The Functional Future
Under the pre-affordable-care-act “system”, a child who gets leukemia had a pre-existing condition for life, making it extremely difficult and/or expensive to get health insurance for this child, move out of state, or quit a job. This is just one reason why the healthcare system got an overhaul, with the new system coming on line […]
Obamacare is the Affordable Care Act Read More »
Free Shaving Cream for Life… With a starting investment of one shaving brush, a container, and a bar of soap, you can have free shaving cream for life. First, cut your bar of soap so it fits into the empty container. Then, when you want to shave, soak the shaving brush in water and whirl
Free Shaving Cream for Life & Why You Haven’t Heard of It Read More »
How does wood burning compare with natural gas? The moral Issue is murky.
Fired Up: Wood vs. Natural Gas (vs. Rocket Stoves) for Environmental and Personal Health Read More »
Energy and heat are two key physical technologies (to be used on conjunction with social technologies) in moving from our dysfunctional status quo to a future of thriving on one planet’s worth of resources (one planet thriving). Multiple solutions are necessary, including alcohol, stirling engines, rocket stoves and mass heaters, biofuel, and more. Is it true that ethanol is a net energy loser, taking
Alcohol: A Renewable Energy that Sequesters Carbon and Can Power Our Lives? Read More »
The first 9/11 occurred in Chile in 1973. Here is a heart-warming true story about community and generosity that emerged during the second 9/11, the attacks that occurred in NYC on 9/11/01.
Community Emerges during the Second 9/11: Twin Towers Read More »
One of the aspects of A Pattern Language that is so important is the relationality inherent in it. The house relates to the porch which relates to the street. Bob Theis is an architect who designs in this tradition. In this interview with First Earth, Bob suggests, for example, that if you want to encourage
Social Architecture Read More »
Fukuoka’s classic “One Straw Revolution” described a spiritual and natural approach to growing food that he started in Japan in 1938. This approach, which pre-dated permaculture, has been said to supply a spiritual component that works well with permaculture design. These 3 videos are from a master gardener and permaculturist who shows us her gardens as inspired by Fukuoka’s “do-nothing” approach.
Fukuoka-inspired Vegetable Garden Read More »
Non-profits are faced with significant disadvantages compared to other organizations. Imagine the problems we could solve if these were changed.
Non-profits & fundraising Read More »
Mushrooms grown on local, agricultural waste as a substrate, form products ranging from packaging to table-tops and insulations that bio-degrade. New Yorker article describing the founding of the company, along with the teacher (Burt Swersey), class (Inventor’s Studio), and school (Rensselaer Poytechnic Institute) that supported the founders and idea. Another company (Mycoworks) is using sawdust
Bio-mimicry: Mushrooms as the New Plastic and Leather and… Read More »
“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.” – Kahlil Gibran. We might add: The wise see the whole rose and thus appreciate all aspects of its beauty without injury.
A Reply to Kahlil Gibran’s Observation about Optimism and the Rose Read More »