You can live a pretty sustainable and green life in small towns and rural areas — after all, you’re surrounded by nature. However, you have to factor in how eco-friendly your lifestyle can really be if you’re miles away from standard services.
How green your rural lifestyle can be depends primarily on how far you have to travel for the amenities you consider essential. Distance from places you need to go — work, school, markets — can become a major problem when one family member takes the family car for the day, leaving those at home stranded with no other realistic options for transportation.
But you can work out solutions to facilitate the green lifestyle you’re striving for:
A school bus can get the kids to and from school.
A car pool can get you into the city for work.
A telecommuting arrangement with your employer can let you work from home part- or full-time.
A home-based business means you can work from home every day — and probably some nights as well!
Plus, living away from cities and suburbs has distinct green advantages:
You probably have room to grow at least some of your own vegetables and fruit.
You may be able to green your home using alternative energy sources such as wind and geothermal energy.