Going GREEN in the Year of Insanely High Gas Prices

Back in 2019, I shared the three main things I had done to live a more sustainable life. I had ditched plastic bags, switched to eBooks, and worked from home. Since then, a lot of things have changed. I downsized to 160 SF and have been on the road full-time for almost two years. What hasn’t changed is my focus on living a sustainable life. These are the green living initiatives I’ve taken for 2022. Maybe you’ll find your own inspiration, below!

1. Slow Travel

Gas prices have hit an all-time high and forced many people to stay put. For me, staying put is not unusual. That’s because I travel slowly. I am usually in one location anywhere from 30 days to 5 months. I get my more fast-paced travel in, over the summer. This summer might be the exception. I’ve chosen to stay put in New Mexico for now. There is a lot to see and do around me. In fact, I just got back from White Sands National Park. But, I don’t take the RV with me on shorter trips. That means a lot less gas and much lower costs.

2. Solar Power

I bought my first solar generator in 2020. It was only 175 watts and I had one 100-watt panel for it. It could power my work setup through the week and kept my phones charged. Fast-forward to 2022 and I have a 1,500/3,000 watt solar generator and 400 watts of solar panels. I recently had electricity installed on my lot and I am still using the solar to power most of my devices inside. Why? Because who volunteers to pay extra for electricity when they have solar? Certainly not me! I also have solar lights and a solar oven.

3. Electric Mobility

I bought my first EV in 2021. Before you start thinking I have a Tesla hidden somewhere, note that EVs include micro-mobility units. Examples include e-bikes, e-scooters, electric skateboards, and electric unicycles. I bought the Kiwano electric unicycle at the end of last summer. It was not easy to ride, but I was determined to master it because it’s small and easy to take with me when I travel. Last week, EV No. 2 arrived: an electric moped with a max speed of 32 mph. In a few years, I plan to purchase a larger EV—preferably one that can tow.

4. Organic Food

I often laugh at organic food in America because Jamaican food is naturally almost all-organic. We pick fruits right off the trees and eat them and our agricultural sector is nowhere near as industrialized as America. However, because there are no grocery stores in my tiny New Mexico town, I had to find a solution that didn’t involve me driving an hour into town several times per month.

I found Misfits Market online and now order everything from eggs to cheese and cat treats through their service. The company works with organic farmers to get all the produce they would usually discard for not meeting aesthetic requirements, such as size, shape, and color. They then sell the produce at a reduced cost. This has been a lifesaver for me and helps reduce food waste in America.

5. Greywater Reuse

Now that I’m getting settled on my land, I explored quite a few options with the builder and the developer. One of them involves reusing my greywater to introduce plants to the barren wasteland that now serves as a home base. Because I won’t always be here to supply greywater, I need drought-resistant plants. At the top of my list are the bamboo and the Palo Verde. These will also serve as breaks from the strong winds that pass through the area.

We had bamboo on our property in Jamaica and I loved it. Sometimes, after school, I would lie in the grass and just listen to the wind passing through them. It will be lovely to have that again.

6. Low-Material Build

I bought my dome in January of this year. If all goes as planned, it should arrive in June or July. This prefabricated shelter is made from galvanized steel and heavy canvas. Consequently, I only need to build out the interior. It also sits on a regular deck, so I cause very little disturbance to the natural environment. The design also saves me on not just the use of materials but the cost of the build. Should I later want to live somewhere else, I can disassemble the dome and set it up in a new area.

What new things are you doing to go green in 2022? Share them with me in the comments, below!

Thanks to Adventures From Elle for telling me about the GREEN WordPrompt.
*This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product via my link, I may receive a commission. This helps to fund my eco-dome and my travels.