The Perma Life

I am an optimistic and idealistic person by nature-even when things seem to be going badly, I am never down for long. I suppose this idealism and belief that we can make changes for the better are traits that come in handy working in the non-profit realm. After all, most of my days are spent in search of tiny victories, for that one second when I see the lightbulb of understanding go off in someone’s mind when it finally clicks and they realize how linked we are to the natural environment.

That being said, there are times when I just feel helpless and hopeless and wonder if I shouldn’t just give up and go to hell in a hand basket with everyone else. Seeing people litter is one sure-fire way to inspire this melancholy. We’ve been preaching anti-litter for over 30 years now and to see people use the ground like a garbage can when they ABSOLUTELY know better sends me into the pit of despair. We should know better by now!

So, I have been in this pit pretty much all weekend after hearing about the resignation of Van Jones from President Obama’s environmental advisory position. I’m angry at people like Glenn Beck who twist words until their original context is completely obscured and then use those words to fan the fears of uneducated people who are easy to prey on. And I’m mad at the President and his staff for kow-towing to this ignorance.

Van Jones is provocative, to be sure. He uses colorful language (like calling republicans assholes), he is an activist, he might make people uncomfortable, it’s true. But he has worked tirelessly and successfully to bring job skills, training opportunities and a chance at a life to countless youth who didn’t have the advantages of birth that I have been blessed with.  Read more here about the organization he founded called Green For All.

I just can’t figure out how one person like Glenn Beck can make people believe that he represents the views of Americans. I can’t believe people would fall prey to his ridiculous rhetoric and baseless claims. There are obviously darker forces afoot and I hope that we as a nation are smart enough to recognize it. Otherwise we are lost.

Please feel free to explain your answer/give your opinion in the comments section.

I spent the past weekend in North Carolina with a group of fellows from the Southeast Regional Network of the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). This year long program trains environmental leaders from all over the country so that we can be better equipped to do our jobs in fields ranging from environmental advocacy, food security and childhood obesity. This is the second retreat for me and I once again find myself coming off the weekend with a fresh perspective and wanting to tackle a thousand projects at once.

The retreat/camp center we stayed in was particularly fun- Chestnut Ridge Camp in Efland, NC has a small community farm and much of our meals were sourced from the garden on premises. One morning a couple of friends and I walked down the trail to see the farm before breakfast- once we got through the gate, 2 pigs came trotting up, looking for a snack and a scratch. A chicken coop, large garden and goat pen with 3 goats rounded out the farm. Their garden is much bigger than my own, and much weedier, which made me feel a little better about neglecting my own weeding chores over the past couple of weeks.

The weekend was stimulating, to say the least. Each person there was filled with passion, intelligence and an appreciation for the natural environment. Just out of curiosity, over the course of the weekend, I would periodically listen in on casual conversations. The interesting thing? They all revolved around nature, around good food, around being environmental stewards. A regular Joe may find this type of passion for a job incomprehensible, but I felt so grateful this weekend to work in an area that I find interesting enough to talk about all weekend long. It is my wish that we could all be so lucky. If you want to be lucky as well- quick…go outside, turn your face towards the sun, feel the first twinges of the coming fall in your bones, and then dig your hands in the warm dirt and plant something. Lettuce, spinach, a flower- it doesn’t matter. But get out there.

One thing that always causes me to scratch my head in consternation is the need some people have to tell me that they aren’t a “treehugger” when they find out what I do. As if they are scared I will ask them for the secret handshake or spray them with patchouli. It used to really bug me- I mean, why would someone proudly announce that they hate the environment? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. If humans are anything, we are environmentalists, if only because we depend on a certain level of environmental quality for our health and well-being. So, in that vein, I have devised a pop quiz that I spring on someone whenever he/she tells me they aren’t “one of them tree hugging granola crunchers”.

1. Do you breathe air?

2. Do you drink water?

If the answer to either one of those questions is yes, then congratulations- you are a bonafide tree hugger! Wear your badge proudly!

For me, being an environmentalist isn’t a zero sum game- you can grow and proper as a community, as a country while still preserving our natural resources. People who want to force us to choose between one or the other are presenting you with a logical fallacy known as a false dilemma- giving you only 2 choices when in fact there may be many more, (ie economic growth AND environmental protection).

I see this logical fallacy played out over and over again, not only in my own conversations with people, but on the news as well. I think the discussion will only get more heated as lobbyists and other special interests begin to seriously fight any type of climate change legislation. This is America- if we have learned anything it is that we can have our cake and eat it too.

Over the past couple of years, I have become interested in living a life that is somewhat off the grid. I recognize that in our modern times electricity, running water from a utility provider, pipes to flush our waste, etc. are necessities that most of us cannot dream of going without. All the same, as our society becomes ever more dependent on mass agriculture and mass consumerism to function, I find myself longing for a life that is a little simpler, a little more homemade, a little more independent of commercialism and marketing…

But before we delve into the reasons for this new blogging adventure, allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Bethany- nice to meet you! I live in Alabama, but hail originally from the (used to be) small town of New Braunfels, TX. I am a full time environmentalist- I run a small environmental nonprofit in Alabama that focuses on environmental education and habitat restoration projects. Apart from my day job, which I love, I am a novice gardener, amateur photographer, voracious reader, sometimes triathlete and a new addition to the blogosphere!

So why start the Permalife Blog? Well, I have always been interested in what qualities make for a good life. Is it money? Where you live? Your family? Your job? Every time I would try to pick out the most important aspect of a life well lived, I would end up right back where I started, which is to say, slightly frustrated. Then one day the inkling of a thought dawned on me…what if the reason I couldn’t pick just one piece of life to work on in order to make my time here on this planet pass pleasantly is because every aspect of our lives is tied inexorably together?

Obviously this isn’t a new concept. We can’t just compartmentalize our lives into separate spheres, everyone knows that. But we sure do try, even if we do it unconsciously. We hate our job so we turn that part of ourselves off after 5 pm. We are against animal suffering, but we never stop to think about how the steak got to our plate. We want to tread lighter on the earth, but we would be too inconvenienced if we had to take the bus everywhere.

Nowhere is this disconnect between how we live and how we’d like to live more apparent than in Middle America. Not because people here don’t care, but because it is often really hard to live a sustainable life when you don’t have access to reliable public transportation and the nearest Whole Foods is over 300 miles away.

Which brings me to my purpose…The Permalife is my little experiment in learning about and practicing a life lived to the fullest. A life that is easy on the earth and one that is satisfying for me and my family.

The idea for the name comes from a growing trend among people endeavoring to live a sustainable lifestyle…permaculture.

From the Permaculture Activist:

The word “permaculture” was coined and popularized in the mid 70’s by David Holmgren, a young Australian ecologist, and his associate / professor, Bill Mollison. It is a contraction of “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture.” Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and community building movement which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature.

Basically, its an everything but the kitchen sink approach to sustainability.  Who knows where it will take me?