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. With Eco extremes
“Their four sons often sleep huddled together to pool body heat.”
That’s from a Times Style section story, referring to a couple going to extremes to reduce their carbon footprint; it’s a trend story kind of thing, about hardcore eco-types.
Some people may view [them] as role models, pioneers who will lead us to a cleaner earth. Others may see them as colorful eccentrics, people with admirable intentions who have arrived at a way of life close to zealotry. To others they come across as “energy anorexics,” obsessing over personal carbon emissions to an unhealthy degree, the way crash dieters watch the bathroom scale.
To me this story made such people seem more or less like a freak show. I wonder about stories like this, if their net impact isn’t to make the whole notion of changing your lifestyle in “green” ways seem like a marginal, vaguely comical pursuit — something other people do.
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Kim Fellner's book 
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Reader Comments
Nice point. And having such a story appear in the Style section — as opposed to say, National News or some other place — devalues it further. I don’t read that section for enlightment; I read it for entertainment.
As a fashion designer i read the style section not only for entertainment but it provides me with the latest and greatest updates in fashion so for some it is enlightenment. This artcle i found heart warming because it shows a families true comitment they might be die hard about this. So might say what they are doing is extreme but i feel if one person reads this and decides its time to use a canvas bag instead of plastic cause they see this persons devotion, this family has done some justice.
While I feel that this family is doing something good for the earth, I feel that having your four sons huddled up together is going a little far. I’m not really sure how I feel about this. I don’t think the boys should have to huddle together in order to stay warm. That can become very unhealthy and is almost unfair to them. In the article it also states that her six year old son wants to play baseball, although they can not find a league that is close enough. Feeling that driving isn’t good for the environment her son is left playing catch in the yard. I feel that when your going “green” to the point where your son can not have a normal childhood, thats a little much. The article also points out a numerous amount of other odd and quirky things the family does. Playing devil’s advocate, the family is helping out the environment. While they may not be making the best decision for the way they have their children are brought up and live, there not doing anything completely horrible. They are simply a family who cares A LOT about the environment.