Greenhouse gas and ocean plastic levels don’t rise on their own. The cause of our environmental problems is our behavior, which results from our culture. The world’s dominant culture pollutes, depletes, addicts, and imperially takes over other cultures. Yet each person wants clean air, land, water, and food. How did humans create a culture that manifests the opposite of many of their values? Why do most people defend that culture,[…] Keep reading →

I started doing ten burpees a day today in 2011 and never stopped. On the contrary, I added more reps, weights, cardio, stretching, and more, which isn’t hard when you keep at it for over a decade. Most days I do fifty-four burpees. For details, here’s my list of all My sidchas, standard operating procedures, and preferences. One of my favorite parts is walking past gyms that cost $235 per[…] Keep reading →

Today is my second winter solstice relying on solar for my electrical power. Tomorrow I’ll have more daylight than today, not counting clouds. Last year I couldn’t believe I was making it as long as I was and was going to NYU several times a week to power my phone and computer. I didn’t notice, but last week began my sixth month since my last electric bill. This year, courtesy[…] Keep reading →

Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived in a culture whose values he disagreed with. He could have dropped his values. It would be easier and more comfortable not to have to push against resistance. He didn’t. He chose to live by his values, even when it was hard. One result was that he couldn’t spend time with his family in person. Did that separation mean they loved each other less? Did it deprive[…] Keep reading →

People complain they don’t have time, money, or energy to live more sustainably, I think because marketers see the demand so come up with things to sell people to address the demand. Since neither buyer nor seller understand how nature or systems work, the offerings don’t help sustainability. Meanwhile, high demand and low supply means high prices, so people associate costing time, money, and energy with sustainability when they should[…] Keep reading →

For some time I’ve been saying, half-jokingly, to people who start showing an interest in more sustainability with me: “Be careful spending time with me or you may find yourself avoiding flying and telling me how much it improves your life not to fly.” I don’t want to overstate things since only a few people have said it so far, but increasingly people are saying just that sentiment to me.[…] Keep reading →

This week I listened to: The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson: People have been suggesting I read this book for a while. It’s not exactly a novel. Robinson uses the book to teach about monetary theory and possible climate outcomes. I can see why people suggest it to me. He has thought through where humanity could go in more detail and more comprehensively than most people. I[…] Keep reading →