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Over the years we have taken a bit of flack from some eco-purists about having a large family. Did I say a bit of flack?
One afternoon I was shopping with my brood and was approached by someone who proceeded to "let me have it" about my environmental impact. She was angry with me and she let me know it right in front of my kids. It was rude and uncalled for and it took every bit of self control not to lash out. My children stood there with huge eyes, hearing for the first time that they were a drain on the planet and a detriment to the environment. Walking away did not help. She followed. I was glad when she got into her SUV and drove off.
It wasn't the first time, or the last. Apparently every single lifestyle choice humanity can come up with is politically correct except choosing to have children.
"Yes they are all mine."
"Yes they are all by the same father."
"Yes we know what causes that."
“Being eco-friendly should not be a competition that pits people against each other because they have the wrong number of children according to someone's personal rules of proper eco-friendly living.
Large Family Does Not Mean Large Footprint
If you have assumed that having a large family means having a large carbon footprint maybe you need to rethink your family profiling. Let's consider Amish people who traditionally have large families.
- They tend to eat local
- They grow most if not all of their own food
- The practice seed saving and grow heirloom crops.
- They do not use electricity
- They use horse and buggy or bicycle
- They tend to reuse things throughout generations
So how big is an Amish family's, of say 14 people, footprint compared to anyone else's? I am betting they come in pretty green.
Of course not every large family is Amish. We certainly aren't. So what about our carbon footprint?
- We grow many of our own vegetables.
- We raise heritage breeds.
- We raise dairy goats and produce out own milk and homemade cheese.
- We raise chickens for eggs.
- We shop local/organic.
- Clothes are hand-me downs or come from thrift shops.
- We are in the midst of the ultimate recycling project; restoring a 100 year old farmhouse.
- We are taking steps to move off grid.
- We are careful about consumerism.
- I work at home and my husband often bikes to his job.
- We homeschool and use a paperless office/homeschool method.
- Our children were born at home.
Many large families that I know live in a similar way. Not all of course, but many. Large families have to be more careful of their buying habits because there just isn't the money to spend on video games and designer brand names. Normally large families know what it means to reuse items until there is nothing left to reuse.
How Can a Large Family Be More Eco-Friendly?
If you are a large family and you are wondering where to start greening your own small nation, consider the following:
- More kids means more help. It is much easier to grow and process your own foods when you have lots of help. Many hands make light work!
- Think in terms of family board games rather than computer or video games. It builds relationship and uses very little electricity. In a big family it is normally pretty easy to find a few people who want to play Scrabble.
- Make someone the electric police. They are responsible for making sure that all the unused electrical items are unplugged for a month. At the end of the month they can pocket half (or a fourth, or all) of the savings on the electric bill. Watch this though. Hell has no fury like an older brother who has had the lights turned out on him while he is taking a shower because of an overzealous sibling. You can use the same method with the water bill.
- Big families mean bigger vehicles. Offset this by keeping oil changed and your vehicle in good repair, including tire pressure. Don't make unnecessary trips; try to do all errands at once. If you live close enough to town let the older kids ride their bikes in to pick up needed grocery items, or run small errands.
- Here is the biggest green hint of all. Because you have more children you will ultimately have a larger sphere of influence. Your children are going to influence others for the rest of their lives. Start early to impart your ethics, spiritual beliefs, and priorities to your children and they will pass them on to a much larger segment of the population than will an average sized family.
Family Profiling Stinks
My point, if there is one, is that either lifestyle choices are up to the individual or they are not. You are either tolerant of everyone or you are not. Being eco-friendly should not be a competition that pits people against each other because they have the wrong number of children according to someone's personal rules of proper eco-friendly living.
Making an assumption about someone because they have many children is no different than racial or cultural profiling. It is intolerant, prejudiced, and ignorant no matter how much green you use to wrap the package.
So, what are your thoughts? We want to hear them. Are you a large family that is green? Are you a small family that thinks it is impossible? Comments are now open for (friendly) debate!
Want to check your carbon footprint?
What's the Footprint of Your Food?
What's Your Clothing's Footprint?
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