One of the struggles I’ve faced in going green in my life is with my husband and kids. Differing views on what is worth doing can be challenging.
That makes it so nice as things start to click!
My husband recently bought and installed a simple clothesline. His comment was that it was really too warm to be using the dryer. Last year he wasn’t interested in the idea. He’s now hung various loads out to dry and likes how fast it goes on hot days.
He’s getting it in more areas too. He’s as much a fan of using vinegar for cleaning as I am, I think. He used to complain about the smell. I’ve taught him that a couple drops of lavender oil takes care of that.
Kids are more challenging, although at 6 my daughter is really getting the basic ideas of recycling and cleaning up trash she finds when we go for walks. Both kids will ask which can a particular item goes into when it’s time.
Patience, I’d say, is really the key. You may not get them to do what you want right away, but over time you can get family members to see why you want to recycle, use less energy and so forth.
These past couple weeks have been crazy. I’ll put some of the blame for my complete lack of posting recently on the stomach bug my kids had. That’s not the whole story, but I’m not quite ready to share the whole story yet. It’s going to involve some big changes in my life, many of which I’m really feeling unprepared for.
One of the things that saddens me most in the environmental movement is how hostile people can be towards it. Some people don’t just disagree with living greener; they flat out oppose it. Calling people who care for the environment nut cases or granola are some of the milder terms used.
And yet, at it’s heart much of environmentalism strikes me as simple good sense. Where is the harm in trying to use fewer resources? In trying to decrease pollution? In trying to keep more animal species from becoming endangered or extinct?
Most of the people who really cannot stand environmentalism look to the most extreme points of environmentalism and apply it to anyone who simply wants to live greener. It’s as though the more moderate stances that are far more common are invisible.
You can point all you want to the fringe environmental groups who sometimes do more harm than good in their efforts to redirect how the rest of us live, but that’s not the average environmentalist you’ll meet every day.
Sure we want practical solar power. If it can be done more efficiently and cheaper than coal, why shouldn’t we? The technology has made some great leaps this past year, and is looking promising at long last. It may have taken a few more decades to reach that point than originally hoped, but that’s technology for you. Advances cannot be scheduled.
And yes, many an environmentalist would like to see fewer pesticides used on our foods. That’s why organic produce is becoming so much more popular. And it appears that pesticides are doing a great deal of harm to our oceans. Organic farming can be done quite efficiently, and in many areas of the world would be far more cost effective than the constant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
If the food is healthier for you and tastes better, while production is still good, why not?
There are not many environmentalists who want all humans to go back to a primitive lifestyle. Simplification is encouraged, yes, but don’t confuse that with primitive.
And of course there’s the fuss over global warming. Yes, environmentalists consider it to be a concern. Quite probably an urgent one.
Now I ask, what is the harm in trying to avoid global warming? Investigating it has resulted in a number of inventions, in new industries. I don’t think it’s going to hurt the economy as much as some fear. But the cost of ignoring the possibility could be much higher. I’d rather take my chances on trying to make a change today than do nothing.
No, not everything I do to live a greener lifestyle is comfortable. Most of what I do as an individual really won’t add up on a scale the world will notice. But the more individuals who work at it, the more businesses who take note and make an effort, the greater the impact we can have.
That’s worth it to me.
With gas prices constantly on the rise right now, anything you can do to avoid driving during rush hour is likely to be a very good thing. For anyone working outside the home this can be difficult. For at home moms like me, it’s pretty easy.
But you can try. The increasing gas prices have encouraged employers to start paying attention to the options. Some companies are becoming more open to the idea of a more flexible start time. If you can start and end your day an hour earlier or later you can avoid quite a bit of traffic in many areas.
If you don’t need to be face to face with people, telecommuting is another option you should be looking at. Even one day a week can save you a lot.
And then there’s the classic. Carpooling. My sister does this one and saves a significant chunk of money every month. She had to adjust her work schedule to go with her coworkers, as her employer already offers flexible starting times, but fortunately they had an early start time and now she not only avoids traffic and saves gas, she gets more time after work with her family.
Pretty good deal.
Public transportation works well in some areas, not so well in others. My area pretty much falls into the “not so well” category. In other areas it can be highly efficient. And even in my area I know a mom at my daughter’s school who takes the bus with her son every morning to school. She just prefers ours to the one nearest to her home. For a distance that short, it works reasonably. I wouldn’t try it long distance without a lot of need around here.
But as I said, in other places it is highly efficient. You may have light rail options as well as buses. We do have light rail, but not near me.
If you are at home, it’s best to just avoid all these entirely. Plan your errands for quieter times of the day. Makes them much faster and pleasanter. Ask for doctor’s appointments at times that will be convenient to you in terms of traffic as well as your daily routine.
And of course, walk or ride a bike when possible.
Many of these tips have the potential to save you a lot of money. The less you drive, the less often you’ll feel the pain of gassing your car up. That can’t be a bad thing.
One of the things my family loves to do is hike together. It’s very relaxing and good exercise. We are very fortunate to have some fields within walking distance to go hiking at.
A family hike is a great way to encourage your kids to explore nature. On one of our first hikes in these fields, the grass was just covered in ladybugs. I mean hundreds of them. The kids had a blast and we took some home to feast on the aphids that had taken over the rosebush.
The rosebush is much grateful, buy the looks of things.
Every time we go the kids find something interesting to explore. There are some very steep hills to climb - fortunately with less challenging paths for the way down. I’ve always found downhill more nerve wracking than up when it’s a steep hill. The kids of course think that hill is a treat, for all they need help getting to the top.
We’ve found fuzzy black caterpillars. My daughter is learning to identify local plants. All around, it’s just a good thing.
Even if you don’t have a good place to hike within walking distance of your house, find some place fairly local for doing that. It’s really fun and a great addition to your family’s routine.
