The Concept and Players

The concept and basic idea here started from my nine year-old son
It started when he was five or six and became obsessed with life on other planets
if it was possible and that sort of thing
He's still obsessed with space, still has the telescope, planet glow in the dark sheets and the like
He's also obsessed with (but not as much anymore) dinosaurs and as a natural extension, how they became extinct
And from those two things our planet, how fragile it is, and how we might too one day be extinct
Obviously his mind led him straight to global warming and all its implications
and here we are with the idea for this blog

The concept is to live a sustainable life
well as much as possible
so for the next year we will be making changes
both large and small each day
to reduce the footprint we leave on the Earth
We will blog about our experience here
and we will keep track of our energy bills, gas consumption and the like

The goal is two-fold
simplify for the environment and for our wallets
as well as encourage my son's natural curiosity and love of science

The Players:
Aimee: I am a Mother of two and I was raised a very pampered life. When my Mom didn't feel like doing laundry, she went out and bought new clothes. Firmly anti-garage saler, I learned about the treasures found at them only as an adult. I am not used to being uncomfortable and I am not used to being thoughtful about these things. I was raised to throw it away and go buy a new one. Literally. My Mom wrecked her new car once. My Dad was angry so he just never changed the oil in it. And then we went and got a new, new car.

Aaron: Aaron is my S.O. He was brought up on garage sales, thrift shops, and reuse centers. He wasn't one of those people who did it because it was trendy for a minute. No, he did because he had to. It taught him the value of a good deal and waste not want not, right? He's the one who taught me about garage sales. Aaron's also a hunter. And while the idea of hunting may not immediately bring to mind environmentalist, but rather big gas guzzlen' truck driven, I'm gonna do whatever I want type, he's very much concerned with conservation. He doesn't believe in conservation because he has long hair, doesn't eat meat and wears sandals. No. He believes in conserving because as a hunter he sees first hand what happens if we don't. His peaceful woods disappear to make room for ugly, overpriced, slapped together homes on golf courses, the deer get hit by cars and the meat rots on the side of the road. The fish he catches come with a warning at the doctor's office: Pregnant Women Should Not Eat Fish Caught in The Great Lakes, right next to the sign about smoking, drugs and alcohol while pregnant. He is also an Earth Science buff. So, while he will only guest star here from time to time, I will often link to his hunting blog when the subject matter makes sense.

B: B is nine years-old. But for the sake of things we'll call him 10. His birthday is in less than a week. He is naturally drawn to science, an avid reader, and since he saw Al Gore's movie; a huge Al Gore fan. He is too young to remember Al as"loser" to Bush or Clinton's VP. He knows Al for his love of the environment. And for that reason alone B is Al Gore's biggest fan. It was his desire to change the smallest things about our lives that got the idea for this blog rolling. He is constantly turning off the unwatched TV. He insisted on purchasing the new energy efficient light bulbs, and he'd like to do his part to change how we live. One big decision he's made is to not eat fast food. I know, right? The kid is 10! But after finding out that much of the rain forest is being chopped down to make room for grazing cattle, he's on boycott and no clown or stupid toy is going to make him change his mind. He also doesn't like the fact that the packaging is not recycled. Yes, my mouth is gaping open too!

G: G is four. He wants to hunt and drive a big red truck. He'd also like to hammer. He loves to sing with The Naked Brothers Band and is a fan of all music pop. He will probably not guest as he does not know how to write. However, his reactions to the changes we make will be noted. Also, he wanted me to mention, he likes candy and Diego.