Gulf Oil Spill

I've been following the Deep Horizon disaster in the Gulf in relative silence until now. I figured it's about time that I get a few things off my chest. First, I was an environmentalist and proponent of clean renewable energy long before the current disaster, and to a certain extent it bothers me that it takes a huge problem like this to finally make people realize how big a problem our dependence on oil has become. Sure, it's fine if some little countries in the Middle East are setting fire to each others oil fields, no one really cares about that, even though that was a pretty big ecological disaster too. Out of sight, out of mind.

I just don't understand why it's so impossible to figure something out. Europe has had amazing public transportation systems, trains, buses, subway systems, etc. for ages. You can see wind turbines doting hillsides, solar panels or at least solar water heaters on almost every roof, small dams and nuclear power plants along the rivers, and tiny cars on the streets everywhere you go. Recycling plays a large part in that as well, and if the DC metro area thinks the $.05 plastic bag fee is bad, they should go to Ireland which has a $.15 plastic bag fee.

Why is going green such a stigma in the economic world? On the whole, green companies are actually doing really well, maybe there is a higher initial investment, but it pays off in the long-run not only in profit and capital gain, but also in employee health (leading to lower health insurance bills and less paid sick days) and morale.

Which brings me to another point, which is green buildings. There is never going to be a huge disaster which will show people how terrible our current building materials are to our health. Carpets, insulation, formaldehyde-treated woods, and paints off-gas toxins into the air, dark roofs create a heat-island effect in cities leading to higher temperatures, light pollution is a huge problem that affect people's sleep cycles, and the list goes on. Some of these things are hard to quantify.

Why is it taking this huge disaster to show people how bad our dependence on oil has become, how badly we're treating this planet, and that our way of life and the demand for "more, more, more, bigger, bigger, bigger" is hurting everyone.

Small House on a Small Planet

I am currently reading Small House on a Small Planet and it's not a new idea for me. In fact, I've drawn plans of my "dream home" ever since I was a child. I believe they started off as a castle with a big round tower, that then turned into a slightly smaller, but no less extravagant house with streams running through the middle and a large courtyard a la Roman architecture. Lately I've tried to reevaluate what we really need in a house, where do we spend most of our time, how that might change once we have kids, etc. And then how small of a space I can comfortably fit those things into.

I haven't quite managed to fit everything into a space as small as say these Tumbleweed Homes, some of which can fit on the back of a 7'x15' trailer. But I have considered several other small options, and I'm happy to say that we don't need as much space as I once envisioned.

I also been watching Extreme Makeover: Home Addition on ABC.com. It's been really frustrating to watch because a lot of those families don't need a house quite so big. Obviously there are some that do, like families with wheelchairs that just need that turning space and ramps and other things that tend to take up a lot of space. Or families with large numbers of children, generally adopted. These families are all inspiring, and I love seeing them get a new home. But I'm not sure saddling them with these monsters to show off what the builders can do, is the right approach to the situation. For the most part, these families were unable to keep up maintenance on the houses they had, so what makes the ABC producers think that they'll be able to maintain an even bigger house? Also, I cannot imagine the heating/cooling and electricity bills on those houses.

A smaller house is more cozy, "forces" you to be close to one another (and how can that possibly be bad for a family), requires less maintenance and care (can you imagine trying to keep one of those houses clean? I'm pretty sure they won't be able to afford a maid), and less money for utilities. Not to mention that it teaches children a valuable lesson in the finite nature of our resources and about sustainability.

Some of the best memories I have of my childhood, is hearing my parents voices through the floor or from down the hall. It's reassuring to know that they are there. If you have this huge house, I think there's a great chance at a disconnect. Maybe it's time for a study on the impact of large houses on the psychology of a child. What do you think about this trend towards bigger, bigger, bigger?

Tiny Houses

I spent most of today browsing the web, looking at "tiny houses." It's amazing how small they look from the inside, but how roomy they can look on the inside. Granted, I saw a few that would not be close to liveable for me personally, but most of them I coveted with all my heart and soul (we're talking about less than 300 square feet total here). Especially the "build it yourself" factor and the whole idea of paying as you build so you don't have a mortgage at the end. I think the worst part about living in a tiny house is the lack of space. I have a lot of stuff... I like my stuff. Especially my many, many books. Could I get rid of most of it for the sake of a smaller footprint? Well, thinking about it, I could probably get rid of some of my books, but definitely not all of them. I have first editions from most of my favorite authors, and I'm just not willing to part with those. But what about some of the school books I've kept that I never plan on reading again? Those could probably go. The problem is, that I have picture books that I'd like to pass onto my children someday.

And what about kids... would something so small be big enough to raise 2 kids in (that's how many my husband and I have decided we want). It sounds like it would be a great starter house, or a great retirement plan, or maybe after the kids have finished school and are living on their own. But I'm not sure it's quite as feasible in between.

It's sad how many people think that the bigger the house, the better. Average square footage per person has grown exponentially over the past century, and I'm just not sure it's worth all the headache of the maintenance costs, the mortgage, and the amount of electricity, heat and water required to keep it running. How do you feel about down-sizing?