Author: jennynazak

“One of the worst things, I feel, that my friends with money do is keep money in banks, stocks, bonds, treasuries, etc., thus loaning money to some of the most powerful Earth destroyers.”

A very astute comment by my Permaculture colleague Andy Firk, an educator/activist who is widely known and recognized for his wild-plant walks and for stewarding Bamboo Grove in Arcadia FL (among his many contributions to regenerative community).

I replied:

Absolutely 100% agree with you regarding the harm of keeping money in banks or other financial instruments! I only keep enough in the bank to serve as a convenience portal for paying bills etc. And I own no stocks, bonds, CDs, 401(k)s, or anything else related to Wall Street.

A few years ago, I was inspired by you and took a page from your book. You had shared about how you handle money, and I thought, “That is brilliant, And I hope I have the courage to do that if I ever get two dimes to rub together”.

Not that I’ve ever had a lot of money, but at one point I came into a significant amount of money and needed to be able to use it wisely and ethically.

I used the vast majority of it to purchase a house free and clear. (Up until then, I had been an economically precarious renter for most of my adult life.) And, I use this home to provide stable low-cost housing not only to myself but to 2 housemates. And to provide various services and amenities to the neighborhood.

I tithed a chunk of my inheritance out to my community, and continue to share with the community as I’m able.

And, I make microloans to my friends, and micro investments in creative ventures.

Your example helped inspire me to stay true to my values when I came into some money!

Bill Mollison is so correct when he says that where we keep our money is an extremely important aspect of Permaculture. He might’ve even called it the most important aspect.

Regarding air travel [Andy was referring to his trip to Scotland, and being upset by the high footprint, but mitigating it in ways such as donating money which was used to plant 20,000 trees], my understanding is that a person can take one flight a year to Europe or across the USA and still stay within a sustainable footprint. As long as we are very careful in other areas of our lives. Which obviously you are!

And regarding mitigating the eco footprint of air travel, no method is perfect, but planting trees and so on is a sensible approach that offers many benefits.

Thanks for all you do, and thanks for caring!

DEEP GREEN house is my domicile, and the unofficial headquarters for Daytona Beach Permaculture Guild. And it’s a demonstration site for Degrowth, Deep Adaptation, and the 90% Reduction Challenge.

I am grateful to my two “civilian” housemates for choosing to dwell in this low-footprint-living lab. By renting the two big bedrooms, not only do they help me with the overhead expenses of a house, but also, they serve as a “reality check” to me, of the boundaries of what can be considered reasonable and practical for everyday humans.

A lot of my work day-to-day at DEEP GREEN house involves doing experiments, and sharing what works and what doesn’t. Various areas of experimentation include cooking, water conservation, electricity reduction, and clothing.

One of my ongoing pesky clothing challenges, as the heat and humidity seem to become increasingly severe with each passing summer, is to find types of garments and fabrics that are wearable by people living without air-conditioning.

Now, one might think there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Just look at what people were wearing in the tropics, before air-conditioning. And in many cases still are wearing.

Unfortunately, ready-made garments of extreme-heat-friendly fabrics are not that easy to find even in thrift shops and freeboxes. At least not in my part of the USA. You just don’t see that much of the oldtimey standbys like seersucker and gauze. A lot of things nowadays are made of polyester and nylon. And even the cotton isn’t a sure bet. A lot of cotton comes in the form of T-shirts, which I am finding to be almost unwearable as the summers get hotter. I’ve noticed it for the past couple of summers especially.

Even linen wasn’t seeming to do the trick. Maybe the piece of fabric I tried from my collection of remnants was woven too tightly, but whatever the case, something just wasn’t working. The top I improvised last night was maybe a step more comfortable than a T-shirt, but I still could not bear to have against my body.

Ditto with the top I tried putting together from an old scrap of rayon.

Interestingly, one garment that I have been finding sort of bearable is a pair of swim-shorts made of a polyester fabric. (As with almost all of my clothes, it was diverted from the waste stream.) I still get sweaty, but the fabric doesn’t hold a bunch of sweat, and dries quickly. It’s helpful to be able to take a dip in the ocean, or dump a bunch of rainwater over myself, and then run around doing yard tasks and voilá my shorts are dry in no time.

But this morning, I finally had a real success.

Well, it took me a while, but I finally got around to cutting up this old hippie-print curtain that I inherited a few years ago from a friend who was throwing it away.

For a while I was using the curtain as a breathable partition between kitchen and guest bedroom, but this summer I have been using it as a lightweight bed-sheet (for when the nighttime temperature goes below 79F, which seems to be the cutoff point where it’s cool enough that I want a sheet over me).

I can still use it as a bedsheet, but as of this morning it’s also a viable outfit for extreme heat & humidity without air conditioning. The feeling on my body as I’m sitting here typing this is like night and day from every other type of garment and fabric that I have tried.

I will probably cut the length of the dress part to be calf-length. I may cut the length of the tunic, or may leave it at its correct length, which is hip-length.

In case you can’t access the post on my Facebook page (DEEP GREEN book by jenny nazak) to see the pictures, it comprises a wrap around my chest that is then tied with a soft cord made of old T-shirt fabric. And, over that, a tunic made by cutting a hole in a rectangle of the same fabric. For riding a bicycle, I will additionally want to make some kind of bloomers/pedal-pushers out of the same type of fabric.

The challenge will be to source fabric. I try not to buy anything new. For many reasons, which I have often written about in here. So, I’m going to use that ancient skill of curbside goddess manifestation, which always brings blessings from the waste stream.

But, for now, I’m super content to just enjoy the success. I am sitting here typing, and I don’t feel excruciatingly uncomfortable. Sweat is not pooling all over my body. In fact, I am downright comfortable! Even more comfortable than I felt last night when I snagged a bit of coolness by fanning myself while not having any fabric against my body.

To be clear, it’s not like I suddenly just discovered the existence of gauze! But, it’s something I haven’t been seeing out and about for seven years. And when I do, it seems to only come in hippie prints which I don’t prefer. The one I’m wearing right now is tolerable because it’s a relatively low-key blue and white print. And, because it’s an initial success, which I can now build on by hopefully finding solid-colored gauze in the waste stream or thrift shop. My color preference will be a moss-green or similar.

Personally, I think it would be prudent to put attention onto retrofitting our homes and other buildings so that they are more habitable without air conditioning. There are many DIY retrofits, such as shades and awnings and curtains, as well as adding trees and trellises for shade and heat mitigation.

Also, a great way to economize and reduce dependency is to think of air conditioning as something you can get for free by going to a public building library or a shopping mall. And keep your home use to a minimum. This may help you acclimate to heat conditions. And, the heat will give you a reality check on what’s really viable as far as clothing and such.

I also want to talk about a low-tech, oldtimey type of “air-conditioning” known as a breezeway. If you can manage to add a breezeway to your home, or to the communal space in your neighborhood, etc., you will be adding a cooling feature while also helping to build community, as maybe more people will be willing to hang out outdoors together. If your city or other local government still has funds left over from Covid assistance or other federal programs, you could encourage them to invest it in durable cooling structures such as shaded pavilions, and breezeways.

PS. With anything related to reduction, be it living without a car or living without air-conditioning, some people can take it as an effort into shaming them to reduce their footprint. Rest assured, I am not trying to shame anyone.

Because of the way our “modern” buildings are made, and because of some less-than-optimal landscaping and city-planning practices, it can be virtually impossible to live without air-conditioning. Also because our modern clothing isn’t optimized for the ambient, non-climate-controlled temperature. And, because dress codes and social norms (largely rooted in colonialism) enforce some very uncomfortable and impractical types of clothing and fabrics. What I am trying to do here is help ordinary people escape crippling expenses and extreme vulnerability.

I keep seeing these horror stories on my social feeds, of how people of modest means are being forced to shell out thousands of dollars to repair or replace an air conditioner. I’m like, really, are you guys that much wealthier than I am? And I really doubt that so many of us are in such a cushy financial position as not to find that a struggle. Plus, being dependent on air conditioning makes us so psychologically vulnerable. People are constantly worried that the air conditioning might go out, let alone if it actually goes out.

I’m not trying to tell you to do without air conditioning if you don’t want to, but I hope that some of my posts and comments will encourage you to explore ways of reducing your dependency on AC (and other very energy-expensive and money-expensive conveniences).

Further Exploration:

• “What is Gauze?” https://thefabricofourlives.com/cotton-fabrics/gauze “You’re probably familiar with the cotton gauze bandages in your first-aid kit, but this thin, sheer fabric is also used to make loose, unstructured dresses and blouses, curtains and baby carriers. Because of its open, airy weave, this is the perfect fabric to wear during hot summer months.”

My apologies for making a post that will only be relevant to the tiny subset of humans who live in one particular state of the United States and who want to grow food in their yards. But I get a lot of questions about this and I wanted to provide people with a static url. So, here is what I just posted on a friend’s page in response to her frustration with trying to grow things in Florida. By the way, if you are an aspiring residential gardener living in Florida, you don’t have to think about a greenhouse, because we are pretty much living in a greenhouse ha ha.

1) Organic methods for vegetable gardening in Florida, second edition; book by Ginny Stibolt and Melissa Markham. https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813068763 I give a particular way to Ginny’s advice because she is also among Florida’s leading experts on native plants and climate-wise gardening.

2) Totally crazy easy Florida gardening: The secret to growing piles of food in the sunshine state; book by David the Good. https://www.echobooks.net/totally-crazy-easy-florida-gard.html

3) Facebook group: Florida Food Forest

4) Facebook content creator and business: Transforming Florida Yards. She’s in south Florida but a lot of her information is good here in central Florida as well.

5) Also, make sure you are buying seeds that are best able to grow in Florida. Here is one seller who is widely regarded. Seed the Stars / Ryan Diggle on Facebook (and he sells via his Etsy account Seed the Stars).

6) For calorie crops in Florida, follow Josh Jamison on Facebook — He provides a wealth of information and sells some starts as well. He is supposedly working on a book but I’m not sure when it’s supposed to come out.

7) Also, resist the temptation to think you have to move out of your house and go buy a bunch of land. That’s a good way to wear yourself out and waste a lot of resources. You will be surprised at how much food you can grow on a fraction of an acre. Google terms: urban homestead; container gardening; food forest garden in pots.

8) Not everything needs sun. You can start seeds in a garage or other dark area before they need light. Also in your garage or other dark area, you can be cultivating mushrooms, starting micro greens, growing sprouts, incubating kefir, and more.

9) all of the above not withstanding, I have generally gotten away from growing cultivars. If you don’t have a green thumb it can be a lot of work to do it alone. If there were neighbors wanting to garden together, I would prefer to do that rather than try to grow my own. In the meantime, I have gotten very into foraging for nutritious food that grows for free. Many people call them “weeds,” but in fact they are food and medicine.

10) Growing trees and native plants in one’s yard helps create the “infrastructure” that will in turn make it easier for people in a neighborhood to grow fruits and vegetables in their yards. Trees and native flowers and other native plants provide habitat for beneficial insects, spiders, frogs, and other fellow creatures who can be a great help in a garden.

11) As weather extremes continue to get more extreme, temperature mitigation and shade via trees and vines will become an increasingly essential feature of a garden. Plus, it just makes it prettier and more fun to hang out in the yard. And the more you hang out in your yard, the better you’ll get to know the plants and animals who live there, and be able to hang out with them and work with them.

If you mainly get around by some means other than automobile, and/or if you don’t own a car, your bizarre and eccentric life-choice may have attracted some unwanted attention from the people around you. At least that has been the case for me.

“HOW DID YOU GET HERE?” is a question I get all the time. From virtual strangers, and from people I’ve known for years. The implication being that my mode of transport is somehow strange and needs always to be addressed out loud in public.

From civilians, it’s annoying but sort of inevitable, and I just have to take a deep breath. But from fellow environmentalists, it sends me crashing into deepest despondency. I’m like, really? Et tu, viridi?

Gee, it’s almost like we don’t work on climate issues together. Or attend meetings about sustainable urban planning. <shrug; eye-roll>

Look, I realize it can be difficult to impossible to get around without a car. And I am not constantly harassing people for driving everywhere. So what I would like is if people would simply respect that I have taken care of my own transportation and that it’s not really any of their concern. And: Fellow environmentalists, you may not realize this, but you are unintentionally marginalizing non-car forms of transport when you make an issue of this.

Hey, I may be the only person in the entire cosmic universe who has ever experienced this phenomenon, but I’m just putting it out there in case some of you have as well.

To answer the question, there’s no good way to answer that question. Sometimes I just blatantly change the subject or ignore the question. Other times I say things like, “Safely and in one piece, glad you did too!” Or, “Same way everyone else got here.”

I have always applied virtual duct tape to my mouth just in time, right when I was about to respond to someone, “Why — are you still driving?”

Lately, though, I’m really wanting to restrict my snark impulses to my fiction writing, and find more constructive ways to respond to my fellow human beings in real life. I could say something like, “Why? Are you interested in learning about transport options? I’ll be happy to shoot you an email with some information.” Or, “Why? Would you like to walk or bicycle or bus with me to the meeting next time? If so, I’ll be sure and invite you.”

I feel like a petty dork obsessing about this stuff, and yet, what it signifies is not petty. Getting around without a car should not be considered so weird and marginal, especially with so many people having trouble putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Even the more comfortably-off people who don’t have trouble meeting those basic expenses still have issues such as losing cars in floods and having to replace them. I know one person who has lost, I think, four cars in storms so far. I imagine insurance reimburses a lot of it but I doubt it all gets reimbursed.

I think sometimes another reason why I get frustrated is that I’m mad at myself for not being a very effective transportation activist. Meaning I don’t seem to really get anyone motivated to actually try a different mode of transport, as opposed to just publicly pointing out the weirdness of getting around by something other than a car.

But it’s bigger than that. Because this is supposed to be a collective effort. We, environmentalists, were supposed to reform the unsustainable transportation system that is a major contributor to biospheric collapse. Instead, we came down hard on the side of individualistic solutions and reinforcing suburban-sprawl settlement patterns. (How we environmentalists have contributed to suburban sprawl is a whole ‘nother topic.)

So, when a fellow environmentalist asks the dreaded, “How did you get here?” it’s like rubbing salt in a wound.

But, this is a lifelong area of my activism, and I will keep plugging away. It’s so important, not just for environmental reason but also for reasons related to health and aging in place.

PS. This past week, a fellow transportation activist was seriously injured while riding her bicycle. She will require surgery and probably not be able to ride her bicycle for a little while. Now in this case, rather than being hit by a motorist, she was hit by a road cyclist who came up passing on the right.

As someone who used to be a road cyclist, doing a lot of long-distance recreational cycling, I am all too aware that road bikes are designed to go a lot faster than basic town bikes, beach cruisers etc.

Fellow road cyclists, of course we need to be aware of the danger of motorists, but we also need to be aware of the danger that we ourselves pose to other cyclists, and also to pedestrians. And on that note, passing on the right is an absolute no-no!

By the way, if you are a motorist who does not ride a bicycle, and you have ever been tempted to try to tell someone not to ride a bicycle (or to stop riding) “because it’s dangerous” — Please don’t!

If you really feel like you have to tell anyone anything, tell your fellow motorists to be less dangerous.

The proper focus for your concern as a motorist is making sure you yourself are driving safely, and spreading awareness among your fellow motorists to be more conscious of the fact that there are road users other than cars. We cyclists are doing our best to make sure our own fellow cyclists are properly dressed and equipped for visibility, and are following the rules of the road.

Also, when someone gets injured on a bicycle, don’t ask them if they’re going to quit cycling. After all, did you quit driving when you got into a car accident? And how would you have felt if people had come asking you if you were going to quit driving? (I realize not everyone has been in a car accident, but the vast majority of us have at one time or another.)

Fellow Eco boomers, if you’re not willing to give up your car or even reduce driving, I’m not going to try to push you. However, I do have a favor to ask. I would appreciate if you would do some simple research to find out what the bus and train routes are in your area. Also look into taxis and Uber’s etc.

And, make a list of the alternative modes of transport you would use if your car were to break down. Include any friends and neighbors who you would feel comfortable enough to ask for a ride. By learning this information, maybe you will stop thinking of cyclists and pedestrians as rare zoo exhibits or perverse rebels-without-a-clue. And just by shifting your consciousness that little bit, you will be helping to reduce the death-grip that car-dependency has on all of us.

This is an actual question that somebody asked me. A person who I consider to be a fellow environmentalist and climate activist.

She seemed to view me as being somehow more vulnerable than a person who depends on a car.

As is one of my bad habits (that I am working on changing), I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t respond properly.

So, long long time later, I am writing this out in case some of you might find it helpful.

I am not out to chastise people for getting around by car. Especially in the USA, things are set up in a manner that virtually forces automobile ownership on people.

I could berate my fellow members of the mainstream environmental movement for not being more of a force for public transportation and walkability. So many of us just rolled over and moved to the suburbs — especially suburbs that had that attractive veneer of a “nature preserve” — and in so many other ways bought into the car-dependent lifestyle lock, stock, and barrel. But what’s done is done; no use in my continuing to be upset about this. We just have to try to move forward.

I hope that a lot of us, as we move into our elder years, are smart enough to want to stop driving. If not for our own sake, then for the sake of our families and the people around us.

(On that note, in my capacity as an eldercare and end-of-life Doula, I strongly encourage everybody to make a transportation plan that will take you into old age without you having to count on being able to drive a car. There are lots of ways to accomplish this. As just two examples: You could move to a more walkable / public-transport-served location. Or you could try to get a younger relative or other housemate to move in with you, and provide transportation / errand-running as part of their rent.)

But anyway! This post is about what would I do if something happens to my bicycle?

• It’s not IF; it’s WHEN. Same as it’s not if but when something happens to your car. Transportation breaks down. Things have “happened” to my bicycle many times. Mainly flat tires. What do you do when your car breaks down? Your list of responses would probably overlap in many cases with mine. Except at least in my case I don’t have to pay a towing service.

• In the event of a breakdown on the road: I walk home. Or catch a bus home. For rare emergencies, when I really can’t walk or catch a bus, I call my neighbor who is a young single mom who I pay to be my taxi. If she’s not available, I call an actual taxi (or Uber etc.). This is only ever happened once in my entire life. That I actually had to call a taxi because my bicycle broke down.

• If I’m already home, and my bicycle is just out of commission, there are many alternatives:

— I can decide not to go out

— I can catch a ride with someone else who’s going to the event

— I can walk, if time & distance permit

— I can take public transportation

— If it’s really far, I can rent a car (something I have done on more than one occasion)

— Or, I can turn it into a fun outing and invite a friend who might not otherwise go, and I can treat them to a nice lunch or something

— I can do a rideshare (Craigslist used to be a lot better for ridesharing than it is now, but it’s still at least a secondary option)

— I can hitch a ride with a motorist who’s going the same way (not something I advise “civilians” to do, but I have done it and it’s been more than fine; and if, like me, you belong to a subculture where people are used to depending on “strangers,” you have probably used this option on occasion as well)

Basically, in a nutshell, I have found, as a person who is not dependent on automobile ownership, that my responses to transportation breakdown are typically much more flexible than a car owner’s. I haven’t gathered data on this, but from the social-media feeds of my friends, it’s apparent that people’s lives tend to be completely derailed, and their schedules go on hold, the minute their car breaks down. For somebody who doesn’t have a car, that isn’t the case.

Also, you will never see me alone by a roadside in the dead of night having to wait next to a broken-down vehicle for roadside help because somebody might steal the car or trash it if I leave it. Or because I might get a ticket for abandoning my vehicle.

Rather, as a car-free individual, I have more than once chained up my bicycle to a road sign, and come back the next day or so to deal with it. (Of course you might not feel comfortable doing that if you have a super expensive bicycle. But most of us who cycle for transportation rather than just recreation don’t have a super expensive bicycle. That would just be too much of a liability.)

So, that’s the very unexciting answer to the question “what will you do if something happens to your bicycle.”

The bigger issue is, Why do people who own cars continue to feel like they are somehow safer and less vulnerable and better off than those of us who are free of car ownership? This despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, including wallet-based evidence. Something worth pondering.

If I sound cranky, it’s because the person who asked me this question was somehow wanting to view me as a “poor baby” or needful of other people’s extra attention and worry because I own no car. (Meanwhile I virtually duct-taped my mouth shut to avoid asking her when she plans to give up her car keys and/or move to a less car-dependent place, as she (like me) is no spring chicken.)

A sobering thought to end this: Any mode of transportation can break down. Including our own legs and feet. Your mileage may vary (pun intended), but you might find it helpful to plan how you would get around if you suddenly became unable to walk. I had this experience a couple years ago when one of my knees was injured. I wasn’t totally unable to walk, but I couldn’t walk very far, and I had to plan around it. I was still able to get around by bicycle so that was good.

And another time, I injured my lower back, so it became very difficult to ride my bicycle. But I was still able to walk, so I switched to walking as a main mode of transport for a while. And, I switched to Zoom as my main mode of meetings, but I had been going in that direction anyway.

The important thing is to be creative and flexible, and know your options. And never feel like you are stuck just because one mode of transportation breaks down.

In the next post I will answer another question that often gets thrown at me as a weirdo who has the gall not to own a car.

PS. I just recalled one of the very few times in my life when I have actually needed a ride and it seemed like I would not be able to get one. And that was when I needed to go to the emergency room after a skin wound on my leg got dangerously infected. I didn’t feel well enough to ride my bicycle the couple of miles to the hospital. Finally, a stranger on the NextDoor app ended up offering me a ride. And wouldn’t you know, it turns out that this “stranger” and I were connected via a fellow activist who lives in another state! One example of why I often put the word “stranger” in quotes.

Someone in the Degrowth group just asked this question. A lot of people were suggesting bans on leisure travel, certain types of consumer goods, advertising, etc.

I commented:

The last thing we did — and perhaps the ONLY thing we (collectively) did — that resulted in an immediate dramatic reduction in GHGs and eco destruction, was to shut down air travel and non-essential ground travel.  Plus reducing nonessential manufacturing helped as well.

That’s what we saw during the pandemic shutdowns.

Since no government is likely to do that again, and since even if a government were to attempt it, widespread noncompliance is likely, I believe our best hope lies in a grassroots movement de-popularizing air travel and car travel.

And popularizing the idea of minimizing travel in general. For example, contenting ourselves with annual train trip to visit family. Or else move near our family.

As part of this, popularizing living on the same continent with one’s family. De-popularizing the idea that we should continue living oceans away from our loved ones if we want to see them.

Such a grassroots movement may not seem realistic. But it is more realistic than waiting for any government to take drastic action. And, basically a grassroots movement de-normalizing consumption does exist. It just doesn’t necessarily exist as a monolith. It can be found in multiple groups, including the Degrowth group itself. And, groups such as the non-consumer advocate, journey to zero waste, etc. A lot of these people are de-normalizing USA-style consumption. And USA-style consumption (which alas has metastasized throughout much of Europe and other continents) is the main culprit of destruction on this planet.

For the past couple of decades, I have been involved in a grassroots movement to denormalize hyperconsumption of all categories.

It’s hard to measure, but it does seem like it is growing, based on the number of groups I participate in. And, positivity is contagious.

Most of the people in this movement are motivated by something more than fear. A lot of people are having fun saving money, taking back their time, reducing the hold that oppressive bosses and unnecessary consumerism-fueled chores have over them, etc.

One common misconception that holds back the anti-consumerist movement from gaining more traction more quickly, is the idea that we have to give up all treats. The truth is that (for example) personal adornment, etc. has existed in all cultures since the beginning of time. Same with a little bit of travel, various recreational substances for altering consciousness, and other pleasures.

Also:

Since I first posted a list of what I consider to be cells of the voluntary de-consumerist movement, more groups have been added.

Riot for Austerity Is the first group I found, back in I don’t know 2006-7 or something, When a friend clued me in to it.

In more recent years, I have stumbled on:

Deep Adaptation
Degrowth – it’s urgent
The Non-Consumer Advocate
Zero Waste, Zero Judgement

As well as local buy-nothing groups, etc. And Permaculture guilds, bio regionalist guilds, rewilding groups, Transition Towns etc. All of these are cells of radical thrift / de-normalizing mainstream consumerism in some form or other.

And various textile up-cycling, crafting, artisanry of all kinds, brewing, beekeeping etc. etc. — a lot of these guys are sort of unofficially going through the gate of non-consumerism.

Is everybody doing thrift in every category? No. But, what we are doing is reinforcing the validity and benefits of radical reduction. This is self reinforcing. The more aware and deliberate we become, that the task is to popularize reduction, the more quickly it will catch on.

The more mainstream environmentalist groups, on the other hand, are often busy chatting up the glories of electric cars and solar panels and all that.

Yes, it can be depressing when people in the more mainstream environmentalist groups are still talking about that hopium stuff — as well as posting about taking cruises and doing leisure flights etc. And owning houses in multiple countries etc. And, so often, nobody calls them out. In fact, most people cheer them on. And that’s in an environmentalist circle.

But, I guess we need to start being more of the somebody’s. We can support each other!

And, since a ban in advertising is very unlikely to be very easy to implement — there would be so much pushback from multi-billion dollar industries and all whose pockets they feed — we have to be the ones inoculating ourselves against the power of advertising and social norms.

For example, parents have to support and validate each other in taking anti-consumerist stances regarding raising their children.

And, we as individuals have to take our own inner selves in hand, and prioritize nurturing ourselves emotionally so that we won’t be such susceptible targets for advertising & toxic social norms. I noticed that I am less likely to engage in excess consumerism if I am spending enough time with friends, creative projects, nature (even if it’s just a short walk in a park) etc.

Thank you for starting this awesome thread!
I’m glad you mentioned the slow fashion, fiber upcycling etc. Those too are definitely a kind of Trojan horse for overall anti-consumerism. Same with groups dedicated to blacksmithing, winemaking, beekeeping etc. Like little pockets of oldtimey artisanship.

While it might not seem like they would make an immediate difference, I think that as things get popularized, there tends to be a flashpoint where it catches on like wildfire. I basically consider it an exercise in behavioral economics.

Although it’s a sad and unfortunate thing, a major factor in favor of thrift catching on like wildfire is that more and more people are becoming caught on the losing end of global economic prosperity. People have more motivation to do things like learn how to do without a car, learn how to do without air conditioning etc.

Also I meant to mention the transition towns movement. Some of these movements are quite long-standing, and I think a lot of the people in them just got tired and are welcoming an opportunity for something to reenergize them.

Comment I posted in response to a like-minded friend who was urging people to stop calling for “mass deportation”; and stop assuming that immigrants are likely to commit crime. (In fact, studies have widely shown that immigrants are the least crime-committing segment of the USA population.)

On a related note, I think the USA needs to be prepared to welcome many many more climate refugees coming across our borders. We need to stop this narrative that we don’t have enough space and enough resources! We have tons of space and tons of resources. Plus, I seem to notice that whenever people are willing to share, things always seem to work out.

Immigrants have enriched our country immensely. Xenophobia is quite un-American. All the more so if you believe, as I do, that in many cases *our own government’s policies* have increased the misery quotient that causes people to feel pressed to leave their homelands and try to make a life in the USA.

Now I will say, I feel like if I were Mexican (or from another country where a lot of immigrants come from), I would probably want to try to find any possible way to go back to my beautiful country and culture, given that the streets are not paved with gold here in the USA. There’s no substitute for one’s family and land and culture.