My book Sustainability Simplified treats addiction in depth because it’s so connected to our environmental problems. All of those problems result from our behavior. We aren’t stopping behavior putting civilization at risk, harming people globally. Read the book for more detail, but I think you can see our dependence on polluting and depleting qualifies as addiction. If you want to overcome an addiction, whom do you ask for help: people[…] Keep reading →

I served in my first Thanksgiving Day parade this morning. The role of an auxiliary police officer at a parade for families and kids isn’t to keep the peace. I saw it as more for structure. A little to keep order, but more fulfilling a civic role for kids to see government in a peaceful role. I enjoy fulfilling civic duty, so despite the cold rain, I enjoyed playing that[…] Keep reading →

The New York Times wrote a piece “Ozempic Could Crush the Junk Food Industry. But It Is Fighting Back” that reported people happy with results that I’ve found from living more sustainably. Except my way didn’t cost me anything, trade one dependence for another, or risk any side effects. It didn’t require willpower either. People think it did, but I think they just don’t know how to change habits without[…] Keep reading →

When people learn I pick up litter daily, many respond with a knee-jerk suggestion I be careful because the litter could be laced with fentanyl or could give me AIDS. I would ask where this nonsense comes from except that I know it’s their fears based on preconceptions. They can’t possibly imagine I don’t know about fentanyl and AIDS. They can’t imagine they’re helping me. I mean, they’d be fools[…] Keep reading →

Do you have too much hair on your head and want to pull it all out? Here’s how to do it: try to get an addict in denial to seriously acknowledge their addiction. I’m overstating it, of course, but talking to people who fly, buy SUVs, consume more doof than they like, buy fast fashion, and are stuck in other addictions will say anything, contort any meaning, deny, obfuscate, and[…] Keep reading →

On September 30, 2021, I unplugged my fridge, aiming for 8 months. I had unplugged it based on an article on one of my favorite sites, Low Tech Magazine: Vietnam’s Low-tech Food System Takes Advantage of Decay. I learned much of the world uses less refrigeration than Americans. We think of fridges as keeping food fresh, but other places have The first time I unplugged, I made it 3.5 months.[…] Keep reading →

The reactions of people on and around the area they call Crack Row—the northwest corner of Washington Square Park—varies and changes. Earlier today, while doing my sidcha of picking up at least three pieces of litter from that corner, one guy thanked me and said he appreciated when people did nice things like that. Not long after, one woman from another group of about a half-dozen people got angry at[…] Keep reading →

People think about how they could use it and think optimistically, but neglect to think that the people they disagree with and oppose will too. Like fire and sharp knives, technology isn’t good or bad. Technology augments the values of the people and culture using it. Technology accelerates the system—that is, it leads to achieving similar outcomes faster. Regarding our political differences, it won’t lead one or another position to[…] Keep reading →

I’ve meant to post about this response from a reader to my post fro March 2022: Year 7, day 1 without flying, seeing our cultural and individual addictions. I’m not sure how to respond, but I know this site has a bug that doesn’t always show comments and didn’t want people to miss it. One big point I’ve realized since that post is that I have to clarify I don’t[…] Keep reading →