When it comes to sustainable-living, not many people can say they are living a sustainable life, much less a green one. If you live in a rural setting you might have a better chance, but what about the more than 75% of the population who live in urban settings? Aside from maybe using bio-diesels, driving a hybrid, recycling or trying to conserve water, how much can we really do?

Don’t get me wrong, many people have parts of their life where they are trying to be green or act more responsible when it comes to the environment, but can you really live a sustainable life in an urban setting?

Well, one family set out to do just that. They were determined to live a self-sufficient, low-impact life right in the middle of a big Southern California city. So, over the past 20+ years, the Dervaes family has transformed their early 1900’s Craftsman bungalow home and run-down yard into a whole new level of urban living.

- They walk, ride their bikes or take public transportation whenever they can. On the few days of the month when they do drive, they use their own homemade bio-diesel. Since they average less than 4000 miles a year on their car, every month or so they just brew up a 30-gallon batch of biodiesel made from used vegetable oil provided by one of their restaurant clients.

- They have organic vege-fed ducks and chickens which provide eggs. Their goats are used for milk. However, none of their animals are grown for meat purposes. The manure from those animals (and their rabbits) is another re-usable product and used for gardens and future growth.

- They have about 4350 sq ft of gardens where year-round they grow fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and even edible flowers. Any excess produce is usually sold to local restaurants and caterers, however if you happen to live in the area, you can get on the mailing list to be notified when excess produce is available. They grow over 350 varieties of edible and useful plants (seasonal, of course) totaling about 6,000 lbs per year.

- They have cut their energy use in half with 2/3rds of their energy coming from their 12 solar panels. They follow key energy saving tips such as using rechargable batteries, line-drying their clothes, using energy-efficient appliances, using olive oil lamps and homemade candles. They use people-power to run many of their small applicances including a hand-powered toaster, bike-blender and radio. They even have a solar powered oven. They don't use A/C nor do they have central heating, but have solar attic fans and a wood-burning stove which uses up their scrap wood.

- They have dramatically cut down on their water-waste, even with the large volume of produce they grow throughout the year. They have incorporated low flush toilets and solar outdoor showers into the household. They also do hand watering, mulching, re-use laundry water, etc.