Re: Coho & Makin' Dough --> Sustainability?
From: Deborah Behrens (debbehAuto-trol.COM)
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 95 13:29 CST
> Assumption:  Most folks interested in cohousing care about the environment
> and want their lifestyle to be as sustainable as possible.  Yet many coho
> sites are out in the suburbs where at least some of the residents have to
> commute.  Bad, bad -- not very sustainable, right?  I mean if you're burning

Sorry Mike,
        I'll have to make my lifestyle more sustainable in ways other than
gasoline for the time being.  When I move into Highline in 2 month, my 
commute is going up from 2 miles to 29 miles each way.  While I don't like
the commute, it's doable, and if I want to be in cohousing anytime in the
near future I figure I can put up with such minor inconveniences. I've moved
quite a few times over the years, and my jobs have changed often too.  I'm
tired of moving every time my job changes.  Within reason, I'll keep my home
in one place, and commute to whereever the job is.  But I really like the 
job I've got now, and I don't want to change it if I don't have to.
There may be some options for telecommuting in my current job, 
but I've tried self employment and it is not for me, at least at this time 
in my life.  I like security and a steady paycheck.  
And once I move in, I won't have any spare change to start
a business; it will all be tied up in my new place.  I suspect the same may
be true of many cohousers - much of their assets tied up in their home.
        By the way, I did try joining a cohousing group that was nearer to
my work, but that group just didn't pan out.  And I haven't been able to
interest anyone here at work to move to Highline so we could carpool.  
        On site businesses sound like a great idea for later.  
When cohousing has been in the U.S. for a few more years and there are 
more than a dozen occupied, perhaps some of the residents will have the 
time and be able to risk the additional capital it will take to start 
their own businesses.
        I guess I sound a awful lot like a wet blanket.  But In my own way,
I hope to live more lightly: compost, recycle, use the community facilities
such as the meals and laundry as much as possible, etc.  It doesn't solve
the gas resources problem, but I'll try to work on that, too.  We're all
trying our best, making whatever compromises we have to to achieve a better
future ... but sometimes the compromise means a longer commute.
                            ~___~
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 +-----------------------ooO-(_)-Ooo---------------------------------+
 |  Debbie Behrens             debbeh [at] auto-trol.com  W (303)252-2215 |
 |  Highline Crossing CoHousing                      H (303)457-4184 |
 |  Rocky Mountain Cohousing Assn                    Fx(303)252-2249 |
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 |      All opinions expressed are mine, and do not necessarily      |
 |   reflect the opinions of Highline Crossing or RMCA in general.   |
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