As our civilization proceeds down the slope of the post-peak-oil curve, global trade will become more and more expensive, so our economies will naturally localize. The energy-efficiency benefits of localized economies are obvious to us, but there are also social and even psycho-social benefits that aren’t often contemplated. I had the good fortune to work with respected … [Read more...]
Growing up from the need to always grow
In the Western World, growth is our mantra. Our schools, our religions, our governments, our businesses, all our institutions bombard us with the same message that to be all that we are meant to be means we have to grow. Growth in and of itself can be a good thing, but unfortunately the growth that can be our doom is material growth, which has limits. So instead of … [Read more...]
The answer to climate change
When I give these climate talks, by the end people are typically agitated and full of questions. “What technology is going to fix this?” “How are we ever get people to agree on a solution?” “I’m just one person, what could I possibly do that would make an impact?” My answers often catch people a little off guard: I try to instill that more important than any technical fix is … [Read more...]
The economy isn’t coming back
Presently Americans wait with bated breath, watching sales numbers and unemployment statistics, grasping for signs that an economic recovery is underway. We search for signals that indicate we’re growing, that there will be a job for everyone who wants one, and that the United States will resume the prosperity and standing in the world it once had. We wait in … [Read more...]
Faith communities, foodsheds and the future
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. -- Joel 2:26 We are the transformers of Earth. Our whole being, and the flights and falls of our love, enable us to undertake this task. -- Rainer Maria Rilke For the past six years I have been writing profusely about the challenges the earth community is … [Read more...]