November 2007

Forget Gen Y - It's time for Gen Green

What is it about becoming a parent for the first time and suddenly becoming aware of your 'micro-climate'? Suddenly, overnight, you've turned into a Carbon Cop of the worst kind. Will the paint in the nursery harm my baby? Are these gorgeous jumpsuits made from non-toxic materials? Where do these apples I'm stewing for my little damp 8-month old come from? The love that we have for our children is one of the most powerful motivators in the world - followed closely by maternal guilt. It's no wonder that new mothers' ecological eyes are magically opened once that bundle of joy arrives into the world.

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It was while reading this weekend's Courier Mail, and particularly Kathleen Noonan's satirical lamentation about living a simpler, less fluffy, less obese life that it hit me sharply. Her disdain for excess and our 'fat' way of living, brought me sharply to the memory when about two years ago I realised that 'voluntary simplicity' was the way we had to go if we were going to contribute positively to my family's immediate environment and the wider issue of climate change. It was also necessary to do it in a way that showed my children that I was doing my best to be a good global citizen, without looking like I was going off on some self-righteous tangent.

I mean what am I to say to them in twenty years time when Brisbane's weather more resembles Mackay's, except with less rainfall, and when drought is just the normal weather pattern rather than an 'extreme event'? How can I look them in the eye and say, "Don't blame me, I've done my bit!"? Actress Julia Roberts recently came out strongly advocating green messages, citing that it was the recent birth of her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus that inspired her to take up the call to environmentalism. Well, Julia - welcome aboard!

It's our investment in the future that hits us hardest. As parents we are relentlessly focussed on investing money in our children's education, buying them the best health care, and exposing them to all the experiences we never had as children. But what are we investing in terms of ensuring their 'environment' in part resembles the one that we so fondly remember as kids? I have wonderful memories of walking along the creek in the summer months on the way to school catching guppies and spotting birds. I went back to the creek I used to walk along a few days ago - dried up, over-run with weeds, no guppies, and only the odd crow squawking its greeting at me. It makes me wonder what's happened in the last few decades.

It's an interesting journey raising a green family, and it's not as weird and whacky as it may appear to be on the surface - I mean if Julia can do it, why can't I? I guess you only have to read the legendary Steve Biddulph's book, 'Raising Happy Children' to know that the most powerful thing a parent can do is to lead by example. For me, this means going green in a way that our kids view this way of life as 'normal'. Thinking about 'powering down' has many ramifications but it's not that difficult. We've all had to apply the same principles with our water consumption, so teaching our kids through simple living is one of the most valuable gifts we can give them. And the extra time we make for ourselves by saying 'no' to a few things in order to maintain simplicity is extremely liberating.

Last year, we got rid of our car, went down to Kelly-Ann at Epic Cycles and obtained our wheels of the future. We now walk or cycle to school, and our sense of community is heightened through conversations we have with neighbours along the way. We are members of a carshare service, catch public transport, and enjoy the increased activity and health benefits this brings to our lives. We painted the walls and polished the floors of our house with eco-friendly products. We've started a fruit and vegetable garden, baking our own bread, and we get all our food from local organic farms and producers. My boys love cooking with things they've picked from the garden - and they're only 7 and 5 years of age! We're not perfect, but we're trying.

Leading a more sustainable life has never been easier - we have all the tools, we just need the will to do it. Through our leadership as parents, our children will learn respect for the environment in a way that an over-consuming western society obsessed with bling and 'stuff' sorely needs. They are our future leaders after all, and when I'm getting closer to leaving this life, I want to be looked after with home-grown produce and sons who can cook!

Find out how to live a more sustainable, simple life:

• Food
  www.foodconnect.com.au
  www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au
  
  
• Transport
  www.travelsmart.gov.au
  www.epiccycles.com.au
  www.gwhiz.com.au
  
  
• Home
  www.biome.com.au
  www.neco.com.au

GWhiz Carshare gives you instant access to a network of cars parked locally. As a member we provide you with all the benefits of having a car without the hassles of owning one, letting you save time and money, and getting more out of life. GWhiz is currently on it's way to becoming a carbon neutral business.

Emma-Kate Rose Founder GWhiz Carshare p 07 3366 6246 m 0411 595 831 e emma@gwhiz.com.au w www.gwhiz.com.au