I found some quotes from the roots of what transformed our culture from based on people as citizens, promoting freedom, to one based on people as consumers before citizens. They turn my stomach the way learning a Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. We became a consumerist culture, replacing food with doof, for deliberate reasons. I don’t know if the people promoting the change foresaw where they would lead us. I doubt[…] Keep reading →

Podcast guest Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM did a video on doof, which he calls ultraprocessed food, junk food, or ultraprocessed junk food. He’s a multiple time number one bestselling author and host of Nutritionfacts.org. Experience shows me that using the word food confuses people into thinking it’s food when it isn’t. Just because something fills your belly when you’re hungry doesn’t mean it’s food. Heroin would make the hunger[…] Keep reading →

Alcoholism is a problem all over the world. There are individual alcoholics and there are systemic issues that lead to alcoholism. If you can’t cure all alcoholism all over the world, should you still get sober yourself? The question sounds too obvious to ask. Of course an alcoholic should do what they can do overcome the addiction, even if they can’t help anyone else. It improves their life. The reason[…] Keep reading →

I’ve noticed people go through a few transitions as they start acting sustainably. I haven’t catalogued them all, but a few: From expecting acting sustainably means deprivation and sacrifice to expecting it bring rewarding emotions. Before this transition, you don’t want to start trying. You may feel obliged or shamed into acting, but you resent it. The AIM/Spodek Method that I teach and coach starts this transition. From thinking your[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know I’m learning about addiction because I see it as relevant to much of our polluting behavior. I’m not trained as a psychologist, so I’ve looked up the term for a definition and found a lot, not all consistent with each other, many conflicting. Combining many sources, my working definition is “a brain disorder where someone can’t stop choosing rewarding stimuli despite hurting themselves or others.” I put[…] Keep reading →

I’m continuing living clean from my addictions to polluting behaviors. Last year I kept my fridge unplugged for six and a half months. If unplugging the fridge sounds weird or stupid, check out my post on why I would and what I got out of it: 12 Sustainability Leadership Lessons Unplugging My Fridge for 6.5 Months Taught Me. Also consider that much of the world lives without a fridge, many[…] Keep reading →

I’m beginning to think that every meal and snack of nearly every American involves some polluting, disposable packaging. When I see people consuming on the street, they’re nearly always consuming doof. Even if they buy food, it’s nearly always packaged. Not that I’ve been checking, but I can’t remember a time I saw someone eating an apple on the street. Hundreds of times a day I see people carrying disposable[…] Keep reading →

People and nations are funding Russia’s invading Ukraine, where tens of thousands have died and millions have become refugees. The laws of supply and demand dictate that any use drives up price, so any use helps fund Russia, being such a big supplier. Everyone acts like the only alternative to burning fossil fuels is burning different fossil fuels, as if humans haven’t thrived for hundreds of thousands of years without[…] Keep reading →

This month set a record low electrical use at only 10 kWh, or less than one dollar on supply charges. I don’t remember what I did this month to keep it so low, or rather what I didn’t do. Note I still use hot water for my showers, which my building heats with natural gas, though my showers are only a couple minutes. The two reasons I’m sharing I’m sharing[…] Keep reading →