I lived in Germany for several years and there learned to appreciate living small. It’s not that I deny myself, but I’ve chosen to live in a studio apartment downtown instead of having a larger space in suburbia and need to own a car. Without a car I’ve got more coin and feel more connected to my environment because I walk, bike, or take public transit to get around.
My building was built in 1927 and I’m certain it’s healthier that newer construction would be, what with it’s Tyvek-wrapped particleboard construction (fumes, anyone?).
What else do I do? I put on a sweater and long-johns before turning on the heat. I use one of those viscose Pack-Towells as a bathmat because it dries so much more quickly than a cotton one. I’ve furnished my apartment mostly with antiques, which has helped minimize resource depletion, and I only eat meat occasionally. I try to buy food that’s unprocessed, which saves even more coin because I’m skipping the so-called ‘added value’ (profit) tacked-on by manufacturers live ADM and Cargill, who, by the way, produce lots of those crunchy granola-looking foods you find at Whole Foods or your local coop. Speaking of granola, I made my own for breakfast this morning and it was both very good and very cheap. Took five minutes to make of oats, pecans, raisons, butter, honey, and flax seeds.
I recycle religiously and limit my consumption, at least in part because I resent being just a consumer to businesses and politicians. I am so much more than that.
I’ve started wondering why people think it’s normal to drive a 3000 lb. car a couple of miles to the store to pick-up some milk. I mean, why is our infrastructure almost entirely built around the automobile? I recently had a job interview in an office park, and after getting off the bus found that the sidewalk ran about 50 feet and then just ended. That’s crazy!
So, I’d recommend following tips like the one’s you find on this website. See Colin’s movie, because it’s really quite good. Ditch your car. And, you may just find - as I have - that you’ll start to see things in a whole new way. And that’s a very good thing!
This post was submitted by Phillip.
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