Our conversation was
heading towards a dead end road. Why? Because my friend had just
pulled out what seemed the final, unbeatable argument: Money!
We were discussing why
people fail to make ethical choices when they are shopping and he
said that most of us simply can't afford to buy organic food,
fairtrade clothes and other so-called 'green' products. To make his
point he used the example of toilet paper:
“I
would love to buy eco toilet paper”, he said, “but it's
ridiculously expensive.”
True, it costs about twice
as much as normal toilet paper. But still – shouldn't we make an
effort to care for the planet that hosts us?
“You
only have to buy toilet paper once in a while”, I replied. “If
you drank one beer less per month you'd already be able to afford it.
Just a question of priorities.”
I use this argument quite
often in similar discussions, yet for some strange reason it rarely works. Most of the time I get a look saying, 'Yes, but...'
A healthy planet or more
beer – indeed, tough decisions we have to make.
Anyway, some people might
not have enough money for neither beer nor eco toilet paper. So is
there nothing else you can do? Well, there is something but just like
with many other problems we are facing today the solution requires
some lateral thinking – and a willingness to get rid of old habits.
If you can't afford eco
toilet paper, or if you don't want to spend your precious money on
it, then maybe it's an idea to question toilet paper itself. Do we
really need it? After all, over one billion Indians live happily
without it. And for those of you who have never been to India: No,
they are not all dirty pigs over there. I've actually found that
Indians look much better after their body hygiene than most
Europeans.
How did my friend react to
my suggestion?
“But
I don't have money to get a bidet installed in my bathroom.”
Yes, sorry, I forgot: All
Indians have a bidet, especially those living in little mud huts.
Right, here's what you do:
First, get a plastic jug. This one I just got for myself:
Fill the jug with warm
water (or cold water, depending on personal preference) and pour it
over your lovely bottom using your left hand to do the cleaning.
Using the left hand is quite important if you want to avoid
potentially awkward situations (since the right hand is commonly used
to greet people). Finally, if you don't fancy wet underpants use a
towel. That's it. Done.
I don't know if my friend
is still laughing at me (which he did at the time) or whether he
perhaps got himself a jug too. Who knows... Fact is: Cleaning your
arse with water is cheaper, more hygienic and more environmentally
friendly than any toilet paper could ever be.
In summary: If we want to
find an excuse for not having to change, we'll find one. But
likewise, if we want to find a solution, we usually find one too.
