Central Florida Green Guide

Daryl Hannah is an accomplished actress who is probably best known for her role in Splash, where she played a mermaid opposite Tom Hanks. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Hannah last year via email. Read on to learn how she first became interested in nature and what inspired her to start her own vlog that’s dedicated to the Earth-friendly living.

I read that you first became interested in the environment during an experience at summer camp as a child. Will you tell us more about that?

Growing up in the heart of downtown Chicago in the 42nd story of a building, it was as though I was afflicted with a mild form of nature deficit disorder. My father sent us to camp in the Rockies, where we lived in covered wagons with no electricity, backpacked, horsepacked, cared for horses, built fires, pitched tents, etc…

I was transformed. Things began to make sense to me, and I found that I adapted well.It was hard but the challenges were truly character building. I found a deep love for wilderness and wildness.

When did you become a vegetarian? How do you think vegetarianism benefits the environment?

I became a vegetarian at age 11 because I could no longer disassociate the food I was eating from the creature it had been, and I just couldn’t gnaw on the flesh of creatures anymore. It grossed me out. The health and environmental benefits turned out to be a bonus! Often I find that when I do something from pure compassionate place, aspects I never considered seem to benefit as well – illustrating how we are truly interconnected to all life. The meat industry not only suffers from inhumane practices but is also complicit as the 3rd largest contributor to our global warming crisis.

I hear you have an amazing “green” home in the Rocky Mountains. And even a moss stone couch that actually needs to be watered! Will you tell our readers a little about your house?

It’s a small but beautiful house made with salvaged materials. It’s both passive and active solar, meaning it faces southwest. It is bermed into the landscape and uses the natural movement of the sun and the insulation of the earth to heat/cool the structure. The power is amended by solar panels. I have most of the modern conveniences, but I choose not to have a TV. I have a friend who is an amazing mosaic artist, and as I have radiant floors, I had him make a mosaic with sea glass and shells I’d collected over the years. All of the materials that were removed from the ground when we burmed the structure were incorporated into the house – thus the living couch. Moss can go dormant for several months so it doesn’t need to be watered very often.

You’ve got an amazing Eco-Site, complete with the latest environmental news and inspiring videos. You’ve probably received a lot of positive feedback! How did this site come to be?

I decided to make a TV show because there was no information accessible to the general public on these subjects, and I was growing tired of fielding questions all the time, but I didn’t like the contract and then I discovered vloging! I love making my vlogs! I learn so much and meet the most interesting people.

Eco-friendly living can be overwhelming for someone who is just getting started. What would you recommend to someone who is trying to gradually reduce their impact on the environment and live more naturally?

I would say – go for it! Jump in the deep end! It’s great in here, and there are so many fantastic options available to consumers now that really work. Get the toxic cleaners out from under your sink and the toxic chemical detergents out of the laundry room. Buy organic food from your local farmers market. Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescents. Start a garden. Start composting.

There are so many things you can do! These things are not only better for you and your loved ones. They’ll also save you money in the end, and they are better for the future of all life.

Thanks to Ms. Hannah for taking the time to “chat” with us. Her site, The DHLovelife Show, is a wonderful resource that’s definitely worth a visit!