Giving Tuesday Meets Carbon Reduction - Expand your reach!

Black Friday. Small Business Saturday.

Thank God It's Sunday.

Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.

The Story of Stuff. (Annie and Free Range, you are always in  my head.)

I lay in bed a few mornings ago with all of this stuff swirling in my head. I had to get up. I was getting nervous.

How do we make the world a better place? It's going to take a lot more than just parking our gas-powered cars and changing our light bulbs. (But those are a start.)

For me, everything goes back to slowing and stopping climate change. Yes, there are lots of other incredibly important causes to support; however, as it gets harder to live and breathe, all of those other problems get worse. As we see species quickly disappearing and cultures being wiped out, the term Pro Life takes on a much bigger meaning.

How do you slow climate change? You limit carbon release. (Yes, we've always had carbon release, but we humans have become experts at it and our ingenuity and creativity in that department is killing us all.) And we, the Americans, are doing more than our fair share of the damage. Look around you, do you see people near you working to limit carbon release? Do you see people near you working actively to increase carbon release? Answer the same questions about your immediate family.

Around me, most people want cheaper gas, a bigger car, a larger house, and more stuff.

Since today is Giving Tuesday, I thought I'd throw out a few of my favorite organizations that are working hard to slow climate change:

Citizen's Climate Lobby

Watch the Intro Video

I support the CCL because I am a cynic and the CCL offers me a different type of hope. The CCL is a multi-partisan approach to helping us reduce our carbon while supporting the economy and offering (financial) hope to all citizens. Their approach is not one that expects altruism to save our environment. They are offering a sensible approach that is based on a carbon tax and dividend (while making life better for all).

The Sierra Club

Watch the Intro Video on this page

The Sierra Club has been around more than 120 years. The original vision of the SC was to protect wild and natural places. Here in the 21st century that vision has not changed. but it has expanded to protecting the entire planet and all life on it - including us humans. The part of their mission that truly draws me in is their drive to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels. As times get more desperate, the Sierra Club keeps stepping up their game. (You can find the Texas chapter here.)

GreenPeace

Pardon me on this one, but all my life I've known Greenpeace to be a bunch of non-violent badasses who go after whaling ships in little rubber boats. That's how they got started back in 1971 and they haven't backed down yet, but they've definitely broadened their scope.

Learn more here

350.ORG

Check out the 350.ORG intro video here

(Yes, I had to throw in the bicycle screenshot)

Okay, so those are the biggies for me when it comes to saving the planet, but they are definitely not the only ones. So, if these don't fit your approach, do a little research and find those that do. Let this be one way your voice can be heard.

May your actions match your beliefs!

Bonus: 3 More Organizations near and dear to me:

The Haven - a Local, Non-Profit, NO-Kill animal shelter

People for Bikes

League of American Bicyclists

Awesome Lubbock Recycling Opportunity this Weekend (11-12-16)

Dear Lubbockites,

You know that Windows 98 machine you have languishing in the corner of your closet? How about the Game Boy that quit working and the TV with a screen that just wasn't flat enough to fit in our modern world? How about those little gadgets that were easier to replace than repair? Remember that PS1 with broken controllers on a shelf in the garage? Well, now it's time to get them out of your house and send them off to a better place. And Texas Tech Recycling (once again) is here to make it happen.

See the whole enchilada on GeekyEdge

 

Texas Tech Electronics Recycling Opportunity

 

The details:

 

Humanity needs all of us to quit trashing our home. This is one opportunity to do a little something right.

 

Sincerely and hopefully,

The Mesquite Hugger

 

May your stuff come back as something better in the next life!

 

PS. Thanks for the heads up, Double K!

PPS. If you miss this opportunity, Goodwill is also a local option for e-recycling.

PPPS. Watch the Story of Stuff already!

Minimalism sidebar: Do smartphones go to heaven when they die? (updated)

[Dedicated to Annie Leonard and Free Range Studios]

Yes, I know. It's sacrilege. I am thinking of giving up my smartphone.

The Phone Call Is Dead

 

My IC chip is going out. I did some looking. I can get a very basic flip phone for $49.99. And I could knock our bill down a bit by dropping data on this line. I could walk away from a lot of distractions, save money, and possibly get closer to finding a little simplicity.

We could also afford some things we've cut back. (I could ride a scooter legally!)

But I'd be giving up a lot.

Blogging and sharing blog posts would be much tougher.
Giving up the talk-to-text feature and the ability to take and share quick photos would be huge.
Instant weather forecasts I would miss.
A big one would be giving up the National Bike Challenge - no ability to use the tracking app.
Constantly having a novel, a bible, a camera, and youtube in my pocket has really spoilt me.

But here's the big question - is it cruel to disconnect yourself from your smart-phoned people?

Is life a little harder for others when they can't reach you so easily, can't group text you, can't share contacts?

It's probably a moot point - I am an info addict, but I keep looking for ways to simplify, to de-clutter, and to live within our means. Is this one of those ways?

May you have better grasp of all this than I do.

BTW, I want a smartphone like this one rather than the one I will end up with. Check it out! (I really suck at minimalism)

 

Fairphone on the Verge

 

[4/8/2016 I got another smartphone with a better camera, snagit!]

Wanting Green Stuff - with Polar Bear Bonus Material

It's that balance. (I think I am blessed to be broke these days.)

I keep finding myself wanting stuff to make my daily steps more eco-friendly. There are bigs and littles.

 [Bigs] Topping the Bigs List - a cargo bike.

I want to do my best to give up (gasoline) driving a car as much as possible. A bike that serves my commuting and hauling needs could go a long way in making that goal attainable. ($1800ish for a Radwagon, maybe better when Mr. Evans announces pricing on the Leap) Kylie the WunderMutt is holding out for a cargo bike too.

Check it out.

[Littles] But I don't really need a cargo bike.

In many cases, the greenest option is the one you already have. I am two tires, a front basket, and some panniers away from a bike that will haul moderate loads, and I have a bike trailer to haul bigger stuff (and Kylie). I could even build everything but the tires. (maybe $40-$150 and four hours of work)

The awesomest electric car commercial!

 

[Bigs] Second on the Bigs List: an Electric Car.

I have finally backed away from wanting a MiEV (mostly) and have been drooling over used Leafs. ($10,000 will buy you a very nice, low-mileage Leaf these days.) It would be linguistically cool to say I drive a Leap and Leaf! Nissan's none-too-pretty but has-a-great-personality electric car could keep me moving in all weather and I could take people with me! But $10K is just not do-able right now, and it would not haul much stuff. As for a more classic approach, I ooh and ah over Citicars but the little doorstop is just not that practical as an eco-friendly people mover.

[Littles] Rain gear and all weather tires for the bike could go a long way toward lessening my "need" for an electric car. And maybe some testosterone supplements to encourage me to aggressively confront the West Texas weather. (It may be time to toughen up, Coffee Cup - it's hard to call oneself "Buttercup".) I may also need some industrial strength deodorant. (What's the going rate for tires and testosterone?)

Find it here.

[Bigs] Go solar.

Yep, it's a big ticket item, but anyone who is obsessed with personal carbon reduction is going to struggle with powering the home with coal and natural gas, and those are currently our only options with Lubbock Power and Light and Water. Just think how clean and green the Leaf would be running on solar power.

More information here.

 

[Littles] A Home Energy Audit and follow-up repairs.

The next best thing to producing renewable energy is to burn considerably less dirty energy. A lot of energy escapes our house through windows, doors, and the odd hole in the ceiling. There're some less than-energy-efficient appliances lurking in our home too. There're even some bad energy habits that linger. A little focus in this area could reap big energy benefits (and save a little money to boot.)

Yes, I know. It's a stretch. (Find it here.)

 

[More of Middle] A Greenhouse.

If you have been reading along this week, you've probably already seen the shower door plan and the geodesic dome plan. A greenhouse can be built very inexpensively, but the time involved in building and maintaining and the money spent planting and nurturing - those can be daunting. On the other hand, it's hard to beat this level of locavorism for nutrition and personal carbon reduction.

 

Hi, Annie!

 

Yep, I keep struggling with wanting stuff. I guess I better go back and watch the Story of Stuff again.

 

May the stuff you do (and don't) buy lead us all to a healthier place! 

Thankful 2015: A very incomplete MH list

 

for people who fight to improve our world, to conserve and protect nature, and to serve those in need

 

for people who strive for better (rather than more)

 

for each day I have the opportunity and the health to ride a bike and leave the car behind

 

for every great blue heron, horny toad, and possum that (safely) crosses my path

 

for people who rescue strays and strays who rescue people

 

for a season of learning to garden

 

for pipelines not built

 

for the freedom and opportunity to write this blog

 

for each and every person who takes time to read this blog

 

for those who invest in and develop clean energy

 

for those who acknowledge man-made climate change and work to slow it

 

for everyone who reduces consumption, who recycles, who repurposes

 

for family, friends, and my amazing wife who tolerate my MH nagging

 

for people who believe differently but seek common ground

 

for my Savior who sustains me

 

May your thanks list completely overwhelm your adversity list. Thank you, friends!

Holiday Materialism 2015 - The frog, the owl, the stuff, REI, and Black Friday

Last year, instead of rebelliously lying in bed on Black Friday, my wife and I rebelliously went hiking in Caprock Canyon. It was a day that brought us closer together and a day in which we did not grow more cynical in our view of humanity. (Storming the doors of Target or Wally World or Best Buy at 2am would have spawned great animosity toward our fellow man.)

It was also a day in which we did not grow deeper in debt but we did grow deeper in appreciation for the natural world.

Recently, I noticed there is a movement to get people outside and out of town on black Friday. REI (the sporting goods people) have been leading the charge this year with the #optoutside movement. REI is closing up shop on Black Friday so that their people (and theoretically their customers) can get outside and do something memorable, meaningful, and healthy rather than jumping into the meleé that is Black Friday shopping. I can attest that it's a great plan! So can Mattie and Kylie who went to Caprock Canyon with us last year. It was a great day and I can still vividly remember that time. I especially remember the smile in my wife's eyes that day.

Gratuitous Black Friday 2014 black dog panorama!

 

This year, I do not know that we will have the luxury to sneak away on Black Friday, but I do want to make sure that we focus on something more meaningful than shopping. In the world of stuff. this has been a rough year. Frankly, we grow tired of being owned by our stuff.

The High Price of Materialism (And I thought frogs were the good guys.)

The Story of Stuff (The Mesquite Hugger staff has a big ol' eco crush on Annie Leonard)

 

So don't just stand there - Bust an Ad!

 

I haven't talked it over with my brown-eyed girl, but I hope to make this Black Friday into Bake Friday - not the fake-bake or the get baked version, but the one where we bake stuff to give our friends for the holidays. (Mattie and Kylie would be all about that too!) Or maybe it should be Instructables Friday, where we build recycled Instructables as gifts. Maybe we should call it Help-Us-Clean-House Friday and invite all of our friends over. Maybe...I am taking this too far.

 

May your day after Thanksgiving be something more than charging boldly into debt. 

 

 

My favorite infographic was made into a (short) movie!

Saturday, my wife and I were standing in my favorite store in New Mexico - Seconds. It's a shop where every product could be the final product of an Instructable gone incredibly right. Everything in there is recycled, upcycled, solar, or some kind of renewable. We were drooling over lots of cool items, and we found ourselves focused on a set of eco-friendly eating utensils. (They were designed to carried into those eating establishments that normally serve food with disposable plastic sporks and such, or to take with you camping.) They were beautifully crafted from bamboo and came with a washable carry bag. And they would make a great gift for someone who is looking for another way to achieve personal carbon reduction.

Something like this.

Being the cheapo simpleton that I tend to be, I loved the idea but thought I would be better off running by the local thrift store to pick up a stainless-steel knife, fork, and spoon to carry with me. Then my brain drifted off to my favorite infographic of all time - you know, the one with the spoon.

While we were in New Mexico, we were partially off-grid and had little contact with the internet-connected world, so I did not check out Treehugger or the plethora of other favorite online news outlets for five days. I spent a little time this morning catching up and was pleasantly and coincidentally surprised when I found a TH article about GreenPeace's new video version of my favorite infographic of all time.

Image from The Story of a Spoon

 

May you be moved to get off your lazy butt and wash your own snagging spoon! (Can you tell I have a small case of the post-vacation grouchedy?)

 

Have a great day - and wash a spoon, a fork, a plate, a coffee cup, or anything else that will keep the world from cranking out more disposable plastic crap!

Don't watch this video (if you love your stuff)

Yesterday, GreenPeace USA announced their new executive director - Annie Leonard. And I am excited about this! Annie rocks!

Annie has made several deceptively simple videos that not only point out our current environmental problems, but also offer up solutions. Each time I watch one of her videos, I catch myself striving to live better. (I should watch them more often.) In case you would like to strive to live better, here is the first video in the series: The Story of Stuff.

Congratulations to Annie and to Greenpeace USA!

May their mission help us all to create a better place for us and generations to come.