In addition, I now own the Trans-Am car featured in the Kill Bill movie series. The car has been converted to run on 100 percent alcohol fuel, which can also be made from waste.


Which other issues are


important to you? In these times of environmental and eco- nomic crises, there are many things that call for our attention: I’m very concerned that global population has grown from about 3 billion people when I was born to nearly 7 billion now; we are also witness- ing mass extinction of species worldwide; there are more enslaved human beings today than at any other time in human history. It can be overwhelming, but I try to do what I can and when I can, whenever I’m moved.


Who typically visits your website, and how do others use it to make


their lives better? I started dhLoveLife.com when I decided it was time to try to live by my beliefs— it’s an ongoing process. The site curates information on truly sustainable solu- tions, based on my discovery that reliable information and resources for efficient and functional goods and services were not readily available. There was a bit of trial and error in


my own learning process, so I wanted to share what has worked for me. With today’s glut of green marketing, we may have lots of “green” options available, but now there’s a lot of greenwashing and the whole arena can be challenging to understand. People from all walks of life seem to be interested in commonsense solutions. So, whenever I learn something fascinat- ing and helpful and catch myself saying, “Wow, I wish someone had told me that before,” I like to share it with others. My life goals are to have fun, love


life, be healthy, share information and try to live in an ethical and compassionate way.


S. Alison Chabonais is an editor of Natural Awakenings.


LESSONS LEARNED BY LIVING OFF THE GRID by Priscilla Short


W


hen I take stock of my life these days—married, with one child and another on the way, living


in a conventional house in Colorado—it seems improbable that I spent a year living alone in an off-the-grid, self-sustaining desert house in New Mexico. It was a time of solitude, characterized by cold winter nights, power outages and water rationing, during which I championed manual labor and practiced self-reliance. Back in the mainstream today, I too


often find myself compromising my con- servation habits for convenience. Yet, I’ve been able to happily apply some off-grid lessons for a more conventional, yet still eco-friendly, life.


n Eat your leftovers. It doesn’t matter whether they come from a restaurant or your own kitchen: If you fully consume every piece of food you buy, you will buy less food overall and consume fewer of the planet’s resources.


n Drink only tap water, filtered onsite. If you stop drinking soda, juice, milk, cof- fee, tea, alcohol and energy drinks, you will consume fewer calories, avoid poten-


Holy Molé Cartoon


tially addictive habits, spend less money and conserve resources.


n Keep the lights off as long as possible, saving both energy and money. At sunset, go outside and turn on all of your senses. Let your eyes adjust to the fading light as a new world unfolds. Listen to the birds settling down for the night as the insect chorus begins and inhale the fresh evening air, feeling its delicious coolness on your skin. By eliminating an artificial evening environment lit with electric bulbs, you are better able to tune in to the natural world that has been present all along.


n Turn off the TV and anything else in- volving a screen and advertisements. Your purchases will cease to be influenced by the ads—as will the pressure to live beyond your means—and instead be mo- tivated more by simple need. When you spend less, you use less of everything.


Priscilla Short is the author of Thrifty Green, journaling on how to ease up on energy, food, water, trash, transit and other stuff. Find more at ThriftyGreenBook.blogspot.com.


Rick Hotten is the creator of Holy Mole, a new (and welcome!) cartoon strip in Natural Awaken- ings Hartford. “I’m one of many people that long for a kinder world,” Rick says. “Although the path can be difficult at times, we make our greatest progress when we share our journey with others. I feel that sense of connection when I’m training in the dojo and drawing a new cartoon strip. It’s a good feeling that gives me hope and a deep sense of purpose.”


Rick can be found at holymolecartoon.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/holymolecartoon. natural awakenings October 2011 35


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