Go back a few years and the media loved to laugh at people who went off the grid.
Increasingly journalists wish they could be doing it themselves.
Take this story by Aussie David Kirkpatrick from a small local paper in elite haven of Byron Bay.
“I’VE always harboured a desire to live more sustainably, but usually fail miserably in my attempts.
I’m talking solar power, solar hot water, chooks, vegie garden, water tanks, composting etc.
You name it and I’d like to do it. At least in my head I’d like to do it.
I like the sound of the term “living off the grid” and yet I am the first to switch on the lights, the TV and the heater when it gets cold in winter.
Which is why I am interested in people who don’t spend all their time talking about living sustainably, but actually go out and do it.
I’m talking about people like Elaine Wood.
Elaine lives in her 8000 sq m “sustainable sanctuary” and she has all the things I want!!
Like solar panels on her roof meeting her home’s electricity needs,a veggie garden to die for, grey-water recycling and the list goes on.
I also like Elaine’s attitude that she simply eats whatever is growing in the garden and pickles and preserves to have produce at other times of the years.
“You have to create recipes out of what you are producing. I have pumpkin soup for breakfast,” she says.
Her life is a fascinating alternative to being an out-and-out consumer.
Making the most of what we do have rather than wishing for something we don’t, is what we should all be doing.