Eco - Eco Profiles

POSTED: Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2009

Pay it forward: Dad teaches son to make sustainable choices

Alex Ramel often can be seen riding around town with his son, Alden, on an Ally Cat tandem bike extension.

"In addition to low-cost, environmentally friendly transportation, it's also good time for us to spend together," Ramel says.

He and his family live a sustainable lifestyle partly because of the responsible teachings handed down from past generations.

"When I teach Alden to shut off the lights I'm thinking about global warming, but my dad taught me the same thing while he was thinking about the power bill," Ramel says.

A proud Bellingham resident, Ramel, originally from Littleton, Colo., holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from Huxley College.

"Green power, transit ridership, hybrid car ownership, zero waste - we're way ahead of the curve," says Ramel. "We're in one of the communities that can show the rest of the country how to solve some of the most pressing problems, and that's really exciting."

ABOUT ALEX RAMEL

Age: 31.

Residence: Bellingham.

Occupation: Energy and policy manager, Sustainable Connections.

Mode of transport: "Bicycle, car, WTA bus, walking - in roughly that order."

Average fuel bill: "I try to fill up less than once every six weeks. That could be anywhere between $35 and $70, depending on the price of gas."

Eco-cheat: "I make decisions based on a variety of criteria including relationships, cost, comfort and sustainability. If it's pouring rain, I'm not going to feel guilty about not riding my bike. Everyone should do the best they can, and we should feel proud of that, not feel bad for not doing more."

Turning point: "I would say that I became an environmentalist while backpacking and camping in the Colorado Rockies."

First step: "My parents made me take out the recycling when I was a kid, but the first decision I remember making for environmental reasons as an adult was to stop buying paper towels and use cloth instead."

Favorite green Web site: www.daily.sightline.org.

Personal eco victory: "I can't think of anything super exciting. It's just a series of baby steps."

BEST TIP

"Sustainability is about thinking about multiple values simultaneously. You can't ignore the environment and only try to make money. But you can't ignore the economy and only try to save the environment.

"If you make compost you can reduce your garbage collection bills while creating fertilizer. A more energy-efficient home not only saves you money and prevents pollution but is also more comfortable and improves the resale value."