Things That Won't Help, and Things That Will

David Trammel's picture

In the comments section of the June 5th Ecosophia post The Path Between the Pillars", Green Wizard regular Latechuck made this observation.

"Pygmycory and JMG – Regarding climate change, I just got a pitch from the American Humanist Association with nine suggestions for “action on climate change”. Here they are (slightly paraphrased): post on social media, write letters to editors, mobilize a local group, form a reading group, host an event, learn more, go to a demonstration, host a conversation, and [you guessed it] send us some money. What do all of these things have in common? None of them do anything about climate change!

You know, as soon as I saw that first item on the list, I knew what was coming, and what was not.

How hard would it be to come up with nine truly effective actions? Live near your work; eat only what you need; drink only what you need; let your home get cooler in the winter; let your home get warmer in the summer; take fewer, shorter, and cooler showers; grow food, not grass; vacation close to home; and support the education of girls (and they will have fewer, and healthier, children). Once these (and other true actions are accomplished “with one hand”, they may gain the standing to enlighten the rest of us “with the other hand”.

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This dovetails with separate conservation I had over on PeakProsperity, where another person suggested:

"Create an Earth badge to place on people’s profile picture in exchange for $3/mo donated to a climate change PAC. It will spread virally, and once we hit 2.5 million people, the PAC would have more lobbying money than the defense and healthcare industry combined. That PAC (representing the people [of Earth, not just the US]) then hires lobbyists and dismantles campaign finance rules by overwhelming it. Climate change solved. Democracy restored."

Several of us didn't think much of that suggestion.

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I wonder, what other simple actions would really help fight climate change and prepare people for the coming collapse?

Blueberry's picture

STOP BUYING STUPID STUFF MADE OUT OF PLASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having a bad day had to go into town on the way home, stopped at walfart.

David Trammel's picture

You made me think of the Weaver's thread about Fiber Shed. Their clothing is expense but well made and should last forever as long as you take care of it.

I have to wear steel toes work boots and up until recently have always chose Redwing Shoes. They are well made and last. I recently wore a pair of low topped ones out, the inside heel finally bit the dust. I liked the fit and feel of them and while I don't use them for my current job (they require high topped boots with metatarsal protection (think plate in front to protect your ankles), I did decide to buy another pair for my day to day wear. The salesman, at the store I bought them from originally looked my first purchase up. They had lasted over ten years.

I just had a conversation with a friend about making things last. About repairing them rather then tossing them out even if the repair would cost more then the new thing. Of course that all depends on if you can get a thing repaired. I have noticed that new stuff isn't as good as the old stuff it is suppose to replace. I am very wary of new stuff and try to make my old stuff last as long as possible.

Clothing won't last forever but some fibers are better than others. Wool and linen both can last a very long time but eventually, everything wears thin and tears.
The keys to making ANY clothing last longer are to:
Wash only when needed: a dress shirt worn over a t-shirt isn't dirty. It needs to be aired.
Wash in the coldest water that will clean the garment
Wash inside-out and dry inside-out. This is a life-saver for screenprint images and deep, dark colors.
Line-dry. Nothing kills elastic like a drier and that lint in the lint filter? That's fibers from the clothing.
Don't leave clothing out on the line longer than needed to dry it. Sunlight fades and eventually weakens many fibers.
Hope this helps!

Teresa from Hershey

ClareBroommaker's picture

Indeed. I got a clear demonstration of that when my husband and son were on the river for several weeks with just two shirts each. The shoulders of their shirts were "rotten" from the sun hitting them all day long. My husband's dark green cotton canvas shirt had bleached to white on the shoulders. This really taught me not to leave clothes drying on the line longer than necessary.

Hi Clare,

This is also true of draperies and is a reason why better drapes are always lined with white cotton muslin.
The white reflects sunlight back out (keeping out heat) and the lining protects the fashion fabric.
I was gifted yards of dark, patterned fabric that had been used as unlined curtains.
The fabric looked fine so I repurposed it for pjs and the backs of quilts.
The original fabric (when it was curtains) must have hung in regular soft, wide folds. Each of those wide soft folds eventually tore while the pjs and the quilt backs were in use, but only in those places.
The sun had done its damage, yet it didn't show as anything other than some fading.

Used fabric, even when the price is right, isn't always worth being reused!

Teresa from Hershey

lathechuck's picture

When I found out that they (some models) are still made in Wisconsin, I decided that those would be the only new shoes I'd buy. I didn't have a lot of choice regarding style, but I reasoned that if they only sold one style, it would be a style that worked for their customers. I really want to help create or maintain jobs in the USA, and these shoes may last until the next pair I need are hospital slippers.

Blueberry's picture

Yes having a good day just finish making 6 pints of peach jam. Made a comment on the solar oven post about a camp stove if things go South. The green Coleman camp stoves go for around $120-$140 today. Other than a bad fuel tank the stoves are not hard to fix. Going price at a flea market $5-$20, so a good cleaning get rid of bugs and such in the burner tubes maybe a new pump leather. Good to go, if you desire they sell after market adapters that replace the fuel tank so you can burn propane. The propane can be the little one pound cyl or a 20 pound tank. The 20 pound tank will require a hose. To go from one fuel to the other only takes a few minutes.