“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The words of Charles Dickens are something Americans should consider during an economic season that bloodies Wall Street daily. No doubt, these are hard times for Americansmany families. Lost jobs. Home foreclosures. Plummeting retirement funds. Parents’ inability to send young people to collegeFewer people being able to afford to send their kids to college. But there is a silver lining: Nothing could be better for the planet than the current economic downturn. That many people are e motivation for cutting back is mostly back might for  be economic reasons, which is fair enough, but, but the result is clear: a cleaner planet. Less consumption, less trash, less waste, and less harm to the air and water is good news for humans and every other plant and creatures for humans and the thousands of other species that inhabit the earth. People are driving less, buying less Starbucks coffee in throwaway cups, taking vacations closer to home--all the lifestyle changes that environmentalists have been recommending for years. It’s as if we couldn’t put the brakes on ourselves, so market forces (or God (or market forces, or The G-20, depending on your world view) have brought our runaway consumption to a halt for us. We should all beWhile I am heartbroken for all the lost American families who have lost jobs, Turn on any news broadcast and these perils elicit our utmost support around these individuals and families. I do have to rejoice, however, at some very positive trends.

My electricity bill last month was $16, including taxes and transmission fees. My son’s bill in his downtown apartment was $12, including electric heat.  As Asbury College President Sandra Gray recently pointed out to me, “conserve” is at the root of “conservative.” While traveling throughout the Bible belt and across the country sharing how our family reduced our electricity usage by nine-tenths and fossil fuel use by two-thirds, I am inspired by the stories I hear.  

We are witnessing a new wave of families, not waiting for government or business to take action, but going green and saving green at home. They’re, relying on good old-fashioned ingenuity and wisdom from our grandparents. Families are learning to sew so they can mend their own clothes and make curtains to cut down on energy costs. Ball and Kerr canning and preserving products at Jarden Corp. are up more than 30% from 2008. According to the National Gardening Association, 7 million more households will grow fruits and vegetables this year, representing a 19% increase since 2008. 

Believe it or not, my husband and I are traveling environmental ministers. Yes, it’s a bizarre concept in today’s culture. But most people pause when they hear that my electricity bill last month was $16, including taxes and transmission fees. My son’s bill in his downtown apartment was $12, including electric heat. While traveling throughout the Bible belt and across the country sharing how our family reduced our electricity usage by nine-tenths and fossil fuel use by two-thirds, I am inspired by the stories I hear from everyday people.

An organization called Good Works in Athens, OH, is starting a gardening outreach program, helping families learn how to grow their own food in their own backyards. In Lexington, KY, Communality, a church group who lives among and serves the poor, is teaching urban homesteading skills at a house for unwed mothers, organizing several urban gardens in a part of the city where unemployment rates approach 30%, and planting urban orchards to feed future generations.

The janitor at our local church has started raising chickens, making free-range eggs available to a dozen families while bringing in extra cash for his own. At $1.75 per dozen, we all come out ahead: Once you have tasted a fresh egg, there is no turning back.

My husband used to serve as the chief of staff at a large hospital in New England. He and many experts are linking the huge increase in our exposure to hormones in foods such as meat and milk to the epidemic of reproductive cancers. The antibiotics used in factory farms result in bacteria that require more and more powerful antibiotics to control illnesses.

Last Saturday, more than 1,100 pounds of beef (hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed) was delivered to my house. When I sent out an email to a few friends saying I was looking into sharing a cow at $2.50 per pound, I had so many calls, we had to up the order to two beef cattle. Not only is this meat less expensive and healthier for our families, it’s healthier for the earth. 

My husband is a physician.  He and many experts are linking the huge increase in our exposure to hormones in foods such as meat and milk to the epidemic of reproductive cancers. The antibiotics used in factory farms result in bacteria that require more and more powerful antibiotics to control illnesses.  An added bonus: the conversations that occurred on my front yard while we were dividing up the beef resulted in a new community of friends who are making lifestyle changes to save money while saving the planet.

Many people think that going green is just for what Ken Silvestri, a real estate professional in Lexington, KY, affectionately refers to as  “guppies”—green urban professionals. In reality, according to Tightwad Gazette guru Amy Dacyczyn, frugality and green living overlap about 90% of the time.  . Most of the savings come in what we are not doing—canceling the cable contract and instead spending more time outdoors; eating home cooked meals instead of eating out; visiting the library instead of buying books that get read once and then gather dust. 

According to Ryan Bennett, a United Methodist Pastor in Pleasant View, TN, whose congregation is going green for both economic and biblical stewardship reasons, all of these lifestyle changes “result in less focus on the material world and more on family, friends, and spiritual growth.”

President Obama and other world leaders recently met in London to get us back to business as usual. If we invest in an infrastructure that will let us waste less in the future, greatfine.  . But we cannot have a GNP that grows infinitely. Our whole economic model is based on unlimited growth--population, consumption, goods and services. Look around: That model is no longer sustainable, and we need to shift to an economy that will be more just globally and leave a decent planet for generations to come.

The good news: An economic downturn is an environmental upturn.  What’s good for our pocketbooks is good for the earth. This Earth Day, start a garden, plant an apple tree, and eat at home. We can all save money while helping to save the earth.

Congress can’t send a bailout check to Mother Nature, but we can send her a humble donation with baby steps on our part. This Earth Day resolve to start a small patio garden, walk or bike to work, or eat at home. We can all save money while helping to save the earth.

Nancy Sleeth serves as Blessed Earth's Program Director and resides with her husband, Matthew, in Wilmore, KY.