Powering Down

Our day of self-imposed blackout was thought-provoking.  We went to the grocery store in the morning, got home at 12:30, and then used no more electricity.  Originally, we expected it would be a nice day, and we'd sit outside most of the day.  Since it was also the summer solstice, we could probably put Duncan to bed and then sit outside again until it got dark.  That was a lovely plan except that the weather didn't cooperate.  Our entire house was sort of dim all day, and Duncan kept asking "why there no lights on?"  We had planned a meal that could mostly be prepared on the grill (steak and corn on the cob) as well as potato salad, because I could make it ahead.  As I boiled eggs and potatoes on Saturday night for the next day, I had an inkling of what it would be like to work around variables like when power is and is not available.  What if we really could DO NO WORK every Saturday.  Honestly, even during the day, I was sorely tempted to cheat when I was putting the potato salad together because it was so dark in the kitchen.  Avoiding electricity didn't really affect us much during the day, and after Duncan went to bed, it was nice to sit and read together in the living room.  I didn't really feel like we had given up much.

To be honest, we cheated a little.  We were supposed to unplug everything.  We didn't unplug the refrigerator.  We didn't give up our water, which requires electricity to pump and heat.  We used a lot less, and I thought a lot about whether whatever I was doing was "worthy" of sneaking a little electricity.  We didn't give up the toilet.  We didn't use lights, TV, radio, or air conditioners.  We did use our laptops for as long as the batteries held out, but that was cheating too because the router runs on electricity.  Nevertheless, I think we did a good job.  It was nice to know we could do it, and it was useful to think about all the things we use electricity for that we take for granted.  

Some things I observed during the day:  where there is the most natural light in the house; that the family tends to congregate there in the absence of power; that I was more thoughtful in my everyday chores when I had to think about how to accomplish them without electricity; that a candle puts out a fair amount of light; that it's pleasant sometimes to have a candle lit family dinner; that I enjoyed the peace and quiet; that the place I had the hardest time not turning on the light was the bathroom; that other people might think I'm wacky, but I don't care because I want there to be trees left for my child.

Rufus suggested that we make a list of habits/behaviors we'd like to change in the coming year in order to help the environment - sort of a list of resolutions.  We didn't really do that.  I like the way I've been making changes one at a time and getting my family on board before moving on to something else.  To make a list seems somehow like a set up for failure.  How would I feel about all the things I didn't accomplish?  Instead, I looked around the house and reflected on all the changes we have made in the last year and how good I feel about them.  Once I got over my head swelling, I pondered some other things I can do, and I'm making a list anyway:

- make my own laundry soap with natural ingredients (save packaging, chemicals, money, etc.)

- reduce or eliminate paper towels

- increase the amount of food I grow

- work on taking control of the "vampires" in my home

- eating less meat

- buying more locally (read more about the 100 mile diet)

- work harder to recycle home office paper

- teach kids to be more environmentally aware

- investigate more solar chargers/gadgets to replace batteries

- eliminate disposable batters

So there's a list I can work on, and publishing it here will help me feel responsible for trying these things.  Along the lines of teaching the kids, last week Duncan took a sudden interest in "recycling."  He picks things up around the house and asks if he can recycle them; sometimes, he doesn't ask and just puts them in the recycling bin, so he needs a close eye.  I don't know if this is my influence or something he learned at school, but I'm pretty excited that he's aware. In fact, one of the things he wanted to recycle was a piece of food.  Jamie told him that we have a special recycling bin for that and boosted him up to the compost crock.  That was pretty exciting to me.  If we haven't managed to save the world by the time he's an adult, hopefully, he'll be able to do his part as well.