Living on a ranch, my family has a fairly unique perspective on climate change.
We are able to see the effects global warming has on our crops and animals, and we try to accommodate those changes on a day to day basis. In turn, we are also able to combat climate change in ways that go beyond that of the average American.
Here are some steps my family has taken, or continues to take, to reduce our carbon footprint.
In and on our home:
* A large solar paneling system
* Energy Star appliances, electronics, windows, doors, heating and air units
* Sky lights
* Aluminum-lined roof sheeting
* Insulated walls built with 2×6’s rather than 2×4’s
* Environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
* Ceiling fans
* CFL light bulbs
On our ranch:
* A garden full of our favorite fruits and veggies
* Feeding scrap food to our chickens
* Composting our chicken’s waste to create natural fertilizer for our garden
* Discing our fields to reduce fire hazard and improve soil quality
* A gray-water irrigation system for our pasture
* Pasture and hay feeding our cattle
* Feeding our lawn and tree trimmings to our livestock
* Keeping a worm farm, and feeding it with coffee grounds
* Using a drip irrigation system for our garden, lawn and trees
* Trading goods with neighbors and friends
In our general lives:
* Always purchasing a living Christmas tree, and planting it after the holidays
* Reusable cloth tote bags for shopping
* Recycling
* Fuel-efficient vehicles
* Carpooling whenever possible
* Sharing magazine subscriptions with friends and family
* Donating and purchasing used clothing, furniture, toys, etc.
* Shopping locally whenever possible, including farmer’s markets
Our ranch isn’t fully sustainable year-round, but for most months of the year, we could easily live without stepping foot off of our own property. We hope, eventually, to be completely sustainable and eliminate our family’s carbon footprint altogether.
I’d love to hear how you’re fighting climate change!
Go here for some amazing suggestions. And go here to find out more about Blog Action Day 09!
Categories
4 replies on “Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change”
HI! We also have a small, 65 acre farm that houses our horses (and two little baby goats that are to help with the weed control). All of your suggestions above we currently do EXCEPT the worm farm. I am curious about this. What do you do with it? How does this work? What are the benefits?
We bought a house in walking distance to the library, community center and school. We rarely get in the mini-van unless we have to.
Impressive! I think we do a pretty good job in my house, but I know we could do so much better.
wow, that is amazing and a huge amount of work. good for you guys, I try my best day by day, but no where near what you guys are doign