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Life Unplugged isn't about life without electricity or modern conveniences.
Rather, it offers ways to develop an economical, self sufficient lifestyle thru
environmentally responsible practices and principles. The term modern
homesteading is the best description for the environmentally responsible, self
sufficient, and energy efficient lifestyle that I envision.
Regardless of the reason you choose to change your lifestyle, you may be
surprised by the far reaching benefits. For example, let’s say that you want to
keep chickens so that you can enjoy fresh organic eggs. While you are enjoying
the eggs, the chickens will enjoy a life not confined to a four square foot
cage. When the chickens are not laying eggs, they are an effective means of weed
and insect control. Did you realize that by raising your own eggs you are
reducing our dependence on domestic and foreign oil? I know that sounds odd, but
you aren’t using gas to drive to the grocery store, and truck drivers aren’t
using diesel since they didn’t have to run from the chicken plant to the grocery
store.
As another example, let’s look at the decision to build a house that utilizes
passive solar design. Windows are oriented to collect sunlight during the winter
months, but eves and overhangs shade the windows from direct sunlight during the
summer. Both heating and cooling costs are reduced saving you money every month
that you own your home. An energy efficient home is also likely to have a higher
resale value than a comparable home with significantly higher heating and
cooling costs. The financial savings are great, but that is only the most
obvious benefit. If you aren’t using as much electricity to cool your home, then
natural gas and coal fired power plants run a little bit less. This is going to
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere. If less coal is
used, then the pollution and destruction of habitat caused by the surface mining
of coal will also be reduced. If every single home utilized passive solar
design, the reduction in electrical usage would be tremendous.
It doesn’t matter why you choose to change your lifestyle. Do it to save money,
to ensure animals are treated humanely, or to protect the environment; we will
all reap the benefits.
We want to hear from you if you currently live on a modern homestead and:
* Utilize alternative energy
* Keep poultry and/or livestock
* Build with green methods or materials
* Practice food preservation
* Produce homestead crafts (make cheese, soap, woodcrafts, etc)
Email webmaster(at)lifeunplugged.net if you are interested in sharing your
experiences with our readers.
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