Freedom through conservation
Human life is messy, and human beings even more so. Working out our "stuff" together is no easy feat. And it's made no easier by the flood of all kinds of information into our minds, too much of which pollutes our internal lives rather than edifying our personal existence. The powerful tsunami of junk info we face daily comes in the forms of advertisements, which are pervasive, continual, and … [Read more...]
This morning I'm participating in my first hOUR Economy time bank exchange. I'm giddy with excitement about it, feeling like I've taken another giant leap away from the industrial economy. Not only that, I feel I'm taking a giant leap into the new economy that's developing all around us. These are exciting times. Time is on our side, yes it is If you've never heard of a time bank, let me … [Read more...]
The other day I went out on the Saturday morning yard sale crawl in quest of superb finds and other delights. It was an especially early one since the ladies at the local DAR were starting their sale at 6am. But like the rest of the "pickers" there I was, combing for goodies. I finished by 6:30 and had to wait an hour and a half until the next sales in town, which were slated to start at 8. But … [Read more...]
Have you ever heard the term "embodied energy?" It refers to energy that has already been spent to create something. Take a box of cereal as an everyday example. Embodied energy is everywhere Inside the box there's cereal. The embodied energy in the cereal contains everything from the sunlight and water (energy) that fed and made the grain grow, to the human laborer or machinery and fuel (or … [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...]
It's a tough act to achieve or even to attempt but, following the success of the documentary film No Impact Man, YES! Magazine has launched a No Impact Week, which is happening now. If I was a better blogger, I would've let you know about it before it started so you could gear up for a whole lot of low-carbon living this week. But as you know, the cobbler's children have no shoes and such is … [Read more...]
The debt debate out of Washington exhibited many qualities. But sanity wasn't among them. In fact, the smart money says that enacting the spending cuts called for in the deal between President Obama and Congressional Republicans will pull money from the economy, kill jobs, stop orders for goods and otherwise hamstring an already flogged economy. At the same time, the deal's failure to call for … [Read more...]
It's not good fortune on my part that in writing Lindsay's List I get to be the unhappy bearer of bad news. I take no glee in this role, nor assume any moral superiority. I aim to deliver the facts and don't necessarily find that easy when the facts stand in such sharp contradiction to prevailing social and cultural norms. Such is the case when it comes to advising you, dear reader, against … [Read more...]
Americans are among the least vacationing people of the industrialized world. So when our few national holidays roll around there's a gigantic sigh of relief as we gain access to a rare day in which to purportedly either celebrate the meaning of said holiday, relax, get away, or drink ourselves into oblivion. Sometimes all of the above. ACT NOW! The other allegedly great and essentially … [Read more...]
With summer just around the corner many of us are getting those transitional days when the temperature spikes, leaving us wondering, "When did it get so hot?" If last summer is any indication, hot weather may hit us all pretty hard this year. For most of my adult life I've lived in places without air conditioning. You know, old apartment buildings, walk ups, dorm rooms. This helped keep my … [Read more...]
