One mellow afternoon this summer, as we watched the sun slip closer to the western ridgetops, author Don Silver and I talked over minted tea on my back porch. Don is a rare bird; he's a novelist, a family man, an outdoorsman invested in conservation real estate and a new urbanist. I asked him what "living green" was all about. Without hesitation, his fingers keeping track, he counted this tune:

• Be humane-from the inside out.
• Take considered action.
• Discipline yourself with diet, exercise and humor.
• Enhance compassion for all living things.
• Reduce your impact on what's around you.
• Engage in a sustainable lifestyle.
• Make eco-wise choices.
• Honor nature's cycles.
• Think about quality of life. Do not compromise it for your grandkids.
• Adopt a philosophy of deep stewardship.

LOW-IMPACT LIVING, LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY
Don's recommendations could be the anthem for low-impact living and long-term sustainability-even a celebration, if you will, of reducing energy, using renewable resources, working and playing near your home; inhabiting high-performance, healthy-built structures; selecting locally-grown foods, and respecting our common birthright: clean water and air.

Green living is a celebration of human ingenuity. Let's hear a drum roll-a loud and lengthy drum roll-for human ingenuity. Our unique ability to blend common sense with "sixth sense" means we know how to find our way to deep stewardship. For me, deep stewardship is the very music of a life lived in balance. Comprised of vibrant sounds and pauses, the subtleties, it requires a lot in the way of participation. We must know our parameters, do the groundwork, look at facts and energetically gather data. And never should we ignore what lies beyond the apparent.

Here in our bioregion, where the streams vocalize their way down the mountainsides and valleys quietly promise abundant harvests, life is generous. It's not so difficult to gather facts to live green when there is time, food and a spirit of community. You and I can afford to look around us. We can see large acreages with great potential. We can collect facts via surveys, plot maps and aerials, and we can hear what they're saying down at City Hall. We can calculate "value" by gathering data. But never can we ignore the sometimes subtle, yet forever intrinsic, rhythm of the land. It sings out to us. That song creates insight. Insight teaches us how to harmonize practice and possibility-the all-inclusive positive momentum of life.

POSITIVE MOMENTUM: ISN'T THAT WHAT LIVING GREEN IS ALL ABOUT?
I emailed Don just today and told him I had a few possibilities for "positive momentum" to add to his living green suggestions. Talk. You can better gauge your own insights when you talk with those in the know.

• Ask, especially local folks. Reach out strongly for the insights of others.
• Use your ingenuity and the resources available. Give it your best shot.
• Celebrate life. Find humor, wherever you may be.
• Remember that it is just fine to start where you are.

Resources
Check out these websites to help get to the roots of green living:

Cradle to Cradle: One of my supreme favorites, this website promtes a "a new strategy called eco-effectiveness. By learning from nature's 'design principles,' eco-effective design conceives industrial systems that emulate the healthy abundance of nature." http://www.greenblue.org/cradle_vision.html.

The Center for a New American Dream: This site offers ideas to help you live consciously: to simplify and buy wisely. http://www.newdream.org.
United States Social Forum: The Forum provides "space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision and strategy needed to realize another world." http://www.ussf2007.org.

The Natural Step: Learn about an international network of sustainability experts, scientists, universities and businesses creating solutions, innovative models and tools that can lead the transition to a sustainable future. http://www.naturalstep.org.

American Green TV: Based out of Asheville, American Green TV is web-based original programming that enables users to contribute their stories and videos in order to build a vibrant online community that can help make it easy to go green. http://www.americangreen.tv.

10 Actions for Living Green: Ready to make choices and take action to live a more sustainable life, 365
days a year? This site offers tips to get you started. http://www.livinggreen.org.

janeAnne holds the highly regarded designations of ECO(c) Real Estate Consultant and e-PRO(c) and serves as an active member on the New Life Journal Green Home Experts Board. As founder of the ECO-Steward Real Estate Firm, she specializes in viewshed acreages, horse farms, conservation and eco-wise 1031 investing. Visit http://www.ecostewardRealty.com.

Back to New Life Journal..