Conserving resources and reducing our carbon footprint have become mainstream goals in recent years. Recycling in Hawai'i has become common, for one example. But what other habits would complement a sustainable lifestyle for Island families?

Tamara Armstrong, 23, has some ideas, garnered from her history with the University of Hawai'i-Manoa environmental organization Sustainable Saunders and two years of working with the Kailua Free Recycle Pickup helping people recycle their discarded resources such as aluminum cans.

"Everything I do is for the cause of a greener Hawai'i," said Armstrong, who also has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from UH-Manoa.

Her knowledge of sustainability principles has greatly influenced how her family lives, from where they get their food to how they travel and power their home.

Armstrong said it wasn't really a tough transition, but she admits her parents had a hard time adjusting before they caved in to their "hippie" daughter's ambitions.

'HARD-CORE GREEN'

The Armstrong family moved to Hawai'i in 2002. Armstrong lives at home in Kailua with her parents and siblings, and is a strong advocate for sustainable changes in her home. But her family was not as enthusiastic about the bright idea.

"Before our move, my father was an investment banker on Wall Street. He regarded my 'environmentalism' as a tree-hugging hippie point of view," she said.

Rather than get frustrated with her dad, Armstrong refined her arguments and translated it into bottom-line talk.

Public events prompted family members to reflect on their lifestyle, too. Armstrong said the attacks of 9/11 were a turning point, prompting the family to be more cautious with resources.

Tamara's dad, Don Armstrong, said the more he works on his garden or other healthier activities, the better he and his family get at it. Family activities include biking, recycling, home improvement projects and gardening.

Saving money, energy and water were also motivators.

Armstrong said buying bottled water and paper towels, using plastic bags, leaving the lights on and keeping cell chargers in wall outlets are bad habits the Armstrongs still have, but they're "making progress."

HEALTHIER, HAPPIER

The Armstrongs' Kailua home has green improvements in the works, including solar photovoltaic panels to produce electricity, a pond to irrigate and catch rainwater, a compost worm bin and a food garden.

Armstrong inspired her dad to transform their water-leech lawn into a productive garden for 15 fruit trees, including lychee, star fruit and citrus fruits. Her family tries to get food as much as possible from the local farmers market: "My family is healthier and happier than we ever were before," she said.

Green ideas even infiltrated their careers: Tamara's brother Zach went from being a literature major to selling solar panels for Hawaiian Island Solar — work Armstrong calls "his calling."

"Like most college students, I didn't know what I was going to do," Zach Armstrong said.

But sustainability came to his rescue and offered him a job at Hawaiian Island Solar.

Tamara Armstrong was recently hired at architecture firm KYA Design Group as a sustainability coordinator. Now with a LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — accreditation, she consults with home designers on improving energy efficiency in buildings old and new.

"I have found that many people, businesses and organizations already want to practice sustainability; they simply need a dedicated person behind the scenes that is committed to facilitating the process," Tamara Armstrong said.

Reused or recycled-content building materials, natural lighting, renewable energy resources, such as solar panels, natural ventilation and a location near public transportation can all make a building more sustainable, Armstrong noted.

Every little bit helps, including buying products with little packaging, drying your clothes outside instead of using an electric dryer or investing in solar energy if you're a homeowner, Armstrong said.

"Living a sustainable lifestyle is all about intention, process and learning," Armstrong said. "It's a personal evolution and everyone goes at their own pace — so don't be hard on yourself and keep being conscious of the little things every day."

See what the Armstrong family has to say about their switch to living green at

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