Freedom through conservation
I've written before about the merits of swapping clothes and accessories you no longer want for "new-to-you" items instead. The three top benefits are: Saving money — one of the the keys to prosperity is spending less/saving more. Eco-friendly — reusing stuff helps avoid adding to the landfill. Fun! — getting together with others for a good time beats solo shopping zombiedom. But … [Read more...]
Since I've gotten back to regular blogging, I've mentioned a few times that I've opened a store on Etsy, the online marketplace for handicrafts and vintage. I've also pointed you to products on Etsy that are in line with the conservation values I espouse. But now I'm going to wring out a full-throated paean to exactly why I think Etsy is so great across so many fronts. And then, even though … [Read more...]
We live in a world dependent on electricity and we forget that being dependent on something — however wonderful that thing is — makes you vulnerable. Even getting a back-up generator isn't a painless solution for household resilience. A medium-size generator can cost $50 or more per day in fuel to run. And just hope that your local gas stations don't lose power or sell out to panic buyers … [Read more...]
Ever since we first got together my husband and I have talked about how to respond to one of our key shared interests — peak oil. For us this means, first of all, a conservation-minded approach to life — using less energy, wasting less, and relying on reusable materials such as hankies and eco-cups, carrying our own grocery bags, and growing much of our own food and cooking it … [Read more...]
My friend Cate Fitt, an artist and fellow blogger, shared a video on Facebook (man, I love Facebook) that really blew my mind. It's from that inspiration that I wrote this piece. Thanks Cate! Ink it, don't think it I've had a long time love of old school printing presses. I love the quality and the raw nature of the medium. I also love that it's done by hand. As a writer and graphic designer, … [Read more...]
The old days are gone and there's more than a few analysts who don't see the high life ever returning. They say that the peak of cheap oil production in 2006 means economic growth is over. Instead, we can expect a continual contraction of the economy that will ultimately affect us all. Whether its fate, or karma or just chance, we're the people alive today and we're the one's who have to deal … [Read more...]
I've received a number of queries from young moms and others who want to know what they can do to support the #OccupyWallStreet movement even though for logistical reasons — particularly having little kids —they can't get to New York, D.C. or even a local event. The rising tide of sympathy for good old fashioned, red, white and blue American protest is a refreshing addition to our national … [Read more...]
For a couple of years now we've been hearing about social enterprises, social capital and social networking. With so many of us on social websites like Facebook and Twitter, sharing things in common with old friends and new, both in-the-flesh and virtual, is now the norm. It's as everyday as e-mail. The social network While there's definitely some valid criticisms floating around out there about … [Read more...]
Forgive my few weeks absence from The List. I've been catching up on loads of work at Transition Voice, getting the kids off to school, and preparing for a busy fall season in the Transition Town group I help co-lead. But I figure, what with rogue earthquakes kicking up in odd locations and hurricane season dead upon us, it's time to get back to encouraging conservation—those practices that … [Read more...]
For $20,000, what peak-aware dad wouldn't want solar panels installed on the roof? Or, if you can pony up $500, and your man has got a more outdoorsy-survivalist bent, a shotgun would make surely him smile. But for less than $20 you can help Dad build resilience in his daily life by giving him an old-fashioned razor that he can use no matter what the future brings. Editor’s Note: This is a … [Read more...]
