Randy Florke, author of Restore, Recycle, Repurpose – Create a beautiful home, is pretty good of putting into words what I think so I'll so cheap as just to copy it from his book:
At the beginning of the book he says: "Our very notion of “home” has been supersized, everyone seems to covet a “great” room and a master suite, a six-burner chef’s stove and a two-car garage. Are we losing our ability to live simply and responsibly? Questions like these are why I think sustainable living truly begins at home. It’s where we eat, sleep, dream, and dress; it’s where we cook, clean, nurture, and nest." --- Looking at the houses in newer suburbs of Edmonton I see lots of huge buildings that should accommodate at least ten people. As a matter of fact, they are single family homes, some even without kids. And I don't want to think about the amounts of interior decoration and where it comes from! A good New Year's resolution would be to consume less and more wisely, and to add less to the landfill. Talking about landfill, the average American produces 4.5 pounds of garbage per day! We don't: We have a small 14 litre garbage bin and take it out at the most once per week. In addition I take out one bag of recycling each week, in a cloth bag which I empty out right into the recycling container. How much garbage do you have?
At the end of the book he concludes: "Possessions have a way of imprisoning those who think too much of them, but when I talk about being liberated by having less, I’m not simply referring to the things we acquire. Fewer things do mean fewer worries; it’s less to maintain and upgrade, to protect and insure. Beyond that, though, it’s the liberating feeling that comes with no longer having to keep up with the Joneses. We teach our children crucial lessons when we show them that we value thrift, economy, quality, and an environment left for them and their children and future generations to enjoy. The American dream becomes about ingenuity, not about the almighty dollar.
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