Were you expecting to see a photo of me? This blog is about GRANDCHILDREN—mine, yours if you got ‘em, and their contemporaries around the globe. Our world is threatened, but theirs—their future world—faces environmental catastrophe. (If you don’t agree, go to the websites and other blogs recommended in the side columns.)
When I say catastrophe, I’m not talking about polar bears becoming extinct or even losing half of Florida to the sea. I’m talking about a future earth with oceans too warm and acidic and land too hot and dry to sustain humans or the plants and animals we need. I’m thinking about the generation of human beings over this entire planet that will fight for survival as conditions worsen. It may be our grandchildren or our great-grandchildren--babies we’ve cradled in our arms, welcoming them to life.
I’m one of the most fortunate people on earth. I’ve just retired from a career I loved, my husband and I are healthy and comfortable, and we have beautiful grandchildren whom we love dearly. Our generation didn’t realize we were jeopardizing Earth’s future as we pursued the good life, rather like humans have always done. But during the last few years, the science on climate change has matured, and if you aren’t scared silly by it, you haven’t been paying attention.
Just when my generation thought we had earned our rest and some self-indulgence in life, we find that our kids need us more than ever. In today’s global economy, American young people face rising costs of education, sinking job security, and a skyrocketing national debt that happened on our watch. They don’t believe Social Security or Medicare will be there for them when they are our age. Plus, they are doing the hard work of raising the next generation. People like that aren’t likely to have the time or energy to battle global warming. It’s up to us—the most fortunate generation on Earth—lest we be the last fortunate generation on Earth.
I made up my mind I was going to do whatever was in my power to change the script for Earth. This blog consists of my opinions, reflections, and personal struggle to make the most of my time to do that very thing. I’m no superwoman, just a granny trying to be green. I’m going to fight global warming as though doomsday were right around the corner, while celebrating the joys of being alive in this beautiful world. I’m going to green up my own household, and I’m going to take time to lay on the grass with my grandkids and watch the clouds make shapes against the blue sky. I’m going to cherish today, and keep hope and optimism about tomorrow.
If you have similar concerns and don’t know where to begin, let’s join hands and tackle this thing together. Learn how to comment to blog posts, if you’ve not done that before. (Just a short while ago I didn’t know what a blog was.) We can pass advice and encouragement to one another.
Now you have met me, the Greengranny, the one who looks after this blog and the Greenseniors blog. I’d like to meet you—best way is for you to post a comment.
I just found your blog - not sure I even know how to properly enter comments. But way to go. I enjoyed reading all of your comments and commend you on going to DC to meet with the decision makers/power brokers. You have a BEAUTIFUL grandchild - I have 3 little grandsons and even though I have been working in the field of environmental education for over 20 years I feel even more committed to bringing about change than before - it really is personal now. I am trying to organize a rally on April 14th in our small rural town - not one you would ever call progressive, but I want to do what I can to wake these folks up and show that there is concern even in rural America. I will check your blog again and send you much encouragement as you move forward with all your efforts to stop climate change.
Posted by: Kate Crowley | February 01, 2007 at 02:16 PM
Kate, reaching people like you is so important to our mission--thank you for writing! We want to support you and we are grateful for your encouragement in turn.
Kudos to you for working on an April 14 rally where it is a challenge to organize one. We'd love to hear about your experience in doing that if you feel you can share it in public. If you send us a WORD attachment to email, we may be able to post it on Green Seniors, rather than as a comment to an existing post.
I look forward to hearing from you again, in any case.
Posted by: Joyce | February 02, 2007 at 09:57 AM
I just found you from a CCC Daily Newsfeed. I always find there is so much to learn from the grandpa and grandmas of the world. Your generation gives a wonderful perspective to the world and I am so glad you decided to create a blog. I have no way of contacting you except through your comments because I would like to do a story about you in my blog, www.green-talk.com. I think you would be an inspiration. A couple of years ago I built a house using a lot of green material before green was a hot topic. I did it for my children who suffer from allergies and learning issues. Like you, I am trying to let people know if I can do it, they can too.
PS if you are using wordpress I can give you a plug-in for a contact form. I understand about the issues of creating a blog. I too had to go through it and have my computer challenges. You are not alone. Look forward to hearing from you. Anna Hackman
Posted by: Anna Hackman | July 09, 2007 at 11:09 AM
Anna, thank you for your kind words. I've looked at your blog and I'm impressed! I haven't done any green project as large as building a house. You are certainly to be commended for all of your green work.
You can e-mail me at joyce@greengranny.org.
If you wish to do a story about me, I'd certainly feel flattered. I am not normally quite so slow in reponding to lovely offers such as yours. I hope we can share more.
Greengranny
Posted by: Joyce Emery | July 15, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Dear Green Granny:
I don't know much about becoming a Green Senior, but am very interested in joining. Can you tell me how, or what to do?
Thank you,
Mary Grellner
Posted by: Mary | February 12, 2008 at 01:16 PM
Dear Mary,
Welcome! Green Seniors doesn't have a formal membership, but I assure you that you already are one, for having read this blog and asked to get involved.
You might subscribe to both the Green Seniors and Green Granny blogs so you'll get new posts as soon as they appear. One easy thing to do is let us put you on the monthly email bulletin list--I'll send you an email about that with more detail.
Some Green Seniors do their green volunteering from their computer and others are active in their communities in various ways--generally within groups and organizations that include all ages. Keep looking through posts and links you find on my blog to get ideas for yourself. Click on the Green Seniors square in the left column for "How To" advice and other tips. Thanks for writing!
Joyce (GreenGranny)
Posted by: Joyce Emery | February 12, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Dear Joyce,
I found an article on your website in the March/April 2008 addition of AARP. I just finished browsing your website ! Wonderful! I too am concerned about the future of our country for our children and our children's children. This article caught my eye due to the fact that I am in the process of linking together our military families at home, whose soldiers are serving in the Middle East, with lawn care and landscape volunteers nationwide. To date, I have 4600 military families signed up with GreenCare for Troops (an initiative of Project EverGreen) and roughly 1200 volunteers to assist these families. 3/4 of the volunteers are affiliated with the green industry and 1/4 are citizen volunteers that want to help our military families keep their green spaces maintained. please visit our website: www.projectevergreen.com
Thank you. Joy. joywestenberg@projectevergreen.com
Posted by: Joy Westenberg | February 13, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Thank you for this site. As a grandmother I too worry about the future we are leaving to these precious little ones. My daughter has a veggie garden in her back yard and the children enjoy going out to 'pick their supper.' My husband and I live in farm country, and the boys are going to spend a lot of time here as they grow (they are only 4 1/2 now). Our agenda is to teach them how to appreciate and take care of the earth. Our own kids marched against nuclear proliferation in the 1980s so we got them off to a pretty good start. The only problem is that we have ruined our reputation around the world, we have seen the current administration give free reign to corporations that spoil the environment with impunity.
Of course in this election year, it is crucial that all eligible voters consider the party platforms and cast votes that reflect a concern for the future and not the short-term. This is hard to do when we are told to be afraid every day. An administration with a commitment to negotiations, making friends instead of enemies around the world would go a long way toward saving this world for everyone's grandchildren.
Posted by: carol | February 15, 2008 at 08:18 AM
I just took the green quiz and was really disappointed.
My home is much smaller than the average USA home. It is earth-sheltered, heated with environmentally friendly wood stove, electrified by solar panels. I cannot include any of this in the quiz as it is formatted.
I HAVE to drive to work because there is no public transport in rural areas.(I need health care and $ to pay my taxes so i have to work.) Never the less, we grow over 75% of our own food, have hens for eggs/meat and buy as much of the remaining food from local farmers. Again, this is not reflected in the quiz.
I think the quiz may be useful in getting people to discuss public transport and other issues, but it is not nuanced enough for some of us.
and I dont know how to convert to the metric system which is what I was asked about....meters/liters, etc.
Posted by: carol | February 15, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Carol,
How right you are that the quiz is not yet "nuanced" enough for people like you. I do have a few thoughts that may help, however.
If the city you chose as most like your climate is in the United States, the measurement units should not be metric. If the city is in Canada or UK (and probably lots of other nations) the quiz would be in metric units. To compare countries using different systems of measurement, the ecological footprint is expressed in "number of earths needed if everyone lived as you do."
Your food and shelter scores should be below average for people living where you do. There are two questions that should help on shelter--did you mark "electicity with efficiency and conservation" and "green home" as options to two of the questions? That's about as far as the quiz goes on sensitivity to your efforts at green shelter.
However, some of your disappointment with the quiz may come from what we cannot reduce very much--for you, transportation. We can't all achieve the size of ecological footprint we'd like to have, not anytime soon, not without more options. You have done a fantastic job with what you could change. Feel good about that and now direct your energy towards encouraging change beyond your own family, such as sustainable electicity via your local electric company, good regional water management, reducing pollution by local business, industry, and home development--that sort of thing.
What happens beyond our own homes and properties will matter to our children and grandchildren. We seniors have to help steer our culture in these directions even when we are uncomfortable speaking up. From your comments I expect you are very capable of such leadership! I'm very proud there are Green Seniors like you.
Posted by: Joyce | February 15, 2008 at 11:14 AM
I am an Australian, also of grandmother age, also one of the "most fortunate generation", also extremely concerned about climate change and the planet we may be leaving for the next generations. A friend on Open Diary, where I have been blogging for some years, suggested I Google you. I'm glad I did, look forward to reading much more here. I'll provide a link to you on my blog page so that others can follow me here.
Posted by: Ruth | March 16, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Dear Green Granny,
So glad I have found your site and a kindred spirit. Last year, I decided to reduce the number of plastic bags I use. I take cloth totes to the grocery store (if you haven't checked it out already, I recommend reusablebags.com). It can be a challenge to change our habits, but what a great feeling when one can feel overwhelmed by the enormity of global warming, etc.
I truly appreciate your website and will recommend it to other green friends! Looking forward to your future postings.
Pat
Posted by: Pat Pierce | April 17, 2008 at 07:32 AM
Thanks so much for your blogs and efforts. As a grandmother of 13, I'm embarking on an unexpected but exciting variation of a life-long dream. Last fall, my best friend and I bought a 120-year old farm house on five acreas in rural Nashville, Michigan. To put this in perspective, I am a 59-year-old widow, she is a 58-year-old former nun, neither of us has any retirement, and we have low-income jobs. We decided to pool our resources, worked through Rural Development to get a zero-down mortage and were blessed to find a place within our affordability that also had much of what we wanted... a wonderful stream with some wetland and wildlife area, plenty of room for gardening and - in time - a few animals, a house with upgraded siding and windows, a newer well and furnace... you get the picture. Our goal is to live simply, close to the land, growing much of our own food, and modeling a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle.
Here is our current challenge... in addition to the fact that we're not as young as we once were! Good stewardship of the land was not, apparently, a high priority for the former owner or owners. On the land behind the house (draining down toward the wetland) and in the field area behind the garden/yard area, there is a considerable amount of junk. We're finding old tires, metal, small appliances, scrap lumber and so forth. We want to clean up the property, retain and nurture the wetalnd area, and use the remaining area for organic micro-farming... but have very limited financial means.
I'd love to hear from others out there who may be on the "low end" of things financially but still share the dream. We're thrilled to be on the journey, but we also know we'll need lots of good advice.
Grandma Zoe
Posted by: Zoe Kimmel | April 17, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Grandma Zoe,
Congratulations on embarking on your remarkable adventure! I hope you continue to find both greengranny.org and greenseniors.org (and the links to other sites) helpful and inspirational, as you are inspirational to us.
As you say, you are going to need to build web and email contacts as well as local contacts (people you can speak to face to face) to help with the cleanup and make your dream come true. They are out there.
I looked up Nashville, MI and you are not too far from several cities that may have colleges and universities with extension programs and services to offer at low or no cost. Try perusing their websites to find ecological/environmental programs with phone numbers and specific email addresses of people who might steer you to help. Ditto for state/local governments and newspapers. Please, let us know how things progress!
Posted by: Joyce Emery | April 17, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Hello! I'm a student in AP Environmental Science, and I'm working on a project about sustainable gardening/landscaping with food plants, and your blog is very informative. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions for an online interview?
Posted by: Janice | May 22, 2008 at 08:48 PM
Greetings Green Granny,
We're so glad to have found you! We are Great Old Broads for Wilderness, a national, non-profit wilderness advocacy organization that uses the voices and activism of elders to preserve and protect wild, roadless lands. Please check out our website, and the recent article about Great Old Broads in AARP Magazine. I know there must be a lot of Great Old Broads who read this blog, and we'd love to hear from you!
Posted by: Veronica Egan | June 09, 2009 at 06:25 AM
Oops, I forgot to include the link to the AARP article in the comment above.
Please go to:
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/people/great_old_broads_for_wilderness.html
Thanks,
Ronni
Posted by: Veronica Egan | June 09, 2009 at 06:27 AM