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.
I came across this piece in Boulder Magazine: Jerry Naro of Whispering Winds Design in Nederland has been working with wood from trees killed by the pine bark beetle. Naro builds furniture, paneling, cabinetry and doors. The wood is streaked with blue and can be structurally sound if harvested at the right time.
Myrto Ashe
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