The Future is What We Make of It

This short video clip is not what you expect, and is really good. Watch and consider how our actions together determine our future together.

Freeganism

I just recently encountered the term freeganism, used to describe a movement of people committed to reducing waste. From wiki, "Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." Wow, doesn't that sound wonderful! Indeed, while it is a cool new term, it is an idea that is rooted in the founding works of many of our religious traditions. It has become much easier to be a freegan with the social networking provided through sites such as Freecycle or FreeAlert. People are empowered to share quality used items with other individuals, and since everyone can both give and receive, the desire to make a profit is removed. In my experience it is actually a cleansing feeling to give something away!

Another aspect of freegan life is dumpster diving, an activity that I have had recent encounters with, following the lead of two professional dumpster divers, Dee and Becky. Dumpster diving is a rare win-win for the individual and the environment, as "waste" food is used to feed families, reducing the impact on both the pocketbook and the environment!

A great introduction to freeganism can be found on GroovyGreen's blog, check it out. I certainly do not qualify as a freegan, as I am still stuck in the consumer model our economy is built around, but as I continually deconstruct my own consumerist mentality, I hope to begin my freegan novitiate.

Financial Justification to Buy a Hybrid

Here is some excellent financial justification to finally make the transition to a hybrid. My family can't yet afford the switch, but we are looking to make the plunge in the next year or two.

What about you? If you are considering buying a hybrid, what is your time-line? If gas prices increased to over $4/gallon, would that hasten your transition?

Election Prediction

So I have been predicting for a couple weeks that Clinton and Mitt Romney will be the two presidential candidates in 2008, so I will formally go on record with this prediction. Romney is definitely a mixed bag when it comes to green politics, with some commendable interest in renewable energy, but scepticism when it comes to global warming and carbon emissions.

What do you think about my prediction? If I am right, does that mean the green vote will go to Clinton?

After we are gone...

Okay, this is just fascinating. While it seems unlikely that the human species will ever disappear suddenly and cataclysmically, it is very interesting to consider how the earth would (slowly) recover from our presence. Check out the graphical time trend based on the book by Alan Weisman. What is so amazing about the lingering effects of humanity is that almost all of the long term negative impacts are from the last 100 years alone! It is just crazy how quickly we have degraded the earth, when you consider that humans have been around for over 3000 years and for the most part lived in cooperation with the environment. In just three generations we are facing major environmental crisis, including deforestation, global warming, air and water pollution, extinction of animal and plant species, etc.

I am not trying to be a doomsayer, indeed, I find that overly negative thinking is paralyzing and ultimate not productive. Rather, I think that if we could get ourselves into this mess so quickly, there is no reason we can't turn things around rapidly, if we get enough people committed to significant change.

Gore Gets Involved in Green Investing

I continue to be excited about the potential for green and socially responsible investing. While it may seem counter-intuitive to enlist the help of the business world in combating problems that are often of their own making, I actually believe that this approach will be more effective in achieving real, sustainable change then grass roots efforts or policy changes. That is not to undermine the importance of the latter two, not in the least! But if we really want to impact the world in a meaningful and tangible manner, we need to go after the "big guns," in the arena's of energy, manufacturing, transportation, etc.

In an NPR interview yesterday Al Gore discussed a new alliance he is forming with a venture capital firm based in California. They will seek to invest in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and other green opportunities. Gore makes a very important point when he notes that "We've now reached the stage where this shift is going to happen with or without new government policies. ... The business sector is ahead of the policy maker community in recognizing this shift toward a low-carbon economy has to take place." This development, while clearly profit driven, is exciting.

Capitalism and the drive for profits clearly has many, many shortfalls when it comes to social justice and sustainable living. However, if we reach a point that it becomes profitable curb pollution, develop renewable energy, engage in ethical business practices, etc, the impact on the world will be staggering. Indeed, it now seems plausible that the industrial revolution will be followed by a sustainable living revolution!

What do you think? Can the power of the profit hungry business world be harnessed to do good for our planet and its people?