Frugally Green

The Three Little Pigs.  We all know the story, don’t we?  Momma pig sends her three children off to make it on their own.  One makes it and two don’t.  Simple, right?

Two piggies were stupid and lazy, so they built their homes from the first pile of materials they could find, straw and sticks, with no thought about tomorrow or the durability of their shiny new homes.  The third piggy, knowing he might some day have to endure inclement weather (aka stinky wolf breath), took his time and found a supply of bricks to build his sturdy home from.

Sure enough, the big, bad wolf showed up and dominated the two houses built from straw and sticks, but couldn’t muster the lung capacity to knock over the brick house. In the watered down, safe-for-all-ages Disney version, the lazy pigs were fortunate enough to crawl from the rubble of their decimated shanties and find safety with their brother in his brick house.

But, just like the real story behind any Disney depiction, we all know what really happened.  Those lazy pigs were eaten.  It wasn’t pretty either. Think Hannibal Lecter dining on his friend’s liver.  That’s how it really went down.

So what lesson can we really glean from this story beyond avoiding being stupid and lazy? Since this is a sustainability blog, let’s focus on the houses.  That’s tangible, right?

In terms of the evolution of society, we are right up there with Mr. Brick House Piggy.  We learned ages ago how to make a building that would last hundreds of years.  We did it.  They’re still there.

Now, though, we build houses and buildings that are designed to last fifty years…maybe. Talk about a step backwards. What the heck happened?

Good question; I’ll tell you.  Somewhere between a long time ago and right now, we became totally aesthetically anemic and lost our imaginations.  We lost our value for things that leave a lasting impression.

No one wants to build a stone castle anymore because, well, what if we decide we don’t like it?  Why take a chance with something that will last when we can half-ass it and just tear it down if we change our mind about what we think looks good.  We can always have something new and exciting to look at.  Who doesn’t want that?

This problem goes way beyond people and their homes, though.  It’s infiltrated the way we do and think about business.  We build skyscrapers now to serve a sector of business that is there to make a quick buck and get out. The businesses funding this construction don’t have the capital to build something that lasts because, well, who knows how long they’ll be around.

Where did the long-term vision go?  Where did the decisiveness go?  We’ve built a world around us to allow all the options in life we could ever desire, yet we find happiness fleeting and lasting decisions are harder and harder to come by.  Business becomes faster and faster, yet shorter and shorter lived.

Now, we have the green building movement.  Awesome.  We’re starting to become conscious of the impacts of our habits.  Every day we’re getting closer to a world where buildings exist in a sustainable eco-system.  But here’s the rub – sustainable building materials are, by and large, less durable than their earth depleting counterparts. Bamboo, particle board, many forms of insulation – they’re recycled and renewable, but they just don’t last as long.

By all means, this is an improvement, but I have to wonder sometimes if durable might beat renewable.  Maybe we should bring back the stone castles and pyramids that still stand after hundreds and thousands of years.  Maybe we should spend more time planning and less time changing our minds.  Plenty of study has concluded that the more choices lead to less happiness.

What’s more important for the survival of Man and Earth?  Choice or happiness?  Is it really that black or white?

I lost the little piggies awhile ago, didn’t I?

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Oh yeah, if you buy this book through my link above, Amazon will pay to keep this computer running for about 10 minutes.

Seriously.

We do all sorts of things every day because we think we have to.  We go to work every day to provide for our families and our futures.  We offer our resources to causes we rather wouldn’t because we feel obligated.  We do this kind of stuff all the time and it’s draining.

When was the last time you really wanted something, but didn’t buy it because you thought it was the responsible thing to do?  “Oh my god, I want it so bad, but I can’t afford it.”

Are you pushing yourself beyond comfort to squeeze the last little bit of elusive sustainability into your life?  Why? Because you feel guilty?  Are you afraid the Earth police are going to come kick down your door and check your thermostat?  If it’s set above 60 degrees, you’re going to be awfully embarrassed.

If you’re trying to green your life because you feel guilty, you’re doing it wrong.  Seems harsh, but I think the sooner people start realizing this, the sooner we can actually start making some meaningful changes in our lives.

There are at least one million different ways to make this world a better place.  There are least one million ways to live a financially sustainable life.  I quit counting at about three-hundred-thousand, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

With all of the options out there, anybody should be able to find something they can do without resorting to guilt as motivation.

What do you care about?  What turns you on?  When you wake up in the morning, what do you wish you were heading off to do?  Why not focus on those things?  There’s no limit, really.

Do you love watching the smurfs and care about the environment?  Make a parody cartoon where the smurfs band together to stop a neighboring tribe form chopping down the forest between them.  Start a website and post your episodes on Youtube.

Love going out for sushi but hate all the disposable chopsticks?  Why not design a beautiful, functional, and indestructible chopstick and start selling them to your favorite restaurants?

If you really want to make a difference, you have to do something you care about.  I really don’t think there are any shortcuts.  When it comes to environmentalism, the difference you make is in the influence you exert on others.  Wiping your ass with one sheet of single-ply instead of four sheets of two-ply toilet paper is never going to fix our environment unless it really excites the hell out of you.

Environmental experts and economists like to argue about what the biggest impact changes we can make are and, if biggest impact changes are what excite the hell out of you, then pay close attention and do what they tell you to.  If that doesn’t describe you, then quit paying attention to the experts and go do your own thing.

Life is too damn short to do a bunch of crap you don’t care about, especially when it’s not going to make a difference.

Here’s the bottom line:

If it doesn’t excite you, you’re going to half-ass it.  If you half-ass it, no one is going to pay attention.  If no one pays attention, you’re wasting your time.

So forget everything you’ve been told about what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to do it.  Start making your own rules and empowering others to make theirs.

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Jumping image by α is for äpΩL †

I was recently made aware that the video from Wednesday’s video post did not come through for those receiving updates via email.  If you’d like to see it (and I hope you would) here’s a link to Wednesday’s post. I will now go back to learning how to use the internet.

It’s likely that you’ve heard of a gentleman, Colin, who writes a blog called No Impact Man and spent a year living without most of the conveniences of modern life.

What you might not know, is that he started a project to get you and me to join him for a more palatable week long period.  The next week-long go-about begins on Sunday, November 15.  I will be participating and complaining all week about how hard life is.

If you’re interested, check out No Impact Project and sign up.  If you do, leave a comment or send me an email to let me know and we can provide each other some support along the way.

I know Aldra over at Consciously Frugal will be taking part as well, so you’ll be in good company.

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This week, the internet was abuzz with all kinds of awesome stuff that, while not necessarily aimed at the eco-conscious crowd, fits right in without much convincing.

I’m currently in the process of getting rid of all my CDs and moving to a completely digital world of music. Perhaps it wasn’t coincidence that Heather at The Greenest Dollar wrote a post about free online music.  Thanks to her, I’ve been reintroduced with an old college love, Pandora.  In fact, I’m listening right now.

Speaking of love, I’m quite happily courting a beautiful young lady, but I couldn’t help but become intrigued when I ran into a relatively new website, Eco Dater, the other day.  If you’re single and ready to mingle but having a hard time finding just the right organic farmer for you, I suggest you make your way over there for some browsing.  Recycle your scraps at the compost bin after dinner and win your date’s heart for ever.

Once you and your new love have finally tied the knot, you can start your mutual pursuit of the American Dream.  Don’t get started, though, until you read Sean Ogle’s thoughts about the demise of that dream.  According to him, you don’t need to own a house to live your dreams.  As long as you don’t need that, you don’t need to toil away at the same career for 30 years to pay for it, either.  We all know the benefits of minimalism, now don’t we?

Whether or not you own a home, you’re going to have to live somewhere.  Wherever that is, it might as well be a warm, cozy place. Trent over at The Simple Dollar was kind enough to leave us with 10 tricks for staying warm this winter without huge energy bills or, as I like to put it, 10 tricks for staying warm this winter without destroying the planet.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Be sure to check out some of the carnivals that Frugally Green was featured in this week.  They’re a great place to connect with new and interesting blogs:

The Carnival of the Green was curated this week by ooffoo.

Praveen at Simple Trading Systems put together the Carnival of Financial Planning

The Carnival of Money Stories is up at Christan PF

LuLuGal hosted the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances at How I Save Money

The Festival of Frugality can be read over at Frugal Homemaker Plus

The Financial Blogger hosts this week’s Carnival of Money Hacks

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Urban Farm Image by Southernpixel

Hey everyone.  Welcome to the first ever video post at Frugally Green.  I’ve answered a few of the questions that readers asked in the recent survey.  Hope you all enjoy.  If for some reason you can’t watch the video, I’ve highlighted the important points below.

“How do I convince myself that in fact, I do not need as much as I have?”

Eliminate unnecessary clutter. Look at the things you already have and ask yourself, “When was the last time I used that?”  If it’s been awhile think about getting rid of it.

Determine long term value.  When you buy something new are you just filling an immediate desire or are you buying something that will give you lasting joy and value?  Check out this post for more.

“What would be a good way to start up a community recycling center?”

This will be tough to do on your own.  Get together with some good neighborhood friends if you can.  Maybe a ‘traveling’ center is the way to go at first.  Share the responsibility weekly or monthly.  Keep it small and manageable until you’ve got a real handle on it.

Get involved with your city council. Go to meetings and let them know what you want as a resident. Enlist the help of your friends. The more people you can get involved, the faster you can effect change.

Check out this guide I found (downloadable pdf) with real, solid info about starting a community recycling initiative.

“How do I continually find new ways to be green and stick to them?”

Focus on the things that are already important to you.  How can you improve them?

Put a microscope to the things you’re already doing.  Don’t look for something new without a reason why.

“Is it possible to find a way to make sustainability something that most people can be bothered getting behind?”

I think it’s possible, but has more to do with focusing on yourself than others.  Do what you love – you’ll exude an energy that is contagious.  When people see you improving your life without making it look like work, they’ll be more inspired to try it themselves.

Do you have any suggestions for these readers?

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In the world of personal finance, there’s a lot of emphasis given to the net worth calculation.  There’s plenty of debate about how much attention should be focused on it, but most everyone agrees that it’s a good tool to quickly gauge the health of your finances.

For those not familiar with the calculation, it’s simply the value of all your money and belongings minus the value of any debts you owe.  Generally speaking, if your net worth is increasing on a monthly or yearly basis, then you have healthy personal finance habits.  If it’s decreasing, you might need to take a second look at how you’re managing your money or you eventually risk running out of it and digging a very deep hole of debt.

How can those of us living environmentally conscious lives apply this to our own situation? It seems there ought to be a way to quickly gauge our progress or regression in our pursuit of sustainability.  We need to be able to look at our “environmental net worth.”

What is Environmental Net Worth

What would an environmental net worth be?  Well, on a basic level, it would be just like any financial net worth calculation – the sum of your environmental contributions minus your grievances. By adding up everything you’re doing to make the world a better place and subtracting the things that could be perceived as damaging, you can get a quick look at your overall contribution to society.

You could track your environmental net worth over time and see how you’ve progressed. You’d be able to tell if you’re growing and developing by contributing more to a healthy planet. Or, you could identify dips or regressions and find what may have caused them and how to avoid them in the future.

Why is it important?

An environmental net worth calculation is important for the same reason that it’s important to personal finance – it can demystify a seemingly convoluted and confusing situation.

Many people go through life not knowing whether what they’re doing is actually working or not.  There’s usually an intuitive feeling of progress or regression, but for many, it’s just not accurate.  Just as with anything in this world, if it can be measured, it can be improved.

By establishing a way to concretely measure our contributions to the environment, we’ll be better prepared to leave a better world for ourselves and future generations.

How is it calculated?

So how can you calculate your environmental net worth?  This is, of course, the most difficult part.  In a traditional net worth calculation, there’s a really handy tool, we call it money, that’s universally used to measure the value and worth of an object for comparison sake.

In the new environmental economy, such a tool doesn’t really exist yet.  We need a common denominator that we can all use to convert the results of our environmental focus into for comparison’s sake.  Right now, we have a whole bunch of people doing what they think is best, but not a whole lot of data to suggest what really is or isn’t working. 

We need an environmental currency.

The closest thing we have is carbon.  It’s still a bit abstract and calculating your carbon output is not as tangible as, say, counting the dollars in your bank account, but for the time being it’s what we have to work with.

I found this calculator over at nature.org that you can use to get a baseline estimate of what your current carbon “footprint” is.  It may or may not be completely accurate for your situation, but the important thing to take away is the graph at the end comparing the different aspects to the national average.  This will give you an idea of where you can potentially improve.

Remember that,  unlike a traditional net worth calculation, we’re going for the lowest score possible.  Think golf, not basketball.

Where do I stand?

A quick run through revealed that I could really make some improvement in my housing situation.  That makes sense – I live in a big, old four bedroom home with two other people.  It’s too big for us and it’s very drafty since all of the windows are nearly 100 years old.  I kind of doubt there’s even any insulation in the exterior walls.

Since I don’t have any plans to move right now and this is a rental property, the best we can do is add weatherstripping and caulk at all the openings, add insulation in the attic space and, most importantly, get another roommate so that we’re not wasting a bedroom.  The additional body heat won’t hurt, either.

Do you keep track of your environmental net worth?  Where could you make the biggest improvements?

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Carbon Footprint image by Leonski