I am unsure as to which is the shortest these days: my patience or attention span. Motivation and energy are also in short supply. And inspiration for writing? Nope. Nada. Nil.
Buying second-hand items for a year - who knows? maybe indefinitely? - has been surprisingly easy for me. We live in a metro area where there are many alternatives to the big-box homogenous super-sized life. I have enjoyed the challenge. The true test for me has been continuing my writing about it. I used to think I'd be posting daily and now I'm lucky if I get in a weekly entry that is moderately well-thought out. If I have writer's block, does that mean I'm a writer now? Always wanted to be one...
I have been pleasantly surprised when folks comment about the blog, especially if it's people besides my 10 "followers" which sounds a tad sinister, in a stalker kind of way. And now even Bob admits to reading this... I need to have him install the Google stats thingy. Maybe I'll have more motivation to write; or stage-fright. Either way, I am committed. Or should be.
There is no substitute for conversation to get me going! I'm thankful to all the friends and acquaintances who have been willing to talk about their relationship to stuff and the idea that less is more.
The other evening I got to catch up with my friend Shelley - it's been too long! - and we had one of those far-ranging chats that touched on just about anything and reminded me that the most valuable part of my life is my depth and breadth of friendships. Everyone has a story, a unique perspective, inspiration to share; richness beyond measure. And ... material!!!
(Wander over to YouTube, look up the South Park episode about hybrids. It's hilarious, and we really need to keep things in perspective. Go on, get! This blog isn't going anywhere. Obviously...)
The sustaining part of this project has actually come from the conversations it has started. And being community-minded helps to remind me that the consumption decisions I make impact more than just my family and wallet. In a way, I am harnessing the power of social pressure to support less consumption, instead of more. Conspicuous non-consumption? At least in our part of Minneapolis, it can be a status symbol to drive a lovely hybrid, shop at the co-op, organically garden, belong to a CSA, have your own solar panels, offset your carbon footprint, and find the best things at the thrift stores. ("Like it? Two dollars!!!") For the most part, living with those sensibilities requires more money and time. Imagine doing all your shopping at Whole Foods and you understand why we call it Whole Paycheck.
Instead of nouveau riche, we now have nouveau eco. Yes, we may lack the credibility of folks who have had composting toilets and rainbarrels since the 70's, but we're catching up with a vengeance. And using our resources of time and money to consume less natural resources, even if it doesn't always give a sufficient return on the investment. Think of the Slow Food movement, buying local foods in season, learning to knit - this increased interest in simplicity not because it makes financial sense, but because it raises the quality of daily life. And if we have the relative luxury to spend more time and money living as nouveau eco, don't we have the mandate to do so? i.e. there's no way a family struggling to meet their mortgage is going to be able to pay more for electricity from wind power, so isn't it incumbent upon those who can afford it to do so - as a way of subsidizing the technology so eventually it is more fiscally advantageous? There is always an increased cost to the "early adopters" of any new technology; the next best thing requires a subsidy of sorts, long after the R&D budget is tapped out.
Case in point:
At Macalester College they have a recently installed wind turbine - not a huge one, maybe 30ft. across - that Xcel Energy donated. The plaque says it cost $35,ooo in materials and another $16,000 to install, plus yearly maintenance. I sincerely doubt it will pay for itself, but it's a whirring reminder of the abundant renewable energy that can be harnessed, rather than the coal-fired electricity plants we presently use. The true savings aren't economic, and it's a long-term investment we'll never see pay off.
So if I win the lottery, I'm going to get solar panels installed. And a geo-thermal heat exchange system. Neither of which will ever "pay for itself" in energy savings - why should it? It's not like the luxury SUV's ever gave a good return on investment, over a more economical and efficient car. Folks wanted to drive bigger and better and damn the costs. Why do we invoke the criteria of fiscal soundness only when it's conveniently in line with what we want? Isn't it the American brand of true decadence to indulge in things that don't make financial sense? How can we harness the unbelievable power of the status symbol for good, not evil?
But the status symbol of the tiny carbon footprint; that's priceless. Less smog; more smug.
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Love the concept of 'why does
ReplyDeletegeo-thermal/solar/wind power have to pay for them selves'?
When we bought this house never thought about it 'paying' for itself. It just sucks in money like a sponge.
To be financially sound one must have enough money to pay for it, think about it's impact on the environment and enjoy the process.