Questions for the future: buy, save, borrow, or just stay home

We don't save anymore, but we are told to go out and buy things.  We can't borrow like we used to and since we don't have savings, how can we buy anything anyway?

We are drowning our world with our clutter (it is worth a trip to the garbage dump just to see the reality of this), but we are told that if we stop accumulating (i.e. being consumers) many people will be destitute.

What a dilemma.  

Maybe the answer is finding a different way for the economy to survive.  Its crazy to depend so much on people buying things.  With all our intelligence, and ability to invent i-phones and other technologically advanced gadgets, you would think we could find a better way.

--

New York Times Letter to the Editor - on the economy
To the Editor:

We consumers are getting contradictory messages about spending. On the one hand, we are told that our overconsumption is polluting and cluttering up the earth with garbage, using up resources and showing insensitivity to all the needy people in the world. On the other hand, we are told that until we start buying more goods and services, the economy will be in the dumps and we will leave many of our fellow citizens jobless, homeless and hungry.

Something is wrong with that picture. I personally don’t feel like buying much of anything, and my life is a lot less cluttered.

Ina Aronow
New Rochelle, N.Y., Dec.
24, 2008

After IKE: Alive and Well in Houston

Dear Blog Readers

Thanks to everyone for their concern. The first couple of days were tough for us. But I think we had it easy, compared to so many others.... no trees on our house or cars, no rising water on our street. Today I saw a video of Bolivar Peninsula (Galveston Island) -- WOW! it looks like the MIssissippi coast after Katrina... a town was totally wiped out.

One thing that stays on my mind is the idea of these increasingly destructive storms. How much can we prevent these in the future? How about if we start driving less, riding our bikes etc. There are thousands of things we can do to help ourselves not have to deal with this again. Maybe there will be more storms, but if we implement some real sustainability soon, we could decrease the intensity of the storms....

A few simple suggestions - some have short term, other have long effects

1. When you are in a building with an elevator, walk if you have only 2 or 3 or 4 floors to go.
2. Turn off your lights when you are not using them.
3. Drive 5 miles less per hour on the freeway! And don't speed!
4. Consider buying USED items. The clothing re-sale shop is an adventure. You never know what designer clothes you will find. The less NEW clothes manufactured the less energy used.
5. Consider a USED car - the world has too many cars..... or hold on to your car longer...
6. Ride your bicycle for short trips.
7. DON'T East MEAT! (see our post on UN recommendation "Vegetarians are going to love the U.N."
8. RECYCLE! and encourage your employer, apartment complex, or community to recycle

more suggestions later.

our condolences to all who lost family members, and/or their homes as a result of Hurricane IKE