Regular readers know I haven’t filled a load of garbage since 2019. The most common reactions are surprise, asking me what’s in my garbage, and calling it “extreme.” Being five years into a habit, it doesn’t feel the least bit extreme any more. On the contrary, since what motivates me is alleviating suffering in the people in whom I would increase it for my lifestyle, not acting to pollute much[…] Keep reading →

I was thinking about some things I don’t know. I’m confident humanity is better off with less plastic in the ocean, litter on the ground, and PFAS in our blood, but I don’t know: When a human sperm and egg become an independent human life the law should protect The optimal number of and amount of access to guns for self-defense, to protect against government overreach, to defend a community,[…] Keep reading →

Jack shares his love for nature and passion to care for it, how central it is to his life, how much of his time and focus he devotes to it. He shares his principles of individual choice over top-down regulation. He especially opposes government subsidy for squashing innovation, including industries he prefers, like nuclear. He’s not anti-government. Listen to the episode for his views in more detail. He is as[…] Keep reading →

Following up my post Addiction in Greenwich Village, Early Summer 2024, here are new pictures starting late summer. These Pictures Are Of Our Culture, Including You and Me, Not the People in Them As always on posts about addiction: These images are of United States and global culture, not just the people in them. Their addictions may look bad, but mainly hurt themselves, secondarily the community immediately around them with[…] Keep reading →

Living in Manhattan means people visit. Even with an apartment under five hundred square feet and only a thin, very firm futon, people sleep over. Nearby hotels cost a few hundred dollars a night. A friend who stayed with me in July, while walking around seeing the sights, texted me “Do you want a free bike?” The backstory: some neighbor was throwing away a bicycle with many broken parts so,[…] Keep reading →

Nick and I talk about freedom, liberty, personal action and, however paradoxical to most people, how important personal behavior is in changing systems. Then we talk about markets, regulation, and democracy and how they interact with community norms. Looking at the words markets, regulation, and democracy, they may look academic or abstract, but I think you’ll find the conversation fun because it’s personal. We don’t talk theory. We’re talking about[…] Keep reading →

This week I finished: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo: After watching the video I mentioned of DiAngelo speaking, I had to finish the book, not just skim it. She doesn’t understand what causes racism so she can’t attribute it to its causes. Instead she grasps at what she can, no matter how inaccurate or how much she exacerbates the[…] Keep reading →

This episode follows up the last one, on how you can learn sustainability leadership through our workshops, so you can practice sustainability joyfully. You can teach others to, and teach others to teach others. If the process only led to a few people changing, or even many, it wouldn’t be worth pursuing. Unlike almost any sustainability work, it can lead to global cultural change and a joyful, rewarding path to[…] Keep reading →

If you’ve listened to a lot of this podcast, you’ve heard me walk many guests through sharing their values on sustainability and acting on them. If you haven’t, you should, in my opinion. Why do they enjoy what most people consider deprivation and sacrifice? You can learn to do it. A growing team of us teach workshops in sustainability leadership. One is coming up soon, September 10, 2024. This episode[…] Keep reading →