Over the holidays, I visited my family in Kansas. While there, I noticed that the origins of my life’s work in resource conservation lies in my family. My grandparents grew up in the Great Depression, which was also a time of severe drought in the Midwest. My parents were often on a tight budget in the 1970s/’80s and experienced the effects of oil embargo. Through their lives and stories, they taught me my earliest lessons in the wise use of our planet’s resources.

My maternal grandmother’s early life taught me about transportation and water use. Growing up her family of 15 didn’t have a car. They walked and carpooled with friends, or neighbors. She took the train to Kansas City for those extra-special shopping trip and events. I carpool, or use public transit every week. Due to extreme drought in the 1930s, she used to bathe with just one-inch-deep water in the tub. Though I usually shower, I turn off the water to apply soap, shampoo, etc.

My dad’s parents have never been big on throwing stuff out. They still use the same Christmas decorations they did when I was a kid. Much of their current dining/living furniture belonged to my uncle who died nearly 24 years ago. My son had a great time at their house playing with picture tiles my dad played with in the 1950′s! At my house, our dining/living furniture dates back to when my husband moved to Austin almost 13 years ago. My son sleeps on the same bed I did as a child.

At my parents’ home growing up, reuse/recycling and gardening were always a part of life. Our kitchen cabinets always harbored a healthy collection of butter tubs, cottage cheese/yogurt/ice cream containers for reuse in storing other stuff. In the garage, you’d always find certain corners, or large cardboard boxes for sorting recyclables: newspaper, magazines, glass (separated by color), aluminum/steel cans and so on. I currently keep our single-stream recycling and compost collection bins right at the center of all the action in our house – the kitchen. My dad’s backyard garden produced an abundant crop each spring and summer of a various fruits and vegetables like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, sweet peas, tomatoes, lettuces, peppers, onions carrots, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini . . . It was so much we gave some away, or froze/canned it. Now my home, of course, has a couple of organic herb and veggie garden beds in the backyard.

From these roots, I’ve grown a life and career around pollution prevention and resource conservation. I’ve now spent about 13 years in the profession. I’ve assisted many businesses and industries in becoming wiser in their use of our planet’s resources. I’ve branched out to include solar energy and an electric vehicle in my life.

I honestly hadn’t realized how deeply sustainable attitudes towards living ran in my family until recently. Perhaps all of us have that in our history. Have you looked at your family history to discover where the roots of our modern green living might lie?