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Green Awakening - Article from our Life Coaching Programs
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
~Galileo Galilei
Green Awakening
![[Image]](/images/content/inspjul12.jpg)
In my journey into discovering how to live green, I meet a lot of people. Everyone I meet who is actively seeking to green their life experiences a moment when they realize they have to do something. They have an epiphany of sorts, and it’s different for each person. But, once they have this awakening, they never go back.
Here are some of their stories:
Robert Redford is one of the most dedicated and best known environmentalists in the world. He began by protesting the construction of a highway in a canyon near his home.
David Bach, author of more than six financial books, says his awakening was accidental. He bought a condominium in a green building.
Wangari Muta Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, began the Green Belt Movement by planting a few tree seeds in her Kenya backyard as a response to serious soil erosion and deforestation. She gave seeds to other women, and eventually their trees helped bring back health to Kenya’s soil.
The Queen of England, in a rare political move, pressed upon Tony Blair on the issue of global warming. As an outdoor enthusiast, she observed that spring arrives in England three weeks earlier now than it did 50 years ago.
Cameron Diaz first awakened as she watched her grandmother’s relationship with the land.
John Umphress of the City of Austin’s Green Building Program awakened over twenty years ago, when a reservoir development threatened an area of wetlands.
A green writer started because of concerns over what goes into our food. Another friend didn’t like the chemicals an exterminator used in her home. I know someone who read a diet book, and then overnight became a vegan.
Justin Timberlake’s awareness emerged on a trip he took to Africa.
Each person’s green epiphany came at a special time and moment, and then led each on their own personal mission to make this world a better place.
My personal awareness was born when I took a class in building green homes. Since then, I have become a green builder. I now teach others to build green. I work with my kids to make changes in our home, and finally, we just finished the first program in the new Tools To Life Green Tools series. It’s an introduction to green, called Start Living Green Tools. Coming soon.
If you’ve experienced a green awakening, let us know what sparked you.
Renee Lafair
The Queen has lived long enough to actually see a three week shift in the weather. Isn't that amazing?
My awakening....my grandmother sent me a newspaper clipping about arctic seal pups and brutal slaying. She sent a note suggesting I write a letter about it. I was about ten. It's the first time I realized big things went on, wrong things. all over world, but I could DO something about it. In my individual way. I did write that letter, and many more for all kinds of causes, after that.
When I was 14 I was upset about some trash people threw into a woods. An older friend said, "Just pretend it's some kind of strange flower." I was stunned. Just pretend? I realized that's what most people did. Made up reasons to ignore it. That was a big awakening.
In her retirement grandmother became a vet assistant in a small town. It had been her lifelong dream and she never gave up on it. She rescued and treated all kinds of animals. Dogs, especially.
Great question! I never thought about it before. Looking forward to your program, very much.
The most important thing we can do to be green is to 'fix carbon'. Essentially, what that means is stop spewing carbon into the atmosphere. Plants fix carbon thru photosynthisis. Hemp is the most efficient carbon fixer at 2.5% efficient. If you want to make an impact plant things and reduce your purchases. Buying used products really helps because by reusing a product, you avoid having another one made. For every pound a product weighs, about 10 pounds of carbon go into the atmosphere in it's production process. Most of that is in the form of fossil fuels. Americans produce more than 115 times more carbon per capita, than your average Napalese citizen. Every time you buy a new product you make a hefty carbon contribution into the atmosphere. So if you really want to be green remember - reuse is far superior to recycling, and waste is the visible face of inefficiency.
Here's a new challenge idea - Start a rebuilding center in a town near you. I live in a town of 10,000 people. 5 years ago, i started a rebuilding center where we accept used building materials like cabinets, light fixtures, plumbing parts, etc.. It is now self-sustaining for the most part, and we've saved thousands and thousands of tons of perfectly good stuff from being chucked in a land fill. So get out there and spread the word. Used stuff is green.
Natano