Day 53. Living in Scotland is starting to feel normal. I am no longer thrown off by men in kilts shouting friendly insults from pubs across the street. I can decipher about 80 percent of what the locals are trying to say. Mountains in one direction and ocean in the other is officially the ideal combination. A three-day school week is not as concerning. I am acclimated and in love.

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As discussed in the first two volumes, there are countless smaller differences in cultural norms between the society we all know and that in Scotland. This week’s article is less focused on the emotional aspect of this lifestyle and more concerned about action. One thing I have admired from the very start, as a labeled tree-hugger and self-proclaimed animal-lover, is the incredible support that environmental friendliness in everyday life has. There is nobody bold and self-important enough to deny the climate crisis we are currently on track for. There is no question of “should we do anything?” but rather an attitude of “this is how we are starting to fix our wrongs.”

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Since coming here, I have realized that we do not have to be as “all-or-nothing” as it often seems we are. I now see that it is not a case of “we’re doomed if we don’t do x, y, and z, now,” but we can progressively work toward a better state while still taking into account the lifestyle that we have become accustomed to. Yes, we could do away with gasoline-powered vehicles and opt for solar-powered everything, but could we just have automatic timers to turn off our lights in the meantime? Sure, we could turn to veganism to decrease our greenhouse gas production and save the lives of innocent animals globally, but why not start with a proper composting system? That is not to say either the Scots are not pushing for progress or Americans should quit doing such; I am only appreciating the small steps that have been taken here to better accommodate the everyday person’s needs.

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Some of the green initiatives in effect in Edinburgh, such as the massively successful and popular public Lothian Bus system, are years ahead of American possibility, or there is simply no need for such given our geographical setup. Other initiatives may be easily adopted by the majority of the population with just a bit of a push and organization. That which I first thought would be a nuisance is of minor consequence to my daily routine. Plastic bags are very rarely used by supermarkets or department stores, as each cost an extra ten cents at checkout; everyone brings their reusable totes. Hot water heaters shut off for five hours in the middle of the night — maybe inconvenient coming home after a late night, but I have not yet had a night where a shower could not wait a few hours. Every toilet has a half-flush or a full-flush option (a bit personal, maybe, but think of the hundreds of gallons saved over time!). Every room in my apartment complex and most across the continent is equipped with three large recycling bins, a compost bucket, and only one small garbage can. Local produce, although not yet totally normalized, is much more easily accessible than at home. These minuscule differences, and hundreds of others, when added together and multiplied by the millions of people, make an astonishing difference, something I wish I could say about the culture at home. How the gap between the outlooks toward environmental friendliness grew is beyond me, but I am quite sure that we have plenty of easy goals to work toward.

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Do your research, ask your questions and get to work. It is much simpler than you think.