There is only one thing we will be remembered for when we die–how we lived. What makes me feel proud of myself? What makes me feel warm? What makes me feel caring? What makes me sleep well at night? What makes me able to look my friends and family squarely in the eye? How, in […]
Environment
On not hurting ourselves
The other day, I visited the Dharma Field Zen Center, here in Minneapolis, where I’m spending Christmas. I enjoyed Buddhism: It’s Not What You Think, by Steve Hagen, the head teacher there, so I thought it would be fun to drop in and taste the flavor of the temple. One Soto Zen tradition Steve showed […]
Don’t save the planet
The title is unabashedly stolen from a post by George Marshall on Climate Change Denial. His point is that begging the world’s population to “save the planet” is a downer and not a message that will ever translate into real social change. He’s right, and that’s one of the reasons why I hold forth on […]
Earning a living helping people keep it green
We found a great clothing store in Minneapolis, land of the 10,000 lakes, where I am for the holidays (more about the travel in a later post). The store is called Birch, and its owners are committed to carrying only fair wage and sustainable products. Co-owner Marti Markus explained to me a system of standards […]
The world’s simplest, best, most effective environmental living tip
I was talking to a friend who said that the problem for the general public with environmental living is that it is so complicated. How do you know what stores to go to? How do you know what products are okay for the environment? How do cut through the green spin machine that is roaring […]
Greening the planet by making green profits and creating green jobs
One of the arguments against capping our greenhouse gas emissions is the effect it will have on the economy. Renewable resources cost more, hit the bottom line, mean less profit, and lower standards of living, the wrongheaded argument goes. Then there are the businesspeople who see the incredible opportunities in our crisis. It’s simply a […]
Happiness versus consumption
This graph (which will get bigger if you click on it) comes courtesy of the scientist in me (believe it or not, I have a PhD in engineering). The point is to show one of the things I learned from being No Impact Man–the relationship between quality of life and the consumption of our planetary […]
Forgive me if I sound too pious
I have a friend, a Zen teacher, who lost his daughter a decade or so ago. Years passed, and he asked his own teacher, “I have been meditating for many years, but underneath, I still feel an abiding sadness. Am I doing something wrong?” His teacher told him, “What you feel is Universal Sadness.” When […]