sustainable living

From Consumerism to Sustainablility

jchatraw — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:00:45 -0500

My toddler's first sign language word wasn't "mama" or "dada"--it was "more". Yes, more. Now instead of it being signed, it's spoken incessantly as, "I want more, daddy." Whatever it is, she can't get enough of it.

We're OK with her unquenchable thirst for all things green and vegetable in nature. But it's the more regarding the potato chips she recently discovered that has me somewhat concerned.

However, it's our culture in general that has a disconnect when it comes to more. Our solution for everything is more. If we're in tough economic times, we see the answer as people need to buy more. If we're feeling unfulfilled, then the answer must be that we need more of ... something.

John R. Ehrenfeld's book Sustainability by Design: A Subversive Strategy for Transforming Our Consumer Culture takes a look at some of the problems regarding our society's systematic thinking when it comes to regarding things we need and want--or things we think we need when really we just want them ... and more of them:

“Our actions do not correspond to what we seek in life. This term values is as elusive for me as is the concept of need, which I will explore later. Langdon Winner, another critic of modern technology, has pointed out the inadequacy of this term, noting that values is a useful catchall term for ‘cares, commitments, responsibilities, preferences, tastes, religious convictions, personal aspirations, and so forth.’ I believe that all of these collapse into the notion of Being, which frames much of this book. All are manifestations of our humanness.”

Live Like Ed?

jchatraw — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:56:36 -0400

I can think of a hundred more enticing titles than "Living with Ed" for a TV show, but the concept is still a good one: Watch Ed Begley Jr. and his lovely wife Rachelle go green. It's a take off on his book by the same name "Live Like Ed! A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life" and is as informative as it is entertaining.

I'm a sucker for reality shows but really don't like the fact that it's always about trying to connive behind everyone else's back to move ahead in the game. But a reality show where we learn what it's like to be more green? Sign me up with soy ink on post-consumer recycled paper.

Here's a tidbit from Ed that goes beyond the recycled tips:

Recycle Your Fiber

Everyone knows they should recycle their paper & plastic, but recycling your clothes and other fiber materials can also save energy. Shirts, jackets, hats, and even carpets made from recycled materials are now available.

Simple Prosperity

jchatraw — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:21:55 -0400

I used to think hard work was a necessary evil. In my first job out of college, I worked 12-14 hour days and often felt lazy. I could be doing more, I thought. Then I realized I hadn't had an original thought pop into my head in weeks--and the staff I was working with could handle me "slacking off" to 8-hour days.

What I discovered beside happiness and a rediscovered social life was that working harder doesn't necessarily mean working longer. In fact, sometimes working harder is fruitless. But long hours is an epidemic in our society. I can't believe I started having conversations with my peers about retirement when we were in our mid-20s!

David Wann's new book Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle is a thought provoking work, challenging the reader to examine what sustainable living truly looks like and how to get there. His chapter on "Time Affluence" challenged me to plot and scheme--not to mention support possible legislation--to work less, not more. The four-hour work week isn't feasible for most, but working less than 40 is something I aspire to do one day. Here's what Wann has to say on this topic:

[John de Graaf] is also national coordinator of the organization Take Back Your Time, and has thoroughly documented the American syndrome of overworking. (He has many suggestions for what to do about it, too. See www.Timeday.org.) De Graaf notes that 57 percent of employed adults say they don’t always leave work on time, and less than one out of five are “very satisfied” with their current work/life balance. “More than half of Americans say they’d be willing to trade a day off a week for a day’s pay a week,” says de Graaf.

A full third of U.S. adult employees don’t use all of their vacation days—574 million vacation days were left on the table in 2006! Why? Because overwork has become “normal” in America. We can’t afford to lose our jobs because house payments are huge, the standard of living is inflated, and health-care benefits are linked with work. Although employers are convinced that longer hours mean more productivity, countless studies link longer work with carelessness and injuries. “Job stress and burnout costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion a year,” estimates de Graaf.

John de Gaaf has become politically active on the work-time issue, meeting with politicians such as Barack Obama to find political support for legislation that has his organization advocates. This proposed legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to grant three weeks of time off for anyone who’s worked at a job for a year. … [De Graaf says], “In France, for example, it’s not just the red wine that leads to lower health risks of heart disease, but the long, leisurely meals that create healthy bonds of friendship.”

It's in the Can

jchatraw — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:00:00 -0400

In our shrinking global world, it's easy to forget that food isn't in season year round in your neck of the woods. But you wouldn't know that from a quick visit to the produce section of your grocery store. Every fruit or vegetable seems to be in season 365 days a year.

My wife has a chart on our refrigerator that lets us know what's in season locally and when. (To find out what's local in your area, check out this site.) However, when you grow your own fruits and vegetables in your backyard garden but still want those same foods year round, can you have them?

Yes, you can ... as in, canning your fruits and vegetables (Barack Obama would be proud that I ripped off his campaign slogan for a sustainable living blog.)

In Abigail Gehring's book Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, she shares some tips on canning so you can enjoy those favorite fruits and veggies all year round without buying the imported produce that traveled halfway around the world:

"When 80 to 90 percent of the moisture in food is removed, the growth of spoilage bacteria is halted and the food can be stopped for long periods of time. By exposing your produce to a flow of hot, dry air, you will not only remove moisture quickly but also concentrate natural sugars for a delicious, sweet flavor while reducing volume for easy storage. In addition, proper drying can preserve many of the natural nutrients in foods.

"Careful preliminary treatment is an important contributor to high vitamin retention, good flavor, and attractive appearance. To fix the natural color in sliced fruits, dip the pieces of fruits in pure lemon juice or a solution of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as soon as they are out. You will need about a cup of lemon juice to produce 5 quarts of cut fruit, or mix 3 teaspoons of pure ascorbic acid with 1 cup of water. Vitamin C tablets in the proportion of 9,000 milligrams per cup of water can also be used to prepare the dipping solution, but the tablets are expensive and difficult to dissolve."

SolFest 2008

jchait — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you're planning your summer vacation soon; you might want to consider scheduling in some time for SolFest 2008.

SolFest takes place each year at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California. This year the event is August 16-17 - which gives you plenty of time to plan your trip. I've never been to the festival, but I've been to the institute and the area is beautiful. To see the institute transformed into a huge two-day celebration of renewable energy and sustainable living has got to be amazing.

Since 1996, over 100,000 people have attended SolFest. What happens at the festival is meant to be fun, but is also meant to be a way to create a knowledge base for long-term sustainable change.

What the festival offers:

First off, if you're into sustainable homes, this is your sort of festival. Each year about 50+ workshops take place. While workshops for 2008 aren't set in stone yet (keep an eye on the website), workshops tend to include the following topics:

Solar Electric Systems, Straw bale Construction, Socially Responsible Investing, Hydrogen Power, Building with Bamboo, Restorative Farming, Cob Construction, Industrial Hemp, Ecological Design, Permaculture, Green Power Options, Solar Cooking, Electric Vehicles, Sustainable Wastewater Design, Government Rebates for Renewables, Fuel Cells, and more.

Kid friendly!: Each year SolFest add new programs and workshops for children. There's a family stage with puppets, music, and more. There's also a fun zone where kids can jump in a bubbling stream while learning about solar energy and water. Lastly, the Solar Living Institute is home to the world’s only solar-powered carousel. So, this is a very family-oriented vacation.

Every SolFest Saturday night, there's a huge stage event with live bands and djs, plus acts like the Haute Trash Fashion Show and Veggie Oil Wrestling.

There's also always plenty of organic food and drink.

Usually the SolFest website kicks off full force by summer. I wanted to give you a heads up early, because it's hard to plan family vacations on short notice. While the event is two days, you'll already be in Mendocino County - an amazing place, so you and the family could stick around for a while if you'd like a longer vacation. Or even head South to San Francisco or North to Humboldt (both great spots to visit). In any case if you're interested in sustainable building or living this is a event you don't want to miss.

I really want to go this year - so I may see you there. It depends; because of course, just to make my life difficult, two other events I want to attend, Blog World Expo (September 20-21) and West Coast Green (September 25-27) are fairly close to each other and SolFest. All three will be excellent, but three events from the end of Aug to Sept? That's going to require some clever arranging on my part. Here's hoping.

SolFest Website

[photo via Solar Living Institute]

For more information on sustainable building, check out:

Off the Grid: Hawaii's the Place to Give Sustainable Living a Try

What is Sustainable Building?

35 Ideas for Building a Greener House

Farewell My Subaru -- Living off the Land

jchatraw — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:24:23 -0400

At 23, Cleveland Cavaliers' superstar LeBron James can't even escape his mother's shadow, as he endured the embarrassment of having dear ole mom defend her son's honor courtside after a hard foul against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. But for Doug Fine, escaping the shadow of his mother--and everything else--was easy enough: Move to New Mexico and live off the land on a ranch.

Fine's new book Farewell, My Subaru: An epic adventure in local living chronicles his choice to leave city life behind and leave the smallest footprint possible. The result is a light-hearted look into the mind of a regular guy who isn't ready to give up all the comforts of modern living--just simply have them powered by solar energy.

Here's a green nugget from Fine's truly fine book where he's talking about what happened when his car began drifting downhill:

"Epiphany in the desert Southwest is not subtle. Almost nothing in this stark, gorgeous ecosystem is. I moved several thousand miles from my place of birth in order to kick fossil fuels and live locally. Three days later, MY CAR WAS LITERALLY RUNNING AWAY FROM ME. This is how lessons are taught in a place where even sitting down means a possible impaling. I figured I would forge success from astonishing, seemingly irrevocable defeat, you know, like Al Gore.

"I didn’t need the message hammered home so literally. The time was absolutely right for me personally to embark on this adventure in living green—other than having no electrical, plumbing, building, engine mechanical, horticultural, or animal husbandry skills at all, that is. After growing up on Dominoes Pizza in the New York suburbs, at age thirty-six I wanted to see if a regular guy who enjoyed his comforts could maintain them with a reduced-oil footprint. In concrete terms, this meant raising animals and crops for my food, figuring out some way besides unleaded to get anywhere, and making bank account–draining investments in solar power.

"I’d lived and worked in extreme conditions on five continents since the beginning of my career as a journalist fifteen years ago, but time and again, after shivering in Alaska and dodging bullets in Tajikistan, I reaffirmed what I already knew: I like my Netflix, wireless e-mail, and booming subwoofers. In fact, I didn’t want to live without them. I just wanted to power them by the sun. If my ear- melting music could go solar, and still make my UN-fearing neighbors complain about bass lines interrupting their nightmares of Hillary Clinton, I’d consider this experiment a success.

Wide-Eyed Wonder

jchatraw — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:07:08 -0400

Barbara Kingsolver's works of fiction do much to inspire the reader's imagination and provoke contemplative thought regarding heady subject matters. She makes you feel deeply and seeks to help you understand the protagonist's plight in each story. In her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Kingsolver finds herself in the middle of a moral delimma, which she responds to by moving from Arizona to Virginia to grow their own food and live off their 20-acre family farm.

With Kingsolver's resume of best-selling books, she could very easily choose to live however she pleased. But with the same conviction she writes with regarding deep questions in life, she demonstrates in this book that there's plenty of substance to her style.

Check out this green nugget from her book explaining her family's reason for moving:

"The average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations. True fact. Fossil fuels were consumed for the food's transport, refrigeration, and processing, with the obvious environmental consequences. The option of getting our household's food from close to home, in Tucson, seemed no better to us. The Sonoran desert historically offered to humans baked dirt as a construction material, and for eats, a corn-and-beans diet organized around late summer monsoons, garnished in spring with cactus fruits and wild tubers. The Hohokam and Pima were the last people to live on that land without creating an environmental overdraft. When the Spaniards arrived, they didn't rush to take up the Hohokam diet craze. Instead they set about working up a monumental debt: planting orange trees and alfalfa, digging wells for irrigation, withdrawing millions more gallons from the water table each year than a dozen inches of annual rainfall could ever restore. Arizona is still an agricultural state. Even after the population boom of the mid-nineties, 85 percent of the state's water still went to thirsty crops like cotton, alfalfa, citrus and pecan trees. Mild winters offer the opportunity to create an artificial endless summer, as long as we can conjure up water and sustain a chemically induced illusion of topsoil."

New Book Explores the Key to Sustainable Living

jchatraw — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:00:00 -0400

Chicken Little and his cohorts in mass hysteria earned the attention of other animals because they were the only ones predicting the sky was falling. There used to just be Al Gore and a couple of scientists telling anyone who would listen that the planet can't sustain our way of life. While not everyone has taken the message to heart, there's hardly a soul left to tell. In fact, the message is so roaring that after a while you don't even notice it that much. Doom and gloom voices turn me into an apathetic Foxy Loxy.

But James Gustave Speth's new book The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability brings hope amidst the dire warnings. Yes, we all need a good warning, but hopelessness breeds apathy--and Speth adroitly addresses the issues as he presents a viable solution. We need more books like his.

Check out this green nugget from Speth's book:

"Growth is traditionally measured as an increase in Gross Domestic Product, and GDP growth is what is meant by growth here. It has given much of the world remarkable material progress—progress in the things that economies can produce and money can buy—but this prosperity has been and is being purchased at a huge environmental cost. ...

"What the environment cares about, moreover, is not the rate of growth but the total loading. These loadings—for example, the amount of fish harvested—were already huge in 1980, so that even modest growth per decade produces large increases in environmental impacts—impacts that were already too large. By 2004, the world was consuming annually 369 million tons of paper products, 275 million tons of meat, and 9 trillion tons of fossil fuels (in oil equivalent). Freshwater for human use was being withdrawn from natural supplies of about a thousand cubic miles a year.

"Behind these numbers is the phenomenon of exponential expansion. A dominant feature of modern activity is its exponential growth. A thing grows linearly when it increases by the same quantity over a given time. If college tuition goes up three thousand dollars a year, the increase is linear. A thing grows exponentially when it increases in proportion to what is already there. If college tuition goes up 5 percent a year, the increase is exponential. The modern economy tends to grow exponentially because a portion of each year's output is invested to produce even more output. The amount invested is related to the amount of the economic activity. ... The economic system does not work when it comes to protecting environmental resources, and the political system does not work when it comes to correcting the economic system."

Deep Truth

jchatraw — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:15:34 -0400

Upon recently hearing Bill McKibben give a talk about some of the concepts behind Deep Economy, it reminded me again why I love his writing so much. Reading Deep Economy is like sitting around the kitchen table at Grandma's while she splashes spices and flavors into her stew pot as effortlessly as she recalls a great story about growing up in rural America--the combination of which will undoubtedly result in a delicious and memorable meal.

McKibben also makes you think about the way you're living--and dares you to change. It's definitely a leafy green read that should be read by the skeptics more so than the choir.

Here's a green nugget from his book, now out in the more economical paperback edition:

Jack and Anne Lazor bought Butterworks Farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom in the midseventies, after a stint of working at Old Sturbridge Farm in Massachusetts. There they dressed in colonial costumes and milked cows by hand and talked to the tourists. But, as they eventually figured out, they weren't actors; they were real farmers. Slowly they've developed one of the state's premier dairies: their organic yogurt is nearly a million-dollar business, expanding steadily year after year ... It's great fun to sit in their kitchen eating bacon and eggs while Anne mixes up some salve for the teats of her cows and the Lazors describe their life. The talk's a mix of technical detail ... and rural philosophy. "We have such a 'take' mentality," Jack says. "It's part of our psyche, because we came to this verdant land as Europeans and were able to exploit it for so long."

But here the exploitation feels more like collaboration. We stroll over to his solar barn, where the forty cows in the herd loiter patiently, mulling over the events of the day. "That's Morel, that's Phooey, that's Vetch, that's Clove, that's Jewel ..." The vet wanders in, to report that he's figured out what's wrong with Emily: milk fever, easily treated. ... It's very clam in here, no sound but cud being chewed, and it's warm out of the late-winter wind. Jack, who's a talker, is explaining how Vermont could market itself as "the natural state," and how he's hoping to market masa harina for making tortillas next year, and so forth. I'm sort of listening, and mostly just absorbing the sheer pleasure of the scene—that this place works, that I've been connected to it all winter long, that it will be here, with any luck, for the rest of my life.

The world’s local wisdom bank - CopperWiki

abhibnrj — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:15:00 -0400

CopperWiki is a collaborative platform to share information, create awareness and offer choices for leading a balanced and sustainable life. It will focus on local practices, green and organic living, traditional knowledge, scientific research, and global issues at regional level.

The idea is to familiarize individuals with the lifecycle of their actions, the cost and impact of each decision, and the choices available to them.It is not about the information; it is about wisdom (‘judicious application of knowledge'). Wisdom is knowledge with a utility. Our emphasis will always be on utility. Wisdom is often defined in utilitarian sense, as foreseeing consequence and acting to maximize the long-term common good. It will be replete with "insights" into the human condition and about the means and ends of a good life.

Strong regional lens

It will take a strong regional lens, and work more like a map to document the untapped knowledge, in untapped world pockets.

Copperwiki could very well be a project out of the east (& subsequently a lot of developing nations) which is increasingly providing a lot of answers to a world out of balance. Eastern philosophy in food, community living, social structures, healing systems, and its emphasis on the role of nature at the heart of the world's political and social debate are being increasingly sought by the western world for answers. We might look for "country focus" in coming days as the platform matures.

It will work like the world's local wisdom bank

• Everybody deposits, everybody withdraws

• You deposit in your own account, withdraw through everybody else's

• What you take out will always be more than what you put in

Visit: http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page