Living and Teaching the Sustainable Lifestyle: Interview with Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg has been involved in the sustainable and green movement for most of this young century. What makes his space in the online realm jump off the screen, though, is the passion and drive he brings to the green world. He started his environmental blog, Sustainablog, in 2003 while teaching as an English professor. Since then, Jeff has built a green shopping site, joined the Green Options (now Important Media) network, and taught the world his lessons in green living as if it were another semester on campus preparing pupils for the “real world.” You can find Jeff through his Twitter account or become a fan on Facebook if those are more your style.

1) As a former English professor, from where did the curiosity for Sustainability stem?

I’ve always been a nature lover — I’m a great example of how getting kids outdoors builds a lifelong love for environmental issues, as I spent a lot time during my childhood hiking, camping, fishing, etc. The motivation for starting sustainablog, however, grew from reading books like Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, Ray Anderson’s Mid-Course Correction, and even Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael novels. Like many people, I’d bought into the idea that the environment and the economy were at loggerheads by nature… these works opened my eyes to the idea that the economic system could be a force for environmental conservation and restoration. I became fascinated by these ideas, and started sustainablog as a way to grapple with them.

2) You started Sustainablog in 2003, but has there always been an interest in sustainability? What has kept you going for so long, and what will keep you going into the future?

The short answer is I got lucky… I started blogging just before the most recent wave of “green consciousness” hit. As such, it’s always been relatively easy to find inspiring stories about “eco-innovation“… whether they involve large corporations recognizing the bottom-line benefits of going green, or families, organizations, and small businesses finding opportunities to lighten their footprints in ways that make sense for them. As long as there are good stories to tell, I stay motivated… and I don’t see them drying up anytime soon.

3) What excites you most about the future of renewable energy and where do you see the path leading us?

Mainstream acceptance of renewables, as well as energy efficiency technologies, really excite me. Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems aren’t just for eccentrics and treehuggers anymore… they make sense for most people. More market adjustments are still needed — our system of incentives for energy production are still heavily skewed towards dirty fuels — but an awful lot of ordinary people are getting it, and demanding support for renewables.

I also love to see stories about entrepreneurs experimenting with new technologies, as well as new business models. I’m excited about companies like SunRun, for instance, which is developing alternative financing models for home solar power. While I don’t expect government to solve these problems, I also think there are some innovative policies out there, such as property tax financing. I do think government has a role to play, but a lot has got to change in order for it to do what it does best: protect the commons. Until we can really reform campaign finance and the influence of lobbyists, I’m not as hopeful about government solutions on renewables… they still seem to think ethanol’s the answer.

4) What are you, and others working with Sustainablog, doing to lessen your environmental impact?

Well, my new partner really has me beat on this front. He (as well as frequent contributor ziggy) lives at the Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village in NE Missouri… they’re living in a very sustainable fashion. They run the village primarily on renewable energy, grow a lot of their own food (and buy much of the rest locally), share biodiesel-powered vehicles, build with natural or recovered materials… I’ve been really impressed with their work up there.

While I live a more traditional lifestyle, I certainly do what I can: recycle, compost, garden, ride my bike or walk when feasible. I work from home, which makes a big difference, I think… I fill my car up once or twice a month. I live in a 106-year-old house (which does still need some efficiency upgrades). I use a reel lawn mower on my tiny little yard, and have replaced a portion of it with native buffalo grass.

I have to think hard on that question… some practices have become so ingrained that I forget they’re “green…”

5) What advice can you offer on how others can get involved and join the green revolution?

I think approaching it as taking control of your life is really helpful… we don’t have to do things as they’ve always been done (or as they seem to have always been done… our current lifestyle model is pretty new). It’s easy to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, but approaching “green” as a form of empowerment works really well in my experience. Tired of paying high gas prices? Look for alternative means of transportation, whether it’s a bicycle or a city bus. Utility bills high? Here are some ways to think about your energy use, and how to lower it. Think the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store are kind of bland? Grow your own, or head to the farmer’s market to see what local growers have available. Are there trade-offs? Sure… but helping people to recognize that there are changes they can make, and those change allow them to regain some control, makes a big difference. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a big fan of the “self-reliance” approach to sustainability… and I think that can have appeal beyond those of us who consider ourselves environmentalists.

Posted on May 19th in CalFinder Solar by Taylen.