ecoyear

In a heroic attempt to drastically decrease our household's contribution to global warming, without initially altering our daily lives (!), I am embarking on a year-long journey in search of a local foods diet, and in making changes in our daily habits that will add up to a significant reduction in our carbon footprint.

We live in Boulder, CO. We are at 5,000 feet elevation, with zone 5 (maybe 4-5) gardening, and a frost-free season which extends from May 20th to September something-or-other. Our family consists of 3 boys ages 3, 6 and 8, my husband Jim and me, both in our 40's. We own a 2700 square foot detached house, with no South-facing windows, and a highly deer-friendly small yard. We have two cars, one a gas-guzzling minivan, the other a 10 year old Honda Civic. As we begin this adventure, we are both employed essentially more than full-time. This is untenable for quality family life as we see it, so this will change by mid-February.

I embarked upon this adventure in November 2007. It has been an eye-opener!! I am most excited about the incredible possibilities that become available for a much richer sense of community, and re-connection with the most basic, meaningful aspects of life. So far I have found here much more than compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

My overriding goal is to condense what I am learning into a clear, step-by-step, simple blueprint that can be adopted by anyone. Your comments are more than welcome.

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