By now, if you read this blog regularly, it can be no surprise that what we do that is good for the habitat we depend upon for our health, happiness and security is most often good for our quality of life. Gardens in the streets instead of parking places for carbon-emitting cars mean a 7% […]
Society
Public water fountains as an answer to the bottled water problem
Some reasons for a fountain on every corner instead of a hundred bottles in every trashcan: City collection of empty bottles is expensive Free water is cheaper than bottled water If water is free, then the price differential encourages kids to avoid sugary drinks Fewer delivery trucks in the streets mean a lower carbon footprint […]
You’re in charge of saving the world!!!
When I allow myself to lapse into know-it-all-ism, it is a mistake. In fact, I don’t know the answers to this catastrophe that threatens our health, happiness and security as it depends upon our planetary habitat. And I’ve never met anyone else who knows the answers either. What I hope to do with this blog […]
Strangely, a way to enhance both technology and environmental activism
A study of the Structures of Participation (STROPs) in Museums from xDesign Project on Vimeo. Start by remembering these words: “structures of participation.” Now let’s go… I’ve argued before that, when it comes to using resources effectively, it is not only that we should make sure that our designs and production processes are energy- and […]
The Tom Sawyer approach to saving the world
To change people’s values, so the shrinks say, you change their behavior. You don’t barrage them with ideas and cause information overload. You don’t tell them their existing values are wrong and get their backs up. What you do is you get them to change their behavior and, once you’ve done that, you let their […]
Does high resource use make a great life?
This photo (sorry for the poor quality) shows one half of an empty basketball court that I’ve ridden past many times during my car-less vacation in Greenport. It’s in someone’s back yard. Never once have I ever seen anyone playing basketball on it. And I thought: some dad or mom might have worked so hard […]
A moment that reinforces my belief that we humans have the potential to see the light on global warming and so much else
What I mean is, if we can come from MLK’s time to an African-American taking center stage at the DNC as potential first lady, maybe we can change the way we treat the habitat and each other. What an amazing–and way too long in coming–moment in history. Personally, I wept when she spoke (and I’m […]
Redefining the good life while saving the planet
I’ve said this before: it wouldn’t be so bad if, while wrecking the planet, we could at least say we were having one hell of a party. But I’m not sure we are. So many of us are working way more than we should, spending less time with those that we love than we want […]