Think like an Alaskan

I grew up in California, spent my adult life traveling from one place to another, and then settled in Alaska. In my travels, I have learned a few tricks of the trade of reducing your carbon footprint. Not by non-profits with amazing commercials that leave me crying into my coffee cup. Or the monthly mail call where I am nicely asked to donate to various organizations that are saving whales, pandas, wolves, bears, or the honeybee. Or the organizations requesting a $50.00 tax-deductible donation so that volunteers can clean beaches, mountains, rivers, valleys, and deserts. I love all these organizations! I have gone hungry trying to support all the big-hearted and tireless organizations trying to save this planet.

But, it was becoming too much. Every time I turned around, I was asked to give more money, more time, more of my limited resources to support everything and everyone else.

Not too long ago, while talking to a life-long Alaskan, I explained why I was stressed about supporting all these non-profits organizations. I work for a non-profit! I know the struggle! And she expressed her amusement at my distress when she laughed in my face. When she was done, she told me all it took was one intentional thought to be a steward of this planet.

Think like an Alaskan.

Let me explain. Alaska is a large state. Sorry, Texas- you are tiny compared to us. We appreciate you playing, but we will need you to realize that you are standing in 2nd place. With this massive amount of land, you think that we would have skyscrapers, massive highways, large international airports, chain restaurants, maybe a mall in each city.

But we don't.

There are a couple of reasons- the land is unforgivable, which means maintaining the FOUR highways that we do have is a full-time project. So where the road stops- that is it, folks! It's all sketchy dirt paths from that point on.

Because of this- that fully stocked Wal-Mart that the lower 48 states take for granted- we don't always have. Amazon is not a big fan of shipping to us. Those 'healthy dinners' programs that use only local resources like Blue Apron and Home Chef. Yeah- they won't ship to us either.

So we have to think outside the box. We are fiercely competitive with our gardens. In Fairbanks alone, we have seven different Facebook pages dedicated to gardening. We inspire, give advice, cheer on, and provide comfort in a bad year. Need advice on container gardening? We have a whole website on how to do it! Want to learn how to use a greenhouse? Post your questions, and I promise you- 5 people will be there in an hour to help you measure, price, and build your dream. Don't know how to get your soil to the right level for vegetables? No worries! We have three different areas where you can go with a sample of your soil, and they will test it, analyze what is your best option, and THEN will load your truck bed with what soil will equalize it out!

At the end of the short season, we have a big party. We all come together with our excess, and we do a swap. Got too many tomatoes? That's cool. Susy planted 5 tons of potatoes, but her tomatoes got eaten by the local moose. Forgot the jalapenos this year? Do not worry; Billy got overzealous, forgetting that he suffers from heartburn, and he needs some of your 5-pound cucumbers.

This is the same with our meat. I am sorry for you vegetarians that are reading this. You will find very few of you in Alaska. However, we support you; it is just a hard life when the local grocery stores don't get fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter months. What we are known for is using everything that we do hunt/fish for. We respect the life that the animal gave for us to survive. If there is any reason why we can not eat or use what we have taken- we do the same thing as the gardeners. We share! Got too much fish, but not enough red meat? Just post that on the Facebook page, and you will have 50 messages within 10 minutes willing to do a swap. Not sure how to preserve all the meat? No worries, we have hundreds of people who will take the time to explain their best practices. And if that is not enough, they will happily come over and show you in person for the small payment of a beer.

I want to share a few other practices that Alaskans have perfected over the years without hitting your wallet too hard and helping to reduce your carbon footprint:

The land of the midnight sun! We are proud of this title. But what it also means is that we do not get that respite from the heat waves during the evening hours during the summer months. Yes, Alaska does get hot- we are not living on an iceburg. What we will not usually do is buy an air conditioner. Too pricy, too loud, and a waste. We know that not only should you have good windows, but also some tin foil on those things during the summer months. Why tin foil? One- because it is cheap! Two- aluminum is resistant to heat, so it stops heat from the sun coming through. Since there is no direct sunlight coming in, the temperature stays cooler in the house. We are saving money, electricity, and keeping our homes cool.

A lot of homes in the interior are dry cabins. Fairbanks is known for it; it has become a cultural phenomenon. What is a dry cabin? It is a home without running water. Before you freak out on me, it is not that bad. However, you have to think outside of the box, which means that your actions are intentional. Rainwater or snowmelt is the answer. That free material can be a lifesaver to gardeners and people living in dry cabins. I would recommend putting filters at various points in the rainwater collection system as this will help with particles and other weirdness that can affect your barrels.

Suppose you are like us and suffer from mosquitoes the size of Ravens- no worries. Instead, place a small tablespoon of cooking oil (I use Olive Oil) at the top of the barrel, and this will act as a barrier against those pesky animals and prevent them from breeding. I would also paint your barrels with black or dark brown paint (I know, not very visually pleasing). This will help with algae growth because it will limit the amount of light getting to your water.

Let's talk about tricks to staying warm in the winter months. One thing I can promise you, I know what I am talking about when it comes to staying warm at -45 degrees.

Done cooking that pot roast at 350 for 2 hours? Ready to eat? Open that darn oven as it cools off. That is 350 degrees flowing into your kitchen. I don't know about you- that is warm! Do NOT turn your oven on and open the door- that is not smart. But, allowing a cooling-off oven to warm up your kitchen can help with electricity and heating bills!

I know that the new rage is open concept homes with beautiful bare floors kept sparkling clean. That is for the birds if you live in a cold environment. Put those rugs down! Everywhere! Have them all shapes, sizes, and colors. Not only does it add color to long winter months- but it keeps your feet warm for free. They now have new ones where you can wash them! Whoever invented that- they are my hero!

Plant some winter-hardy trees like evergreens or shrubs and bushes around your home- this helps with the snowdrifts and windy days by providing a windbreak. I also always open up my curtains during the limited daylight to get as much sun warmth in. This also helps with the Vitamin D. deficiency that you can suffer during the winter months. Then, as soon as that sun disappears- close them to keep the warmth in.

Also, take the hours that it requires and put up the plastic. I know it is a pain in the ass and can look trashy on more oversized windows. However, I am okay with looking a little trashy six months a year to save myself hundreds of dollars and a heck of a lot of electricity usage to keep my home 5-10 degrees warmer without me lifting a finger.

Remember those movies where someone is placing a bed warmer under the covers before they jumped in? That is not a prop! You should maybe try it! You can also use soapstone if you want a more pleasing smell. Put it in the oven until it warms up, wrap it in a cloth, and put it under your covers 30 minutes before you go to bed. It warms up the whole bed for most of the night, and of course, you left your oven open as it cooled off- so your kitchen is warm too! Win-Win.

There you go—my thoughts on reducing your carbon footprint like an Alaskan. Of course, sometimes you can't give as much as you want to, but we can still do our part one small step at a time!