The concept of living green, being eco-friendly and organic farming, is gaining ground in the modern society.
Living morally for the sake of the environment is no longer a fad; it’s part of a global revolution aimed at preserving nature’s bounty through responsible choices and healthy living. Utrecht couple, Bronwyn Howard and Jock Tame are heading this shift in consciousness. Through their e-magazine, an online publication called Urban Eco Life, they are furthering the ideals of nature-friendly living, while keeping readers informed on topics of local and national relevance.
“People don’t connect lifestyle with environmental standards,” Ms Howard explained.
Issues of Urban Eco Life have included articles on renewable energy sources, nature-related developments, herbs and their uses, alternative health, recipes, organics, conservation and more. The subject matter is so vast, the e-magazine runs into the region of 30 pages each month. Ms Howard and her husband said the knowledge contained in the digital pages of Urban Eco Life would show readers how they too could live in a planetary-friendly manner.
Becoming part of a car pool and creating a backyard vegetable garden were ways to become part of the solution.
“People always say this is too big for one person, but if we all do things like growing our own food and harvesting rainwater, it all adds up.”
Through the e-magazine, Ms Howard and Mr Tame hope to encourage residents to start bringing eco-friendly concepts home, making green living tangible. This is also the thinking behind the upcoming Eco Film Festival, taking place this weekend in Utrecht.
Mrs Howard explained this festival was intended to show there were solutions to growing environmental concerns and threats, by introducing attendees to the answers they needed. Although things sometimes appear dire, there was hope, they said. “People must implement change, and create the world they want to live in.” The festival will be hosted in different sessions over two days. At the Utrecht Museum at the intersection of Loop and Church Streets, visitors, both local and from farther afield, will be imparted with valuable knowledge on topics such as grasslands, water conservation and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
A personal touch
Ms Howard moved to Johannesburg from Durban when she was young.
She was captivated by hiking and backpacking in the Magaliesberg and elsewhere, and admitted she had always found much peace in the serene beauty of the mountains.
A friend once said to her: “The mountains won’t always be here.” It was a sharp return to reality for Mrs Howard, who said it was a nearly inconceivable thought, and one which inspired her to seek the preservation of precious nature.
With a few short courses under her belt, Mrs Howard loved her new calling.
Working with young people mostly in the Waterberg and Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, Ms Howard said it was truly exciting to influence the thinking of youngsters who were often not attuned to nature.
“I realised people are separated from nature and decided to make a change.”
While on a hike one day, Ms Howard met the man she would eventually marry, after discovering their shared enthusiasm for the great outdoors was just the tip of the iceberg. Together, they eventually decided to transform a small newsletter into something spectacular.
Keen to start living off the land, Ms Howard and her husband use a solar geyser, gas stoves and heaters for heat sources, grow their own vegetables, make preserves from home-grown produce and count the savings they reap.
In return, they can watch as at least part of nature is reclaimed from what man has wrested.
“We love the area because of the open spaces and rare birds; the beauty of wildlife; that we can trust farm produce like milk and meat is free of all bad pollutants.”
For more information on changing your lifestyle, subscribe free to Urban Eco Life at www.wildworldbooks.com
