I was out in the park along the Hudson River picking juneberries. Not only was the food not packaged, I picked them myself. They’re incredibly delicious. The tree evolved to provide fruit to be eaten. I saw a lot of people picnicking on the grass, eating at the outdoor bar in the park, and eating while they walked. Every piece of food or beverage I saw them eating was bought[…] Keep reading →

I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but in New York, people talk about psychedelic drugs a lot. Everyone is talking about microdosing (probably not as much as in California), going to shamans in Peru for ayahuasca, and so on. People describe the value of the experiences as life changing. I’m prompted by a recent New Yorker piece This Is Your Priest on Drugs: Dozens of religious leaders[…] Keep reading →

People ask me sometimes if I miss anything from when I polluted and depleted like the average American, or more, really. They hear about not filling a load of trash since 2019, avoiding doof and packaged food, and not doing all the things mainstream culture considers normal and necessary and think I’m giving things up. The honest answer is that I don’t miss anything, at least I can’t think of[…] Keep reading →

The story Meet the NYC environmentalists going off the grid and eating discarded food begins: Joshua Spodek’s studio apartment in the West Village is an off-grid oasis. While other apartments in his 15-story co-op rely on electricity produced by fossil fuel-burning power plants, Spodek is disconnected from Con Edison and National Grid. The main circuit breaker in his apartment is turned off. Instead, he powers his few electric devices –[…] Keep reading →

Yesterday, April 20th, is a big holiday for people who love cannabis and many cannabis lovers love Washington Square Park so it was more crowded than usual, but it’s not a national holiday or that big. Yet look at the garbage on a mostly regular day. I just took a few pictures, but every can was beyond full to overflowing. Each became the center of an ever-growing pile of garbage.[…] Keep reading →

If an adult wants to smoke in their home, that’s their business. If they give themselves lung cancer, that’s their choice, assuming their sickness doesn’t tax others who didn’t choose. Likewise, if people want to consume doof, that’s their business too. But if someone smokes where others who don’t or can’t consent to breathing that smoke, or if someone too young to know the long-term results of their choices smokes,[…] Keep reading →

I passed through Chinatown this afternoon and passed countless produce stands selling fresh vegetables and fruit. A while ago I read in the New York Times that many stands there have a separate supply chain for their fresh produce that’s grown relatively locally independent of the supply chain for other grocery stores or farmers markets in the city. While Chinatown is full of produce stands, the rest of New York[…] Keep reading →

We’ve all seen the graphs and data of rising obesity. People get riled up about it. I have no problem with people living by their values when their choices affect only themselves. I pick up litter daily and hear from Workshop alumni and podcast guests who pledge to pick up litter. They sometimes cry when their hands-on practical experience leads them to see and consciously process what they usually look[…] Keep reading →

It’s been almost ten years since I posted Why Sriracha Hot Sauce tastes good. In it I wrote: Progress report on enjoying food over doof I don’t think I’ve tasted it in the decade since. Then in my volunteer work salvaging food that would be thrown away, I ended up with a jar to deliver. It had been opened, so I had a chance to taste it. It’s been years[…] Keep reading →