4 months ago

eurolaura

Sorry for the double.

4 months ago

eurolaura

Hey SpacemanNo3, the party isn't over yet. I am still here. You can still take me to the universal dance. The stars and the planets are waiting for us.

4 months ago

eurolaura

Hey SpacemanNo3, the party isn't over yet. I am still here. You can still take me to the universal dance. The stars and the planets are waiting for us.

4 months ago

eurolaura

Hey SpacemanNo3, the party isn't over yet. I am still here. You can still take me to the universal dance. The stars and the planets are waiting for us.

6 months ago

Margaret S

Setting aside my experience that one was “only joking” is a usual defensive last resort, and shamefully admitting my guilt - I’ve employed it myself a time or two in service of the ego (insert wink emoticon here), let us both stand corrected - you for not showing the inserted tongue-in-cheek, and me for failing to “see” it. (insert smiley face emoticon here)

6 months ago

joyjoy

Dear Margaret, that's the problem with the Internet. One cannot always see the tongue tucked firmly in the cheek. ;-)

6 months ago

Margaret S

Blogger guilt? No… I’m not about that coercive “sin.” How could the “end” justify a means that destroy the “greater good?” It’s entirely Colin’s prerogative whether he continues in a relationship of sharing his thoughts with his readers. Consider this: borrowing from Emerson, " the quality high relationship demands {from both parties} is the ability to do without it"

6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret, the end of your last comment was a perfect segue into a new essay from Colin ... oh dear. Blogger-guilt may be the only way to get him back to the keyboard, and out onto the Naughty Step again. Ah, the sins we must commit for the greater good.

6 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY said: “Eco-Age has a social-network side.” Sorry, I don’t; not yet, and probably never will; I’m far too private, and way too introverted. Glad you enjoyed the article. My favorite part comes from its conclusion: “…the environmentalists grasped the famous point made by Dr. King’s political forebear, Frederick Douglass: ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.’ “ Last year I met Bill McKibben at a lecture sponsored by a local university on-campus interfaith organization. I’ve been an infinitesimally miniscule part of his global environmental movement ever since that presentation. As for my reason for being here, it became quite clear only yesterday, when my husband of 30+ years boldly announced the sort of idea that risks a quick and decisive veto from me: to upgrade, for the holidays, our family’s cell phone package to the new 4S. Just look at all the ‘aps’ “he enthused. “So sleek so shiny. Is it wrong to want beautiful things?” (OK, so he didn’t say the part about the beautiful things…) And I muttered, “but I don’t use the ‘aps’ I have now”, to which he replied, “I even know what we can do with our old phones – we can donate them to charity. You can’t say ‘no’ to that!” Little does he know, based on the sorts of things I’ve been promoting here, I’ll have a lot of guilt to contend with if I do say “no” now to living in a world where it’s OK to upgrade.

6 months ago

joyjoy

"...where the Tea Party took inspiration from the Revolution, the anti-pipeline activists would draw from “Lysistrata”; instead of going to war against the President, they threatened to get out of bed with him unless he shaped up. Knowing that Obama wanted their support in 2012, they would attract his attention by playing hard to get." Oh, that is perfect. Thanks for the link. Read more http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer#ixzz1eOq2Lo3h

6 months ago

Margaret S

Here is what I mean by collective will: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer

6 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY said: “What I was talking about is more about trusting that the Universe is fundamentally good, and actions ripple out and manifest Benefit in mysterious ways.“ Thanks for clarifying! In spiritual mode I say “of course!”. In scientific mode, it registers only as “invalid”. As I explained, I’m trying to get these two facets of me to work together. The goal of getting to 350 ppm of atmospheric CO2 is a scientific, measurable goal that is sustainable for the planet. Human activity is generating greenhouse gasses at 390 ppm currently. I need to see a set of actions - measureable, “profitable” best practice methods to get us to that 350 number, and a plan, and strategies, and interim targets involving the governments of the world in getting us there. We need public policy to set priority and march us down that road, and we need to apply and sustain lots of pressure to see that it gets there. I can (and do) overarch that plan with faith that we’ll get there, and that these efforts will be aligned with the source of all goodness. But I’m a hard sell and I need both.

6 months ago

Margaret S

As if I haven't said enough, I also meant to comment on your “guilt is tricky" remark, too… Agreed – it’s inconvenient, and yes, potentially linked to fear. The same can be said of gravity, but we can’t “retire” either. I’m reconstructing this from an assigned reading from decades ago, and apologize for any resulting inaccuracies. In his seminal if flawed (there’s not that much “variety” observed) work, William James in “The Varieties of Religious Experience” observes two distinct “types” – the optimistic by nature “healthy minded“ who are not faced with the “problem” the other group is. The pessimistic “sick souled” he describes as gloomy, faced with an undeniable “problem” of despair that their spiritual system must address to be truly helpful to them. These distinctions are innate and not meant to imply any judgment – “sick” and “healthy” are just labels he assigned, don’t imply which one has a more evolved self esteem or is better in any way than the other. The sick souled are not psychologically ill, nor are the healthy minded filled with psychological well-being. They are primarily descriptive labels. For the healthy minded, guilt does not persist. For the sick souled, it is an undeniable reality and reminder of human imperfection, darkness and depravity. Now, I remember a decision I made here to self censure comments I might offer having to do with personal faith content as off-limits, and I’m not changing my resolve. But it occurs to me there are elements echoing the healthy minded and the sick souled in our discussion.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Thanks for the note of gratitude! Having a long, considered chat on the Naughty Step is a pleasure for me, too. Besides enjoying the bejeezus out of this interaction, I have a very selfish reason for keeping it up: I want Colin to keep writing essays. I like his style and he says interesting things. If his page is getting traffic, it will show up as drawing for the site as a whole. All the people who have commented here have had interesting responses to the essay and prove there’s a potential Naughty Step community – people who feel like they’re just one or two uncomfortable beats off of the eco-norm. Odd ones do find each other, so why not here? By the way, Eco-Age has a social-network side, that allows us to post profiles etc. Mine is up, so go have a look. Cheers!

6 months ago

joyjoy

Sorry for the duplicate post. The commenting function here still has some bugs that are really bugging me. Anyhoot: Margaret said: “When you say “conscious intent” is not a part of being beneficial, sorry, I’m not following you.” My thought is that “Benefit” for a specific individual or location does not need to be a conscious intent in order to occur from a widespread behavior shift … ie., Benefit is not Newtonian cause-and-effect every single time. Consider how many people went into medicine, science, or engineering because they were inspired by Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Uhura and Spock on Star Trek. The actors and writers never knew of their work’s Benefit until told about it years later. Now, Benefit is most often sold as one-to-one cause and effect: for instance, today I bought a 100% recycled-content notebook from ecojot.com today, and I know that because I bought a notebook, an underprivileged child in Tanzania will get a notebook which will let them go to school. That’s cause-and-effect Benefit. What I was talking about is more about trusting that the Universe is fundamentally good, and actions ripple out and manifest Benefit in mysterious ways.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret said: “…what if the quantitative, (measureable, scientific, profitable) could complement the qualitative, (intuited, spiritual, beneficial). If they can be shown to work together, then they can be judged to be truly “sustainable?” You’ve probably come across the phrase “Triple Bottom Line Reporting” in your activism. It is a real attempt – adopted now by many businesses and local governments – to do what your last question addresses. Now – because Eco-Age commenting doesn’t allow paragraph breaks, I’m going to make a couple of posts to switch ideas, and hope it follows coherently.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret said: “…what if the quantitative, (measureable, scientific, profitable) could complement the qualitative, (intuited, spiritual, beneficial). If they can be shown to work together, then they can be judged to be truly “sustainable?” You’ve probably come across the phrase “Triple Bottom Line Reporting” in your activism. It is a real attempt – adopted now by many businesses and local governments – to do what your last question addresses. Now – because Eco-Age commenting doesn’t allow paragraph breaks, I’m going to make a couple of posts to switch ideas, and hope it follows coherently.

6 months ago

Margaret S

You and I both agree groups of people working together is prescriptive. When you say “conscious intent” is not a part of being beneficial, sorry, I’m not following you. I must not be reading you carefully enough. You’ve pointed to a profit vs. benefit dichotomy that I’m tempted to go conceptually in the opposite direction with, not contrast at all, but insist they complement one another. The sign over Dante’s Inferno reads “Abandon Hope Ye Who Enter Here.” I used to joke, “Abandon Hearing Ye Who Enter Hope.” What I meant was, stop your ears, cover your eyes, and go into denial about scientific reality if I want to be spiritually optimistic - even functional depending on how deeply I might sink into despair. I’ve these two potentially competing paradigms to internally balance and integrate – science and spiritual. I used to handle this (very badly) by walling off the paradigms and not letting them inform one another, an engraved invitation to cognitive dissonance. Instead, what if the quantitative, (measureable, scientific, profitable) could complement the qualitative, (intuited, spiritual, beneficial). If they can be shown to work together, then they can be judged to be truly “sustainable?”

6 months ago

Margaret S

RE: playfully stretching the metaphor of that New Yorker cartoon: caffeine offers certain health benefits, especially when surrounded by the natural chemicals in coffee and tea, but, due to risk of exhausting one’s adrenals due to overuse, shouldn’t be one’s primary “fuel”. Neither should guilt. You wrote, “Guilt puts us at odds with the group.” Have you considered collective guilt? (Collective will’s shadow?) When “we” admit “we” are all awash in it, collective guilt serves as a humbling equalizer. The hand whose finger points to blame someone else leaves three pointing back at the hand’s owner. Any attempt to scapegoat an individual, ostracize them from the group, is impossible when the group collectively owns the guilt, and is openly aware of it. It effectively ameliorates the impact of the guilt on the individual. As citizens of the planet, when we openly confess the ethical consequences of our shared responsibility – of action or non-action - we stand on common ground. A single person being forced to bear the weight – that’s neither honest nor playing fair.

6 months ago

Margaret S

Before I offer my response to your latest ideas, I offer an appreciation: Keeping the shelf life of blogs in mind, I want to express, before consignment (this is not a complaint), of the Naughty Step to the back stairs archive where it will inevitably no longer be open to further comments, my gratitude to you, JOYJOY, for this enjoyable (on my part, anyway) extended exchange, the likes of which is an internet rarity. It’s devilish difficult to conduct an exchange such as this without a sudden disconnect due to miscommunication, impatience, temptation to argue, loss of interest… even face to face and with people I know. As a complete stranger, you’ve sustained a month-long civil discussion with deep attention, curiosity, good humor, and serious reflection. And might I add determination to not allow me to completely hijack the space by keeping us at least tangentially on topic of our host’s comments. Some folks would find this an odd way of relaxing, but for me, it’s proven a lovely respite from some mentally consuming challenges elsewhere. I hope you’ve enjoyed your fair share of pleasure in our discussion, and thank you for your attention. Attention is one of the greatest gifts one person can give another, and you don’t even know me.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Addendum: Spot the difference between "profit" and "benefit." If collective will can change matters so that our village in India does not get inundated as a consequence of global warming, Benefit has reached those villagers without conscious intent being part of it. Profit, by contrast, is planned by a select few and gathered by the same few, no mind to anyone else. Triple-bottom-line business practices could change this situation.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Whooo, Margaret, so many juicy, chewy, nourishing thoughts! Guilt as “responsibility’s shadow …. What honest uses we put guilt to … “ One New Yorker cartoon has stuck with me for more than a decade. A drawing of two fuel pumps, one labeled CAFFEINE, the other GUILT. Of the three sister concepts illuminated in this essay – responsibility, conscience, guilt -- Guilt is the trickiest. All three are part of how an individual relates to the realities of a group (family, society, ecosystem), but Guilt puts us at odds with the group, as a consequence of something done or not done, or family lineage, or nationality, or skin color, or … you see what I mean by tricky. Guilt separates and divides. Conscience and Responsibility connect. Guilt has become the productive workhorse of drama, the legal profession, vigilanteism and all forms of warfare. Somewhere in there may be an “honest” use of Guilt, but Guilt’s access to fear makes it awfully handy for manipulating the group towards somebody’s profit. Sociopathology, indeed …

6 months ago

Margaret S

“Think Globally, Act Locally,” right? As for guilt, I see it as responsibility’s shadow. I’m not responsible for everything, and believing I am would lead me to pathology, but so does believing I have no claim to guilt whatsoever, which is sociopathic. What honest uses we put guilt to, well, that’s another matter. It’s not always a great motivator, (neither is despair) but as an equalizer it works. If we all share the guilt, then nobody’s singled out. We can all share the credit, too. I do wonder how Mawlynnong got all its citizens to sign onto banning smoking. It sounds like a simple, beautiful place with its basic sanitation and infrastructure, I suspect what makes it all work is that it’s culturally distinct. Imagine, in contrast, trying to ban smoking in your neighborhood, like they did. The outcry for individual rights would be deafening. Balance between individual freedom and public good is culturally specific and highly variable. I’m plagued by the reality that what we contribute as individuals or a small group is vital to our personal integrity, but has limited impact globally. It’s a fact I’ve reduced our family’s carbon footprint, but still our planet’s atmosphere is 40 parts per million above the maximum atmospheric carbon dioxide level needed to sustain life as we know it. In this scenario, in a few decades, Mawlynnong’s infrastructure will be inundated by floods, its pristine forests decimated by bark beetles, its people plagued by dengue fever and cholera. These people don’t want us to feel guilty about it; they want us to stop being complacent, tosee “them” as “us”, and prevent it. It will take massive, focused global attention, trans-national political pressure and hard work to curb the amount of greenhouse gasses we’re allowing corporations to pump into the atmosphere to reverse this trend. What will generate the collective will to achieve it?

6 months ago

joyjoy

This is a bit of a follow-up to the Living Bridge video, as The Cleanest Village In India is next to the Living Bridge and the villagers take responsibility for creating and maintaining the bridge. Now, the careful attention given by the residents to their environment is truly astonishing, and I think a testament to the community being "too small" to be of interest to big globalized business concerns. They do have a conscious and explicit ban on certain plastics, which would be difficult to enforce in the West. Could it happen here? If this level of attention and daily care started small - say, with one family in a neighborhood - and grew house by house, until a whole block was involved in regular communal activities, then Yes, i think it could. It would look very different from this village, but I think staying small and hyper-local would be a support. In this way, "eco-guilt" would not be necessary, because the activities would be demonstrated as "what works best in the long run and for the most benefit."

6 months ago

Margaret S

Yeah, exactly. It’s not about the “me.” It’s about the “other.” In complete paradoxical contradiction to what I just wrote, whenever I have a strong negative reaction to a person I try to pay attention enough to ask myself, “What do I think I’m seeing in that person that I can’t abide in myself, to the point that I refuse to even acknowledge it?” Or, that I so do not want people to see in me that I’ll point at the other person and say – “Look at that! How awful!” as a distraction away from my own “despicable” self. So, maybe the attempt to lay eco guilt on a person has some origin in the other person’s less-than-conscious desire to not acknowledge their own participation in “eco sin?” Which gets back to… it’s not about “me” it’s about the “other.” WHEW. Thought I was in trouble there for minute. Sometimes the best service we can provide is being a mirror to help others see themselves.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Bingo! And, it comes back to this essay's subject, the guilt put on us by others. This spaciousness of heart allows us to not take on guilt projected by another person. We gently refuse their label - let it slip off and go on being more interested in their humanity than their doctrine, or their opinion of us.

6 months ago

Margaret S

You said “I haven't reached the heights where I could call an "enemy" a "friend" as the result of contact and focused conversation, but I have been able to see clearly *why* a person was unable to understand or agree with my position - and upon seeing, to just stop fighting.” What I think you are saying here is that you’ve learned the art of disengaging your ego in the midst of such conflicts, which is really crucial. Sometimes the best you can do is turn your back or walk away, or say “I am not about that,” refuse to play the game by the rules of the one fighting. Asking ”how can I be of service to this person here and now?” can be game changing. And that attitude can propel you even deeper into listening to the other person, and whatever label they thought you were wearing that frightened them, made them defend their ego to the “death” in the first place, drops away as they see more clearly through to your humanity. Fear is held at bay. Whenever we arrive there, it’s not “high,” it’s “deep;” It’s love.

6 months ago

joyjoy

What a lovely poem. I immediately thought of one by Hafiz, but I hope to link it back to the subject of the Naughty Step essay -- guilt, and how it really doesn't help matters. Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth "You owe me." Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky. -- Hafiz

6 months ago

Margaret S

Sorry, In some things I’m pretty hopeless, - still can’t insert a link - but here’s a favorite Robert Frost poem I think I’ve mentioned before that your post about love and the Occupy Wall St movement put me in mind of: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19445

6 months ago

joyjoy

I haven't reached the heights where I could call an "enemy" a "friend" as the result of contact and focused conversation, but I have been able to see clearly *why* a person was unable to understand or agree with my position - and upon seeing, to just stop fighting. No point to fighting when the only result is going to be continued rage. This creates a space where both parties can walk away without causing more damage than has already happened - and perhaps maintain civility and respect in the relationship. I *have* been able to conclude such a face-off cleanly, by voicing a whispered Thank You and blessing to the opponent for their great passion. I think it confused him.

6 months ago

Margaret S

Thanks for sharing this link. In contrast, don’t you think, our culture encourages, expects, humiliation of one’s political opponent in place of hearing and understanding the other’s side. The love that transcends apparent differences between people is, by nature, hard work, requiring courage in the face of conflict. It’s a love that commits to and remains with, stubbornly converting fear, defensiveness and closed mindedness to acceptance, openness, compassion and connection. It seeks to understand before it concerns it self with being understood. I’ve had this sort of experience a couple times in my life, and it is always because my opponent and I been able to reach agreement on a core values. Discovering and affirming what people deeply value is the common ground where the person labeled “enemy” becomes “friend.” Have you ever experienced this?

6 months ago

joyjoy

I’d like to recall something from Colin’s post, three lines that express his position best (maybe second best, just after “It’s not wrong to want beautiful things”). “The thing is, I want to live in a world where it’s OK to upgrade. How do we make that happen? We need to put pressure on the brands and the companies to take responsibility for their supply chain until this becomes a reality.” Perhaps the Occupy Movement is nudging us along towards that reality, in a gentle, sea-change kind of way. I came across something I’d like to share, which gave me ginormous hope for the future, even the future capacity of “brands and companies to take responsibility for their supply chain,” and us out here on the Naughty Step can upgrade our beautiful things in peace. This video, "Love and Shadow in the Occupy Movement," is from Occupy Vancouver, and features an amazingly articulate fellow, Michael Stone. Two favorite quotes: "Love is not just a feeling -- it is what emerges when we give each other our face, when we give each other our attention, when we give each other the space to really listen to a diversity of viewpoints." "We are cultivating intimacy, that's arising out of difference. This the spark that I would call Love. And it's what's carrying us, and what's warming us up. And it's the reason why we're going to win." Goosebumps!

6 months ago

SpacemanNo3

Have so enjoyed your company at this west London dinner party. Sorry to arrive so late. And what a pity that EuroLaura apparently had to leave early — such a lovely name! I look forward to your next little get-together with eager anticipation.

6 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY, It is very thoughtful of you to provide me with one-click tutoring! I have tried to learn this technique previously. As I often say to IT specialists, “you want me to do that manually? But… that means I have to remember html code.” I break out in a panicky sweat trying to navigate technology instructions touted as “uncomplicated” and “easy”. Attempted reassurance is further handicapping; it convinces me there is something really wrong with me that I cannot follow along. I will try my best to acquire this knowledge, but based on past experience, it will take a while, and might not “stick.” Thank-you for helping.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Hi, Margaret. My multiple posts with the same message were the result of some technical difficulties that made me close the eco-age page in exasperation. Besides thanking you for the link to the Living Bridge video, I wanted to share this page with you. It will teach you how to embed a link.

6 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY: I am having a celebration because yesterday the Keystone XL Pipeline was sent back by President Obama, for further review. It is just a big ploy by big oil to keep us carbon polluting beyond the 350 mark well into this century, when we should be seeking energy alternatives. Here is an explanation of the significance of 350: http://www.350.org/en/about. And no, I have not figured out how to embed yet, I don't find that chain link icon anywhere... (PS - did I say I was multitasking? Maybe it's more like "borrowing" from the book(s) I have open.)

6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret, thanks for the link, that is an inspiring look at human ingenuity. By the way, 6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret, thanks for the link, that is an inspiring look at human ingenuity. By the way, 6 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret, thanks for the link, that is an inspiring look at human ingenuity. By the way, 6 months ago

Margaret S

Just leave the book open while you type. It's called "multitasking." Sorry I'm, not technologically clever enough to make this a live link, but just wanted to share this story of the "lLving Bridge." with you. It's such a lovely metaphor from India for what our world could be if we worked with Nature and looked into the 7th Generation when we do things. Just copy and paste: http://www.snotr.com/video/7331/The_Living_Bridge

6 months ago

joyjoy

Hey, I can't write 'em if I spend all my time readin' 'em, now can I??

6 months ago

Margaret S

LOL. Satire aside, I’m reasonably sure you’d agree, to argue an evil idea using sound reason neither redeems the idea nor tarnishes the reasoning process; it only points to the human proclivity to subvert reason’s power to abusive use; the end does not justify the means. I admit to its unpopularity, but hold to the belief that science (and its attendant reason) and spirituality, (and its attendant morality), are not “enemies”; they are complementary, each limited in worldview, open to abuse by the unscrupulous, yet needing (even desperately), the other to assist us in arriving at, yes, we agree, provisional “best guesses”, with the emphasis on “provisional” and “best.” But, put the books down? Surely you jest!

6 months ago

joyjoy

Well, Margaret, after all that science, at some point you have to put the books down, turn off the computer, and actually make a decision. No matter how much input you’ve absorbed, what you finally do is just your Best Guess, no more and no less. As for rational, reasoned argument, Jonathan Swift had it down cold.

6 months ago

Margaret S

A “virtual” hello, JOYJOY. My problem is environmentalism takes “work” on my part so I can sound/be credible when I express an opinion. It relies on ecology, a science, and as I see it, requires a different paradigm than the approach you’ve described, which is similar to the intuitive one I use for discerning spiritual truth. In the realm of the spiritual, all opinions are subjective and equal. But not so in science. It offers provisional “best guesses” based on what humans know, intellectually, about a subject, using a rigorous process. Since I lack the proper credentials, I make due with a trustworthy, credible panel of “experts” independent of corporate influence - the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club, for instance, who develop positions based on findings from the scientific community and make them readily accessible for informed decision-making. Public health and medicine intersect with environmental issues as well, and provide the foundation for rational, informed opinions that will stand up, scientifically, when challenged, and may appeal to an even broader base of self- interest than environmentalism. In my experience, worse than feeling a hypocrite because of eco guilt (none of us is without hypocrisy) is to hold an environmental opinion that lacks scientific credibility.

6 months ago

joyjoy

Glad to see you (cybernetically), Margaret S! Now, as to "how people who don’t have advanced degrees in ecological science arrive at lifestyle decisions that are defensibly sustainable," all I can say in response is, know the sound of truth in your ears and your gut and your eyes - what does "defensibly sustainable" feel like to *you*? Be willing to change your mind - no shame in that! And allow that what is sustainable for one household is toxic or unfeasible in some way to another.

6 months ago

Margaret S

The Northeast US snowstorm similarly disrupted our internet service, though we didn’t see a single snowflake in our area. Memory’s not my strong suit, but I recall thinking of other points contained in Colin’s comments on which to hold forth. His complaint that some self-avowed environmentalist (my paraphrase) would insist owning a Prius is “evil” leads me to ask (after I, as a fellow Prius owner, erupt with, “Nonsense!”), how people who don’t have advanced degrees in ecological science arrive at lifestyle decisions that are defensibly sustainable? I propose every one’s entitled to an opinion, but not all opinions are equally informed. How do people come to reasonably reliable decisions on such things? Any thoughts?

6 months ago

joyjoy

Testing, testing, one, two, three ... Is this thing on? The nice Eco-Age Web Guy tells me there's a virus that has eaten all the comments after Scarabeo's a week ago ... and John Lewis' daily blog posts ... and what more I cannot tell. Hungry Ghost in the Machine. Feh.

7 months ago

scarabeo

Samuel, I think none is forced to buy anything or even read this article.... or enter Eco age. It's a choice and in this case it was your choice .... so take it easy (if there are mistakes I'm very sorry my English is bad)

7 months ago

Samuel

I have forgot to ask, what is the sense of this article? To force people to buy your wifes stuff? I think there are enough other people who have more knowledge of this issue. A cobbler should stick to his last.

7 months ago

clcote

I too was anti-gadget, especially regarding books. I recently purchased a Kindle and now realize that yes, avid book readers can acclimate to reading their favorite books on a gadget. But, there is also the saving of many trees involved!

7 months ago

Samuel

I am sorry my mobile phone only can do a call or a wake up call. I still read my books in paper form. Who needs gadget or apps? Who wants to be constantly online with is mobile phone. And my tv is not flat but huge.....

7 months ago

joyjoy

Embracing meaning over disposability ... generosity over avarice ... abundance over scarcity ... these are the big themes, but I'm picking them up as driving principles of this site/magazine, which is a relief, like drinking a glass of pure water. I think if people of all economic strata can adopt and practice these principles in even small ways in daily life, we are on our way to addressing and resolving the quandary Colin illuminates.

7 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY. Thank-you. I found myself delighted by the paradox of your stable/transient lifestyle as you described it. Tangentially, it reminded me of Robert Frost’s poem, “Bond and Free.” Nils Bohr’s quote “The opposite of truth is falsehood, but the opposite of a Great Truth is another Great Truth” also comes to mind. By mentally inhabiting the tension created by paradoxical points, constructs that prefer “both/and” to “either/or”, I rely on simultaneous acceptance of opposites to inoculate me from certainty. I’ve inherited it from my religious tradition, but mostly it’s just confounding. I really connected with your idea of “flow of value.” And here’s why: if the experience of guilt is consequential to awareness that one has, by one’s self-centered actions, separated oneself from the rest of creation, or elevated one’s desires above it, - and a big “if” because I just made it up - then it makes sense the remedy is to re-connect through one’s actions. Keeping your idea of “value flowing“ to some other being is not only that re-connecting activity, but carves out a two-way channel for its flow. To embrace meaning over disposability, to choose generosity over avarice, adopt a paradigm of abundance over scarcity, creates a dynamic that is not only its own reward, but resonates with joy in both recipient’s and giver’s hearts. To return to Frost’s poem, “love by simply staying possesses all.”

7 months ago

Presca

I have to say that you are not alone Colin in this eco guilt - many of us today could be said to carry that burden around with them. But, in truth, I think by the mere fact of people existing in your every day to day, we all really leave a carbon footprint, whether we like it or not. It's those who are conscious of the fact and try to do their part, however big or small to make a change that is the salient point. I think you're on the right track there. I, for one, love my techno toys as well and I can say with certainty that most of my family do. But, I do try to in my own way limit my use - turning off the computer when I'm not using it when I'm away, turning off unnecessary lights in the home, unplugging things around the house when on vacation, recycling. I think even our small gestures do make a bigger impact. So you can retire your guilt, Colin - for one I think you've racked up enough brownie points by doing what you're doing in your advocacy and activism to show how others can improve how we treat the earth, that you have some points left over to enjoy that iPad or iTouch.

7 months ago

Presca

I have to say that you are not alone Colin in this eco guilt - many of us today could be said to carry that burden around with them. But, in truth, I think by the mere fact of people existing in your every day to day, we all really leave a carbon footprint, whether we like it or not. It's those who are conscious of the fact and try to do their part, however big or small to make a change that is the salient point. I think you're on the right track there. I, for one, love my techno toys as well and I can say with certainty that most of my family do. But, I do try to in my own way limit my use - turning off the computer when I'm not using it when I'm away, turning off unnecessary lights in the home, unplugging things around the house when on vacation, recycling. I think even our small gestures do make a bigger impact. So you can retire your guilt, Colin - for one I think you've racked up enough brownie points by doing what you're doing in your advocacy and activism to show how others can improve how we treat the earth, that you have some points left over to enjoy that iPad or iTouch.

7 months ago

joyjoy

Margaret S, thank you for the light (!) connection between guilt, anger, conscience, and That Thing that operates at our center, whatever we choose to call it. Yes, “mitigation” of guilt is part of the forgiveness process (of oneself, first and foremost), and the motivation of blessing and gratitude seems, to me, to be an important revision of our relationship with the spur of conscience. The example you use, giving a cleared cell phone to a women’s shelter, is excellent - it acknowledges the gadget’s value, and keeps that value flowing, out of your life into someone else’s; someone who really needs the value but could not afford the gadget (another guilt point, but that’s another blog column and another gathering at the Naughty Step). Thanks for opening your mouth, Colin!

7 months ago

spoct30

Oh my gosh, I am currently coveting a shiny new fruit logo-ed gadget myself. I think I am the last of my crowd to get one. We definitely do our stuff at home to recycle, compost and live simply. My girls have a no mess- no waste mantra which stems from their green team initiative at school. I do however, draw the line at being made to feel guilty about buying books ( I suspect my husband likes to annoy me because he thinks my green mantra is too extreme) I do object to trees being cut down, and just by the way, I am seeing more books printed using sustainable sources. I cannot give up holding a book in my hand and that very tangible quality to actually keeping it close to me and on my shelf. So I will not subscribe to the school of Kindle or Nook and read anything electronically. Colin, you should update your shiny new gadgets when you need to, after all, one must establish a balance when it comes to modern day living. I do applaud the v.old t.v. I have one new and one old.

7 months ago

Margaret S

JOYJOY and MANYC’s “should I buy it” question is critical. Judicious decisions about acquiring more “stuff” require resistance to the subconscious manipulations of the marketing campaign. Intentionality is all. As for guilt, I view the very capacity for it as evidence of a fully armed and operational counter-cultural defense mechanism- a well-developed conscience. Less brooding and more rejoicing over it might come of such a view, the culture being a veritable breeding ground for the sociopathic, materialistic, and nihilistic. A connected thought: no one can “make” another feel anything. If you feel it, it’s yours. Guilt can only be “taken off the table” by the one in whom it’s operating. Primarily an internal spiritual dynamic, an invitation to explore its presence intimately connected to forgiveness, the most I know about it is how much I stumble when navigating its territory. It’s ineluctably grounded in an individual’s faith journey, and off limits. But, ecological turf, that’s comfortable, open ground. When a developer’s plans destroy a wetland, a human-made one is often created in its stead, thus dutifully mitigating the harm. Conveniently overlooking the reality that natural ones are superior to human-made wetlands, and, borrowing the idea, one could mitigate the harm one does (the “should I buy it” question) thusly: recycle the old phone by clearing your data and donating it to a charity, a domestic violence shelter, perhaps. This or a similar action, it could be argued, socially mitigates in certain areas the percentage of harm the consequence of an upgrade is known to cause in other areas. Though legalistic, it might attain the desired outcome of a successful upgrade while retaining intact one’s social conscience (and household relationships). But, it can feel artificial and like a game; I can be left with some guilt, but that’s probably just me not being let so easily off the hook. How I get free of the guilt otherwise included in the mitigation process is not available for me to deconstruct, I’m not able to meaningfully separate it from the dynamics of spiritual practice, a long drawn out argumentative but loving relationship with the divine - subjects considered impolite to carry on about. I suspect this much: It may hinge in part on my acting not out of duty, or obligation - intentions that seem to retain the price tag of guilt - but out of openness to and centering on the awareness of blessings, and gratitude. The rest has nothing to do with me, but what acts in me. Our TV, by the way, is really old, too, but I shudder to think how much energy it’s gobbling up compared to a more energy-efficient newer model… Shove over, Colin. That naughty step might be getting a bit crowded.

7 months ago

joyjoy

I've always been a late adopter, because I have to be convinced of true value, not just surface coolness. I am of an age that I am seeing college kids seeking out manual typewriters, turntables and vinyl records. High Tech is balanced by High Touch, as the guy said, back in the day: physical engagement and some sense of creative relationship, with the mechanism and maybe with the maker. This kind of Touch is evident in the Local Source movement for food, goods, furnishings, etc. So how much of everything do we need? And where do mobile electronics fit in? Good questions. Some years ago I rebuilt my life to embrace my new status as one of the working homeless. I realized that a mobile phone and a laptop would be just as necessary as a bus pass and a rented mailbox. These electronics - which were upgrades for me - let me live a transient, house-sitting lifestyle as something intentional, full of beauty and generosity. Mobility gave me stability, if you like a paradox. Is there room for one more on the Naughty Step?

7 months ago

MANYC

The reason (well, one of the MANY reasons) I never want to die is because I fear that on the very day after I leave this world, an amazing new gotta-have-it gizmo will be released, and I will be definitively shut out! I mean, just 15 short years after we got our first big bulky computer with a 3G hard drive, I carry around in my pocket a gadget that stores much, much more than what that old PC did. (I can watch you in Mamma Mia! on my I-pod, Colin. The question is...SHOULD I?) :-) Can we even begin to imagine what we will be carrying around 15 years from now? I want to be here - and be young enough to read the instructions.

7 months ago

vivi60

Sensible article by Colin.Of course it makes sense to re-cycle and insulate our houses.The benefits of these measures are obvious and,by now have been accepted.Slow and steady wins the race and browbeating people into feeling guilty only stiffens resistance.

7 months ago

eurolaura

It's time to look for the technology inside us. The answer is not outside anymore. All the information we need, the health and youth we lost along the way, the love we are looking for, all these are inside us. Our thoughts, feelings and hearts are the most powerful gadgets that exist and they not only don't pollute the atmosphere, all the contrary, they help the environment. Their high vibrations are able to repair the damages we made to our planet all these centuries. Just think positive thoughts, have beautiful feelings and get your hearts aligned with the pulsations of our mother Earth, the rest will follow. This is not the time of doing anymore, but remembering who we really are, becoming what we remembered and just being that for the rest of our lives. So, Colin, forget your guilty thoughts, just feel happy and enjoy your external gadgets until you´ll find the unique and beautiful ones you have inside you!

7 months ago

adkmilkmaid

Oh, Colin dear... I feel for you. My husband is exactly the same about Apple products and also takes many airplanes to fly for work around the U.S.. And we too have a very old TV and work hard to recycle, compost, etc... I raise all our (grass-fed!) meat as well. So I understand where you are coming from. I think, however, that your point might have been made without the cranky comments about "eco-shriekers." As you yourself know, all social movements tend to have a ragged leading edge. I would never want to think that exasperating ragged edges are more acceptable to you if they are not caucasian.

7 months ago

pickledperkins

I couldn’t agree more. I try very hard to do the right thing most of the time, but on 2 occasions recently I was made to feel very guilty for not being able to so. The 1st- my sin? Not bringing a bag to the supermarket for the first time in ages. I was on my way home from work and had to stop off to get some honey and lemons for my “dying” other half (he had a cold/man flu)! When I asked for a bag, the cashier tutted at me and the woman behind me looked at me as if I had just asked to purchase a pickled cat. On the 2nd occasion, I was out far later than expected, so opted for a taxi rather than public transport (much to the horror of some of the people I was with). I rarely, if ever do this usually but a) it was midnight and I ran the real risk of missing my last train and didn’t fancy getting stranded at Charlton station. b) I was a young woman, travelling home alone, and only just 5ft tall. So, I felt far safer getting a taxi. I will continue to try and live as ethically as possible, but I do resent being judged when I “lapse”. Oh, I have a huge monstrosity of a Hi-Fi system that is older than I am and comes complete with tape deck and turn table, yet I love my Ipod.

7 months ago

Margaret S

Check out: http://www.350.org/en Other dynamtics at work in motivating people to live a more environmentally friendly life: ( yes we all get absolution for the gadgets...) love of nature, sense of responsibility (as opposed to guilt) for a planet we do not own but have a faith-based (or non-faith-based) stewardship over, survival for one's progeny, compassion for the Third World already suffering the consequences of climate change, ability to look at one's reflection in the mirror every morning... OK. I admit I'm eco shrieking. I really must get a grip. My apologies.

7 months ago

Margaret S

I've been involved in the environmenral movement for over 25 years, and it's anger that motivates me, not guilt. Guilt if anything makes me despair and give up. But anger is quite clarifying and motivating. It was anger at a wealthy developer's plans for a development and his way of manipulating local government that got me involved in the movement in the first place, and it was anger at our then president Bush that propelled me to buy the second Prius in my community in 2001 - before 9/11. Never much of an eco shrieker, I can say this for them, they make the rest of us attached to the more "mainstream" movement look sane in comparison. They too serve a function.

7 months ago

nancyfaries

One could say that a mobius strip of logic threaded through your column on communication gadgets and their endless, cheerfully optimistic upgrades (and God, are upgrades wonderful!). But instead of detouring from one side of the issue to the other and settling up with a resounding quandary call to get off your back, why not center on what is good enough? If the definition of gadgets of communication is stretched outside the internet to include all forms (even those only one way) over all time--papyrus was perhaps the most pure an instance of a manufactured communication device. Vellum, pretty hard on mammals, not so much. We now have alkaline-produced paper that is at least as good as a Prius. Not pure but pretty good. Print books today are probably as guilt-free as we’re able to be and should be metaphorically stuffed in the ears of the really over-bearing environmental purists as often as possible. But social media electronics, shinny lovely electronics I find hopelessly addicting. I believe another 10-15 years and we might have the environmentally degrading processes more manageable. As a frequent visitor to China, I echo that terrible environmental damage is done in the name of electronic production. But I carry hope that right now some electrical engineering grad student at Stanford is sifting around in the molecular weeds solving the problem. We just haven’t had as long a remedial time as we’ve had with print books.

7 months ago

Becca

So I'm guessing the fruit-related logo isn't Blackberry! I, too have a large hideous old TV that came for free, second hand. No desire to upgrade that to a flat screen TV. But LOVE my iPad and smart phone. “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” - William Morris.

7 months ago

SallyD

Oh how I agree! If we did everything the 'eco shriekers' want us to do we would revert to the Dark Ages with no proper medical care and none of the great shiny gadgets that improve life (including planes that help get emergency aid to the far corners of the earth after natural disasters). We need to find a compromise that benefits everyone - but in the meantime I totally support the idea of retiring eco guilt. Well said Mr Firth!

7 months ago

Mimi Brooks

“It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution” -- Oscar Wilde were it not for the technology, voices would not get out to the masses these days. for that, i am grateful. we all do what we can, but progress is not made by moving backwards. "apple" on! p.s. my mother still has a tiny black and white t.v. that i remember our family getting when i was young....and it still works...AND i still love seeing it when i visit her.