'Eco-Friendly' and 'Green' do NOT mean what people think!

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I am very uncomfortable using terms like ‘Eco’ or ‘Green’ these days.  They seem to have been stolen and twisted into marketing strategies with no real meaning behind them.  To be honest I am tired of hearing these words and I never use them.  It has become a way for people to be complacent and stop thinking.  People are really kidding themselves if they think they can working within our crumbling, industrial infrastructure without causing environmental damage.

Eco-Friendly laundry detergent is all fine and dandy, but is it really?  Inert biochemistry is great and it definitely helps.  But even if what is inside of it is biodegradable, how did it get onto that shelf?  It was probably created in a very un-green way with a very ecologically damaging infrastructure and supply chain.  The collateral damage associated with its production, distribution and packaging are not eco-friendly in any sense of the word.

Buying a Prius is not green.  Do you have any idea how much energy and infrastructure go into making a car?  It doesn’t really even matter what powers it.  Not having ANY car would be truly green.  Riding a bike is more green.  Riding a horse is pretty dam GREEN.  An oxen pulled wagon carrying produce to the neighborhood market is REALLY FRICKIN' GREEN.

What matters is the lifestyle choices you make, not what purchasing choices you make.  What matters is what you can provide for yourself or go without so you don’t have to buy it!  If you burn carbon but sequester far more than you are burning through agroforestry or rotational grazing, then you may be on the path to becoming ‘green’.  Becoming a carbon and pollution sink is what makes you ‘green’.

These are a few questions I try to ask people before I work with them to find out if we have a similar vision.  I am probably forgetting some stuff and it is by no means a complete list, but it gives me a good idea if we will be able to work together.  There is almost nobody that does all of this so the answer to every question does not have to be yes.

1)      What does ecological farming or homesteading mean to you?

·         What do you think the difference is between organic and ecological farming?

·         Would you be willing to sacrifice productivity of one particular crop in order to increase overall productivity and fertility through diversification?

·         Are you willing to be flexible and adapt to the ecology instead of forcing it to adapt to you?

·         Are you willing to adapt your gardening and farming strategies to work with the least amount of inputs possible?

·         Are you willing to move away from intensively managed annual systems and towards perennial grasslands, plants, orchards, and natural systems?

·         Are you willing to set aside portions of your property to exist in a natural, unmanaged state with native plants?

·         Are you willing to save money by putting some energy and capital into building infrastructure that will decrease the need for energy and inputs later?

2)      Do you use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and if so would you be willing to stop?

·         What chemicals have you used in the past?

·         Would you be willing to use ecological diversity to solve these problems instead?

·         Are you willing to us medicinal plants to keep your animals healthy as a pre-emptive measure?

3)      How do you feel about ornamental lawns and landscaping?

·         Would you consider converting your lawn to pasture, orchard or gardening space?

·         Are you willing sacrifice order for a more chaotic and natural beauty?

·         Are you willing to let crops, trees, pasture and shrubs grow naturally and allow the animals and livestock to do their job?

4)      How do you feel about managing and encouraging insect populations and wild life on your property?

·         Would you live along side insects such as ants, bees, locusts, spiders, wasps, sow bugs, earwigs, centipedes, millipedes and aphids without using destructive measures to control them?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to live with moles and gophers?

5)      How do you feel about livestock and eating animal products?

·         Would you be willing to keep one or more beehives?

·         Would you be willing to take on chickens, rabbits or guinea pigs?

·         Would you be willing to take on goats, pigs or cows?

·         Would you be willing to manage your animals in a rotational grazing system using a series of hard fenced paddocks or temporary fencing?

·         Will you try to produce their food on-site?

·         Are you willing to eat, sell, or barter your animals as a population management strategy?

6)      What does the word ‘Green’ mean to you?

·         Are you willing to try and supply as much of your own food as possible?

·         Are you willing to make increasing fertility and building soil a priority?

·         Are you willing to harvest water for consumption and irrigation?

·         Are you willing to re-use grey and black water?

·         Are you willing to compost or mulch any organic waste you have?

·         Are you willing to use worm or insect cultures to manage waste?

·         Are you willing to make bioremediation a priority?

·         Are you willing to create products like soap, fuel, or clothing from the byproducts of your operation?

7)      Are you willing to change your habits and design priorities to meet the needs of the system as opposed to your own preconceptions?

·         Will you give priority real estate to plants and animals based on their needs?

·         Are you willing to place labor intensive and high traffic areas like composting systems and chicken coops close to your home for quick access?

·         Are you willing to eat new foods or sacrifice old ones based on the needs of your system?

·         Do you and would you be willing to eat ‘in season’ and store food for the winter?

8)      Are you willing to use design to decrease your need to expend energy?

·         Would you buffer your house using vegetation?

·         Would you consider a rocket stove for heating?

·         Would you use passive solar energy to heat and cool your home?

·         Would you use stone, cobb, earth, bricks, concrete and water to create thermal mass?

·         Are you willing to manage woodlands for fuel wood and construction materials?

·         Would you switch to solar or hydro-generated electricity?

·         Are you willing to build with natural, existing, or recycled materials?