Robyn Harding

This green-guilt-racked mother has gained a little perspective since she first decided to reduce her family’s impact on the planet. Here, she gives us a few tips on how to raise an environmentally friendly family without going insane.

Your book talks about the guilt, confusion and stress associated with raising a family and being kind to the planet. What’s the upshot? Is it too much to ask parents to make the environment a priority while they’re juggling work, kids and family life?

I think every family needs to determine their own level (or shade) of green. Some people might find it painless to be dark, forest green, while others will find it a struggle. We can’t beat ourselves up about it. What’s important is that we all do something to help stop climate change. Pick something easy! Living in [the Vancouver neighborhood of] Kitsilano, it’s easy for me to walk everywhere, but I know that’s not always the case. I have a friend who drives her kids to school every day, but she’s a fanatic about paper products. Parents can choose to be green in ways that fit their family’s lifestyle… so they don’t end up having a nervous breakdown.

Your book deals with some all-encompassing environmental issues - organic food, transportation, consumption - all within the framework of raising a family. How did you weed through all the information that’s out there on these topics and decide what was best for your family AND the environment (and your sanity)?

That’s one of the greatest challenges we face in “going green”: information overload. There are so many books and articles and news reports! And a lot of the information we get is spotty – or even conflicting. I found a great reference book that became my go-to guide when I was confused or overwhelmed: Ecoholic by Adria Vasil. It’s really comprehensive and easy to use. And when in doubt, you can always turn to davidsuzuki.org.

Your children have some pretty heavy concerns for 7- and 10-year-olds. How do you comfort them about these things that are just as scary for adults? Do you think kids have more to worry about these days than you did at that age?

In my experience, the best way to comfort kids about the environment is to take action. Even the little green things we do go a long way to allaying their concerns. I don’t know if my reusable shopping bags or my compact fluorescent light bulbs are really making a huge difference to the environment, but they show my kids that I care about the future of the planet, and that’s comforting to them. Do I think kids have more to worry about now? Not really. Maybe it was just me, but I found PLENTY to worry about when I was a kid: nuclear war, brain tumours, whale extinction… If you’ve got the worrying gene, you’ll find something, not matter what’s going in the world.

Up until now, you’ve been a writer of fiction. How does the writing process differ with nonfiction?

With fiction, the plot can go anywhere your imagination takes it. Obviously, that’s not the case with nonfiction. There’s also the research aspect of it. You can’t just make stuff up! And the characters in this book are real people – family, friends, neighbors. I found it really hard to write about them. It’s a book of humour but I didn’t want to come off like I was mocking anyone. I think I managed to make fun of myself more than anyone else. But I’m still terrified someone’s going to egg my house.

As a full-time writer and a full-time mom, you must cherish your down time. What are your favorite (environmentally friendly) indulgences?

My family and I love to ski. I know that technically, ski hills aren’t good for the environment, but I figure: They’re already there. We may as well use them. And I think any time you’re outdoors, appreciating the beauty of nature, you’re being good to the planet. We also love to hike. We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth so it’s great to get out there and enjoy it.

In the current economic climate, families are concerned about the cost of living. Organic food, in particular, can be expensive. Do you feed your family a strictly organic diet? Do you think it’s more expensive to be green?

I’m what you’d call a “selective organic eater.” In my book, I talk about certain foods where it’s important and worth the extra money to buy organic, and other foods where it doesn’t really matter. It’s true that organic or “natural” products can be more expensive, but in other ways, being green and saving money go hand-in-hand. Driving less, unplugging appliances, flying less, buying reusable instead of disposable products are all great for the planet and the pocket book.

Birthdays and Christmas are huge events in children’s lives. By cutting down on the trimmings and trappings, do you worry that you’re destroying precious childhood memories?

Maybe, but I’ll use the money I save on paper plates and lootbags to pay for their future therapy sessions.

If you could recommend one simple change families could make to become more green, what would it be?

If I have to pick one thing, I’d say eat less meat. One hamburger patty creates as much green house gas emissions as driving almost ten kilometers in a car. And farting beef cattle emit more greenhouse gases than cars, trains and even planes! I know vegetarianism isn’t for everyone (my husband and son would probably kill me and eat me if I tried to force it on them) but it’s not that hard to go meatless a few times per week. I’ve got some tips for meatless meals in the book.

It takes about a year for a book to get published. Has anything changed in your “green” life (for better or worse) since you wrote the book?

When I was immersed in the writing process I was hyper aware of all the green issues I was facing. It wasn’t a good feeling. I’ve mellowed out a little since then. I don’t think a conventional chicken breast is going to kill me and I don’t beat myself up if I forget to unplug the toaster. But in some ways, I’ve actually become greener. In the book, I write about my intense aversion to riding the bus after a particularly bad experience. Since then, I’ve ridden the bus… not, like, every day, but a few times. And I haven’t been on a plane since August 2008.