Simplify: Life more leisurely

A Gift from the Sea, by Anne Murrow Linbergh, which I just read, talks about the need for space and reflection in our time of hurriedness. Practicing the application of deliberate slowing down can do wonders for our sanity, families, and radiate into the larger community. The commitment to be less busy of the sake of being busy conserves our energy so that we can be more reflective and find that we don't need as much "stuff" as we think. The peace of mind and relaxation that we sometimes crave and seek by shopping becomes replaced by a less expensive retreat into contentment.

Trying to Cram More than 24 Hours into Your Day?
Are you struggling to Live At or Below your means?

Interested in SIMPLIFYING YOUR LIFE? Join Us Monthly in Takoma Park, starting in July
“Live it Simple!” is forming…Register here

Even Jamie Lee??

A fellow blogger noted that in AARP magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis, who is now older and wiser has pledged to living a simpler life. Hmm, how does a very wealthy woman do that? Let's see:

"My style is a distillation. I’ve etched out who I am through myriad haircut attempts, outfit attempts, beauty attempts, diet attempts. It’s been an evolution. I’ve let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I’ve given away all my jewelry, because I don’t wear it. The same way that midcentury modern architecture was in the ’50s, I want to be as a human being. New. Different. Challenging the old. Function over frivolity. Clean living. Clean lines."

Restoring rainforests??!

It is being tried in Costa Rica by some Cornell scientists...

"By restoring forests we hope not only to be improving the native forests, but we are helping to control erosion and helping the quality of life of the local people," said Carl Leopold, the William H. Crocker Scientist Emeritus at BTI. He pointed out that drinking water becomes more readily available when forests thrive because tree roots act as a sort of sponge, favoring rainwater seepage and preventing water running off hills and draining away." Cornell Online Chronicle

How inspiring!

What do the food crises have to do with sustainability?

The main issue is that we are letting consumer-driven markets dry up resources without thought to proper distribution. Capitalism must be tempered by the reality of resource limitations and the winner is creating communities that can sustain themselves with basic human needs of food, shelter, healthcare and education or we are doomed to create crisis. By default this also means caring for the world around us. We can do something about it. The first step is educating ourselves. Next, we learn to decrease our own demand on resources so that everyone can have. Here is a snippit from the article:

"The rapid industrialization of China and India over the past two decades - and the resultant growth of a new middle class fast approaching the size of America's - has driven demand for oil toward the limits of global supply capacity. That has pushed oil prices to levels five times what they were in the mid 1990s, which has also raised pressure on food prices by driving up agricultural costs and by prompting the substitution of biofuel crops for edible ones on scarce farmland. Moreover, those new middle class people are eating a lot better than their parents did - particularly more meat. Producing a single calorie of beef can, by some estimates, require eight or more calories of grain feed, and expanded meat consumption therefore has a multiplier effect on demand for grains. Throw in climate disasters such as the Australian drought and recent rice crop failures, and you have food inflation spiraling so fast that even the U.N. agency created to feed people in emergencies is warning that it lacks the funds to fulfill its mandate. "

Swords to Plowshares

"Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war."
King James Bible

As I look towards the creation of a new dawn, a new season, I relish the thought of everyone taking part in the transformative process the earth must undergo in order to continue to sustain life. If we can all slow down and re-evlauate what we value, it is very possible. It is not so much about doing without, as it is about everyone having enough.

WSJ Atricle on green urban movement

Title:
You Are How You Live
Author:
Shelly Banjo
Source:
Wall Street Journal
Date Written:
3/24/2008

Across the country, thousands of communities are trying to fight urban sprawl and global warming from the ground up.Instead of adding eco-friendly touches to existing neighborhoods, developers are building whole new communities designed along green principles. Some of these developments offer very basic solutions to environmental concerns, such as street layouts that promote walking and discourage driving.Others go much further, incorporating environmentalist ideas into every aspect of community life. Some, for instance, use eco-friendly building design and set aside a portion of the neighborhood property as preserved land. Some save on resources -- and build community spirit -- by having residents share amenities such as washing machines.Here's a look at four basic types of environmentally friendly communities that are flowering across the country.

NEW URBANISTWhen the Congress for the New Urbanism was founded in 1993, the emphasis was on fostering a sense of community, not saving the planet. The founders were fed up with neighborhoods that separated residential areas from commercial ones -- and forced people to drive everywhere.So, new-urbanist communities would offer housing, employment, shopping and civic functions -- all within easy walking distance. The planners figured the densely packed communities would not only help fight sprawl, they would help foster a sense of togetherness among residents.But environmentalism was also a core principle. The interconnected networks of streets would help reduce car trips and conserve energy, the founders argued. For the same reason, they also wanted the communities to be within easy walking distance of public transit."Americans aren't going to give up their cars, but dense development patterns will give them choices where they won't need to drive," explains Bruce Katz, director of the metropolitan-policy program at the Brookings Institution research group.

Now there are about 900 new-urbanist communities across the country, mostly near public-transit stops in cities and suburbs. Prices for the homes tend to run slightly higher than the surrounding areas because of the easy access to public transportation and other amenities.One thriving example of new urbanism is the High Point development in Seattle. The Department of Housing and Urban Development aimed to replace distressed public-housing projects with a redesigned mixed-income neighborhood. The Seattle Housing Authority brought in private contractors to create 1,600 units within a 34-block area to accommodate 4,000 residents. Read more:
http://www.usgbc.org/News/USGBCInTheNewsDetails.aspx?ID=3633