Someone remarked to me the other day that they were semi-surprised at my strong desire to have children. They thought that with my concern about the future of the environment that adding another person to the planet would be a faux pas for me. While I understand that every person creates more strain on the Earth’s resources, I also believe that if we all lived a little lighter and consumed a little less that we’d be in a much better place than not having kids just to save the environment.

photo credit: p.Gordon

I’ve thought sometimes that it’s almost selfish to want to have kids, but I think the way we raise our children and teach them to respect the Earth and its resources that perhaps our children will use less resources than other Americans. Also, our children may be monumental in influencing others to live lighter and respect the Earth. I do think that creating another human being consumes a ton of resources over their lifetime no matter how lightly they live. On the other hand, what would happen if we all stopped procreating?

We plan on teaching our kids the value of money, respect for the Earth, and how to live a frugal yet satisfying life. Hopefully those values will be instilled in them and stick with them throughout their lives. We also plan on cloth diapering, buying used baby items, and hopefully breastfeeding. All of those will save money, be better for the health of our child, and consume less resources. I think that having a baby will be one of the greatest blessings of my lifetime and I can’t wait to experience it. Even though it will leave more of an impact on the Earth than if we didn’t have a child, I think the rewards greatly outweigh the risk.

Do you think having kids is bad for our planet’s future? Or do you think it’s crazy to even take that into consideration when thinking about having a child?

Weeds can be a big problem in anyone’s yard, but when you do your best to keep an organic lawn, the weeds can take over!  Fortunately, many varieties of weeds are actually very nutritious and can be beneficial to consume.  Before you start eating weeds, though, make sure that you are picking weeds from a trusted source, preferably your own yard that you know hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals.

photo credit: Asbestos Bill

Make sure that you can identify weeds before you start chomping down on the green goodness.  What weeds are edible and good for you?  Let’s find out:

-Dandelions.  Dandelions are high in vitamin A, can act as a gentle diuretic to purify your blood, and taste great in smoothies or salads.  Pick the leaves before the flowers appear and you’ll get the most tender greens.

-Red clover.  Red clover is a clover that actually appears more purple than red.  Red clover is high in calcium, magnesium, thiamin, vitamin c, and even isoflavones.  Red clover can be useful for women with an estrogen deficiency.

-Purslane.  Purslane is a very common weed that has a mild flavor and a chewy texture.  The leaves are my favorite part and can be tossed in a potato salad to liven it up.  It is high in vitamin E and alpha linolenic acid (Omega 3).

-Japanese Knotweed.  Japanese knotweed grows like crazy and can take over your yard overnight.  You can use the young shoots and saute them in a little olive oil.  They will taste great!

Before you tackle your next weed problem, try to identify it to see if it’s actually edible.  Then search for some recipes, or even try it mixed in a salad.  Not only will you save money on your food, but you’ll pack a powerful punch of nutrients in as well!

Would you eat weeds?