An important part of living sustainably is being prepared for the unexpected. In my last episode, I discussed the basics of food storage. In this next episode about being prepared, I want to discuss a second important skill. Imagine a scenario where a major storm comes through your area and the utility grid is non-functional for days to weeks. Numerous trees are down and blocking the road. It is impossible to make it to a supermarket. In fact, you cannot even make it out of your driveway. How do...
May 03, 2023•42 min•Ep. 125
In this weeks episode I want to discuss a very important principle involving personal sustainability and self sufficiency. It is something very easy to do and it will give you a great deal of personal security. Yet this is something that most people over look especially in our modern culture. But it is my personal opinion that the structure and convenience of our society actually robs us of our personal security. We are so accustomed to having anything we want anytime we want that it tends to pr...
Apr 26, 2023•50 min•Ep. 124
One to the fundamental principles related to being self sufficient is that first and foremost you have to accept that you are ultimately responsible for everything that you choose to do and everything that you choose not to do. The same is true when it comes to being sustainable. We first have to accept that every single thing we do has some sort of an impact. Once we realize that, then we have to accept that responsibility. After all the choices we make, what we eat, the house we live in, the v...
Apr 19, 2023•32 min•Ep. 123
In the last few episodes I have discussed several topics relating to how our transition to a more sustainable economy will have a direct impact on everyone. These topics have included electric vehicles, an environmentally friendly economy, renewable energy and total decarbonization of our society. There is nothing about our lives that will go untouched. Obviously there are numerous barriers to making this transition. And certainly there will be a lot of resistance due to big business protecting ...
Apr 12, 2023•29 min•Ep. 122
Certainly by now we are all very familiar with the subject of climate change. We hear about it everyday. We witness extreme weather events on a regular basis. We see the devastation and loss of life and property. I think we can all agree that climate change is by far the most profound challenge of our time. It affects us as individuals, it affects businesses, and it affects governments around the globe. No one has been spared of the effects of climate change. But there is away to halt this proce...
Apr 05, 2023•34 min•Ep. 121
The cost of solar energy has declined by more than 80% over the last 15 years. This is the very reason that my entire homestead has operated solely on solar energy for the last 6 years. Based on what my friends pay for electricity on a monthly basis, my solar electric system paid for itself in about 2 1/2 years. The amount of solar energy that hits the planet Earth in one day is enough the replace all the coal, natural gas, and oil that the entire planet uses in one year. Obviously we have the a...
Mar 29, 2023•32 min•Ep. 120
It is one thing to say that we need to transition to a green economy and quite another to actually make it happen. While it seems as if everyone on the planet knows it needs to happen why is more not being done? Why is everyone still sitting on their hands. We also know that we can no longer have an economic system focused on capital accumulation because this is not sustainable and it allows corporate profits to prevail over the well being of people and the environment. While there are obvious b...
Mar 22, 2023•34 min•Ep. 119
As our world slowly transitions to things more renewable. several states and national governments are moving to either ban to phase out gasoline powered vehicles. As with anything else, there are advantages and disadvantages. This episode is the first in a series to discussing various topics related to our transition to a greener lifestyle. In this episode I discussed whether or not electric vehicles are our salvation or is the manufacture and use just the next oil. Always remember to live susta...
Mar 15, 2023•29 min•Ep. 118
It makes me happy when I hear more and more about the principles of zero waste, reducing carbon emissions, expansion of renewable energy, and the world moving toward a circular, sustainable economy. While this is encouraging, I also think we need to once again pay close attention and not accept things at face value. So many times we get distracted and even deceived by some that appears to be practical and valuable when the underlying truth is that real change is still not happening. Is this also...
Mar 08, 2023•34 min•Ep. 117
It always seems as if someone is out to make a profit at our expense. We are repeatedly told we need this product or that one. We are told the more we have the better. The more we buy the better because it is the source of our happiness. Over the last two years our society and indeed the entire world has seen unprecedented changes. Many things have undoubtedly been forced on us without our choice. And just when it seems things are turning around for the better and there is a small glimmer of hop...
Mar 01, 2023•32 min•Ep. 116
Have you ever known a person that seemed to have a conspiracy theory about almost everything? Every little thing that happens, they jump to the conclusion that some government plot or sinister group is responsible. But what if it turns out that some of these theories are true? What if there really was a conspiracy or a major coverup to avoid taking responsibility for their bad deeds. While I have never been a person to believe all the conspiracy theories sometimes it is quite obvious we have bee...
Feb 22, 2023•38 min•Ep. 115
From the deck of my cabin I have a nice view of the mountains to the north and the east. This is the most common direction from which storms will move in toward the cabin. As we watch the distant ridges slowly disappear into the clouds we often jokingly say “Here comes the dark cloud of doom.” On one such day I was watching an approaching storm and contemplating the fate of humanity. The thought that occurred to me is the changes that truly need to take place to build a sustainable future will l...
Feb 15, 2023•29 min•Ep. 114
In todays world it is almost impossible for anyone to escape the impact of environmental issues, the possibility of resource depletion, climate change, and skyrocketing inflation. Most of us likely feel helpless to do anything about all that is going on in our world. But the first step is to ask yourself whether or not there is something we can do differently. What can we do as individuals that will have some sort of impact on where our world is going. But most of us are hesitant to change becau...
Feb 08, 2023•34 min•Ep. 113
In my opinion underneath all the chaos of our modern life, many people crave a simpler existence. Yet our modern version of the good life is robbing us of our money, free time, personal security and even our underlying happiness. I have long believed that a sustainable life leads to more personal security and thus more happiness. But a sustainable life is truly a lifestyle choice. Believe it or not, so is happiness. Because our world has changed so rapidly over the past couple of years, I am cer...
Feb 01, 2023•31 min•Ep. 112
Our Earth is about 4 1/2 billion years old. After all this time, suddenly the Earth is under a tremendous amount of pressure, and it is us. This is because over the past century we have witnessed astounding growth in the human population. Partially due to this population growth we have been borrowing from the bank of Earth’s resources for over 60 years, which means we are using resources much faster than what the Earth can naturally replenish them. Looking forward at various predictions of what ...
Jan 25, 2023•36 min•Ep. 111
There is no doubt that the fast food industry has transformed the world. It affects how we eat, what we eat, our nutrition, and even our average body weight. The average American spends $2,375 per year on restaurant food. The global value of the fast food market in 2022 was $881 billion. It is sad to think that cooking from scratch, or what I call slow food, is becoming a lost art in the average home. Eating fast food is now the norm. If it is not fast food, now we can get the healthy “meal kit”...
Jan 18, 2023•33 min•Ep. 110
Did you know that solar power is the most abundant resource on Earth. Covering only 4% of the world’s desert areas with solar panels would produce enough electricity to power the entire planet. Yet it is still difficult for me to believe that anyone would malign a global transition to renewable energy. My homestead has been run entirely off of solar power for the last 6 years and my investment has more than paid for itself. Now I get my electricity for free. But besides that, there are many othe...
Jan 11, 2023•43 min0
There are many ways to live more sustainably, some easier than others. But one of the most valuable things you can do from the perspective of sustainability is composting. Many people are put off by this thought because they have this ill conceived idea that composting is a big mystery. Furthermore, people make all kinds of excuses as to why they do not compost such as “I don’t have room.” “It is took much work.” “I can’t compost because I live in an apartment.” I must admit that for many years ...
Jan 04, 2023•38 min•Ep. 108
Homestead living is just not for everyone, especially if you sort of live on the edge of the world so to speak. Just like anything else in life, there are good days and bad days, successes and failures. But if you enjoy the privacy, semi-isolation, and general lack of people, it is fantastic. If you are afraid of the dark and what might be lurking there, it can be a bit unnerving. All along my journey of homestead living I’ve had some marvelous successes. I also have my list of failures and misa...
Dec 28, 2022•30 min•Ep. 107
In my last episode I talked a lot about the progress of humanity and how our own cleverness has placed our planetary life support system in jeopardy. While we were moving along in life congratulating ourselves on our achievements, we forgot to balance the budget. Fortunately there are a lot of very smart people that have long since realized this and have found a way to restore the environment to more of a natural state. This is not something that will happen overnight but is a fantastic step for...
Dec 21, 2022•31 min•Ep. 106
Progress, progress, progress. So many things are justified in the name of progress. All too often we hail the forward motion of progress because it improves our lives somehow. Things are easier, services are less expensive, anything we want is at our fingertips any time we want. But I would contend that such progress comes at a rather steep price that we tend to ignore. Besides the environmental consequences what about our moral responsibility? Beyond simple eco-friendly living, are we actually ...
Dec 14, 2022•24 min•Ep. 105
There are now 8 billion people on planet Earth. Due to our varied interests, cultures, belief systems, and politics, it is obviously necessary to have rules and laws in order to keep the peace and ensure mutual cooperation. But regardless of this there is a very effective weapon that can be used to accomplish the same thing. But no one ever seems to talk about it. For hundreds of years this very same weapon has been used to control people and get the upper hand on the battle field. This same wea...
Dec 07, 2022•31 min•Ep. 104
On several occasions I have pointed out that the environment would be just fine without people but people would not be okay without the environment. This begs the question of whether or not humanity is actually beneficial to the planet or are we just another invasive species. But if our existence on this planet is not beneficial then what exactly is our ultimate fate? Is the extinction of humanity inevitable? If it is what would happen if humanity no longer existed? And if that is our ultimate f...
Nov 30, 2022•39 min•Ep. 103
What if I told you that sometimes the sand on the beach is nothing more than piles of fish poop and dead animals. I wonder if that would reduce the statistics on how many people enjoy using the beach. Another thing that most people do not know is that due to several factors, there is actually a global shortage of sand. A third seemingly unrelated fact is that nearly 65% of the people in the United States are paying on a loan for their home while a significant number of people around the world li...
Nov 23, 2022•41 min•Ep. 102
In our modern culture we are at the point to where we cannot focus on any one thing without being distracted. Constant emails, text messages, notifications, phone calls, instagram, Facebook, coworkers, family, and friends. We no longer know how to actually be present in our own lives. We have lost the ability to actually focus. And few people slow down long enough to realize just how much this distracted state of mind affects their quality of life. But if we would only take the time to practice ...
Nov 16, 2022•32 min•Ep. 101
It is hard for me to believe that this is episode 100. It has taken me almost 2 years to get to this point and I am still going strong. Over the last 99 episodes I have covered a wide variety of topics. In this episode I want to simply review some of the more popular episodes and hopefully continue to instill in everyone not only the desire to start living more sustainably but also prove that there is an enormous need to do so. I also want to show once again that living sustainably is actually m...
Nov 09, 2022•32 min•Ep. 100
Years ago I used to work in a small veterinary practice in Conifer, Colorado. At the time this community was a very small and at lunch time I would walk up on the hill side and sit in a groove of old growth forest. It was quiet, very green, and offered a little reprieve from a busy practice. One day at lunch I walked up the hill as usual only to find that someone had cut a huge swath right through the old growth trees and had started excavation to build a home. I counted the rings on very single...
Nov 02, 2022•36 min•Ep. 99
If you focus at all on sustainability then you already know that the 3 pillars of sustainability are economic, environmental, and social, less formally referred to as people, planet, and profits. But in order for any of this to be feasible, for any of us to have a stainable future we have to work together. Yet we have forgotten how to do this. We have actually lost a lot of our social skills, and even forgotten how to be effective leaders. But all we really have to do is to look at the animal ki...
Oct 26, 2022•27 min•Ep. 98
As talks about climate change become increasingly serious, many of us are either weary of hearing about it, we are anxious about it, or we just do not know what to do. More and more often we hear this term “climate emergency” knowing very well the use of the term“emergency” usually means do something now. Despite our present predicament, are we as humans resilient enough to adapt to what is going on? What is the difference between climate mitigation and climate adaptation? How is all of this goi...
Oct 19, 2022•33 min•Ep. 97
In my first episode about homesteading I covered a variety of topics to help point you in the right direction. I did not talk much about the specifics of homesteading but I did lay the basic foundation for success. In this episode I want to get down to some specific actionable tips that you can start doing today. After all this is a lifestyle choice. It will take some time and a lot of hard work. When most people starting thinking about this, they don’t even know where to start. But after this e...
Oct 12, 2022•27 min•Ep. 96
