Most of us, well, at least myself, normally think about having land in the rural countryside, when we think about becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable.  This family that I’d like to report about, only have about 1/5th of an acre!  Live in a big city.  They have been doing this for quite awhile.  I only recently learned about them.

I think you will be inspired by them, just like I have been.  Enjoy these videos about what they ARE DOING!

The Dervaes are living the green life in Pasadena, Calif.

Living a Path to Freedom – uprisingradio.org

In Pasadena, the Dervaes family has transformed their residential lot into an urban homestead on which they generate more than half of their own food by literally growing it themselves, and 70% of their own energy via solar panels on their garage … And indeed tens of thousands have already been inspired by the food and energy independence such a life style offers. But, it’s not easy – as I found out yesterday when I spent the afternoon with Jules Dervaes and his family, …

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

Grow your own food, make your own fuel

Off-grid has been covering the Dervaes family’s eco lifestyle in Pasadena for years. Now the family is becoming famous – they are California’s leading off-grid ambassadors. … Anais Dervaes says her family has been living green way before green was in. Their home is paid for and they live on about $25000 a year. What they don’t sell, they eat. “Anything that can be cooked in a normal oven can be cooked in a solar oven,” says Anais. “And here we have some homegrown …

Here are news items I think are encouraging.  It’s good to see some of changes going on around the county.

I liked the video  “A Sustainable Role Model” here.  It deals with the city of Portland, not individuals, but they are implimenting some good ideas.  Thought it worth sharing.

• Leeds building, using rainwater capture, and soil on the roof
• Switching mass transit bus to bio fuel [listen to where he talks about $4 billion leaving the state for oil and "what if" Oregon or any state could return that $4 billion back into the states economy"] .

David Blume talks a lot about “Local Energy Production” and how it would keep the money “Local” and create enormous amounts of local jobs.  These are the reasons for this site.   To help get the word out about what could be done and show how.

Here’s the link to the site with the video. It’s the third one called, “A Sustainable Role Model”.

Sustainable City: Portland and BIke Culture. | elephant journal

How Portland got their citizens biking—safely, and every day.

Making connections: Sustainability covenant has potential benefits …

The mayors of Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and Portage, along with representatives from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and a half-dozen other organizations, got together last week to sign.

Note:  I am all for ANY type of cooperative type efforts to work together on sustainable projects.  This show one more example of efforts to help share information to bring about change.

“As an example of how the covenant might work, Lowell Rinker, WMU’s vice president of business and finance, said the university has saved an estimated $80 million through improvements to its energy program, and would be willing to share information with other groups on how they might improve their energy efficiency as well.”

Mayor puts energy sustainability in focus | Hawaii247.org

Hawaii 24/7 – Hawaii247.org provides Hawaii’s news now with content continuously updated throughout the day.

Prescott College Sustainability SEED Program Greens Up Campus …

Prescott, AZ — Members of Prescott College’s SEED (Sustainability Exploration and Education Development) Committee are seeing the results of their efforts in “green” projects sprouting up across the College.

I hope you enjoyed reading about these.  More coming.  I’d especially like to start reporting on what individual people and groups are doing in their local areas of the U.S.A.  So, if you know anyone who is doing anything that is renewable/sustainable, let us know.  Also, ask them to contact us, and send an articles, photos.  We will help to promote what they are doing.

Together we can change things.