I still dream of art school, but this is okay too

I'd like to dedicate this next post to Planet Earth and as a form of encouragement for all individuals working to protect, save and nourish this home.

Whilst traveling I have had the pleasure of meeting a handful of amazing people who have completely revolutionized their former lifestyles to be more green and less "mean" or who have been living eco-sensitively forever... as it made more sense to them from an early age.

My thoughts and attitudes have changed drastically over the last decade. Probably the biggest blessing in disguise about attending the University of Oregon and taking a WIDE variety of liberal arts classes was that it has opened my mind to a range of lifestyle options, food production and consumption habits, and has left me a bit more critical of social norms. Perhaps even to my own detriment at times it has left me too open-minded and unsure about how to participate in the world as an active-beneficial member of human society (my common excuse for not knowing what i want to do with my 'life').

Ron and Leanne were my eco-terrorist neighbors in Wellington... by terrorist I mean they were "guerrilla gardeners" and waste-busters! Converting unused public grassland and desolate hillsides into robust and fruitful community gardens- to be used and loved by all. One day while reflecting on life something happened to them... like a click or a trigger that went off and completely changed who they were and how they were living. I won't go into great detail about what motivated them to radically change there lives (as I am unsure myself), but they went from being typical 8-5 members of society, who collected motor vehicles, clothes, household goods, and other common luxuries to making their own toothpaste, shampoo, using nature's soft leaves as toilet paper, incorporating a Zero Waste policy in their household (which they haven't yet been able to achieve but they are certainly making the effort to reduce their household waste to very close to zero), questioning themselves about "Why am I throwing out this much crap each week??? Where does this black bag of trash really go when it leaves the sidewalk??? How can I reduce this???" not buying into things they don't need to be happy, clutter that distracts them from what really makes them happy- health, adventure, nurturing each other and creating a friendly community around them- and by revolutionizing their shopping habits (buying bulk, searching for things with less packaging, growing a lot of their own fruit and veg and supporting local farms).
They have created a niche in Wellington- the 350 Organization (a world-wide campaign to lower CO2 in earths atmosphere to 350 parts per million- the "safe" number), urban greening on their lunch breaks (yes they still work in the city as well-respected professionals but on their lunch breaks eat with friends and plant native trees in unused urban spaces), and so much more.

I loved meeting these two people. I told them so; how much I appreciated their resilient commitment to living "sustainably", their leadership and the positive example they set for me and for many, many, many other people whom they've come in contact with. They reminded me to try to not be so self-conscious about my ego and what others think about me and odd living habits...
It's quite often that the people who we think are "strange and crazy" who are living differently and thinking outside the box who eventually inspire change, who succeed in creating alternatives! (see William Kamkwamba)
This brings me to my next subject: Michael Reynolds (architect from New Mexico)... I watched the documentary film "Garbage Warrior". This film was a mental roller coaster for me. At times I couldn't help but thinking how stupid and ridiculous this man was, how smelly and "hippy" his crew must be, that they are all just ridiculous pot-smokers who have eaten too many Magic Mushrooms and been to too many Burning Man Festivals, BUT I continued to watch and my layers of judgement slowly peeled away and my criticisms softened when I realized what he was working for and towards- a SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE! He hasn't and will never save the United States (or world) from our infectous consumer/waste/destroy behavior but he is thinking and living critically.
I highly recommend going to the library/movie rental store and watching this film, its interesting, perhaps inspiring, and if none of that then hopefully comforting to realize that people like him and Ron and Leanne are out there- forward thinkers, who have the ability, time and motivation to "think outside the box".

GREEN ROOF PLAN: (in case you were wondering, "how could I put a green roof on this shed?":