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Let's Talk
The post a few days ago about the non-machine way of clothes washing got me thinking:
How far are you planning to take this whole "green" thing?
Do you consider green to mean eco friendly? Sustainable? Low carbon footprint? Organic? Reduce,Reuse,Recycle? Energy efficient? Alternative Fuel?
Would you not feel right until you lived off the grid (ie; no power lines, no sewer/water system) ? Would you get rid of the dishwasher, fridge, tv, washing machine and use alternative methods? Or, are you okay with CDing and low flush toilets?
We as an aggregate for the most part have discussed homemade detergents, and no more paper towels, but how far are you personally willing to go, or wanting, to go before you feel like you're living your life to your ideal of "green"? And why?
Re: Let's Talk
Interesting, I was just thinking about this yesterday.
My answer is, I will go as far as is realistic to still be part of our community. I ponder every purchase on several levels (which is actually saving me money which is great, because I am NOT buying things). I go out of my way to buy local, organic, ef, and used. I always try to find things at consignment shops or on CL before purchasing a new item. My gf just gave me all her old cloth diapers (they didn't end up using them), and we installed two low flow toilets. As we continue to upgrade our home, we'll continue to look at the EF options and try to make it as EF as possible. It won't be perfect.
However, I am not necessarily willing or wanting to rid myself of all modern appliances. I appreciate my fridge, my dishwasher, etc. I also work full time, and it would be nearly impossible to find the time in the day to do everything with alternative methods. I would love to get solar, which is off the grid that way, but right now we are on a septic, and I pray for sewer.
Ah...we would love to live like this too! Dh says we can move as far out until we reach the end of where high speed internet is available because he can't live without it
Oh..and we'd have well water because I love it.
I would absolutely love to live off the grid! That's definitely not in the foreseeable future though. I'd never get rid of the fridge, but I'd love it to run off solar or wind power.
I could see trying to do at least some of my wash by a handcrank machine. I think we have gotten away from so much physical labor, for most of us, that its crazy. Would it really be so bad to have to work a little muscle for your clean clothes?
Mostly I just give new things a shot and see how it works out. I never really intended to be as strict with most of my eating as I am, but it starts out as a trial just to see, and then it turns out not so bad, and then I get to a point where the idea of dropping it seems weird.
So its really hard to say how far I'd take it. I would try most anything and if it worked, great!
I'd love to be able to buy an old house (early 1900s) and make it more EF, but I definitely don't think I'll ever be sustainable by myself. Most well water makes me break out in a horrible rash, so I think I'm a city girl for life.
I would love to have a garden though to grow as many of my own veggies, etc as possible. And everytime I have to buy something, I'd like to do it in the most EF and responsible way possible. But I could not live without a fridge/stove/washer/dishwasher etc.
Our plan is to live off the grid but I wouldn't do something like family cloth. I wouldn't get rid of our appliances but we make smart choices when we purchase them to ensure they are energy efficient. Same with cars. We will always have one but we will pick an environmentally friendly one.
It's interesting to see the different perspectives. So many talked about living off the grid, but I actually see being in the city more realistically green than in the country. I suppose it is relative to how extreme you become, but for me my ideal would be in the city where I can ride/walk to work, use public transportation, walk to get groceries and entertainment, etc. I grew up in the country and as a result hate driving and isolation -- I would rather be close to the action where we can share valuable resoures while having friends, family and social opportunites nearby.
I'm fascinated by how the green movement is being reflected in recent city planning and how effective sustainability measures can be when you do it as a community rather than an individual. IMO we need to be developing and growing green villages rather than spreading and separating.
Admittedly most of the greening I do is to save money, but lately I've been branching out. To me sustainability would be our ultimate goal, though I can't imagine ever living a carbon neutral lifestyle -- plus, I'd never get my techy DH on board with abandoning modern technology.
If I can raise my daugher to respect nature and make earth-conscious decisions then I feel I've done my part. I want her to grow up realizing that new isn't always better, that many used things can be repurposed, that food grows from the earth and did so many centuries before pesticides were invented, and that sometimes simpler is better.
I'm pretty much with this. I'd have cows in the pasture, a couple of horses for farm transport, chickens in the yard, apple trees, tons of fruit bushes, and a huge vegetable garden. I'd have solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine, and I'd run one of those "recyclable water" systems-- where sink and shower water flush the toilet, etc. I'd still rely on internet, and we'd have one vehicle for visiting family and thrift shops.
When Warren Buffett asked me what my dream career was, I told him that I wanted to run the first grass-fed organic beef farm in the Dakotas. There's no where to get organic meat, and they're surrounded by fields and cows!!! He was more impressed with the people who said "head of capital markets at Goldman Sachs," but I don't care.