I find it interesting that humanity has grown into a global community that is so interdependent that if one country suffers an environmental disaster, a financial collapse, massive crop failure, a water crises, or even a foreign invasion that it has a dramatic affect on the global economy. Does no one but me see this as a bad thing? While this globalization provides many obvious benefits, it actually creates a lot of insecurity. My answer to all of this is that it is time to commit yourself to a...
Oct 05, 2022•31 min•Ep. 95
As you may well know, talks of climate change are becoming increasingly serious. Updates are in the news almost daily so it is difficult to ignore. Furthermore, there are some new books soon to be published on the topic that paint a pretty grim outlook for our future on this planet. In 2018, 89% of greenhouse gas emissions came from the burning of fossil fuels and from industry. Although the use of coal seems to be fading, the use of other fossil fuels are replacing it. So, why are we not pushin...
Sep 28, 2022•26 min•Ep. 94
Spending time in the outdoors is by far one of my favorite things to do. That is why I love living in the middle of the forest. I can walk out my door and enjoy nature without ever leaving home. But, there are times when I do want to leave the homestead and spend time somewhere else. However, as with any other thing we do, spending time outdoors also produces an impact on environmental. From how you travel, to the gear you purchase, how you build a campfire, and disposing of trash it all leaves ...
Sep 21, 2022•39 min•Ep. 93
As most of you may know by now the discussions and concerns about climate change are becoming increasingly serious. Additionally, recent surveys in the United States and United Kingdom reveal that approximately 75% of us are concerned about it. But there is also rampant disinformation out there concerning climate change. All it takes is a few minutes of research and you can easily find articles that both confirm and deny that this is even happening. Consequently, while there remains to be a leve...
Sep 14, 2022•43 min•Ep. 92
You have likely heard me say before that we are in fact living in unprecedented times. We now live in a world that is changing so rapidly that even the most sound minded person is likely having trouble feeling some sense of security. If that is how you feel, you can rest assured that you are not alone. If your concern for the state of the planet has you deeply worried then you may be suffering from eco-anxiety. That is the topic of this episode. Eco-Anxiety and how to cope with it. Always rememb...
Sep 07, 2022•27 min•Ep. 91
Welcome back folks to the second episode on sustainable pet ownership. In part one I tried to get you prepared for the fact that the dogs and cats that we keep as pets do in many ways have a significant environmental impact. Mostly I talked about food and poop, what goes in one end and what comes out the other end. Now in this episode I am going to cover several other topics that will help you to be a more sustainable pet owner. And lastly I am going to talk about a couple of very important sust...
Aug 31, 2022•29 min•Ep. 90
For months now I’ve been focusing on the environmental impact of human activity, our lifestyles and our diet. But so far I have failed in one respect. I have failed to include the furry friends that we have and how they impact the environment as well. Of all the things we do as humans that affects the planet, we often forget about the dog and the cat. After all, they have to eat, drink water, and when we walk them they leave poop in the environment just like every other animal. Obviously they ha...
Aug 24, 2022•36 min•Ep. 89
By far the most common reaction I get when I talk about my off grid lifestyle is “You are crazy. How is it even possible to do that?” When I discuss sustainable living I get similar reactions such as it’s too difficult, it’s too expensive, or I just like beef too much.” That being said, there are many myths and misconceptions about living a sustainable life that keeps people from taking steps in the right direction. And that is the focus of this episode. I want to debunk a few of these myths and...
Aug 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 88
Truly there are few things simpler and more satisfying than walking out to your garden to pick the fresh produce that will be a part of your dinner. What is even better is picking fresh herbs from your garden that are packed with a tremendous flavor that you never get from store bought products. These are only a few of the advantages of going local because it doesn’t get more local than your own backyard. But our backyard now consists of the entire planet thanks to the affects of globalization. ...
Aug 10, 2022•31 min•Ep. 87
We now live in a world that is changing so rapidly that even the most sound minded person is certainly having trouble feeling some sense of security. And while that may be true, not all of the changes are necessarily bad. You have often heard me say that you’d better choose to live sustainably while it is still choice. Yet in order for us to get on track toward a sustainable future, we need systematic change, bold ideas, and radical rethinking of how we work and how we consume. But how are we go...
Aug 03, 2022•35 min•Ep. 86
As you have likely heard me say before, sustainability is your best security blanket. But part of being sustainable is managing as many of your personal resources as possible. After all, as long as someone else is in control of your resources, someone else is in control of your life. It really doesn’t make any of us feel secure when someone else decides when we get electricity and when we don’t. Yet that is what happens when there are rolling blackouts. I don’t think any of us would have ever pr...
Jul 27, 2022•33 min•Ep. 85
For years I’ve heard complaints about how expensive it is to live off the grid. Now I hear all about how expensive it is to live sustainably. But is this really true? And even if it is, no matter what the cost, is our convenience really worth compromising our future on this planet? In this episode I want to closely examine several aspects of sustainable living and compare costs. At least if I do that then you will know which lifestyle is more expensive. So stayed tuned for E84 which focuses on t...
Jul 20, 2022•41 min•Ep. 84
I often marvel at the complexity and enormity of the natural world. Consider for a moment the Mississippi River. This river discharges almost 4.5 million gallons of water per second. But it doesn’t start out that way. I got to wondering what I would find if I went upstream? Where does this river come from? Well, one day as I was sitting by the creek below my cabin, I got to wondering the same thing. What would I find if I went upstream? Well, finding the answer to that question created quite an ...
Jul 13, 2022•25 min•Ep. 83
We pay our federal income taxes every year as a “price of civilization” and then we sit back and watch our government spend our tax dollars like an irresponsible teenager with a credit card. Furthermore I sit back and observe this massive machine of civilization that we have created and wonder how it is that we got so far off track. After all focusing on a sustainability does not seem difficult to me. But this possibility of a sustainable future is too often clouded by the mighty powers that sti...
Jul 06, 2022•42 min•Ep. 82
From time to time we have all been apathetic about something. meaning we are simply indifferent to what is going on around us. If left unaddressed, apathy can lead to significant consequences in our lives. But sometimes we are even informed of those consequences and yet we do nothing. This is exactly how we are addressing climate change and living sustainably. We are simply apathetic for a number of reasons. Despite steady warnings from scientists regarding climate change, we are doing a sum tot...
Jun 29, 2022•32 min•Ep. 81
Whenever someone mentions hazardous waste, you most likely think of big industry, or perhaps even radioactive material that is stored in some unknown place out of harms way. But unfortunately we commonly have numerous hazardous materials in our homes. Furthermore we actually produce 13 tons of hazardous waste every second? That amounts to over 400 million tons every year. Presently there are over 700 man made chemicals that have been found in the human body that are not supposed to be there. In ...
Jun 22, 2022•23 min•Ep. 80
Recycling is all about reducing the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. If you talk about recycling, most people instantly think about paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, and vegetable cans. However, there are a number of other things in our homes that can and should be recycled. For example, light bulbs. In this episode I am going to talk about how to recycle 6 common household items that most of us never even think about. It may require a little bit more work but it is something that is do...
Jun 15, 2022•20 min•Ep. 79
With all the talk about going green, I look at some of the things we do and question if we are doing more harm than good. Now more than ever we use every “R” word in the book: reuse, recycle, regenerate, reclaim, reabsorb, recreate, and even more. But is this all just a public performance. Are we just showing off instead of showing up. In this episode I want to discuss performative environmentalism. By doing so, I am going to make you feel bad about some of your green choices. Then I am going to...
Jun 08, 2022•30 min•Ep. 78
In today’s world you would think that recycling would be one of those no brainers. But then again you would think that climate action would be a no brainer as well especially since we have known about climate change for over 125 years. But yet here we are. Since I travel some for work I have the opportunity to live and work in different communities. I consistently work in places where it is almost impossible to find options for recycling. So why is it that recycling is so difficult. Why is it th...
Jun 01, 2022•34 min•Ep. 77
Living sustainably is really truly nothing new. Yet because our modern culture has warped our way of thinking and sense of values, most people think of it as an “alternative lifestyle”. When the reality is that living sustainably should be considered mainstream. But I have often said that when you find yourself in agreement with 90% of the people around you, pack your bags and run the other way as fast as you can. But, so says the guy that has lived off the grid for 25 years. Obviously I am not ...
May 25, 2022•40 min•Ep. 76
My niece, who by the way is wickedly intelligent and artistic, recently pointed something out to me that I’d never thought of before. Her observation of humanity is that we are nothing more than a huge evolutionary experiment. Not only that, but this experiment is running amuck and that is what is getting us in trouble. The challenge for humanity is that we retain many instincts from our early years on this planet when we were still living in caves. These early instincts served us well and in ma...
May 18, 2022•42 min•Ep. 75
Unless you are particularly interested in Earth’s history, most people do not think in terms of a geological time scale. This is because geological time is measured in eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. This corresponds to anything from 1 billion years to millions. But due to our lifespan we only relate to a human time scale, which is centuries, decades or less. In fact civilization as we know it is thought to have been around for only 6,000 years. Yet the changes that we have made to the pla...
May 11, 2022•36 min•Ep. 74
I mentioned in E67 that our homes account for approximately 30% of our ecological impact. I have also mentioned before that most of us can live on much less than what we do. Helping you to accomplish just that is the focus of this three part series on the art of living small. There are unique challenges to living in a small space. I know this from personal experience. But, there are also numerous ways to make the most of the space that you have and that is the focus of this episode. So, stay tun...
May 04, 2022•25 min•Ep. 73
In my last episode I spoke about the pros and cons of living small. I talked about how it is more affordable, how you can live without a mortgage, how you can simplify your life, how it is possible to be debt free. While all of that may sound attractive, you also have to realize that living small is a lifestyle choice that comes with a unique set of challenges. In this episode, I am going to discuss all the things about living small that no one tells you. This episode is going to be packed with ...
Apr 27, 2022•23 min•Ep. 72
Part of the focus of sustainable living is being mindful of the impact you have on the world around you. As you have no doubt heard me say, every single thing we do has some sort of impact. But there are numerous ways to reduce our individual ecological foot print. I have spoken of this before in previous episodes on reducing your carbon footprint and life without plastic. I now want to continue that trend by giving you further options on how to live more sustainably in ways that more or less go...
Apr 20, 2022•28 min•Ep. 71
Despite our best efforts to rid our lives of plastic and reduce plastic pollution, there is the possibility that we may loose, meaning plastics may actually win out and we have to deal with this problem forever. But we have to remind ourselves to do the best we can and to make slow steady progress. In episode one of Life Without Plastic, I covered some valuable tips on what I call the no brainers. This gives you an easy place to start going plastic free. In this episode I want to cover some some...
Apr 13, 2022•28 min•Ep. 70
We are often told to reduce our waste production, conserve water, recycle, eat less meat, drive less, convert to renewable energy, and thus be more sustainable. The challenge is that a great deal of the time we are not given easily accessible, affordable options in order to live more responsibly. By far one of the largest challenges we have these days is that of plastic pollution. Plastic is literally everywhere. It fills our oceans, landfills, food, water, and micro plastics have even been foun...
Apr 06, 2022•35 min•Ep. 69
One of the most common questions I hear is "How to I reduce my carbon footprint?" In the first two episodes of this three part series I covered how we travel and how we live. In this episode I am going to focus on what we eat. Our agriculture systems have truly put us in a predicament. It has long been known that this is the source of our greatest ecological impact. Yet we must continue to produce food to feed a growing world population. But, believe it or not, it is actually our agricultural sy...
Mar 30, 2022•29 min•Ep. 68
One of the most common questions I hear regarding sustainability is “How can I reduce my carbon footprint?” The answer to that question is not the same for everyone. For example, a sherpa in Nepal that spends his time taking people up Mount Everest has a completely different carbon footprint compared to your average urbanite in the United States. That said, there are three different areas of our Iives where we produce our greatest ecological impact: how we travel, how we live, and what we eat. E...
Mar 23, 2022•25 min•Ep. 67
As the result of my association with several groups and forums focused on sustainability I have begun to see trends in the types of questions that people ask. One of the most common questions that comes up is “How do I reduce my carbon footprint?” Maybe I’ve spent way too much time over the last 3 years examining and dissecting my own life because I’ve gotten to the point to where I think the answer to that question is obvious. But perhaps that is not the case after all. As individuals, there ar...
Mar 16, 2022•34 min•Ep. 66
