Insights from Tuscany
The art of simplicity
By Sonu Purhar
I hear the merry ping of a horn behind me and step aside; my short stay here has already schooled me in small-town road etiquette. A moment later, a woman on a bicycle leisurely glides past. Several pedestrians wave to her, and she squeezes her bell again in a cheery greeting. It strikes me that, aside from the bicycle horn, the only sound I hear on this small street in Tuscany is the foreign chatter of a contented population. It is as if the harsh industrial world of machinery, pollution, and environmental distress has been left behind at the town border.
During a school exchange program, I spent three months living in the small town of Prato, which is just a short train ride from Florence. After returning home to Canada and noticing the stark contrasts between the Italian culture and our own, I have come to believe that emulating the practices of our Italian counterparts can help us offset the growing crisis of global warming and environmental destruction, if only we are willing to embrace a simpler way of life.
The Italians’ endearingly simplistic lifestyle not only promotes a less stressful existence, but it also advocates the preservation of resources that are quickly becoming depleted by excessive consumption. Italy has one of the lowest levels of energy consumption in Europe, and for good reason. Many sections of the country, especially smaller towns like Prato, suffer from a faltering economy. These populations are forced to practice conservation to afford the daily cost of living. Residents of towns like Prato have thus created a lifestyle which encourages environmental sustainability, a practice that many North Americans have forgotten.
One of the most visible differences I noticed in Italy is that most towns hardly ever have traffic. In some areas cars are forbidden, but in most, using alternate means of transportation is a popular personal choice. City and town residents prefer the less environmentally destructive means of walking and bicycling. Many also use scooters, which emit less gas than cars. Furthermore, when traveling within the country, Italians rely heavily on Trenitalia, the highly efficient public railway system that serves as the major form of transportation throughout the country. This can be contrasted to North America, where an increase in automobile production has led to higher levels of traffic and congestion in both urban and rural districts. This congestion has contributed to the growing pollution that is ripping through our ozone layer.
In many regions of Italy residents do not have money or energy to waste; they make do by conserving their water, heat, and other resources. For example, instead of using washers and dryers, many households hand-wash clothes and dry them in the sun. Rather than using dishwashers, residents wash and dry dishes by hand. Italian kitchens are strikingly void of the collection of microwaves, coffeemakers, and other energy-consuming kitchen appliances that clutter the average North American home; in fact, many households make do with only a stove for their cooking.
Italian leisure also looks very different from the constant stimulation we depend on at home. In Prato, for instance, there is no electronics store. Most of the residents do not own energy-wasting computers, PlayStations, or big-screen televisions. Instead, leisure time in Prato is based on human interaction. Every weekend, a traditional “block party” takes place in the town center. This consists of what seems like the entire population of Prato converging in the streets, where the residents mingle, eat at outdoor cafés, and amble through town. The purpose of downtime in Italy is to experience the basic pleasure of reconnecting with family members and friends rather than pursuing the superficial gratifications that North Americans seek from movie houses, clubs, and theme parks, all of which use enormous amounts of electricity and produce gallons of environmental toxins.
One of the most prevailing stereotypes of Italians is that they love their food. This is absolutely correct, and with good reason: Italian food is delicious. However, despite the importance of mealtime in Italian culture, the residents do not waste their food. Supermercatos do not sell items in bulk; the containers and boxes of products that these markets stock are much smaller than those found in North American superstores, which encourages consumers to buy only what they need. This is not only economical for residents, but it also reduces the amount of waste products and ensures food resources are preserved rather than squandered. The same is true for restaurants. Unlike the massive portion sizes which are the standard at North American eateries, Italian ristoranti serve just enough to satisfy the appetite. Furthermore, chefs concentrate on the creation of individual dishes rather than relying on mass production. Only the best ingredients are used, which means food is of higher quality and less is needed to achieve the same tantalizing results.
Since my return to Canada, I have found myself almost unconsciously incorporating the customs I observed in Italy into my daily activities. For example, I rely on my car less, choosing instead to walk or take public transportation. Not only does this cut down on pollution and the overuse of fossil fuels, but I pay less for gas and get more exercise as a result. I have also made an active attempt to reduce my energy consumption. Although I do own computers and multiple household appliances, I make sure everything is switched off when not in use. I also check that heating and lights are off when no one is home. Similarly, since I returned from Italy, I have started washing my dishes by hand rather than using the dishwasher. I have also encouraged my family to use our washer and dryer less often and to switch to energy-saving machines. Finally, I no longer buy in bulk while grocery shopping, and instead select only what I know I will need, especially when choosing foods that are perishable. I am convinced that if enough people follow this practice, the amount of consumed food products will diminish, therefore allowing more of these goods to be shipped to poorer countries where food is less abundant.
Living in Italy made me aware of the harmful effects our daily practices can have on the environment. Admittedly, Italy isn’t the ideal prototype for environmental protection: its rate of automobile usage, for example, has been steadily increasing in recent years. Smaller towns like Prato might be models of resource conservation, but bigger cities, especially with the onslaught of tourism, are catering to both the population’s and outsiders’ needs by introducing more time-saving, often energy-wasting, products and practices. It is unfeasible to hope that major cities in North America will become more like Prato when Italy’s own big cities are diverging from this ideal. However, the traditional lifestyles we observe abroad can educate us about minor changes we can incorporate locally in hope of globalizing a sustainable economy and ultimately preserving the resources of the planet each of us calls home.
Sonu Purhar recently completed her B.A. at Simon Fraser University, with a double major in English and Psychology. In her last year of university, she participated in an exchange program to study literature in Italy. She is now pursuing her master’s degree in English.