LATEST BLOG POSTS

I’ve written that, yes, we should teach children about living sustainably, but teaching children doesn’t solve the problems we’re teaching them about. On the contrary, if we teach them to do what we aren’t doing ourselves, they learn from our behavior, not our words. We will lead them to see polluting and depleting like cursing or drinking, something kids have to wait until they grow up to do but that[…] Keep reading →

I’ve already written how polluting and depleting appropriate other people’s lives, liberty, and property without their consent. Societies used to take other society’s land—also known as colonialism—by invading or settling. Nowadays they avoid the risk of violence by addicting people. The opium wars were fought over incapacitating a population with opium. Now we do it with cell phones and hydroelectric dams. A new way of appropriating others’ land is by[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know my sidcha to pick up at least three pieces of litter from the northwest corner of Washington Square Park. While most of my sidchas I haven’t missed, that one I’ve missed, maybe one or two times per year. The park could use more people picking up litter. No, the point of picking up litter isn’t just the temporary removal of litter. Picking up litter makes not buying[…] Keep reading →

I keep meaning to write a post on the pattern I keep seeing, but for the time being, I’m just going to collect and list examples of it. The pattern isn’t perfect and anyone who thinks I’m suggesting it is misunderstands me, but the pattern I see is: When society conflicts with men, we say men have to change or take responsibility. When society conflicts with women, we say society[…] Keep reading →

Below is an idea for the new book that I probably won’t use so figured I’d share it here. I’m sure I’ll use it in conversations with the media. I may develop it more. I like the idea. I should probably specify the behaviors of environmentalists whose counterparts I show in the smokers’, though I hope it’s obvious. For example, vaping represents all the technologies and efficiencies that people want[…] Keep reading →

I posted this question before in A paradoxical consequence of considering animals, plants, and rivers people, but wanted to pose the question more directly: If rivers and animals are people, then are no human people indigenous, only colonizers? That is, if we consider animals people, doesn’t that they are indigenous and that humans who came into their territories are invading colonizers? I was reading about how humans crossed the Bering[…] Keep reading →

This week I finished: Tokyo Story, directed by Yasujiro Ozu: Someone in my meditation group recommended this movie after I spoke about how much Yi Yi and A Brighter Summer Day affected me. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never heard of the director or even the movie. I’m sure I’d seen the title since so many best-movie-ever lists include it. Many reviewers write how it is about a[…] Keep reading →

Two things I haven’t kept track of but happen over and over: Sure, I could go for the quick clicks as the guy off the grid in Manhattan. I could probably get a million followers, but to change global culture, continuing the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, requires a solid, deep foundation. I’m getting closer to launch all the time, but not there yet. The reason my material has value and[…] Keep reading →

I said the following words today and realized I had to post them here: Chasing shiny objects means you’re running away from what you value. For background, I describe passing fancies in my book Initiative: Passing fancies are things we enjoy in the moment but don’t bring long-term emotional reward. Since everyone’s values differ, your passing fancies will differ from mine. Our world is full of passing fancies like social[…] Keep reading →