Hopefully they will be sustainably built, energy efficient, non-polluting houses.

I hear that view a lot from people in your generation. It sounds like you've already had your life and your time is nearly up, so you stopped caring about the future for the younger generations.

@Flyingsaucesir Yeah, all the accoutrements to make us all feel good about the real harm we are doing. Another example of death by a thousand cuts.

@jackjr The biggest thing any individual can do to lower their carbon footprint and generally reduce their impact on the planet is not have kids. And I haven't. Instead, I had my tubes tied. I have reduced my driving to under 6,000 miles per year. I drive a small car. I don't waste water. I turn off the lights if I'm not in the room. I installed all LED lights. I never travel by air. I don't buy new shit when I can fix the old. I recycle everything that can be recycled. I pick up trash on the trail. I ride a pedal bicycle the the grocery store, the bank, the taco shop, the post office...What more do you want from me?

@Flyingsaucesir You are doing far more than most. I didn't want to have kids even before I learned of the harm this does but an oops baby came along (long and funny story) so I became a dad. I did the same as you (living on an island helps) and my car is a PriusC. I drive less than 5,000 miles and either walk (it's only a mile away) to our village or ride a bike. Also, all LED's mostly electric heat (at around 67 degrees - it seldom gets hot here) lots of insulation and on and one. It has been shown the next best thing is to go to a plant based diet. Problem, with all we do is we are rare. Most haven't a clue and if they did they would either not care or try to blame someone else for the problems. Also, we have a famous transfer here dump) there's even a take it or leave it and almost of my clothes, since moving here, have come from there. [lopezsolidwaste.org]
Methinks that last part had a bit of touchiness in it. No, you are doing far more than most.

@jackjr Thanks. And I even forgot to add that I ripped the gas furnace out of my house. If I heat the house at all, I burn some wood in the fireplace. But that is very seldom. If the temperature only gets down to 60°F inside the house I don't bother to light a fire. If it gets down to the low 50s or high 40s I might light a fire.

I also try to eat low on the food chain. Lots of green vegetables, some chicken, some fish. Almost no beef.

So yeah, I really do try to minimize my impact. Sounds like you do too.

@Flyingsaucesir I do but early on I installed a propane stove (for heating). It's a nice stove and it takes me years to go through a tank. This stove is only used to augment the heat when the temperature goes below freezing (which it seldom does). The electric are all the low wattage Envi convection wall heaters. [eheat.com] Here all the power is solar or hydro. I have solar panels which help and the county started installing a massive array on another island. [commerce.wa.gov]

@jackjr I love Washington state. I went to school in Tacoma, briefly, back in the late 70s. I voted for Jay Inslee in the 2020 Democratic primary.

@Flyingsaucesir He's been a model governor. Too bad the governor catty-corner to us is such an idiot.

@jackjr I don't know anything about Brad Little, except that he's a Republican.

@Flyingsaucesir Catty corner to Washington State is Florida. I got to thinking about our little (non) competition about being the greenest. I always wash out my plastic bags (even the little, spice sized ones). I hang them over an electric heater to dry and reuse them. I put the washed bags in two of my cloth shopping bags so they are ready when shopping for things that need bags. Have not had to use a new bag in a long time. In the winter I will set out things that need refrigeration. When they are cold then they go in the fridge. This saves energy and use of a big appliance. It might me an idea to have a sub-group under environmental to come up with ideas on how to reduce our impact.

@jackjr What happens if a raccoon comes along when you have food set out to chill?

Kudos on the bag washing!

I think we all know Ron DiSerpentiss more than we would like, or that is good for us.

@Flyingsaucesir We do have an occasional Racoon (one gave birth in a wood chip shelter I had built) but, in my neck of the woods they are rare. Most of the things I set out are in glass jars (I know Raccoon's are very adept at opening things.