Comments on: RIOT: One Year Numbers http://artbystrongheart.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/riot-one-year-numbers/ Me, the environment, and my art Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:45:56 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: artbystrongheart http://artbystrongheart.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/riot-one-year-numbers/#comment-399 artbystrongheart Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:19:35 +0000 http://artbystrongheart.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-399 One of my friends once said to me (while talking about the 90% challenge, and I paraphrase): The problem with a lot of environmentalists is that they don't see some progress as a very good thing to be celebrated. Either it is a HUGE amount that the average person can never attain (so most don't even try) or they beat themselves up for not achieving this difficult to achieve goal. Be happy with progress, and gradually work for better. (I guess that "progress not perfection" adage applies here.) So, let's celebrate your 30%-40%! Yea, my house is really too big for just one person, but I love the yard so I'm going to find a way to make it work. I don't have any commuting expenses, and that really saves me. One of my friends once said to me (while talking about the 90% challenge, and I paraphrase):

The problem with a lot of environmentalists is that they don’t see some progress as a very good thing to be celebrated. Either it is a HUGE amount that the average person can never attain (so most don’t even try) or they beat themselves up for not achieving this difficult to achieve goal. Be happy with progress, and gradually work for better. (I guess that “progress not perfection” adage applies here.)

So, let’s celebrate your 30%-40%!

Yea, my house is really too big for just one person, but I love the yard so I’m going to find a way to make it work. I don’t have any commuting expenses, and that really saves me.

]]> By: Theresa http://artbystrongheart.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/riot-one-year-numbers/#comment-398 Theresa Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:00:16 +0000 http://artbystrongheart.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-398 That is darn good! My stats vary widely, from being only about 4% down in vehicle fuel, to being over 90% down in garbage output. Mostly I've managed to get things down by about 30-40%. Not great really. What does us in is the size of our house, which is really too big for two people, and how far away we live from work. It's coming down to whether we stay here or move closer to town. So far we've opted to stay, because we have land to grow food, and room for family to live with us if need be in future. In the mean time, I'll keep saving that shower water and firing up the woodstove. I'm getting more comfortable at doing somewhat more 'radical' things, so I think I can get our water and electricity numbers down some more yet. That is darn good! My stats vary widely, from being only about 4% down in vehicle fuel, to being over 90% down in garbage output. Mostly I’ve managed to get things down by about 30-40%. Not great really. What does us in is the size of our house, which is really too big for two people, and how far away we live from work. It’s coming down to whether we stay here or move closer to town. So far we’ve opted to stay, because we have land to grow food, and room for family to live with us if need be in future. In the mean time, I’ll keep saving that shower water and firing up the woodstove. I’m getting more comfortable at doing somewhat more ‘radical’ things, so I think I can get our water and electricity numbers down some more yet.

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