From the category archives:

Environment

No Need to ‘Go Green’ – Part 4

by nan on 2010/01/28 · 0 comments

(I wrote this series, because, for years, people have asked me how I got so ‘green.’ Hopefully this will provide some insight and give you ideas about how to live simply and appreciate the natural world of which you are a part. Read Part 1, The 50s, 60s & 70s, Part 2, The 80s, New Hampshire and Part 3, The 80s, Simplified by Traveling.)

The 90s – Raising a Family and Beyond

Amazingly enough, when I began to raise a family, I was in close contact with the woman I mentioned in Part 3, who had lived with no money for several years. Her lifestyle was one of the simplest I’d ever seen. She knew how to survive buying nothing, not using disposable anything, creating what she didn’t have, and growing most of her own food. I felt blessed to be in her sphere and under her tutelage.

Diapers

Despite having a one year old, she gave me some of her cloth diapers to get me started. One valuable piece of information she shared was to simply rinse out pee diapers and hang them in the disinfecting New Mexico sun, then reuse. Do you know how much water this saved, as well as trips to the laundromat?

Instead of baby wipes, we had a huge stash of two different color washcloths – one color for pee, one for poop (preferably a light color to see when they needed washing). They were put under hot water and onto the baby’s butt, then rinsed out really well, and, again, hung in the NM sun. This took a little thought and planning, but I have never used a disposable wipe on either of my kids.

For my own sanity, I did use disposable diapers at night. Getting up in the night and turning lights on to change a diaper was making me crazy with sleep deprivation, so I had to do something. I called them ‘nightie diapers,’ since we just used them at night. I didn’t feel good about it, but sometimes our choices have to take into account our quality of life as well as the planet.

Clothes

This woman taught me to replace rubber pants with woolen diaper covers. We made them from sweaters found at thrift stores and yard sales, then washed in hot water to shrink them. It’s the same as that high-dollar boiled wool jacket you can buy at LLBean. Or consider it felting. It’s simply shrinking the wool, which is absorbent, keeping the baby dry and warm.

Since we were both fabric junkies, we made sunbonnets and small baby quilts out of scrap fabric. I eventually had to make gifts for pregnant friends of mine. Your own child can only use so many quilts and hats!

I had already been frequenting yard sales for clothes. There is no need to buy new baby clothes EVER! New and practically new clothes are in abundance at yard sales and thrift stores. Kids outgrow them before they can wear them out, and they pile up fast at home.

Food

When my daughter started eating solid food, I learned to mash up what I was eating. I bought a small food mill, put a few teaspoons of soft food in it with a bit of water and cranked it for a few seconds. Instant organic baby food, without the expense and jars piling up.

A friend had returned from Hawaii, and he gifted us with a bowl and spoon he’d made of coconut shell. Talk about earth friendly! Coconut shells are almost indestructible, which you probably know, if you’ve ever tried to crack one open. It would last through many children and return to the earth when necessary. I loved that!

The Future

Obviously, that baby girl born in 1990 turns 20 this year. My mind is foggy over many details of her little green life. When my second daughter was due in 1994, I reached back into my green baby info database, and set to work.

She was born at home on the living room couch after much walking, soaking, walking, pushing and waiting. I wrapped her in a quilt made from scraps.

I made her diapers from a layer each of terrycloth and flannel in the name of frugality. It was much cheaper than buying them, and when she was done with them, they became household rags. They held up for many years!

As I raised these two beauties, my frugal/green/eco-friendly lifestyle was what they learned. As rebellious teenagers, they have told me to ‘Get off the green thing, mom!’, but I know I’ve given them a good foundation they can fall back on when they are ready. If the world keeps spinning as it is, politically and climatically, they may need that green thing I taught them.

So that’s the story of how I got so green. Part of it was innate, but as you saw, I had some influential people around me. I hope I’ve answered some questions and helped you in your quest for a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

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Using Psychology to Promote Sustainable Living – Part 2

by nan on 2010/01/15 · 0 comments

in Energy, Environment, Writings

(Nan’s Note: Read Part 1 here.)

By Norm Ferguson

Social influences

Our behavior is often highly influenced by the other people around us. A saying related to this is: “Choose your friends carefully because you will become them.” An effective way to change you behavior is to associate with other people who are already doing the behavior you want to do.

When we join a group of like-minded people then peer support and conformity help us act as they do. The point is to choose carefully which group of people you will associate with.

It is also clear that small behavior changes are easier to make than big ones. For example, it is often hard to recruit people to go door-to-door to talk about environmental issues. So, a first step may be to ask them to sign a petition stating they are in favor of a certain environmental change. The next step might be to ask them to attend a meeting where this issue will be discussed. At this point it is more likely that they would agree to go door-to-door to talk to others about the matter. This approach is sometimes called the “foot-in-the-door” technique.

A mistake people make in trying to promote behavior change is to argue or debate with a person with the hope of changing their attitude about an issue. The belief is, “If I can get the person to change their attitude, then they will change their behavior.” The data show that this usually does NOT happen. Verbal attitude change is comparatively easy, while behavior change is often not so easy. The lesson is, if you want to promote behavior change, go for the behavior change right away. So, instead of debating someone about the merits of recycling, say to them, “Help me with my recycling.” If they agree, then they will be engaging in recycling behavior and this will likely change their attitude about recycling.

Stress

Stress is a response our mind and body makes to a stressor. A stressor is something in our environment, physical and/or psychological, that triggers a stress response. Due to social expectations and advertising, many of us get caught up in a “stress cycle.” It often goes like this: We think we need more “stuff” (consumer goods) to be happy, so we need more money to buy the “stuff”, so we have to work more to get more money to buy more “stuff.” This becomes a never-ending stress cycle. If we become aware of the stress cycle we are in, then we can do something to get out of it. A concept that applies here is “voluntary simplicity” where a person or family intentionally cuts back on their consumerism.

Unconscious motives

These were first postulated by Sigmund Freud to explain why we do so many counterproductive things. He said our unconscious mind uses a series of “defense mechanisms” to spare us from experiencing conscious anxiety related to our maladaptive behaviors. One is referred to as “denial” which means we refuse to admit that there are negative consequences to our behavior. An example is global warming and some people’s belief that “it’s all a myth!” Another is “rationalization” where we might make a list of reasons why we “have to” have an SUV.

Addictions are behaviors we also use to control anxiety. People may feel deprived, powerless, or have no pleasure in life, so they engage in some form of addictive consumption to alleviate their anxiety. Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, gambling, and shopping are all ways to do this. Addictions like shopping can have negative effects on the environment as well as on the person.

Conscious awareness

Our western worldview focuses on “individualism.” We see ourselves as somehow separate from the environment and dominant over it. Thus, we often fail to see the consequences our behavior has on the environment. However, indigenous cultures have a worldview which focuses on the group rather than the individual and they see themselves as part of the environment instead of being separate from it. We have much to learn from them.

A lot of people believe there is a direct relationship between the consumption of material goods and happiness. This is largely a myth. Above a fairly modest amount of money where there is a relationship between happiness and money, an increasing amount of money is NOT associated with increased happiness. Happiness is mainly associated with having good relationships, meaningful work, and adequate leisure time.

Too many of us are spending very little time out-of-doors directly experiencing the natural world, the sun, and the elements. It is certainly true that, “We abuse the natural environment because we have little direct identification with it.” A lot of us could improve out lives by forgetting the TV, computer, ipod, and cell phone for a while and spending some time out in the natural world. In addition to bettering our own life, it would help our society and our planet.

The environmental problems we face today have been self-created. Sadly, psychological concepts have been used effectively by advertisers and others who are more interested in making money than in doing what is beneficial for our environment. However, with a knowledge of these concepts and the proper application of them, we can move toward reversing the negative environmental trends which exist today and start creating a future which embraces sustainable living strategies. It is in our species and our planet’s best interests to do so.

Norm Ferguson, Ph.D.
Instructor of Psychology
University of New Mexico-Taos
fergus@taosnet.com
575-751-0049

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Using Psychology to Promote Sustainable Living – Part 1

by nan on 2010/01/15 · 0 comments

in Energy, Environment, Writings

(Nan’s Note: A few years ago at the Taos branch of the University of New Mexico, I took a class called ‘Energy Basics.’ The teacher was my solar installer, Larry Mapes of Valverde Energy. Larry and I had spent hours talking about energy during my installation, so I was looking forward to a full semester of nothing but energy talk.

It changed my life. Literally. Larry made me see energy and politics from a perspective I hadn’t considered. I can’t begin to tell you what I learned in that class, but, trust me, it was plentiful, deep and life-altering.

I was sick on a day Larry brought in a guest speaker, Norm Ferguson, Psychology Instructor at UNM Taos. Of all days to miss, this should not have been the one! Larry said I would have loved it. I am no stranger to psychology, but to attach it to sustainability was new to me. See what I mean about learning new perspectives?

I contacted Norm last month to see if he would be interested in writing an article based on what he conveyed in class. He sent the following. When I read it, I was really sorry I’d missed that day, but I’m glad to have it now to share with you! Enjoy!)

By Norm Ferguson

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. It uses empirical evidence (observations, facts, data) to draw conclusions by studying how behavior is influenced by what we learn, our thinking, other people, stress, and conscious and unconscious motives. The practical idea here is that if we understand why a behavior is occurring, then we can find ways to change it. With regard to sustainable living, the goal is to increase behaviors that contribute to sustainable living and to decrease behaviors which go against it. This article discusses several ways to use psychology concepts to promote sustainable living.

Learning

One approach is called the ABC model. “A” stands for antecedents or what the conditions are before a behavior occurs. “B” stands for behavior or what a person does and says. And, “C” stands for consequences or what happens after the behavior occurs. The idea of this model is that behaviors can be changed by changing the antecedents and/or the consequences.

One example of changing antecedents is “prompts” such as a sign on the wall which says “turn-off lights”. Another approach is to provide information about previous behavior which can help change our current behavior such as a graph on one’s electric bill giving feedback on previous usage. A third approach is called “modeling” where a knowledgeable person shows you how to do something in a more efficient way.

The two main types of consequences are “punishments” and “rewards.” The goal of punishment is to decrease a behavior. For example, putting a tax on polluting will usually reduce such behavior. Rewards are meant to increase and sustain a behavior. Giving tax breaks for installing solar panels would be an example of this.

Another form of learning which has a huge impact on our behavior is classical conditioning or learning through association. This is the basis of virtually all advertising and it is used to actually create a demand for a product. The idea is straightforward. The product (it does not matter what—beer, shampoo, an SUV, bottled water) is associated with something pleasurable such as sex, people having fun, or power and prestige. We are bombarded with such advertising everyday through TV, radio, the Internet, and print media.

This is a major cause of our over-consumption today. We are constantly being told that our life will be better if we just have product “x” and large numbers of us go out and buy it. Being aware of how this process works can help us be less vulnerable to this powerful technique.

A third form of learning which gets us to do things which are ultimately counter-productive to ourselves and the environment is called the “contingency trap.” What happens in this case is that we are lured into a behavior by the prospect of short-term pleasure while we ignore the long-term negative consequences. A prime example of this is the short-term pleasure of smoking cigarettes and the long-term consequences of lung cancer. Most people’s behavior is determined by its immediate consequences rather than effects which take several years to show-up. This is one reason why long term damaging behaviors are so hard to change.

Lastly, the failure to “delay of gratification” or the “I want it NOW” syndrome also causes major problems for many people. We have been conditioned by mass media advertising that we must have things right away, so waiting and saving to pay for something have become “old hat.” Over use of credit cards and sub-prime mortgages are examples of how the failure to delay gratification has gotten many people into serious financial problems.

Thinking (also called “cognition”)

Here are three example of how our thinking processes can get us in trouble.

One is called “either-or thinking” in which we consider only two alternatives. It’s either this or that, it’s yes or no, it’s right or wrong. This form of thinking, which often makes decisions easier because only two choices are considered, can lead us to make bad decisions because it restricts our range of choices. Considering four or five alternatives may well lead to a more informed decision.

The “frog in the hot water” scenario means that when something in the environment changes slowly over time, we are much less likely to notice it than when a rapid change occurs. If we drop a frog into a pot of very hot water, it will immediately jump out, But, if we put the frog in a pot of cold water and slowly heat it, the frog won’t notice and it will allow itself to be cooked to death. This analogy may apply to how we are responding to global warming.

The “folk-model” relates to buying energy efficient appliances. It says we tend to calculate how long it will take to pay for a new (and usually more expensive) energy efficient appliance using today’s energy costs. But, this fails to take into account that energy costs are going to continue to raise so that the payback for the appliance will be faster. Many people don’t consider this when deciding whether or not to buy a new energy efficient appliance.

(Continue to Part 2)

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Climate Change or Day-to-Day Survival?

by nan on 2010/01/04 · 0 comments

in Environment, Essays, Opinions, Writings

I have long said that people are not going to voluntarily make changes towards energy efficiency and conservation unless they are personally hard hit. When gas was $4.50 a couple years ago, SUV sales took a nose dive. Gas went down to $2, and SUV sales went back up. When people feel the pinch themselves in a tangible and obvious way, they will change.

We are very self-centered! Our main question when making decisions is ‘What’s in it for me?’ We are always thinking only of ourselves.

So, naturally, since climate change is a slow process (slow and seemingly invisible to the average Joe, but happening faster than anticipated), people don’t see it, don’t feel affected by it, and don’t act on it. There is nothing in it for them immediately if they make changes in their lifestyles. Until something dramatic is at their doorstep, they will not budge.

I think climate change has been an extra hard sell in the past year, due to the economy. I keep reading that people took more action to conserve and reduce their carbon footprints in years preceding 2009, although it is a more dire situation today.

I venture a guess that people today are more concerned with keeping their jobs and homes than with climate change. Their priority is to pay the bills, keep eating and keep working. Not everyone has been lucky enough to satisfy these basic needs, judging by rising unemployment rates, foreclosures and increased activity at food banks and other human resource services.

Consequently, a few global degrees seem miniscule compared to what people are personally facing today. They are spending their emotional and physical energy to survive instead of ‘going green.’

There is no saying which situation is worse – climate change or the economy – but I hope it all improves soon. I am hopeful that people will not wait for the worst to happen to make energy conscious lifestyle changes once they get back on their feet. And I will keep talking, writing and educating to effect as much change as I can.

(This post was inspired by Global Warming a Tough Sell for the Human Psyche by Malcolm Ritter.)

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The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

by nan on 2009/12/26 · 2 comments

in Environment, Essays, Writings

A friend of mine emailed a Christmas card yesterday with a story of the family’s tradition of the son’s quest for the annual Christmas tree. Our kids are the same age, so it resonated with me, as did the metaphor of how far we have to go to find what we’re looking for.

That aside, his story got me thinking of our own traditions, which have had to be flexible over the years as the kids bounced between two households in two states. This year, the girls were home with me, and we had a revelation, which I described in this email I sent back to my friend.

“We had a Christmas tree tradition sort of fall into place about the same time, too. I have two daughters, one is now 15, and several years ago, it became our ritual to get the tree. We’d bring it home, and the older daughter, now 19, would do most of the decorating. This seemed to suit both their personalities, so like I said, it naturally fell into place.

“Last Sunday, after they both got home Saturday, we went for the tree. We drove all the way to the other side of town scoping out the different tree lots. We were going to drive back and stop at them.

“The first one we went to had nice trees, and I found one small enough to fit in the house. There was a cute, little, itty bitty one, about 3 1/2 feet tall and very wide at the bottom. It was deeply discounted, but I didn’t buy it. I had to have the ‘pretty’ one. We left the underdog tree at the lot. My daughter and I talked about it, but drove off anyway.

“After we put up the ‘pretty’ tree, I started to really think about that Charlie Brown Christmas Tree I left behind. We all talked about it and decided we are going to buy the Charlie Brown tree from now on. We are going to buy the one that isn’t pretty, because it is going to end up in the landfill, and maybe, in a best case scenario, it will go to the lot owner’s brush pile for wildlife habitat.

“Did you ever see the episode of Friends where Phoebe does not like live trees being cut, and she tries to sell people the brown, dead, Charlie Brown trees leftover from the year before?! Big Friends fans, my kids were all for buying the underdog tree from now on.

“So our tradition has morphed into a more positive, conscious, ‘green,’ if you will, event, and I am really looking forward to buying the ‘ugly’ tree next year!

“Happy New Year!”

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No Need to ‘Go Green’ – Part 3

by nan on 2009/12/26 · 5 comments

in Environment, Essays, Writings

The 80s – Simplified Through Traveling

In 1987, an especially brutal winter forced me to find warmer weather. I rented out my house, and hit the road. I carried everything I needed in a Toyota pick-up truck with a dumpstered camper shell on the back. I had a sleeping bag and pillow, a milk crate of books and journals, a crate of kitchen items, a pillowcase of clothes, a cooler, a toolbox and a small bag of toiletries. My truck became my home.

I headed west, and for the next couple of years, I followed warm weather – summer in the north, winter in the south. You have to if you are living outside, and I met many people doing the same thing. I immediately saw one benefit of staying where it was warm – no extreme heating or cooling bills. I frequently thought about nomadic peoples traveling to where there was food and warmth. It seemed so natural!

My Teachers

I met ‘homeless’ men and women, who chose to live on the street, some as a political statement, some following warm weather and some simply loving travel and adventure. Not unlike backpacking, they carried their belongings with them – bedroll, backpack and sharply honed survival skills.

Sadly, I also met people who were victims of our system, the mentally ill you see on the news freezing to death in winter, because of a lack of shelters. You’ve seen pictures and videos of them maybe pushing a shopping cart filled with their belongings.

In New Mexico, I met a woman, who had lived without money for two years. She grew her own food and dumpstered or bartered for everything else she needed. Her resourcefulness and survival skills were inspiring! I listened intently to her stories and continued to simplify. She still lives here in Taos, leading a simple, organic life.

What I Learned

Through this travel experience, I continued to learn about necessities for survival. In the 80s, I saw and lived ‘low impact’ and ’small carbon footprint,’ 21st century phrases. These years affirmed for me how I felt about my childhood, that the excesses of the upper-middle class are just that – excess – and that I did not have to live that way.

I fell in love with the sun of the southwest, and I knew this was where I wanted to be. I went back to New Hampshire, sold my house and sold or gave away everything that was not already in my truck. My life was truly simple now, and I drove away with all my belongings.

Back in the southwest, I started raising a family in 1990. On that journey, I took with me the lessons I’d learned so far about simplicity.

Keep reading: The 90s – Raising a Family and Beyond

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I Am Powered By the Sun

by nan on 2009/12/21 · 2 comments

in Environment, Essays, Writings

At the summer solstice, the sun is high, and the days are 16 hours long. My energy is at a peak, just like the June mid-day sun. I sleep little and move mountains!

In mid-July, as the sun visibly lowers in the sky, I start to mellow as we both head towards fall equinox and winter solstice. I gradually slide into a hibernating, introspective, quiet place of inactivity and rejuvenation, as the sun gradually dips to its lowest point. Today, the winter solstice, we both reached our lows.

In mid-January, at the first hint of longer days, my energy picks back up. While others are stuck in winter doldrums, I am ready to act! A sunny winter day energizes me!

As the spring equinox approaches in March, plants begin to grow, animals come out of hibernation, flowers begin to produce food, and my creative mind is in full swing. It’s as though the northward movement of the sun pulls me and the rest of nature into action, the way the moon affects the tides.

I am powered by the sun. Is it any wonder I am an advocate for solar energy?

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No Need to ‘Go Green’ – Part 2

by nan on 2009/12/17 · 0 comments

in Environment, Essays, Writings

The 80s – New Hampshire

Even though I’d settled into a simple way of life by now, the 80s had a huge effect on me. I was still young, impressionable, inquisitive and seeking my place in the world.

I left New York and moved back to New Hampshire, where going to the dump was a righteous act of frugality.

Recycling was mandatory – there were bins for aluminum, steel and paper, a brush pile for burnables, an area for toxic things, such as paint, that got transported elsewhere, and a chute for other household trash in a garbage bag. Our dump-meister watched us very carefully, and if he heard glass go down the chute, he’d chew you out and threaten to ban you from the dump! He couldn’t, of course, but it gave him some sort of power, I guess.

We were also allowed to ‘pick the dump’ – we could scrounge and scavenge whatever we could bring home. Saturday mornings, people would convene at the dump with pick-up trucks, and wait with coffee and chatter. I knew a man who remodeled his garage into a shop with scrap lumber! I, myself, rescued two barn doors, the kind that slide open on tracks, that were sitting on the burnables pile.

Timberland was based in the mill in Newmarket back then, and we’d find hundreds of pairs of boots at a time. We’d bring them home and distribute them. Almost everyone I knew wore Timberland seconds.

It was a symbiotic relationship, dump goers and dump pickers.

I went back to college to study horticulture, and more important than diving deeper into organic gardening, I learned about pesticides and how disgusting they are.

Negative factoids that changed my life:

62 different pesticides are allowed on lettuce!
Growing (for more things that just lettuce) begins with a pre-emergent herbicide designed to kill off all sprouts, except the lettuce, so it has free reign to grow without competition.
Seed is treated with purple or turquoise fungicides to prevent rot.
Farmers spray their fields weekly as an ‘insurance program,’ whether or not they have pests.
On a hot summer day, my German Shepherd laid in a cool puddle in the barn of a farm I worked on. It turned out to be a spill from a 55 gallon drum of undiluted chemicals from Dow. Over the next four years, she battled some unknown auto-immune disease that acted like cancer, but did not respond to cancer meds and treatments. I kept telling the vet at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston that she’d laid in this puddle of pesticides, but he did not think it was related. I sure did! After uncontrollable bleeding, low platelet counts and finally irreversible kidney damage, I had to put her down. She was only 8.

Positive factoids that changed my life:

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: “Released in 1962, offered the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation… focused on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products.” (From Amazon)
Mulch reduces the need for watering and weeding.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is not an organic gardening method, but plants are examined for pests before determining how to eradicate them. Toxic chemicals are a drastic last measure.
I studied ecology and weather, the major players in the natural world.
I was turned on to solar energy and designed and built a passive solar home.

By the time I finished the two year program in horticulture, I was more aware of the world around me. I started backpacking, hiking and camping every chance I got just to get out and study it some more. My first backpack trip was four days long, and I was quick to realize the impact of carrying everything we needed on our backs. Everything! I also learned you need very little water for washing of self and dishes. Those were lessons in simplicity that came down the mountain with me.

Lamprey River flood, spring 1987 The winter of 1986-87 dropped a foot of snow every other day and drove me out of New Hampshire. I had been hating winter for many years, and that one was a catalyst. I was depressed when spring came after battling the snow, then it rained for nine days, and the river I lived on was in the basement of my brand new home. (The photo: That is not where the river should be. My yard was under water!) When the power went out for four days, I was pushed beyond my boundaries. A gift of $500 from a friend motivated me to rent out my house, and I hit the road in June.

Keep reading: Part 3, The 80s – Simplified Through Travel.

Read more about IPM.
My alma mater, University of NH, Thompson School of Applied Science

Must read ~~~> Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

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No Need to ‘Go Green’ – Part 1

by nan on 2009/12/13 · 1 comment

in Environment, Essays, Writings

I lead a very simple life. Cerebrally and emotionally, it’s not so simple, but materialistically, it is.

The 50s & 60s

I grew up in a well-to-do, materialistic, social-climbing, racist, greedy, post World War II suburban dentist’s family. I never felt like I fit in, but when you’re a child, you have to go along. Private schools and country clubs were not my choices, but I gleaned what I could from them and have good memories.

When I was home, I could usually be found playing outside in the woods, smelling skunk cabbage and catching frogs in the brook. This was where I belonged, not in some fabricated ‘cee-ment pond,’ as Jed Clampett called it. Indoors, I was creative, digging through my mother’s sewing supplies and magazines to make collages, or I was holed up in my room writing or designing houses. I rarely watched tv. I was a black sheep.

Meanwhile, kids a little older than me also from wealthy families were rebelling against money, greed, corporations and racism. This was one aspect of the hippie era, glorious and enlightening times. The emphasis was on simplicity and spirituality, not money, and the historic revolution was underway.

The 70s

When I became of age, I let go of years of right-wing programming. I finally had the chance to express my Self. I held onto what I had – creativity, writing and a natural love of the outdoors – and I observed and assimilated what resonated with me to fill the vacuum. Much of that today is called ‘green.’ I can forego today’s popular and necessary movement to ‘go green,’ having been green for most of my adult life.

My first job in college was on a farm. I loved being in between rows of vegetables pulling weeds. A special calmness came over a troubled 19 year old doing mindless work. I had never eaten homegrown food before, either. That was a blessing at harvest time and changed my life.

The ‘oil embargo’ of 1974 taught me to be frugal, since gas was rationed every other day, and stations were closed on Sunday. The price of gas had shot up from 30 cents to 75 cents, which was outrageous. Even though I drove a VW, I learned to cut back on other things, like food and utilities. Sound familiar?

My boyfriend and I were out of work for winter, squeaking by on unemployment and food stamps. Living in rural New Hampshire, we traveled to the state capitol every two weeks to sign for stamps. We budgeted that money wisely, creating menus and ’shopping to the menu’ when we got to the city. This is a tactic I still use, because it keeps me from frivolous food purchases, stretching a dollar.

In spring, we moved to New York to get work. I was a bookkeeper for a while, but being inside all day drained my soul. This office also had all south-facing glass and no operable windows, so we ran ventilators in winter to cool it off. In summer, I wanted fresh air and to bring the outdoors in. Frustrated and suffocated, I didn’t last there long.

Growing Into My Niche

My mother did not teach me how to cook. About this time, someone suggested The Joy of Cooking, which was an excellent place to start. I think the original version of this was from the 30s, and I remember reading how to harvest and prepare your chicken to roast it! My suburban upbringing did not prepare me for this information, but I was fascinated by growing your own meat and other foods.

Then I discovered another book, modern, meat-free and radical – Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Lappe. The first half was a political discourse in not eating meat. She touched on world hunger and poverty, ecology, the American diet and the waste of water and energy in the grain-to-beef equation. The second half was recipes that would fill your proteins needs through plants. Wow! I forgot about harvesting chickens, and swore by this book until the pages were yellowed.

We moved upstate to a cabin on a converted 200 acre estate. We bought a high-tech woodstove and started heating with wood to cut our electric bill and rebel against Con Edison. I started my own organic garden, recalling those sweet days on the farm in college. I also bought a new car, a Toyota Corolla, which got 30+ mpg, a major selling point. I hadn’t forgotten about running out of gas in front of the station during rationing.

I loved my simple country life, but in 1978, I left rural New York and went back to New Hampshire to deeper simplicity.

Keep reading: Part 2, The 80s, New Hampshire.

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Lighten Up! Nobody is 100% Green

by nan on 2009/12/09 · 2 comments

in Environment, Essays, Writings

‘Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who’s the greenest of them all?’

‘No one,’ replies the wise, kind face in the second-hand mirror from the thrift store.

There are various shades of green, but what constitutes the purest hue? Are you bright, jewel-toned, tinted or shaded?

Many of us are eco-minded in different areas of our respective lives.

• Some are vegetarians.
• Some drive fuel efficient cars.
• Some live in walkable neighborhoods.
• Some telecommute.
• Some live in energy efficient homes.
• Some grow organic food.
• Some shop only locally.

Do you do all of these and more? Not likely.

A Small Footprint

I don’t know what the criteria could possibly be for ‘100% green.’ Even the homeless on the street have a carbon footprint, no matter how small. I have known some of these people and marveled at how little they consume. They dumpster food and clothes, and barter among themselves for other things they need. They do create the need for energy if they use the services of a shelter, food bank, community kitchen or medical clinic. Other than that, though, their lives are pretty green.

But not 100%.

A Smaller Footprint

Do we have to be dead to be 100% eco-friendly? Copious amounts of energy are used in a traditional funeral – build and ship a casket, toxic embalming, dig a hole with a back-hoe, take up valuable land area forever, have a service at a church or funeral home, have a procession of vehicles, and whatever else goes into your final party. Although cremation has a smaller footprint, it is still an energy hog in the act of heating and burning with fossil fuels.

You could be recycled into liquid fertilizer, but again, the process consumes fossil fuel energy – less than traditional cremation, though.

The Smallest Footprint?

Your friends could take you out to the desert, mountains or sea, and recycle your body into the food chain. This would have the lightest impact. You could be 100% green in your death, but the energy your friends spent to get you there would not. Would your pure green hue be the offset?

Hopefully none of us are headed that way soon, and most likely, none of us will be thrown to the animals.

While You Grace This Earth

Since you are here, be as conscious as you can. Find a reliable source of green living tips (read: no greenwashing!), and do what’s feasible without getting overwhelmed.

Get outside of yourself and into your community, too.

• Get energy efficient building codes implemented in your town or state.
• Go the the local Board of Realtors®, and ask for green criteria to be added to the Multiple Listing Service.
• Ask the city to consider energy efficient fleet vehicles.
• Ask for more and better public transportation.
• Ask for safe bike paths.
• Ask restaurants to buy local ingredients.
• Volunteer.

And so much more! Check out these links to purify your shade of green, because, let’s face it, none of us will ever be 100%.

365 Ways to Go Green
No Impact Man
The Good Human
Green Rednecks

Read about becoming liquid fertilizer and traditional cremation and energy use.

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