Last night I watched an episode of House Hunters International on HGTV that I found very intriguing. It was about a couple in Australia who operated a profitable citrus nursery on their property but had decided that they wanted to spend more time with their children and lessen their environmental footprint. They sold their property (including the citrus nursery) and decided to move their family to the Great Barrier Island off of New Zealand’s east coast. This area is very beautiful but living there would be quite an adjustment if you’re used to all of today’s modern conveniences. Residents on the island live off the grid and must do everything themselves including setting up a water supply, waste disposal and generating power via wind and solar panels. HGTV referred to it as “green to the extreme.”

I was impressed with these homeowners and how much they were able to do for themselves in just a short amount of time. The home they purchased was in the process of a remodel, so not only did they have to set up their power source and water supply, they had to finish building the house! Within six months they were able to finish all of that work and had a lovely garden in their backyard where they planned to grown their own food. They still had some modern conveniences such as television and computer but they were using an old fashioned wood burning stove in the kitchen and only had 1 modest bathroom for the entire family of five.

This family is a great example of living with less and being more self-sufficient. When they’re doing so much to live greener, it makes switching to reusable bags and water bottles seem like small potatoes doesn’t it?

HGTV will be airing this episode several times over the next few months, so be sure to check it out.

http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/live-off-the-grid-on-the-great-barrier-island-of-new-zealand/index.html

Could you live off the grid?  Do you already?  Please feel free to share your tips or comments.

If you’ve been considering riding a bike more and driving less, Google Maps just made it easier for you. As of today, biking directions have been added as an option when searching for directions. In launching this new feature, Google has tried to include as much data as possible on bike trails, and provide the most efficient routes. This feature also allows users to customize their trip, avoid big hills and make use of bike lanes as much as possible.

My husband has been toying with the idea of riding a bike to work on days when he doesn’t have a lot of off-site meetings (which isn’t often) so I tested Google’s biking directions using his work location. I was able to get very precise directions and liked that you can click and drag to change the route directly on the map. Another nice feature is that you can click on other options such as walking and driving so you can compare distance and estimated time.

Hopefully this new feature will encourage people to bike more often and feel confident that they’ve mapped out a safe and efficient route. My applauds to Google.

For more information about Google’s Biking Directions visit:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/biking-directions-added-to-google-maps.html

http://googlemapsbikethere.org

When people talk about living greener one of the things that’s often suggested is to walk, bike or take public transportation.  Walking and biking are especially great alternatives to driving because you get exercise in the process. It sounds like a no-brainer that if you can easily walk somewhere instead of driving you’d do it. But in today’s world the prospect of walking even a short distance in some areas can be scary.

The recent murder of Chelsea King in San Diego is one reason why. Chelsea was a beautiful, smart girl with a huge heart and big plans to change the world. Last week she went for a run at the park in the middle of the day and never came home. As a parent and resident of the area, I was heartbroken over this story. The incident happened not far from where I live and all I could think about is what a terrible time her parents and loved ones are going through. Locally there has been an increase in reports of suspicious people trying to lure pedestrians to their car and these stories are no doubt common in many parts of the country. These horrific stories can make us feel it’s not safe to walk anywhere, even short distances.

While these stories in the news can make you think about not walking anywhere for safety reasons, it’s important to remember that millions of people go out for walks and runs daily and are safe in doing so. And anytime you can walk instead of driving, you should because it’s better for you and better for the environment. If you are trying to ditch your driving habit but concerned about your safety when walking alone, here are a few steps you can take to make it safer:

• Take a self defense class: Search for local classes in your area or organize your own class with a group of your friends, hiring a professional. There may also be options to register for a parent – child class that will teach your child some basic self-defense without presenting the material in an extremely scary way.
• Carry self defense products: Many pepper sprays are not harmful to the environment and will not permanently hurt an attacker. If you’d prefer not to carry spray, you can opt for a whistle or personal body alarm.
• Walk in populated areas. If you’re walking on a busy street to work or to a bus or train stop you are much safer than walking on less crowded side streets and alleys. If you’re walking through your neighborhood to get to school or the store, don’t take short-cuts. Stay on a busy road where there are likely to be other pedestrians and cars.
• Whenever possible try not walk alone. If you want to go out for a walk, try to go with a neighbor or family member.  If you walk your kids to school, try to find other moms that you can walk with to and from school.
• Give off the right attitude, always be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to those around you. Body language and intuition can go a long way in deterring an attack. Gavin de Becker has books on this and other ways protect yourself and your children. They are Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) and The Gift of Fear.
• Familiarize yourself with recent criminal activity and registered sex offenders in your area. Check to see if your local police or sheriff offer email alerts of crimes in the area and if they do, register for them. Visit the Family Watchdog site to search for sex offenders near your address.

Don’t let fear of an attack stop you from your goals of living greener. Driving less is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and while nothing can guarantee you’ll never be attacked while walking, taking a few precautions can help to make you safer as you walk to your destination.

As a child I was a big fan of Dr. Seuss stories and can remember fondly reading many of his books over and over again. My favorites were “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “Horton Hears a Who.” In edition to those classics, I remember reading several other Dr. Seuss books in school but for some reason I never read the classic “The Lorax” until my son received it as a gift a few years ago.

When I read the story with my son, my first impression was that Dr. Seuss was way ahead of his time.  As he talks about green grass, wet ponds and clean clouds as a thing of the past, it is clear that Dr. Seuss knew something in 1971 that many people still continue to ignore today. Just like many of his other stories, Dr. Seuss presents this story in a rythmic fashion with colorful illustrations and an important message written in a way kids can understand. There are humorous parts of the story but the overall message teaches kids about the environment and warns against greed and pollution. If you’re trying to live greener and have kids, this book is a must for your family book collection.  Today’s kids really care for the earth and want to protect it. This book reinforces those values and serves as a reminder to parents and adults that “biggered” isn’t always better.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Visit The Lorax Official Web Site:
http://www.seussville.com/lorax