving the world. There are theaters I perform at that replace two mercury AA batteries in each performers' mic pack every night, after only two hours of use because they can't risk a mic fizzling out the next night on stage. My battery consumption at home doesn't even register on the environmental pollution scale compared to that. Thank goodness I'm not trying to save the world here. I just wanna strive towards a lifestyle that leaves me feeling empowered.

I use rechargeable batteries, but get this—I have a personal solar battery charger to recharge them with. That's right, I just strut up onto my Hollywood rooftop and place this affordable little box out in the sunshine and voilà—three hours later, those two AAs are ready to go. I get a really good feeling turning up my stereo's volume now knowing the sunshine is powering this remote control. Heck, my solar-powered battery charger charges different-sized batteries like AAAs, too. So every time I hear my car alarm beep on or off, I know the sunshine is the motivating force behind that, too.

Sure, the first thing I had to do was use up all my old mercury-filled batteries and put in a lot of effort trying to find a hazardous-waste recycling facility in Los Angeles to deliver them to. Then I reconsidered needing so many things controlled by batteries—I mean, when my bicycle head and tail lights can run off of my pedal's friction, why use batteries at all, you know?

Then I had to make the investment in 12 rechargeable AA batteries and four AAAs—your world may have different needs. And it did take about four hours of compare and contrast Internet research to locate the solar battery charger that was right for me. But all in all, the money investment has paid itself back in only a few solar charges. And the time investment was well worth the joy I get every time I throw what I see as a little concentrated sun-power capsule into my sleep-noise machine. I feel like a little kid going, "How does it do it?" I imagine this experience would be invaluable for parents with children.

During my rechargeable battery and solar-powered charger research, I discovered that there are indeed new mercury-free batteries being marketed as green. To that I say thank you, but buyer be conscious: Why buy any single-use item when you could be using the same item over and over again? I hereby banish the word “disposable” from my vocabulary!

I also discovered that there are battery chargers with a 12V car adaptor so people can literally charge their batteries on the excess electricity their car's alternator produces during travel. I actually charge my cellphone and iPod exclusively in my car. There is no reason to power these personal electronics from the grid when you can leave them in your car during your hour at the farmers market, or at work or overnight if you can stay off the phone that long. When you come back out, you are ready to jam those MP3s as the soundtrack for another week of motivational jogging.

I don't really know how to describe being "in the system," but I do know what it feels like to be "out of the system." Growing your own organic food and composting the food scraps is out of the system. Purchasing thrift clothing and sourcing Freecycle furniture, then gifting it away when you are through, is out of the system. And cradle-to-cradle energy sourcing via solar power, vegetable-oil fuels and excess energy from your own dang cars is definitely out of the system. I'm not living outside certain systems because I'm saving the world. I'm living here because it's a fun place to be. Because I meet really neat people who enrich my life. And because I can die with integrity built from a lifetime of following my dreams and living my ideals.

The world does not need saving. But it does need integrity.

[Sign up to be notified each time Tonya publishes a new Clean and Green Everyday blog entry on EcoHearth.– Ed.]

[See a complete list of writing by Tonya Kay on EcoHearth.com or visit her Clean and Green Everyday blog. – Ed.]

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