Simple Ideas for Sustainable Living

Image Gallery Colorado Springs, Colo. ISTOCKPHOTO/DAN WOOD

I live in Colorado Springs, Colo., and there are many venues here that offer different kinds of classes. One day, almost 10 years ago, a friend asked if I’d like to join a voluntary simplicity study circle. It sounded interesting, so I decided I would, even though I didn’t know the first thing about it.

The class was a Northwest Earth Institute course that was put on by Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, and it required a three-hour commitment every week for eight weeks. That class opened my eyes to what an individual can contribute to the health of our planet.

Since then, my husband, Scott, and I have slowly changed our habits. It’s been an ongoing process, and we do a little at a time. But support from others in my voluntary simplicity group has made it easier. At the beginning, they taught me about things like the benefits of locally grown and organic food. Many of us are still in touch, and we regularly meet for potluck and game nights. We call ourselves the “simple friends.”

Sustainable living can be a challenge, and it’s twice as challenging for me because I have cystic fibrosis, which has reduced my lung capacity by half. This affects my energy level and requires me to complete five hours of self care and treatments every day. Scott works full time.

Many of the choices we’ve made have been affected by my physical limitations. For example, with my level of stamina, I can’t maintain a large garden. But I can do numerous smaller jobs — such as painting, housework, hanging shelves, refinishing furniture and cooking from scratch — so many of the projects I’ve taken on have been those that don’t require a lot of physical strength.

A Right-sized House

When we first got excited about sustainable living, one of the biggest changes we made was moving into a smaller house. Previously, we lived in a large house that we realized did not fit our personalities or lifestyle. We now live in a 1928 two-bedroom bungalow in the heart of Colorado Springs.

We sold or gave away most of our furnishings as we found secondhand items that better fit our small house. Colorado Springs has many thrift stores, so now we “rent” our clothing and furnishings: We purchase them from the thrift stores and donate them again when they’re no longer needed.

When we want to take on large projects at home, we hire local contractors. In our city we have many choices. An added benefit of hiring help for these projects is that it gives both the contractors and me an opportunity to learn about different sustainable building products and practices. For example, our newly finished basement has cork flooring in the TV room. In the laundry room/bathroom we put in tile from a resale store, and we also installed a dual flush toilet that conserves water.