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 SubscribeModerated by Collin Dunn

Green Living Strategy: Less is More

Posted October 22, 2007 11:00AM


The notion of "ethical" living [www.sundancechannel.com] and embracing "ethical" design [www.sundancechannel.com] is not always easy; though in some ways more specific than "green," everybody has a slightly different idea of ethics or what it means to be ethical. As a natural extension, then, we want to talk about a very concrete strategy for following some or the ideas we laid out. The first of these: less is more.



It all starts with the basic assumption that we all use too much of everything: too much space; too much land; too much food; too much fuel...the list goes on, and it's not entirely pleasant to hear, unfortunately. Nor does the solution, at first glance: use less stuff. Our existence is predicated upon the idea that our goals are to do better, which has, in many cases, become synonymous with more; think about it in terms of a typical career cycle: the idea is to get a better job, a bigger office, more money, a bigger house, more stuff to fill the house, etc., etc. Nobody wants to go backwards on that scale, right? So it's against our nature, in some ways, to scale your life back.



That said, it sounds simple enough -- this "use less stuff" ideal -- but isn't always so quick and painless as it might sound. For some of us, it's a matter of culling a few articles of clothing and spending an afternoon cleaning out the garage; for others, it's a major lifestyle change (we prefer to think "upgrade") that requires re-thinking the way you look at the world. Ask yourself: is my (fill in the blank) house, home layout, collection of stuff, etc., as space and energy-efficient as it could be? Am I using things to their full potential? How could my stuff not only be used more efficiently, but function in a way that would please me better?



We think the key to the "less is more" lifestyle is to just have high standards. Don't just settle for quasi-functional stuff, or just-okay use of space. Don't let your stuff tie you down. We think you'll find the idea quite freeing. Stay tuned for some specific examples of how to do more with less.
zippymaus
October 28, 2007 06:10AM
One way to do the "less is more" thing is to use less plastic bags. I was kind of sad to see typical shopping bags in the image above. Many cities are working on bag bans, including the one that's coming up in San Francisco in late November/early December. Philly, Boston, Phoenix, and many other cities are considering them. There's no excuse for not taking your own bag. Many European nations have required this for years. I gave a friend one of my ChicoBags when she was heading back to Europe recently and she loved it and said that it came in handy because it was so small that she could pop it into her purse, it was lightweight, and it didn't take up space in her suitcase. If people can take a reusable bag while traveling, they can certainly use them at home. Nearly every market is selling reusable bags and there are tons in catalogs and on the internet. There is no excuse for non-use. Besides, the only thing worse than having a zillion plastic bags pile up at home is dumping them out into the environment. So, yes, use less stuff. And when you do have to buy, buy sustainable and carry sustainably. It's not just about hopping into your Prius and heading to the mall.
benn
October 31, 2007 06:20PM
The issue at hand is that "disposable" convenience items are killing our planet. If we reclaimed old fashioned sensibilities like being frugal we'd all be a lot better off. I was talking with my granny the other day about the disposable bag crisis and she told me that in her day people always brought their own bags. When disposable bags were introduced, people stopped bringing their own. Now, people of good intention buy reusable grocery bags and, speaking from personal experience, we often leave them at home. Because of my forgetfulness, I've started packing around a reusable ChicoBag because I can stuff it into a tiny little sack and hang it on my backpack. It's a life saver. Literally. Lucky for college students like me, it's also inexpensive and can hold lots of text books and beverages.