by Carol Leonetti and Jim Motavalli

About the authors: Carol Leonetti is a freelance journalist in Connecticut. Jim Motavalli is the managing editor of E Magazine, a bimonthly magazine covering environmental issues.

It’s hardly an original observation to say that environmentalism begins at home. But living in harmony with the Earth involves more than just turning up at the clearcutting demonstration and mailing annual dues to Greenpeace. The serious environmentalist is green all the way through, not just on the surface. The four families in this viewpoint have made a deep and personal commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling—in some cases, at the cost of considerable domestic comfort.

We’re not trying to make our readers feel guilty here. But these paragons can inspire and instruct us with their stories. They’ve found...