Fellow boomers, there’s still time to revive ourselves

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” – Angela Davis

I posted this on my timeline, and a fellow boomer friend commented in response: “Angela was our darling during that age when we were certain that indignant screaming, raising our fists & storming federal buildings would effect change.”

To which I replied:

1) Angela Davis was and is a hero.

2) Yeah, good thing we wised up and became a bunch of venal, Wall Street -worshiping yuppies who veered sharply away from all that foolish activism in order to trash the planet and hoard resources from all future generations. Yay for us. Team Boomer. <exasperated and sad emoticon faces>

3) Actually, it WAS effecting change. We just stopped too soon. The Woodstock hippies should have kept listening to Angela Davis, Fred Hampton et al. Black Panthers and standing in class solidarity.

4) You know, as long as we are above ground, it’s never too late to restart, get back on track.

Stuff just doesn’t get used up

Our modern economies are designed to rely on constant consumption. If people are not constantly buying stuff, the economy goes down. I would actually call this a primitive economy: one that relies on extraction and overproduction, and a steady supply of willing buyers.

What brought this to my mind today was noticing how a cake of soap that’s been sitting in a cup on my front porch for a couple of years still isn’t used up, although I use it often to wash my hands and feet (with collected rainwater) before walking indoors.

And inside the utility closet which contains towels, batteries, lightbulbs, and other everyday supplies, there is a bag containing about 10 bars of soap that have been gifted to me over the years, or came to me via decluttering gigs. I definitely have enough soap to supply an entire household through the zombie apocalypse and beyond, unless zombies eat soap.

Ditto paper and envelopes. Granted I could be writing letters a lot more diligently than I have been. And today I sit out to start remedying that. But, I have enough writing-paper probably to last a lifetime.

Same with art paper. And thread, fabric.

Stuff just doesn’t get used up that quickly. I mean sure, some stuff like toilet paper does (unless you happen to be one of the growing number of us who use a bidet and toilet-cloth).

I start to really beat myself up over this, but realize the problem lies pretty far upstream of us, and all we can do is try our best to not accumulate more stuff in categories where we already have a surplus. I can also search more diligently to find people who have immediate need for some of my surplus stuff. Although, to be honest, a lot of the stuff I have was inherited from people who were trying to get rid of their stuff. These days, there seem to be a lot of people out there who are in the same boat trying to get rid of stuff they’re not using or likely to use.

Of course I understand this is a first-world problem. (Oh, except wait (added about an hour later as it belatedly occurred to me): In this case what starts as a “first-world problem” shows up downstream in a much nastier, more toxic way in the less-privileged countries. For example, the Atacama desert in Chile has become a major dumping ground for the world’s discarded clothing. Much of it never worn. And many cities and beaches are overrun by plastic waste generated by the United States.)

On a positive note: I could finally get around to doing what I’ve been saying I’m going to do, which is put together a group of people who want to play and make things and enjoy using our supplies together. Maybe it’ll happen this year, maybe even this month!

Also on a positive note: I have ended up finding steady use for my box of 5000 staples, which looks to be several decades old. (I purchased that box of staples — and the beautiful, sturdy, turqouise-enamel-painted steel old-school stapler — from a thrift shop or yard sale, can’t remember which, a few years back.) I still may not use up those staples in my lifetime, but it looks like maybe I’ve used a couple hundred at least.

Embrace low-stakes experiments

This might be one of those posts that really only have an audience of one, as in nobody besides me needs to hear it. But just in case.

Sometimes, as I’m going about my day attempting to make ongoing improvements in my living environment, work processes, etc., I will talk myself out of trying some little thing that pops into my mind. The idea will occur to me, and immediately I’ll say to myself, “Oh, that probably won’t work.” And I allow inertia to prevail.

Today I caught myself doing that with the placement of the laundry drying rack that I have in the kitchen for hang-drying dishtowels, rags, etc.

And I had to remind myself, it’s an effing dryer-rack for gosh sake, just try this idea! It’ll take two seconds!

Maybe the new placement will help with air circulation and space-saving, or maybe not. I like it so far though.

Of course in addition to doing this with tiny things, we human beings also do it with large things. Oh, that business idea will never work. That new approach to talking to my neighbor isn’t going to help. Writing this letter to the newspaper or to my elected officials isn’t going to make a difference. Our efforts to normalize low-footprint lifestyle aren’t going to help move the needle, so what’s the point. Etc. etc. etc. and on we go.

I suggest we all do tiny, low-stakes experiments as often as possible. Not only do they cost little or nothing, but they can result in an improvement in our living environment and everyday life. And furthermore, they serve as a useful on-ramp to the higher-stakes experiments we all need to be tackling.

Thanks to tiny, low-stakes experiments that ramped up, I have a nice little bamboo trellis fence. First it was just a bunch of bamboo poles that I gathered from curbside where someone thinning out their bamboo patch had left them. Then I cut them to desired length; sorted them based roughly on circumference. Then I tied two poles together, experimenting with different types of string and ways of tying till I got it right. Building on that experimental beginning, a whole rustic fence is emerging.

And also thanks to tiny, low-stakes experiments I have a pretty little shade/privacy structure, made of palm fronds and bamboo pieces, outside my office/bedroom door. And lots of other things: deepened or renewed friendships; neighbors who know each other’s names; a growing number of wildflower yards in the neighborhood; five years worth of blog posts and counting; a book; working knowledge of multiple foreign languages; the ability to quiet my mind at will. None of this, and a lot more besides, would have happened if I hadn’t been willing to be a little bit vulnerable and expend a little bit of effort at some point.

It’s important that we exercise this muscle, because as I said, there are much bigger-stakes things we need to tackle, and meanwhile the naysayers are exercising their naysayer muscle 24-7. I believe that in their hearts the naysayers are feeling a lot of pain, and by refusing to be naysayers to our own selves, we can be in a better position to ease those people’s suffering as well.

By the way, there’s actually no such thing as an experiment that doesn’t work, because there is always a yield. Experience and data are valuable yields in themselves.

PS. One person’s low-stakes experiment might be another person’s high-stakes experiment, and vice versa. If something is big for you, it’s big, and don’t let anyone make light of your efforts.

Further exploration:

• “Living-space experiments” (This is a post from way back in 2018, the early days of this blog. It’s fun to notice how much my setup has changed since then. But it worked great back then, and what I have now works great now.)

Leafblowers as outdoor blow-dryers?

Judging by the way that leafblower noise so often starts up immediately after a rainstorm, I’m starting to wonder if people are using leafblowers to blow-dry the great outdoors.

I know it sounds crazy, but literally no sooner does the last drop of rain fall than those obnoxious decibel hell-spewers are unleashed in all their droning fury, so it really seems like this might be a thing.

Is this in fact a thing??? And if so, how might we distract people so they stop thinking they need to blow-dry the grass or the street or whatever? Do we need to feed them snacks that will induce extreme lethargy or something?

This brings to mind a comment I read the other day, from an indigenous person. They said something along the lines of, “Don’t white people ever just stop? Like, when there’s an eclipse or something, we go inside and we stop. Do white people ever just stop?”

Still traveling by air? Consider some eco offset measures

It sometimes feels like people are flying with a vengeance. As I watch the return of in-person conferences with flights and hotels and all, and the downright pornographic vacation sprees of many of my fellow Boomers (and here I’m talking about people who identify as being environmentally concerned), my soul screams.

OK, admittedly I am seeing most of these people only in Facebook-land, with splashy photos that tend to amplify the consumption-porn feel of things. But there do seem to be a lot of people in my feed, among the more well-heeled “early Boomer” crowd, who are going on these super extended, multi-flight, mega-vacations. Sort of like modern-day versions of the robber-baron class back in the Gilded Age who used to always “summer” elsewhere. Feels like the travel equivalent of Henry the Eighth’s groaning banquet-table.

However, we live in an imperfect world, and my job is to help those of us in the privileged classes reduce our footprints in whatever ways we are able or willing. The world is filled with temptation, and also the world is filled with things that are beautiful and pleasurable, and really, shaming people doesn’t tend to help. So instead I will try to offer some practical suggestions.

Carbon offsets are not perfect, but if you are going to travel by air, please consider purchasing offsets. In some cases the airlines directly offer an offset option with the purchase of your ticket. The amount of money it adds to your ticket is very modest. If you can afford to fly, you can afford to buy carbon offsets.

I googled “airlines that offer carbon offsets,” and found that there is a long list.

Alternatively, you could choose to purchase offsets from an offset vendor. I have heard from an eco colleague I trust that Gold Standard offsets are the best. Although I no longer travel by air, I do purchase offsets for my annual long-distance train trip to see my family.

For some years I did a lot of air travel for work. Later, a few years ago, I retroactively purchased carbon offsets to offset every flight I could remember taking in my adult life. I padded my estimate just to be on the safe side.

I purchased my offsets through the Gold Standard website. You can check out that website here: https://www.goldstandard.org

Also, if you want to take it to the next level, you can pledge to reduce your flying or stop flying altogether. The Flight Free website offers many options. You can pledge to stop flying for one year (and then keep renewing that pledge each year if you choose), you can pledge to stop flying for vacations, you can pledge to take some limited number of flights, etc.

You can even pledge to just stop flying altogether.

A growing number of us — especially older people in the more privileged segments of society, who have traveled far more than our share — have chosen that last option, as we don’t feel a great need to travel across oceans anymore, and furthermore feel a strong responsibility to the younger and future generations.

Flight Free USA: https://flightfree.org
Flight Free UK: https://flightfree.co.uk

And Flight Free also has this flight emissions calculator, in case you’re curious to calculate the footprint of a trip you’ve taken or are thinking of taking:
https://flightfree.org/flight-emissions-calculator

Finally, a special note for organizers of conferences or other events that are calling for in-person long-distance travel (and for companies/industries that still expect people to do a lot of air travel as part of their jobs):

On the event registration website, in your emails to prospective attendees, and so on, include information that will help people offset the impact of their participation in your event. Better yet, you as a company or organization take care of this offset piece. Besides reducing your eco-footprint, you’ll also be engaging in some enlightened self-interest in terms of public relations.

(If you are not up in a position of authority with your company, organization, or industry, then suggest the above to your bosses or higher-ups. And offer to help coordinate it.)

Further exploration:

• “What would a flying-free world look like?” https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220519-what-if-we-all-stopped-flying. “Aviation has long been a pain in the neck for those working to cut human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It is the pinnacle of a “hard-to-decarbonise” sector: energy-intensive, lacking in immediate technical options to make it lower carbon, and strongly associated with the lifestyles of the richest and most powerful in society.
It has also become one of the fastest growing sectors emissions-wise. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from planes grew 30% between 2013 and 2019 while the CO2 emissions growth in the wider economy between the same years was just 4%.”

• “Snapshots of the End of Travel: On Trying to Enter a Personal No-Fly Zone. Amy Benson Wrestles With the Devastating Consequences of Air Travel” (Amy Benson; lithub.com ). “Large aircraft burn about one gallon of jet fuel per second. Climate scientists have learned to use literary devices — imagery and analogy — to help us understand the numbers. The Suzuki Foundation, a science-based environmental nonprofit, takes a few tacks. The micro: one five-hour flight emits as much carbon ‘as heating a European home for an entire year.’ And the macro: ‘If the aviation sector were a nation, it would be among the top ten global emitters.’ The BBC puts it this way: a one-way ‘flight from London to San Francisco emits… more than twice [the CO2] produced by a family car in a year.’ … Oh, but carbon offsets! Modern day Indulgences, built on similarly shaky theology. It takes a leap of faith, in fact, to believe in the power of offsets to buy a clean conscience and a smaller footprint. The main mechanism for offsets is planting trees, but those trees are usually monoculture ‘forests,’ terrible as a platform for biodiversity, and extra vulnerable to pests, fires, and species extinction. And offset forests, locations undisclosed, don’t repair tourism-ravaged landscapes or cultures. You can’t offset travel-dependent economies. … But travel is still treated — even or especially among those of us who have presumably spent some time thinking about climate change and colonialism — as a net positive. Even a moral good: We have a responsibility to see the world, to claw our way out of provinciality, to tap a shunt into our brain and pour in experiences where they will alchemically turn into knowledge and empathy. …”

• And a great quote about choosing not to fly: “Not flying is not just about saving fossil fuels. It is also about staying put, that is, making a home in your own place, dedicating yourself and your family to that. Making our places sustainable and making our hearts loyal to them can create a new kind of society with new values, ones that include people, non-human animals, green growing things. Our human footprint can then work in harmony with all life. All life is sustained including humans. (If we can survive the climate.)” — Nancy Sidhu, a fellow member of the Deep Adaptation group on Facebook

#goldstandard #carbonoffsets #offsettingairtravel #flightfree

Conspicuous consumption is winning

Yes, it does seem to be at times. When even people who identify as environmentalists are jetsetting all over the planet, living in big airconditioned houses, heavily invested in the Wall Street growth paradigm, etc.

But: We still have the power to help denormalize and de-legitimize excessive consumption. We can help reset the norms of what’s considered normal and acceptable.

For example we can casually delegitimize air travel, automobile-dependent city planning, monster-sized houses, single-use plastics, etc., via our everyday conversations (in person and online).

Whatever you are comfortable with, just sprinkle it into casual conversation: “I prefer not having the responsibilities of car ownership” “So how do you offset your flights?” “I don’t want to incur that plastic” “Gosh that house is huge, I would hate to have their electric bill” (and same thing for a yard with no trees: “I would hate to have the utility bill for that place”)

Rainwater collection Q: “Do I need to boil rainwater?”

I’ve never had a problem. If the collected rainwater has algae or other obvious particles in it, I might use a filter. (Or I might use that water just for irrigation, and see if the water in a different barrel is clearer.)

On that note, opaque and dark-colored barrels are most likely to keep the rainwater free of algae growth. A couple of my barrels are translucent or light-colored; those I cover keep covered with a sheet of canvas or other big cover (actually use a sauna cover that some neighbors were throwing away).

I always advise people that, if they have any doubt, to use the filter of their choice. A filter can be as simple as a piece of cheesecloth or a reusable coffee filter — or it could be a commercially available filter such as the Brita or Berkey, two very popular brands.

Or they could boil the water but it’s not usually necessary. Actually for water to be pasteurized it only needs to be 149° F for 20 minutes. (I just doublechecked and actually only 6 minutes at 149 F is needed!) Which is a lot easier than reaching the boiling point in some circumstances, such as situations with limited fuel.

Rainwater collected fresh off the roof and not right after a long dry spell (when dirt and other stuff can build up on a roof) is often very clear and fresh. If in doubt though, start small. Or start with just using it for bathing or for making hot tea/coffee.

If you have a downspout, there’s a special diverter attachment you can get that siphons off the first water off the dirty roof, so whatever follows is more likely to be clear and free of debris.

Fun story about water and impurities: 30 years ago when I lived in Tokyo, one of my fellow English conversation instructors was from Egypt. She told me that when she was growing up, her mother fed her a spoonful of Nile River water every day to help make her strong and resilient. For what it’s worth, she told me she was always very healthy.

That said, several billion people on the planet do not have access to safe drinking water, and do contract serious illnesses by drinking from rivers, lakes, and other groundwater that are their only available water source. One key aim of my rainwater research and advocacy is to help ensure safe drinking water for everyone on the planet (that people and communities are empowered to collect themselves, without corporate or government interference).