The Environmental and Capitalistic Teachings of Living at an Ecovillage Intentional Community

In 2007, I lived at an ecovillage for six months, which was an incredible experience that I will always cherish. I intended on living at the ecovillage longer, but certain unavoidable factors led to my early departure. While I've grown up in capitalist America for most of my life, I've never been totally sold on the method in which capitalism is often practiced. By this, I mean, big entities taking advantage of smaller entities, but I also mean much more. The constant striving for a buck without regard to the costs has often been a source of frustration for myself.

At the particular ecovillage I lived at, there was a diverse group of people ranging in age from infants to over ninety years old who practiced a wide range of beliefs ranging from Catholicism to Paganism. Members of the intentional community (a preferred terminology over "commune") ranged from strict vegans to those who ate raw beef. Some community members made a living solely off the ecovillage land, which spanned over 300 acres, while others commuted to the city five days a week, just like any other commuter in any other locale.

Some intentional community members had typical gas guzzling cars, some drove bio-diesel machines and some rode around the ecovillage land on solar-powered golf carts. People's living accommodations ranged from small mud huts in which residents would share communal kitchen and bath spaces to large houses, which contained many amenities of an ordinary house. Solar panels were in vogue and so was bathing in the creek.

On any given day, it was quite possible to find yourself at a dinner table with a dozen other people or to sneak off for a long walk by yourself in the woods alongside a peaceful creek. Privacy and togetherness were equally cherished and, amazingly, seemed to somehow go hand in hand.

The diverse community of ecovillage members comprised a wide spectrum of financial situations. Some people had no monetary concerns, while others would be classified as living in poverty. Of all the issues, the financial issues were one of the most prevalent. All ecovillage community members paid the same amount of dues and fees, regardless of level of wealth, which brings us back to capitalism.

A retired person with a pension, IRA's or other investments could move to such an ecovillage and live quite comfortably in a relatively leisurely manner, regardless of how their wealth was obtained. Meanwhile, community members struggling with poverty would be forced to pay the same dues. Although all ecovillagers were connected by the desire to be one with the Earth, such a philosophy varied greatly in practice. After all, we all have differing beliefs.

However, living a highly capitalist lifestyle until retirement in order to comfortably live at an ecovillage in retirement is a stark contrast to refraining from a capitalist lifestyle all along. It would be analogous to slaughtering beef throughout the duration of one's life only to become a vegan later in life. Of course, these types of contradictions exist throughout life and throughout history. Then again, if you make a career of ruining the planet for forty years followed by twenty years of being one with the Earth, where have you gotten yourself? No doubt, it is better to see the error of one's ways later than never, but one must consider the situation.

Conversely, the ecovillage members who were essentially struggling with poverty opened my eyes, forcing self-reflection of my own relationship with capitalism. Never a die-hard capitalist myself, I was enlightened to the necessity of making a good living, monetarily. While they may have been perfecting the art of being one with the Earth, they were failing to make the money to provide security and welfare. Therefore, any health or natural disaster would be exacerbated by their utter lack of capitalist beliefs.

Since departing from the ecovillage, my mind has remained in a state of imbalance in the above mentioned realm between total capitalism and anti-capitalism, struggling to find its' place. My previously not-very-capitalistic ways have had a light shed on them, enlightening the errors of those ways. However, like before I lived at an ecovillage, I am aware of the damages of making a living without regard for anything else. So, I will continue to struggle with finding the right balance of capitalism and environmentalism and I will always remain thankful for the time I lived at an ecovillage.

For another article LIVIN published on a similar subject, please see, "Environmentalism Co-Existing with Capitalism: Recycling to Gift Wrap." Subscribe to LIVIN to be notified of future articles detailing experiences with ecovillage life.