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Radical homemakers

By April 22, 2013
cozykitchen

Confucius said that the health of a nation could be determined by the integrity of its homes. If we apply that standard, we’re in trouble. Culturally, most Americans don’t even have homes anymore. They have houses, not homes. Homes are something that are made, not bought. And, homes, thus, require homemakers. That’s right, plural: homemakers. I'm not talking about just women. And, I'm not talking about Ozzie and Harriet stereotypical housewives. I am talking about what Dr. Shannon … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arts, Books, Re-skilling Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sadly, extinction is no laughing matter

By February 25, 2013
The wise fool.

Quoting Carl Sagan, I begin some presentations with this line: It is far  better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. Many people disagree with Sagan, choosing delusion over reality, believing we can have infinite growth on a finite planet with no consequences for people or other creatures, other life forms, other organisms. The people in this latter group seek hope, and many of them disparage me and my actions for inducing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Spirit Tagged With: , , ,

Holidays as a benchmark

By February 6, 2013
Reflection

Another holiday season is behind us. As I reflect on mine, I get a strong sense that holidays can be seen as a sort of benchmark. We tend to remember certain traditions and how they played out throughout the years. On needles and pins Take the Christmas tree, for example. Let’s face it, there's nothing that can bring out the worst in any of us than the tree. Remember the year that the kids knocked it over? Or, the year that the cat tore all of the ornaments off of the bottom tiers? Or the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Consumerism, Economy Tagged With: , , ,

Our local eco swap

By February 1, 2013
ladies on bikes

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 while I had researched and described how to host one of these events, I had not yet thrown one or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arts, Consumerism, Economy, Fashion Tagged With: , , ,

Transition Voice Holiday

By December 14, 2012
Homeless-Santa-Arctic-Oil-Drilling

'Tis the season when peak oilers everywhere join in a chorus of reflection that goes something like, "Why, why, why?" For people intimately tuned in to connecting the dots between the oil driven economy, consumer excess, and a planetary ecosystem under assault from the cancerous growth paradigm, the host of end-of-year festivities can be touched with more than a little melancholy. In some cases it's touched with down right venom. And each year I step in to the fray with your guide to a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Transition Tagged With: , , ,

It’s time to change

By November 28, 2012
An upcycled Bike Wheel Clock by pixelthis via Etsy.

Today 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 tell you a bit about it. Basically it's a community organization (there's hundreds across the US and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Transition Tagged With: , , ,

Learning what works in community sustainability education

By November 14, 2012
sos

In the last five months, our small city has had the privilege of hosting two of the most outspoken voices on the Internet regarding peak oil, climate change and financial collapse. In April, Nicole Foss spoke to an overflow crowd on debt deflation and building ‘lifeboats.’ In July, Guy McPherson spoke to a capacity crowd on climate change and some predicted consequences. Both talks had the following in common: • the dominant hair colors of audience members were white and grey; • most … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Transition Tagged With: , ,

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...]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy Tagged With: , ,

Seven reasons bikes are for everyone—not just “cyclists”

By November 1, 2012
Bike Family

Traveling the world’s great bicycle cities, I fell in love with cycling. The ease, safety, convenience… (dreamy sigh) But as my six-month love affair came to an end, I began to realize the reason for my infatuation: cities like those in Denmark and Holland simply make themselves lovable. They don’t just build cycle tracks; they inject fun, whimsy, compassion, and even romance into cycling. Certainly, many Americans love their bikes, but more of us would if we learned these lessons on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Transportation Tagged With: , ,

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...]

Filed Under: Conservation, Energy Tagged With: , , , ,