Category Archives for "Water"

0 Minimalism and Sustainability

Kind of Obvious

I have been a committed minimalist for many years, not the bare wall type minimalist but one that battels to eliminate clutter. I’m currently doing a huge purge of my home and I keep thinking about all the connections between sustainability and minimalism.

The relationship between the two is kind of obvious but envisioning it, thinking about it, and discussing it, can encourage us to adopt a simpler more elegant lifestyle.

Interconnected

Minimalism and sustainability are two concepts that, at first glance, may not seem directly related. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that these two lifestyles are deeply interconnected and that embracing one can greatly enhance the benefits of the other.

Sustainable living, also known as green living, is the practice of living in a way that is friendly to the environment and reduces one’s ecological footprint. This can take many forms, such as reducing power and water consumption, reducing waste, and choosing environmentally friendly products. Minimalism, on the other hand, is the practice of simplifying one’s life by getting rid of unnecessary possessions and focusing on what truly matters.

0 How to Reduce Water Usage in Your Home

Water is a Renewable but…
You have probably heard the question; if the amount of water on earth stays the same forever, why should we bother conserving it, and why are some places experiencing such a lack of it?

No one disagrees as to the supreme importance that water holds. The increased occurrence and intensity of severe environmental events, such as forest fires, hurricanes, record temperatures, heat waves, and droughts have water conservation at the forefront of countless people’s minds.

This issue also turns out to be a double-edged sword because not only are people concerned about how to save water they are also struggling to deal with the rising cost of their water bill. More than ever before…

0 Help My Electric Bill is Too High – Programs to Assist

You are not alone.
Households across the nation feeling the effect of soaring energy prices. Specifically, it is particularly hard on people living on a fixed or limited budget. It is unthinkable that anyone should suffer because they lack access to the essential energy needed for heating, cooking, and warm water -Dignity.

There Are Options
Fortunately, options exist to help those in need lower their energy bills. That help comes in the form of a growing number of programs and incentives to alleviate…

0 Permaculture Principle 12: Creatively Use and Respond to Change

Evolutionary or Unforeseen
All systems, whether natural or man-made are subject to change either through an evolutionary process or an unforeseen event. Some changes are predictable, and we can plan for them – in nature we have seasons and patterns of succession, in life, we experience rites of passage as we age and in business, market disrupters require businesses to evolve in order to remain competitive.

We Can Use It to Our Advantage
The changes we can anticipate should be accounted for in any system we design. This takes us full circle to the first design principle – the purpose of Observing and Interacting is to take stock of the shifts that are happening.

Anticipating it can help us create productive ecosystems faster, better meet the needs of population growth, assist us in successfully ridding our economic booms and busts…

0 Permaculture Principle 11: Use Edges and Value the Marginal

Living on the edge
In a society, the edge is where free thinkers go to live – innovative ideas thrive there. In nature, it’s also a wonderful place to reside. This permaculture principle takes us there.

You’re so Edgy
An edge is where two systems butt up against each other – water meets land and an estuary is born, two companies merge their similar experimental cutting-edge technologies to develop a new better product or a Ska band moves in next door to an investment banker and new friendships are made at their shared fence – Introducing new plants and animal species, inspiring technological breakthroughs and sparking new conversations that may not have ever have happened otherwise.

Edges are easier to see in nature than in other more abstract forms such as friendships and technology. I love to wander the edges of…