When We Were Green And Did Not Know It

Just like Barbara Mandrell sang years ago, many people were "country" when being "country" wasn't cool -- Growing up, it seems that we were living green and didn't know it, and no one definitely thought we were cool. I believe they thought we were poor, uneducated, and unrefined.

Today, going green seems to be something that people think is "new." Reality is, many people and many cultures, have been living green for generations, until fairly recently.

There was a time when all we knew how to do, was to live in a natural way. I don't think it was unique to the Cajun people, that we all lived a life of more sustainable living.

Let's think about the current topics of "living green" or "eco living" and what it really means:

• Recycling everything
• Using earth friendly goods
• Eating organic
• Growing organically
• Respecting nature

Most of our ancestors already lived that way, it's only since around the 1950s, that we turned our backs on green living for a "modern lifestyle."

Prior to that:

• People walked;
• Children rode bicycles (if they owned one);
• People planted vegetables, orchards, and fruits;
• People raised chickens and knew what to do with the manure;
• People composted;
• No one wasted water with run-a-muck automatic sprinkler systems, not noticing those heads have been turned towards the street or sidewalk;
• It didn't take gasoline or electricity to mow your lawn;
• You didn't need a gas or electric dryer to line dry your clothes;
• You knew what to do in a natural disaster and didn't look for someone else or your government to make everything "right";
• You brought your own bag for the groceries you bought, and if you got a paper bag -- it was something you used again (and again);
• You used both sides of the paper and reused scrap paper

Obviously, the list could go on and on. The point is, in my mind, somewhere along the way, many of us decided in the "name of progress" to stop living green. Hallelujah, we've now come to our senses, albeit maybe too late to save our planet. Perhaps, we should take a look at the past, and draw some going green inspiration.

Here's what I know:

• Going Green
• Bisphenol-A or BPA
• Carbon footprints
• Emissions cap
• Fossil fuels
• Eco-conscious
• Eco-friendly
• Ecological footprint

For us, it started long before we were Cajuns. Our Acadian and Native Indian relatives had been living green without knowing it for generations.

On the Acadian side, our displaced relatives, being rescued by King Charles of Spain to colonize his new lands in the New World -- threw us into a foreign environment like nothing we'd ever known. We had a lot of surprises and had to quickly adapt or die.

King Charles gave each family an allotment of tools and supplies, and off to a bizarre wilderness the Acadians went. We looked around and found a few things that were useful. Just naming three useful items, found in nature for sustainable living, we found:

• Spanish moss
• Cypress trees
• Alligators

People learn from observing nature, and the Acadians were quick to notice that animals use Spanish Moss for building their homes. They soon discovered that their livestock would also feed upon it, sometimes choosing it over hay. Early Cajun uses for Spanish Moss:

• Mattress stuffing
• Cushion stuffing
• Pillow stuffing
• Toilet paper (before the stuff we have today came into common use after 1879)
• Traditional healings for diabetes, rheumatism, abscesses, lowering blood pressure, and childbirth
• Stuffing furniture
• Nests for chickens
• Insulation for our homes (bousillage)
• Building material for our fireplaces
• Kindling for starting fires
• Weaving into ropes
• A binder material for clay
• A woven cloth useful for rugs and clothing
• Mulch for gardening

• First of all, Spanish moss is not a moss. It is a flowering plant. If you live in the South, you are now thinking, "I've never seen any flowers on Spanish Moss?" That's because the flowers are so tiny, and only last four days. You hardly notice them before the birds do or they are gone.
• Spanish moss is an Epiphyte. Epiphytes are plants that live on top of other plants and get their nutrients from the air, rain, and humidity.
• It can be seen from southern Virginia and Eastern Maryland, all the way down to Argentina. It is even found in Hawaii, where it is called, "Pele's Hair" (making reference to finely spun volcanic glass provided by nature). Basically, it only grows where it is hot enough and humid enough to have it's own eco friendly living.
• The presence of Spanish moss seldom kills it's host tree.
• Even Henry Ford used Spanish moss, as stuffing for his first Model T's upholstery.

They were there when the Acadians first came to Louisiana and proved to be invaluable to the survival of the Cajun culture. They were our cradles and our caskets, and most importantly our Louisiana pirogues.

Cypress trees have been used for:

• Framework of houses
• Covering for houses
• Shingles
• Posts
• Water Pipes
• Masts of vessels
• Chests
• Utensils
• Harps
• Doors
• Furniture
• Other musical instruments
• Caskets
• As a folk remedy for: Cuts, flu symptoms, circulatory problems, deodorant, and varicose veins
• Sawdust
• Mulch

When my great-great Grandpere Evariste Emile Navarre, marched off with the 26th Louisiana Infantry, Company D, in March of 1862 to the Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War -- He carried with him a lock of his newest son's hair inside his pocket watch, and an extra pair of alligator shoes. He was one of the lucky ones.

Having that extra pair of shoes, saved his life, when he was surprised by a barefoot Union soldier who took pity upon him and silently made a trade -- his life for a pair of shoes. Then, the Union solider, ran off in the woods once the transaction was completed so both of them could live to fight another day.

Making use of all wildlife body parts was simply what you did. You used, not just the part of the alligator you ate. This was a form of sustainable living. Nothing was wasted, not even the skins of an alligator.

Even today, alligator hides are finished into a leather for boots, shoes, purses, belts, wallets, motorcycle seats, vehicle interiors, fashion accessories, and are a source of for Cajuns and non-Cajun income.

When you think about it, going green or living green, is really about living more abundantly, using what nature provides you in the most efficient and respectful manner, and more creatively. Who could ask for anything more?

Easing into becoming more green about your personal environment doesn't have to mean getting an expensive hybrid auto, or converting immediately to an all solar home. There are lots of ways smart consumers can go green. Here are some:

• Switch lighbulbs to compact fluorescent
• Consider environmental impact when buying new home appliances (large and small)
• Install low-flow shower heads
• Using fewer synthetic cleaning chemicals (like switching from bleach containing products to vinegar and baking soda)
• Compost (Fifty percent of household waste can be converted to compost)
• Recycle glass
• Recycle newspapers
• Recycle food packaging
• Recycle plastic
• Recycle cans
• Recycle aluminum
• Recycle cardboard
• Recycle paper
• Use less processed foods
• Buy organic or local grown foods
• Downsize
• Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning on cooler days

Spin your energy savings and save your money by cooling and heating your home, with making the choice to go green with the use of ceiling fans. While the average cost of running the air conditioning in most homes (conservative cost by Florida standards) is .43 cents an hour for the whole house and .16 cents an hour for cooling a room for one hour -- it only costs a penny an hour to use one ceiling fan.

Look for ceiling fans that have an Energy Star rating. Remember that ceiling fans also help reduce heating energy consumption by re-circulating warm air trapped near the ceiling, making the room more comfortable. This allows you to turn down your thermostat and lower your overall heating bill.