Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten
-Cree Indian Prophecy
Why Live Simply?
- Only rats run the rat race.
- Consumerism sucks.
- Globalism exploits our (that includes the third
and second worlds, the first world does not have
exclusive ownership) resources for the benefit of a few
(namely first world mass consumers).
- Environmental degradation is much easier to prevent
than to recover from.
- While we are allowing ourselves to be wooed by the
wonderful fruits of excessive production, the fruits of
the land are being obscured in the haze of SOX from the
monstrosities that generate our electricity. The fruits
are also dying from acidity; thanks to outlandish amounts
of NOX and CO2 our power plants and cars pump into the
air. Maybe those pollutants would have less of an effect
if we did not cut down trees to build more polluting
factories and pave more roads, without sidewalks or
bike lanes, to perpetuate our obsession with our cars
and the isolation of sprawl.
- Not only are the treasures of Nature being taken,
our children are subjected to a salicious, incessant
marketing campaign, which tells them they need more
stuff; they have to have the lastest multi hundred
dollar game system (even though it will be replaced
within the year) with all its costly accoutrements.
They also need the latest mock weaponry along with
stylish designer clothing (these have a
shorter lifespan than the game system; the change of
seasons demands a new wardrobe.)
- The jobs we hold to pay for the things we "need"
(the American dream) perpetuate the vicious cycle of
wasteful consumption. For example, women are required
to wear panty hose in all professional dress codes;
pantyhose are produced to fail. It is ludicrious with
the numerous advancements in textitles that pantyhose
do not reflect those advancements. The best use for
ruined pantyhose is to cut pieces off and use them as
rubberbands. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
- Consumption and resources are inversely related; the
less one consumes the more resources one has
(namely time away from work). Spending more time with
family is the best way to undermine the malignant marketing
strategies of multinationals.
- Businesses look at short term goals; it does not
serve their financial goals to restrict the use
of resources. Unless consumers reduce demand or demand
restrictions on manufacturer's consumption, the suppliers
will continue to consume resources at their current
wasteful pace; the consequences of such consumption are
irrevocable. Guard your posterities' inheritance.
- Life is too short to spend busting your ass for
the man while destroying the environment and your health.
Ways to Simplify your Life
Don't Practice Consumerism. Spending money with the
very companies that are buying your elected represenatives
off hurts you. Purchasing from the very companies that
are attempting to pass their tax burden onto your shoulders
is not increasing your status. Consuming goods from the
corporations that are fighting to pollute our environment
(by lobbying either against protective legislation or for
loopholes) increases the power of those who do not care
to harm you and your posterity.
Plant a Victory Garden. Like the World War II
propaganda encouraged, I encourage planting a garden
to fight the agribusiness that wants to make our veggies
genetically engineered without knowing the longterm
effects of such altering. Growing your own vegetables
not only provides your table with fresh, unadulterated
food,it also cleans the air you breath. Fresh vegetables
have more nutrients than the ones that have been in transport to sit on your grocer's shelf.
Additionally, if you grow your own food, you can ensure
that it is done so organically. Having a garden in your
backyard is also a wonderful way to teach your children
about earth sciences.
An organic way to protect against unwanted pests is to
plant marigolds amidst your veggies. While marigolds are
bright flowers they emit a malodorous aroma that is not
pungent enough to bother human noses (unless you sniff
the flower up close), but the smell will discourage bugs. Additionally
crop rotation will prevent your garden from becoming a hot spot.
Reduce and Reuse. Rather than simply recycling, it
is best to conserve. Conservation reduces demand and
waste. There are a plethora of things one can inexpensively
and simply do to reduce consumption.
When rinsing dishes plug the second half of the sink up and fill it rather
than running fresh water over each dish. After draining
the dish water and before draining the second sink, route
the drain into a bucket. You can use this gray water to
flush your toliet or water your garden. It is also a
great idea to save water that you rinse veggies with.
This water is practically unused; it is tragic that we
throw this very usuable water away.
Toliets spend mass amounts of water with each flush.
Not only can you limit flushes (if it's yellow let it
mellow, if it's brown flush it down), but you can also
reduce the volume of the tank by simply filling a half
gallon milk carton (for example) with sand or gravel
and then placing the carton in your tank.
Thanks to societal conventions, most women shave various
parts of their bodies. Shaving in the shower is a
tremendous waste of water; by simply using the sink to
hold rinse water you can reduce the amount of water you
consume each week. Of course it is also possible to
relinquish silly social conventions and stop shaving
altogether; your hair will be much softer.
As mentioned earlier, pantyhose can be used as rubberbands.
Because they are lycra, rather than wrapped rubber, they
do not pull and catch in your hair. One stylist blamed
my frizzy flyaways on my rubber bands.
Although most newspapers are printed with non organic ink,
I have used limited amount coupled with organic mulch to
retain water and prevent weeds in my flower beds.
Recycle With the population continuing
to grow, our land is growing more valuable each year.
Our landfills are growing full, as well. Large numbers
of items go to landfills when they could easily be recycled.
It is quite common for muncipalities to offer curbside
recycling; additionally local transfer stations offer
discounts on trash if accompanied by recycling.
Most recycling centers accept HPDE and PETE plastics;
brown, clear, and green glass; mixed paper; newspaper;
cardboard; and aluminum cans. If you do not know of a
center in your area, it is a good idea to check the local
university as most universities have some form of
recycling program.
Compost Rather than throw biodegradables into
the landfill, you could begin a compost bin to recycle
the nutrients in vegetable peeling and scraps. Never
throw anything that has been cooked into a compost heap.
In order to get a nutrient rich soil, it is best to
compost an equal amount of dead, decaying matter with
nitrogen rich green matter. Soil from your own compost
pile is not only chemical free, it provides another way to teach
your children about earth sciences as well as being low
cost (the time and materials to build the bin and compost.)
How to compost
Sell your car. By getting rid of your car, you
automatically save on maintenance, insurance, and gas.
While this is not a feasible option for everyone, thanks
to sprawl and its concrete jungle, it is possible to
reduce the use of your car. Bike, walk, or carpool. Use
common sense and combine errands. Get involved with
local planning and demand bike lanes and sidewalks.
Support bills like North Carolina House of Represenatives
House Bill 617, which would redirect outer loop road
funding into alternative transportation and current
road maintenance.
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