Perma/ishy lifestyle conflicts anyone ?

[sarahkeast]

Hi all.

So I have been thinking about my lifestyle a bit recently; the two big parts [apart from kids and work] are my garden and perma/green/ishy/whatever lifestyle and my sport; I adventure race, run ultra/trail, mountain bike, climb, kayak and generally find any excuse to play outdoors.

These may seem fairly compatible on some levels, appreciating the outdoors, nature and the environment I am lucky enough to be in. But it is also hugely conflicting, I have a rule that I dont drive longer than I run [time] but can often spent 5-10 hours running/riding etc. This weekend I am driving/car pooling to Scotland for a 10 mile run and mountain biking with friends. And the gear ? OMG, I have more muddy shoes, tents, fleece and goretex than I care to think about, and have way less than many ! Neither is very green/sustainable/carbon neutral.

This is a huge pull for me, I want to be doing more of both things in my free time. I did quite well this weekend, picked some wild garlic whilst out biking yesterday which was good in omelet made with our chooks eggs, and 'adopted' some frogspawn from a pond whilst out running [altho found some in my pond that must have appeared overnight, wasnt there yesterday ! so have 2 flavours in pond now] I try to run/ride from home and am lucky enough to live in a great spot for that, but still drive plenty to Lakes, Yorkshire, Peaks, N Wales for races and social stuff.

Anyone else wrestle with such conflicts in lifestyle ? how do you find balance ? I am my own worst enemy, I want to do it ALL because it is all so much fun !

[Thomzo]

It sounds like you are making a big effort to curb your excesses. You've already mentioned that you car pool - could you try to do more of that so that there's a car full each time you travel? Much better than each person driving separately. Can you look into gear manufacturers that offset their carbon? I don't know much about that sort of stuff but I bet there are some who are moving that way. Isn't there a brand of fleece that's made from recycled coffee cups or something? Also, can you buy anything second hand? And don't forget to give your old stuff to charity/freecycle etc so that it doesn't end up in landfill.

Don't do yourself down too much, remember that while you are out cycling, you're not wasting loads of electricity sat in front of a huge plasma TV with the heating and lights on using a computer game etc.

Zoe

[Zech]

I love my computer! I spend far too much time on this forum or facebook, reading blogs, and browsing all sorts of things online. I know the electricity usage is fairly low (laptop), though obviously it would be even lower if the thing was turned off, but the bit that makes me stick my fingers in my ears and go "la la la" is the impact of making and disposing of these relatively short-lived bits of kit.

I suspect the fact I learn lots of of ishy tips from my internet addiction doesn't make up for the impact of the computer itself.

[baldybloke]

Although I try and live a low impact livestyle, sourcing food locally and growing some of my own. I also monitor my energy consumption and try to use low tech solutions to tasks, keeping technology to a minimum.
However I still have one indulgence that I can't seem to kick. I have a passion for motorcycles, especially classic ones. To justify this I can say that the enbodied energy has already been expended in the manufacturing and I only do limited mileage these days. Due to their simplicity of design I can also service, rebuild and maintain these vehicles myself. On the plus side I am only buying 2 tyres instead of four, I don't get stuck in traffic and I get pretty good mpg. One bike does 50mpg and another does 80mpg. I also have a car but my annual milage is roughly 2k, mainly to cart stuff about. I don't fly abroad on holidays and the last time I flew was 14 years ago on a business trip. So as indulgences go I don't think I'm doing too bad.

[KathyLauren]

My heart is -ish, but my lifestyle isn't quite in sync.

As others have said, there is the computer, of course. I make my living on it. My main hobby is astronomy, which also requires some significant high-tech gear. Imported, no less, wich is even worse.

I try hard to be responsible. I drive a fuel-efficient small car, less then 10,000 km / year. I flew recently to be by my father's bedside when he passed away. My wife flies once a year to visit her parents, who are elderly and frail. We feel guilty about those trips. We combine our errands to minimize shopping trips. We eat locally-grown food as much as possible (though I'm not so sure that my wife's bananas are from around here ). We collect rainwater so we can have a vegetable garden. The solar-electric pump that moves the water is high tech and probably imported. We heat with wood, and our backup electric heat comes from hydro, not fossil fuels. This spring, we are installing a solar hot water unit.

I guess these conflicts are why it's called "-ish" rather than "-fanatic".

[boboff]

I wouldn't feel guilty, "ish" is "ish" after all, what that means to me is that you do as much as you can whilst still living and enjoying life. I bet John Seymour was a grumpy Git, who after all made his money selling books to sit on wanabees bookshelves, thats not green either!

[the.fee.fairy]

My heart is -ish, but my lifestyle isn't quite in sync.

Haha! This describes me perfectly! I have wild dreams of living off the land and being off-grid. But...I fly long haul twice a year to get here to work

I am as Ish as i can be here. I reuse everything I can, I cook with leftovers and have a freezer full of home made ready meals.

However...electronics are cheaper here...and I am a geek at heart too...

[oldjerry]

I bet John Seymour was a grumpy Git, who after all made his money selling books to sit on wanabees bookshelves, thats not green either!

And wasn't averse to the odd long-haul flight either.

Life sytle conflicts are inevitable.Why beat your self up? One thing that really hacks me off is people pointing out others who aren't ''ishy'' enough,while basking in a the warmth of their own virtuos behaviour.Everybody lives in the situation they are given,the very fortunate few have the cash,education,opportunity etc to change their whole life,others do what they can,or just fight to survive.
It would be great if we could all move to a world of utopian self reliant communities,on a planet that wasn't destroying itself,but this isn't Spain in the 1930's and it aint gonna happen.
So you do what you can. People aren't at fault here,Systems are.

(Personally I get a buzz out of using the system against itself,making cars last for years,getting free offers then not doing any other business with the provider,buying with a credit card then paying at the end of the month etc.etc.)

[sleepyowl]

I have a techie for my OH so have lots of gadgetry in the house that I wouldn't need but he does. I'm not looking to dump him for a greener model, he does want to actually green up our tech when we can afford to, which involves more tech but stuff that is inclined to save the environment.

[safronsue]

3 cats, 3 dogs and a horse.

[the.fee.fairy]

see safronsue, I count animals as being ish.

My dog eats any bones left over (except chicken, turkey and duck), and any leftovers I have after eating. She is also Master Mosquito Catcher and Cockroach Killer, so she keeps the local insect problem down in the apartment.

Cats are great for mouse catching (unless it's like a cat I used to know called Mouse...He was scared of them...).

Horses are very green transport, and a green/ish way to exercise.

My dog at home is Rat Catcher Extraordinaire, so he earns his keep by keeping the garden rat free. He doesn't catch hedgehogs though...he tried once and got stuck with a spine, so he stands and barks at them now. I swear the hedgehogs just roll their eyes at him...

[battybird]

[quote=.
(Personally I get a buzz out of using the system against itself,making cars last for years,getting free offers then not doing any other business with the provider,buying with a credit card then paying at the end of the month etc.etc.)[/quote]

Yea! a man after my own heart...I love using the system to prove that I wont be persuaded to buy what I dont need, pay for credit I dont want, but still get all the advantages they offer in the hopes that I am gullible! Get the same buzz from getting stuff from freecycle or charity shops, not just because its green but because I am too tight, hardup, thrifty(?).