I’m conflicted about whether renewing our annual membership with the Sierra Club is a wise thing to do, environmentally speaking.

Admittedly, my understanding about all things fiscal is limited, so I’m going only on what I see.

What I have seen during the year of membership is a lot of paper; the amount of mail I receive from the Sierra Club in my “snail mail” box irritates me. I receive much more paper mail than email from them and their affiliates.

It just seems to me that an organization that has my email address — which it does — would do less postal mailing and more electronic mailing. It dawned on me one day as I was putting junk mail through my paper shredder that much of my junk mail comes from the Sierra Club and from other like agencies who’ve gleaned my name from their membership roster.

So, I pondered this as I fed my shredder: Is my annual membership to help an environmental cause counterproductive if it means more paper mail? What is the cost to the environment when more paper — not less — ends up in the recycle bin? I mean, “Yea! At least it’s getting recycled and not thrown into the landfills.” But I remain conflicted…

What are the energy costs and what is the effect on the environment when the paper mailings are printed and processed? Or transported and delivered via the USPS? Or when they go through the recycling process? Out of concern for my family’s contribution to environmental health, I find myself thinking I’d rather spend my annual membership fee in a way that will, though micro-cosmically, directly benefit the Earth my children will inherit.

I may one day be okay with being a member whose membership renewal fee only helps to fund the fundraising effort. Right now, I’m not liking that idea so much.

© Alexa Lopez 2008