WORD OUT! The Blog to Build a New Society

One of my favourite eco-artists, Franke James, has a new visual essay up on her blog about how to be green and glamorous. Like all of Franke's other work, this essay takes a fun approach to a serious problem - in this case the ridiculous over-proliferation of consumer goods (such as clothes) in North America.

I know that it's been years since I purchased clothes that were new instead of "new to me". (Except for rain gear - as a year round cyclist I make an exception for that.) Here on Gabriola we have a fabulous organization called GIRO (Gabriola Island Recycling Organization) that accepts donations of used clothing and household goods and then resells them at fantastically reasonable prices - kind of like an ongoing garage sale. Over the years GIRO has probably kept literally thousands of items out of landfills, and helped people save enormous amounts of money at the same time. Going to GIRO on Wednesdays and Saturdays is an island ritual (and a social event too).

What steps have you taken to counteract the waste inherent in our "throwaway" society? Tell us about it in the comments below!

In The Long Emergency, James Kunstler questions whether we as a society still possess the vernacular knowledge to survive in a world beyond cheap oil. In Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy, Lyle Estill responds with a resounding "Yes!". Using the community of Chatham County, North Carolina as an example, Estill examines the roles of agriculture, housing, fuel, education, self-government and even healing and entertainment in a sustainable local economy. Just off press, Small is Possible is gentle, inspiring, compelling, and filled with practical solutions for an uncertain future.

Is your community trying to become more sustainable? We'd love to hear what you're doing. Tell us about it in the comments below!

I always have great plans to use this blog to let people know about any upcoming chances that they may have to connect with us in person. And then of course dates sneak up on me, I overestimate the amount of things that I'll be able to get done and underestimate the amount of time that will be available to do them in, and you know the rest of that story...

So, in advance, here are the conferences that New Society will attend in May and June. We'd love to see you!

Chicago Green Festival May 17 & 18, 2008 at the Navy Pier in Chicago

The International Conference on Peak Oil and Climate Change: Paths to Sustainability May 30 - June 1, 2008 at the Calvin College Fine Arts Center in Grand Rapids, MI

Midwest Renewable Energy Association Energy Fair June 20-22, 2008 at MREA's headquarters - the ReNew the Earth Institute in Custer, WI

See you there!

Dmitry Orlov's eagerly anticipated Reinventing Collapse: Soviet Example and American Prospects is now available! This book has been generating tremendous interest in the blogosphere - check out some of these reviews:

Carolyn Baker on Speaking Truth to Power

James Howard Kunstler on Clusterfuck Nation

Amanda Kovattana on The Energy Bulletin

You can also check out an excerpt on Dmitry's blog here.

This book is incredibly topical in the current US climate of food and energy shortages - don't miss it!

Over the last few days I've been involved in an e-mail conversation with a group of friends and neighbours about how we can respond to the food and energy crises on a local level. It's a tricky conversation to have sometimes - the sheer scope of the problem can be overwhelming, making our efforts to reshape our lives seem puny and insignificant. If the dark future is actually here, how much difference can a couple of cloth bags make?

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma addresses this very question in a recent New York Times Magazine article entitled Why Bother?. Pollan argues that the cheap-energy mindset fostered by the explosion of fossil fuel use in the 20th century encourages us to translate everything into money, putting our faith in market-based solutions instead of committing to deep, fundamental personal change. He suggests that this change is a moral imperative, and that we should initiate change by committing ourselves to a real and tangible act to reduce our carbon footprint. Instead of just buying carbon credits, Pollan wants us to give up or reduce our meat consumption, or for one day a week abstain completely from economic activity, or plant a garden and grow some food. These acts will reduce our sense of dependence and dividedness, and ultimately serve to change the cheap-energy mindset.

For myself, I try and remember that every little bit counts. So I ride my bike wherever and whenever I can, I eat grains and beans instead of meat, I never use plastic bags, and I bore my kids silly by reminding them over and over and over again about turning the lights off and putting their banana peels and apple cores in the compost. And I close my eyes and I hope for the best, while deep down I prepare for the worst.

We'd like to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And for ideas of how you can implement positive change in every area of your life, check out The Better World Handbook: Small Changes That Make A Big Difference by Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson.