Welcome, I’m Brian Brawdy.
It is truly an honor to participate in the RV.net family. Truth be told, most everyone reading this post possesses a significantly greater wealth of experience than I do. Most of my mentors in this industry have been at it for 35 years or more. I’ve been at it a little over 35 weeks now. I can clearly remember the first time I dumped my black and grey tanks, having to do so with my owners manual nearby as a reference. I am far from an expert on most things ‘RV.’ That said, in my opening 11 months I did manage to explore 48 states, appear on over 80 live television news broadcasts while recording 50,000 miles on my Rig. I call it the ‘Mobile Base Camp’ for a simple reason. Driving as far as I could off the beaten path, I’d set out to explore from there. Hiking, biking, climbing, backpacking or kayaking my way as far into the wilderness as possible, and then returning to my RV at journey’s end. Taking the roughing it out of roughing it, I like to say.
From the very beginning of my adventure, I had my own eco-challenge in mind. So I purchased my Lance Camper, a Ford Truck and tweaked them to create “The Green RV.” Now I know it’s en vogue to label almost anything Green and get away with it. For me, I looked at it a bit differently. I wanted to go off road and off the grid, to explore the wilderness in an environmentally friendly way. I wanted to RV all the while Giving Green Back. I soon had my six, 85-watt solar panels, a wind turbine, my new found courage for drilling into the camper and my love for Dicor self-leveling caulk. Honestly, the first hole drilled is the toughest. As I progressed, I harvested rainwater and melted snow to drink, ignored the critics and kept exploring.
I soon realized that “Green RVing” has little to do with the mechanical; it’s a mindset. It’s not about the technology; it’s about the temperament of the person behind the wheel. You can’t buy Green, you simply have to begin to believe in it. Going Green is about passion first and foremost, only thereafter, about the products. Sustainable living, be it in a four-wheel drive or a four-walled cement foundation, begins with the desire to protect the planet we call home.
My second realization is that the trap of perfection only leads to procrastination. For many of us, if we can’t be totally Green, why bother? Let’s wait. We postpone in hopes of being full on, 100% before we take any steps at all. Truly, it’s OK being a little green at being Green.
We have delayed long enough. The Earth and her future generations can’t wait for us to defer action in hopes of perfection. Each of us can begin, today, in our own imperfect way, to help heal the adverse trends we have ignored for some time now. We can’t afford to play the waiting game any longer. Why? Because…
“Mother Nature is Watching.”
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To learn more about Conservation thru Exploration and Greening your RV, please visit www.BrianBrawdy.com
Craig
Mr. Brawdy makes a great point, going green is first and foremost, a mindset. And IMO, most people miss that. We need not give up our interests or hobbies, just be smarter, “greener” about them. Newer products and technologies make that easier, but it starts with the individuals commitment to do better, hopefully a lot better over time. Look forward to following BB’s escapades, which make me ‘green’ with envy. Cb
Bob Difley
Welcome Brian. It will be a joy to read your weekly posts and hear ur stories and anecdotes about your ventures and interactions with the TV and radio stations that love to challenge you on how RVing can be green and your take-no-prisoners response to set them straight–usually with them backing off and uttering something like “ummm . . . I see your point.” Bob
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