Category Archives: Nature

More isn’t less, but people keep making more, trying to make less.

on May 11, 2024 in Nature

I spoke today to someone who co-founded a business making fashionable clothes from fabric that would otherwise have been disposed of. Even in sustainability, nearly everyone wants to make more. I’m not going to stop her. I support her salvaging stuff that would have become pollution, but more isn’t less. More than more “sustainable” clothing brands, we need fewer H&Ms and clothing overall, but more people are making “sustainable” clothing[…] Keep reading →

What made sustainability politically polarized: my hypothesis

on May 10, 2024 in Education, Models, Nature, Relationships

Our environmental problems have become a politically polarized issue. Why? I don’t know values of any political tradition that oppose clean air, land, water, and food, while all seem consistent with stewardship. Meanwhile, the main political tribes seem to see their opponents as obvious enemies, blatantly exacerbating the problems. Liberals say conservatives and libertarians don’t care and are greedy. They say they prefer profit over helping other people or wildlife.[…] Keep reading →

Rain and clouds as far as the forecast goes. More challenges to solve.

on May 3, 2024 in Nature

I made it through January and February with 23 out of 25 days of rain, snow, and no clear skies. The days were shorter but I had roof access, so at least I could charge when there wasn’t much sun. Without roof access, bring the panels and battery to the park takes more work and time. The challenges of sustainability are less technology, market incentives, and legislation and more how[…] Keep reading →

How to fail at transitioning from fossil fuels

on May 2, 2024 in Addiction, Choosing/Decision-Making, Nature

First, let’s imagine solar, wind, hydroelectric, fission, or fusion were “clean,” “green,” or “renewable.” They aren’t, but for the sake of understanding, we’ll imagine they are, so if we transitioned to them from fossil fuels, society could live indefinitely on them. What Doesn’t Work Everyone is acting as if we can ramp up “clean,” “green,” and “renewable” energies until we don’t need fossil fuels, then we can ramp down fossil[…] Keep reading →

The problems of sustainability as more social than scientific

on April 23, 2024 in Addiction, Freedom, Models, Nature

People jump to treating our environmental problems as rooted in science, therefore they look for solutions from scientists. I’m seeing the problem more as social than scientific in the following way. First, I want to clarify that understanding the mechanisms by which Earth’s ecosystems are changed depend on science. I’m not challenging that we understand the mechanisms through observation, experiment, debate, and the other tools of science. When I pollute[…] Keep reading →

If you don’t like measuring your carbon footprint, report how much you fund extraction and lobbying

on April 19, 2024 in Addiction, Leadership, Nature, Nonjudgment

The first result on a search on bp carbon footprint was a Guardian opinion piece Big oil coined ‘carbon footprints’ to blame us for their greed. Keep them on the hook which linked to a piece in Mashsable The carbon footprint sham: A ‘successful, deceptive’ PR campaign. That piece begins: In a dark TV ad aired in 1971, a jerk tosses a bag of trash from a moving car. The[…] Keep reading →

Another reader inspired to commit to acting on his own, inspiring me back (and I hope you too).

on April 11, 2024 in Leadership, Nature

A reader emailed me: I really enjoy your podcast and greatly appreciate your work. It was very exciting to someone else thinking about personal choices the same way I do and effectively influencing others to do the same. I want to commit to a new personal challenge of only buying food without packaging — I’m almost there now but I want to publicly commit and go all the way …[…] Keep reading →

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