Q&A: Interview with FiftySomething
A publication of The Des Moines Register
October 11, 2008

What was the most difficult change you've had to make in your personal life to become more green... And why was it challenging?
Strange, I can’t think of any I would label as difficult. I’m a naturalist by temperament. I believe Nature provides the perfect model. So I listen deeply to the earth for guidance. It’s a fun journey.

Your clothes look casual and chic - how green are they? And then, if they are green, where do you find them?
I wear all natural fabrics—cotton, linen, wool, silk, hemp, bamboo. That severely limits my options, which I welcome. I look for organic fabrics colored with natural dyes. My two favorite shops are in Vancouver, B.C., which has a fascinating multi-cultural mix that influences fashion in interesting and surprising ways.

What's your favorite green fabric?
Linen woven from organic Polish flax.

What are your five favorite green things in or around your home?

1. A box bay window facing southeast (for solar gain). I decorate it with found objects from nature—twigs, cut flowers from the garden, heart rocks, animal skulls found on wild family land near Earlham.

2. Four years ago I invested in handmade pottery plates, bowls, and mugs. Then I gave the family china to one of the kids. I much prefer earthen things, not precious things.

3. My organic garden—eight raised beds with gravel walkways in between encircled by a twig fence. My neighbor and I raise culinary herbs, raspberries, zinneas and poppies, tomatoes and greens, sometimes pumpkins, squash, and sunflowers. I can, freeze, and make jam and pesto in the fall to put up for winter.

4. My backyard tipi. The first time I slept in it an owl perched on top of one of the 20-foot poles and hooted all night.

5. My farmhouse kitchen, renovated in 2003 with all green materials—cork underlayment covered with Marmoleum flooring, fireslate countertop, big farm sink, Energy Star appliances.

Our experience is that some green products, such as laundry soaps, don't do as good a job as traditional detergent? Do you have that same issue?
Green products have gotten a lot better in the last couple of years. There are five brands I trust and find they work fine, but you may have to use a bit more elbow grease. What’s important is to change your mindset. “Whiter than white” is a marketing gimmick. It’s unnatural. If you adopt an earth-based aesthetic, everything becomes so much easier.

What's your green cleaning secret?
The Three Graces: baking soda. distilled white vinegar, castile soap.

What's the most obvious thing that folks in Des Moines can do to be green?
Buy local food. That keeps your dollar in the community and supports farmers trying to make a living. Shop farmers markets. Tell your grocer you want locally-grown food. Eat at restaurants that serve local food. We are lucky to live in a garden here. Take advantage of it.

What's the biggest green faux pas in the city?
All these new condos and business buildings that make downtown look so sophisticated, but none are LEED-certified. LEED is industry standard for green, energy efficient construction.

Favorite green spot or building or anything in the city?
The Capitol lawn. It’s a great place for picnics.

Some people say global warming is really just natural changing weather conditions. What's your thought on this?
Some of it is natural. The climate is always changing. But natural changes occur slowly, and often right themselves with time. What we are seeing now is drastic change occurring far more quickly than anyone predicted. The Union of Concerned Scientists issued its first warning in 1992, but few listened.