What it means to lessen your impact of greenhouse emissions through sustainability and the ethos of living off-grid. Vaughn and Louise talk about their experience designing, building, and living off-grid.
A Leap of Faith
It took a leap of faith to design, and have constructed the project that Vaughn and Louise envisioned. They were moving into new territory with off-grid ethos design and living. What if they ran out of water? They would need to buy it. What if the solar was not providing enough power? They would need to have a back-up generator. It seemed that there was still a way to get around problems although costs would be incurred.
Since embracing the off-grid lifestyle in 2017, Vaughn and Louise have incurred no extra costs for water or generators - they only pay for a quarterly 9kg gas bottle at around $30 (like Bunnings exchange bottles, they have two as back-up for hot water and cooktop).
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Doing Their Part
Vaughn and Louise are satisfied knowing that they are doing their part in this current atmosphere of needing to consider their impact on the environment. They are feeling more aligned with the Earth and its generous resources, it would similarly align with the ethos for example that a permaculture gardener would instil in their life.
They are quite minimal with their living, with limited clutter around the house. Everything has its place and there is an order. This aligns with a Zen approach to design. It is satisfying knowing that they have lessened their living impact on greenhouse emissions through sustainability.
Appreciation and Gratitude
Vauhgn and Louise have slowed down in an observational way, for example they watch the birds and animals around their property and have become aware that there is a ‘community’ here. They throw food preparation scraps out on the paddock for the animals, which also break down and provide food for the grubs and worms, etc. There is gratitude for the life that they are part of. There are even many families of various animals that return seasonally. This has been eye opening for them; something new to appreciate. They wash the dishes and talk, sit outside in the morning and listen to the many birds that are singing in the rainforest creek area at the back of their property. It is the slowness of this that makes the experience of life meaningful.
“A cluster of two butterflies somehow fly in an uncoordinated way past us while the Whip-Bird makes its incredible call out to the hills, truly something!”