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A blanket on every chair

By November 7, 2012
Beg Bicycles Blanket

Time was when Americans used to be frugal. We took great pride in not being wasteful, and taking nothing for granted. Perhaps our pioneering roots and turns into economic depression left a lasting impression on us concerning the relationship between effort and reward. Perhaps that alone caused us to consider more deeply the cost of things — whether with our own labor, or in paying for things from others. But as the 20th century proceeded, and fossil fuels drove production, everything … [Read more...]

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Ten low-tech responses to storms and emergencies

By October 30, 2012
Woman on bike in rain

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 before you get there. In the long run, generators are dependent on fossil fuel inputs and fossil … [Read more...]

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Waste not, want not

By August 16, 2012
gDiapers

If you take a long hard look at a landfill you’ll see both tremendous need (where do we continue to put all this waste?) and undertapped opportunity (how can we redesign, reuse, and repurpose to avoid the landfill altogether?) We’ve been exploiting natural resources at an unsustainable level for nearly a century to create material goods for our well-being and pleasure. Over that time we’ve become a consumer society, increasing our demand for goods and pushing the limits of our … [Read more...]

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Wipe out waste

By December 27, 2011
Linen Napkins

Just before Christmas I was shopping in my local Goodwill store, scouting, as always, for good quality linen napkins and kitchen towels. As luck would have it I found a lovely set of six white cotton napkins with a rainbow of stripes that has a sort of beachy feel to it. This was a perfect addition to my collection since I didn't have a "summery" set. At 50 cents, they were a must have. For the same price I picked up some periwinkle blue cotton kitchen towels with a shell weave at the border. … [Read more...]

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Bike riding is patriotic

By July 4, 2011
Decked Out

In a world increasingly hampered by economic decline, which is itself hampered by energy decline, there are few things more patriotic than simply using less energy to do what you need and want to do. From turning off lights in daylight hours to eating more foods in their natural state to walking more and driving less, there are many fairly painless ways to use less energy and still enjoy a great life. As you can tell from glancing around Lindsay's List, bike riding is a passion of mine. … [Read more...]

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Lindsay’s List

By March 31, 2011
Biking and basket

I've long been concerned with what I consider the in-group of peak oilers versus those who are clueless about the phenomenon. What concerns me is a trend that I sometimes observe wherein a peak-oil-aware individual expresses scorn for the rest of the population, or at the least, indifference to their welfare. Now, I'm not saying that every peak oil, climate change and economic crisis intellectual out there holds this view, or expresses these thoughts. But enough do that I've taken … [Read more...]

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