Ecological Concerns

        . . . and how we are addressing them

           Energy   The many downsides of our overdependence on fossil fuels (global warming, smog, acid rain, mountain top removal, war for oil, etc.) have been well publicized. We are trying to shift towards renewable energy sources. We have photo-voltaic electricity that supplies our cabins (but not yet the community building), that will soon be integrated into a net metering system. We use as much passive solar heat as we can to warm buildings and have solar water heaters on the two finished cabins. 

We are experimenting with a plan where each household pays a carbon surcharge equal to the money we spend on fossil fuels (gasoline, propane, and coal generated electricity). The money goes into a community fund we plan to use for purchasing more solar electric panels.

            Food         We recognize the global, industrial food system as a source of ecological strife, poor health, 
and unstable communities. We are engaged in the broad struggle to resist the globalization of the food system on a 
couple of levels. We have large organic vegetable gardens and are trying to learn to raise more perennial food crops. 
We are linked to a food coop and to an innovative local cooperative food market called MERJ. Some of our produce 
is preserved with solar food dryers, fermentation and canning. We are very far from being self-sustainable in food 
or even achieving  a local diet, but we are trying to move in that direction.

       
             Housing   Homes in America have become very large and expensive. Average price for new homes 
last year was over $200,000 and the square footage of housing available per person has doubled in the past 30 years. 
We set out to build homes that were much smaller and less expensive and designed to function on far less energy inputs. 
Two family cabins are occupied and a third is framed out and going up fast. All three have a basic size of 24’ X 20’ with 
some variation in lofts and porches. All the cabins are well insulated; utilize passive solar heat, composting toilets, and
rain fall catchment for water supply.  

             Transportation  Transportation is the area where we are having the most difficulty in reducing 
our ecological impact. We live about 7 miles from a small town, about 15 miles from our county seat and about an 
hour’s drive to the nearest large city. Like most of the rural United   States there is no public transportation, so we 
are very dependent on private automobiles and pick-up trucks. We try to reduce the number of trips we make to town 
and combine trips with each other when we can, but we still end up at the gas station too often. We are investigating
waste grease fueled vehicles and plug-in hybrids, but these are still a ways off for us. 
  

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