Press Clippings
Ecoconnections
Simple Living Can Reduce Environmental Footprint
Staff Writer
They went from fast-lane big city to two-lane small town. From the vice grip of consumerism to the freedom spawned by thoughtful consumption. From environmental angst to genuine hope for the future of the planet.
Wanda Urbanska and her partner, Frank Levering, made a radical move in the 1980s – a move that took them from Los Angeles where she was a business reporter and he was a screenwriter, to Mount Airy, N.C., where they took over the Levering family orchard.
They wanted to make a living growing cherries and apples and peaches on 71 acres just across the Virginia line. They wanted to find fulfillment in the ordinary, to live more in the present, to derive satisfaction from something besides fast cars, fashionable clothes and fancy gadgets.
The couple initially shared their story through the book Simple Living, now in its eighth printing. Urbanska subsequently hosted a nationally broadcast PBS primetime special called “Escape from Affluenza.” Now she is preparing for the SIMPLE LIVING WITH WANDA URBANSKA television series, which is scheduled for a spring 2004 debut on PBS Plus and PBS YOU, a direct broadcast satellite channel. She is looking for segment ideas and locations as well as people and projects to cover for the series.
The series will provide guideposts for people who have found that more isn’t necessarily better. It will focus on four interrelated areas: sound fiscal practices, thoughtful consumption, environmental stewardship and community involvement. It’s a how-to program with a philosophical base reminiscent of Thoreau or the Quakers. It’s for people who think quality of life hinges not on six-figure salaries but on meaningful relationships and mindful living and the quality of the air we breathe.
Urbanska notes that people in the United States are not living in a sustainable fashion. “We are 5 percent of the world’s population, but we’re using 25 percent of the resources,” she says. “We can’t go on like this forever. We need to simplify our lives and reduce our footprint.”
Urbanska has learned that environmental stewardship begins with small choices, which in the aggregate make a big difference. “Choices that you make in your everyday life matter more than you may ever realize,” she says, “whether it’s taking shorter showers or carrying a travel mug rather than using Styrofoam or using rags for cleanup rather than paper towels.”
Adopting a reduce-reuse-recycle philosophy can make a powerful difference. “It’s the philosophy our grandparents largely followed,” Urbanska says. “They said, ‘Use it up, wear it out or do without.’”
Making simple choices can be a painless way of helping the environment. “We always use the backs of envelopes for notepaper,” she says. “We print on both sides of the paper.”
Making good financial decisions goes hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship, according to Urbanska. “Getting your financial house in order and not spending frivolously on the latest gadget and gizmo really goes a long way toward helping achieve environmental stewardship and becoming a thoughtful consumer,” she says.
She relates the story of a couple who bought a small house, which they initially thought would be their starter home. Now, they have decided not to trade up to a larger home. “They found that it gave them more flexibility to stay in a place they could afford, to have a smaller space that costs less to heat and furnish and takes less time to maintain.” By choosing to live in a smaller home, they may even be able to retire early.
One consumer tip Urbanska has found helpful is to postpone buying an item. “When you see something you like but do not need, write it on the calendar to buy it a week from now,” she says. In the meantime, you may find that you really don’t want the item after all or it may already be sold when you return to purchase it. Or you may realize that you really do need or want the item, but you have resisted buying it on impulse.
“Most people have the sense not of having too little stuff but of being overwhelmed by the stuff in their lives,” she says. “You realize that each time you make a purchase, you’re making a commitment to something to dispose of it, to store it, to keep it in working condition. The more stuff you acquire, the more complicated your life is.”
One of the fastest growing trends in transportation is car sharing, according to Urbanska. People who don’t want to own a car merely rent one for the afternoon. “It’s like checking out a book from the library,” she says.
Environmentally sound purchases may mean spending a little more. Urbanska and Levering recently purchased a new washer and dryer after researching the options. “We bought one that uses a smaller amount of soap and less water,” she says, “but it was more expensive.”
She recommends buying locally when possible. “Local food is not going to be transported 2,000 miles,” she says. “And I look to see if the person I’m buying from supports the community.”
Urbanska and Levering made a conscious decision to change their lives 16 years ago. They decided, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, to “simplify, simplify, simplify.” “We’re not saying that everyone needs to move to the country and live on berries,” she says. “That’s not realistic.”
It is realistic, however, to make everyday decisions that make a difference personally and globally. She has seen a shift in recent years toward more thoughtful, more environmentally sensitive choices. “I think people are moving in this direction,” she says. “It’s a sense of voting your dollars, of voting your values.”