How Green is my Meme?

I was trying to hide but I got tagged by DocWitch to do this Green Meme. With much reluctance, (because this kind of concentrated thinking make me 'ead 'urt and), because I suspect I am spectacularly ungreen, here tis.

I guess its very timely because we are about to move towards a more self-sufficient kind of life here in these thar hills. I am about to come into my very own veggie patch and herb garden, so I'm excited about the idea of becoming Felicity Kendall from The Good Life. (I wonder if I'll look quite as fetching in wellies and dungarees?). Plus, I've rather rashly agreed to make everybody's Christmas presents this year.(This side of the globe obviously - can't imagine rancid rum balls would go down to well with my siblings!). It's also timely because I have become seriously covety of the more crafty orientated people out there and very inspired by my lovely DocWitchy because she rocks and creates and is clever and all that. I would love to be a bit more crafty myself and thus reduce my consumerism to a dull roar.

First, the housekeeping. Here art The Guidelines:

1. Link to Green Meme Bloggers
2. Link to whoever tagged you
3. Include meme number
4. Include these guidelines in your post
5. Answer questions (erm - that bits quite important)
6. Tag 3 other green bloggers.

Green Meme Namber Whannn!

1. Name two motivations for being green
Oh dear. It's not that I want to be a hemp knicker wearing, *yoghurt knitting, navel gazer or anything. It's more that I am becoming slowly more aware of how consumer based our society really is and I'm concerned that my daughter will grow up to inherit, well, nothing good. A spoiled earth with even more spoiled people living on it like parasites. I am awestruck by the beauty of nature. A rolling green hill or a clean ocean has the ability to bring me to tears and I think that I get more upset over the idea of us systematically destroying all of this natural beauty than just about anything else.

Secondly, I do feel that we have too much, in general. The 'bigger is better' and 'more is never enough' mentality of our culture is starting to nauseate me slightly. I wonder what happened to our sense of community, to our sense of being a part of some greater whole? I remember being part of a street party for the Queen's Jubilee when I was a kid - every household in the neighbourhood was out there in a riot of red, white and blue. I can't imagine that happening any more - everyone turning out to celebrate a common cause. I long to return to a simpler and more eco-friendly way of life. I guess this is why we moved up here in the first place.

2. Name 2 eco-unfriendly items you refuse to give up
My computer and my books. In fact, I didn't realise that books were such an eco-unfriendly thing until I read Doc's aside. I guess all those trees have to come from somewhere. Still, I do buy a huge amount of second hand books, so I think that I offset my footprint there a little.

3. Are you at peace with, or do you feel guilty about no.2?
Well - I couldn't run my business without my computer, nor could I do this, so nope - I'm fine with having a computer. Books - well I'm afraid as a terrible book whore and knowledge seeker, I can't help myself. I LOVE books. Besides, I wouldn't be able to grow my own veggies without a book to tell me how...
We can't return to the stone age just to turn the tide back again - we have to move forward and find new ways of solving the crisis.

4. What are you willing to change but feel unable to/stuck with/unsure how to go about it?
Well - I'm willing to become more self sufficient and sustainable but I'm a complete novice. Hence needing my books and computer to seek out those that know. I'm also willing to replace all of my cleaning products with home-made ones of a non-nasty and chemical free variety. Does this get me brownie points?
5. Do you know your carbon footprint for your home? If so, is it larger/smaller than your national average?
I don't know what it is. I can't seem to find an australian website where I can calculate it - they are either English or American...
We compost, we recycle, use those special lightbulbs, my hubby is forever turning down the damn heating (despite his frickin cold wife), I buy from op-shops wherever possible (LOVE a bargain) and I'm researching non-toxic paints for our new house AND trying to get about more on foot.

6.What's eco-frustrating and/or eco-fantastic about where you live?
I live in quite an alternative community - you know - all Steiner mammas and Natural Parenting types, so I feel right at home here. Almost everyone I know has chickens and grows their own (both sides of that pun are intended!), so I think it's pretty fabulous. There is good quality fresh air up here and much more room for kidlets to roam around and connect with nature in a much deeper and more nurturing way. It's frustrating for commuters I guess. My hubble refuses to drive in as it's wasteful and he enjoys using public transport. I (shamefacedly) admit that when I got to the city, I drive as I HATE long train journeys with my fractious and robust 2 year old. I prefer my own company and to be in a controlled environment. I know. I should be taken out and shot.

7. Do you eat local/organic/vegetarian/forage/grow you own?
Well now. This is interesting. I was a dedicated vegetarian for 15 years until I tried to get pregnant. I was protein deficient and told to eat meat. It's been a bit of a struggle really. I do keep swinging back and forth between wanting to be a veggie again and enjoying chicken. It's a quandry as I can't bear animal cruelty. I am buying locally grown organic veggies more now that I live in the hills and am trying to find a good farmers market near me to buy from too. I will be growing my own very soon.

8. What do you personally find the most challenging in being green?
Geez. The amount of effort it takes to weigh up every single thing you do and consume in order to leave a lighter footprint. The mind simply boggles at how much knowledge you have to have in order to make substantial changes and I get so tired. It's also hard to accept that almost everything you do has some down side to it.

9. Do you have a green confession?
I love watching movies hence though I could give up TV, I don't particularly want to.
I also love nailpolish. Haven't found any that's eco-friendly yet.

10. Do you have the support of family and/or friends?
My mum is very much into the whole green way of life (uses shower water to flush toilets, turns of lights (even when you are using them!) and all of my husband's family are greenies. His mum grows her own, composts and recycles grey water to keep her plants alive in this parched climate. His sister used to be President of Amnesty International in Melbourne and is now on the board of The Big Issue and several other 'saving people, saving the planet' type organisations. She also became a vegetarian because of how much land is used to farm cattle. So I'm in very encouraging company.

Ok, the 3 bloggers I'm tagging are Griffin from Snapper & The Griffin, Moonroot and Suse over at PeaSoup.

Hmmm - now I'm off to find out what size feet I have - carbonly speaking.

*sorry DocWitch - love this saying!