My upbringing was one of frugal consumption, with both a green bent and a constant reference to the hardship of the Great Depression. Both of my parents were born during the depression and lived with war-related rationing. This later evolved to an Earth-friendly approach, with what my peers would call a “granola” outlook.
The granola term comes from shopping at natural food stores and food co-ops. In our case this was coupled with an organic garden plot, both in our back yard and at a communal garden. The Mother Earth Journal was a regular read, with many things tried to live more simply.
On the energy front, my Dad installed a retro wood and coal burning furnace. The constant stoking of the fire got old after a while, that and the 50 degree winter mornings. Passive solar was another experiment that still helps heat my parents house today.
Energy savings was a regular theme. All of our clothes were hung on the line to dry because we didn’t have a clothes dryer. Some mornings we’d put our still damp jeans in the oven to dry out. A practice that was halted after I set my favorite jeans on fire one morning.
My parents also regularly recycled by separating glass, paper and metal into separate bins and hauling these items to a central drop off. Every major purchase was a family event, with much research on Consumer Reports to make sure we were getting the best value. My parents didn’t get a color television until I entered college. I remember being totally blown away upon the realization that the Wizard of Oz switched from black and white to color.
I relate all this green history not as a self-satisfied appraisal, but as a means for comparing today’s green options.
Today’s awareness of green building practices means I live in a new house that’s roughly twice the size of my parent’s home, and is far more energy efficient. I shop regularly at Whole Foods or other green grocers where fresh and wonderful organic produce and natural food are plentiful. I have twice-monthly recycling pickup at my curb where I can co-mingle anything recyclable into a large bin.
Being green is easy, and while I appreciate this change, my own upbringing makes we want to mold my own kids in a similar fashion. I regularly make minor conservation efforts to try to put a little self-righteous hardship into the equation, and I can’t help myself from proclaiming about the trees when they grab a big wad of paper towels to mop up a minor spill.
Doing good for the environment doesn’t require hardship or sacrifice. In fact, there are myriad examples where green choices are cheaper than alternatives and as readily available. It’s great to see a groundswell of choices that “do good while doing well.”
