We decarbonized our lives, and you can too. We are a young family in Portland, Oregon, and we hope our practical journey towards net-zero carbon emissions will persuade others to take action.

We both work professionally to address climate change - Naomi in urban sustainability and energy efficiency and Joe in the electrification of buildings and transportation. This passion, and our commitment to walk the walk, has enabled us, over a decade, to reduce our family’s impact to nearly net-zero emissions. From electrifying our home to driving cross country (with a one and five-year-old) in an electric vehicle to buying land to reforest, our experience shows that individuals can reduce their emissions without much sacrifice or loads of money. 

We’ve tackled ductless heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction cooking, solar in multiple forms, hang-drying laundry (including cloth diapers), no cars to electric cars and charging without a garage or driveway, a reforestation grant from the US Department of Agriculture, and more. And we’ve done it through simple, creative, cost-effective strategies, on a middle-class income.

And our lives are better for it. If we can do it, you can too.