Carbon Footprint and Kids

My kids have a much better grasp on carbon footprinting than me. They are 4 and turning 7 and when I asked them what they thought a carbon footprint was the answeres were (respectively) it is the thing you make when you walk, like when you walk in snow but with carbon. It is the changes that you make on the world around us. I did ask my 4 year old what she thought carbon was and she said that it was a bit like mud. I guess it is…..

Anyway, the good news for me is that they are aware of the world, the animals in it and the problems that global warming will bring. Both of my kids saw the movie Happy Feet and while the movie elicited mixed reactions it did provoke healthy discussion about where the penguins live,   why the big boats needed to be there, what was happening to the ice and how did plastic get there! 

Cartoons are great but I find that real life images of the world really get the children engaged. We have a series of excellent DVD’s about the world around us and these quite often get put on instead of the usual kids fodder. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of information my kids soak up from these things – the wonder of TV!

Anyway,  my children are doing their bit for the environment. My eldest Megan spent Saturday afternoon planting her brocolli seeds in an old tub and tending to her carrot and corriander patch (I did say that when they are fully grown I will turn it into a wonderful soup – My 4 year old Emily thinks that I am going to perform a magic trick!). We all got involved in a bit of garden maintenance by putting logs and sticks from our gum trees out on the front for mulching (due any day now – Blue Mountains Council Initiative!).  My 4 year old’s biggest contribution was to clear the gum nuts from the trampoline. 

We are lucky enough to have a large block of land on which to house water tanks. My husband and his cousin recently hooked up a rather groovy bush shower using the tank water – too cold to use it in winter but great in the warm weather. We also now have an outside tap in which to wash hands after a trip to our bush dunny!

I have been feeling rather lame in my attempts so far to become an eco goddess – I still need to find the time to cost out solar power AND look into converting the car, next week maybe. It has, however been heartening to see how enthused the little people in my life are becoming about the world around them. I guess that my biggest learning this week in My Eco Life has been that just by talking about my journey, spending time teaching and nurturing my kids and enjoying the ride is as important as the big stuff…. AND it is free! Vive le Green…..