Adventures in Sustainable Living

Over the last several hundred years there have been an increasing number of people moving to urban areas. But have you ever ask yourself if it is healthier to live in the city or in a rural area. Or is it more environmentally friendly to live in the city versus the country side. Which lifestyle has the least environmental impact?

There is no doubt that urbanization has reshaped our land, our lifestyles and our resources systems. But...

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 257

How to Solve Our Global Challenges in One Generation

Years ago I built this really nice storage shed at the cabin. It is where we store a lot of our extra dry goods and it also houses our chest freezer. But, despite the size of the shed, it is in a perpetual state of disarray.  I have this really bad habit of just closing the door and ignoring it. 

I sometimes think that our world is...

Most of us love going to the beach. There is something soothing about listening to the sound of the waves, relaxing in the sun and then cooling off with a refreshing swim. If you enjoy snorkeling, that adds another layer of enjoyment. If you are a scuba diver like I am, that adds a completely different dimension to enjoying the ocean. 

But what most people do not realize is that the oceans are not just vast bodies of water. They are...

One of the things that humanity does best is to go about our daily business despite warnings that we should change. The reason for this is that we are better at responding to emergencies than we are about planning for the future. As long as life seems good we just keep doing what we are doing and all warnings that we are headed for a cliff are just noise in the background. 

Climate change is a perfect example. The first seminal pape...

When you live in a developed country where life tends to be stable, it is easy to get the impression that all is good in the world and there are no worries. Most of us calmly go about our daily business and much of the time the vast array of global issues are out of sight out of mind.  For example, we are oblivious to the fact that millions of people in the world go hungry everyday. 

Furthermore, it is even more difficult to believe...

It has long been known that our current methods of agriculture are harmful to the environment. Scientists and environmentalists have been warning us for many years now that we need to rethink our present food systems. 

Despite this, in the coming years we are going to need to produce twice as much food in order to feed our growing population. This creates a serious dilemma. If what we are doing now isn’t working, how can we change o...

There are so many times that I sit in front of my cabin enjoying the fact that I am completely surrounded by trees. During the 29 years that I have owned this property, I have always been determined to leave it in it’s original state as much as possible. That is why it is difficult for me to imagine that deforestation is one of the critical environmental issues of our time. 

Living where and how I do, it is difficult for me to see o...

There is a long list of environmental problems that we are faced with today. As you learned from my last episode, our dependence on fossil fuels is at the top of that list. Solving the problem of fossil fuels will be difficult because our entire culture has been built on the use of this convenient energy source. 

However, there are many other pressing environmental issues that have just as much of a widespread impact. One of the thi...

As you could likely guess, there is a whole list of environmental concerns that we are face with in our modern world. When you look at this list, it is easy to see why people are completely overwhelmed and feel as if their individual action makes no difference. 

At the top of that list is our dependence on fossil fuels. That dependence is directly related to why our ice caps are melting. But, as with most things, there is something ...

I’m sure we’ve all heard the old joke “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” This refers to the fact that   people often take a trip and do some outrageous things. Once they are back home they would rather not share their silly shenanigans with friends and family.

But, things are often very different when it comes to a lot of other human shenanigans, such as altering the climate of our planet. One of the most concerning results of ...

Have you ever wondered why some people are successful and others are not? Why is it that some people appear to be living their dreams and others only complain about not achieving the same thing. Have you ever thought about being on your death bed, looking back over your entire life and admitting that you have no regrets? 

Such a lifestyle is possible. But just like anything else, if you truly want to live in this way, it takes dedic...

You may think that home food production is a thing of the past but you would be wrong. Despite our modern culture and all of our wonderful technology, having some control over your own food supply is more important than ever. Yet the trend of our present culture is to depend on someone else for most of our basic needs. That is a mistake. 

No matter where you live and what you do, it is possible to produce a certain amount of your ow...

Over the last few episodes I have covered several topics regarding the health benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. From out diets, to reducing toxin exposure, to getting more physical activity and reconnecting with nature, as well as supporting our mental health and emotional well being. The affects of a sustainable lifestyle are as far reaching as the affects of climate change. 

Besides the obvious benefits to the environment and h...

There was a time when most of us were self reliant. It was because we did not have a choice. However,  with modern technology these days we are more about ease and convenience. We can get online and order anything we want and have it on our doorstep by the next day. At this point I think the average person’s concept of self reliance is the ability to go to the supermarket by themselves. 

But have you ever stopped to think what would...

Welcome folks to part four of my on-going series on the health benefits of sustainable living. Hopefully by now you have an appreciation for the fact that a sustainable lifestyle is about so much more than recycling, reducing your use of plastics and ditching the plastic bags. 

So far I have discussed the health benefits of changing how we eat, how to reduce your exposure to toxins, and how sustainable living improves your mental he...

As you have likely heard me say before, I truly think the world would be a better place if everyone could live like I do. No matter how stressful my day becomes I still get to go home to a nice quiet peaceful place and live on my terms. 

Yes I do have chores to do on a regular basis that makes it possible for me to live off grid. However, those chores give me some physical activity which tends to keep me healthy. But this is all par...

There is a long list of benefits for living sustainably. As you can likely imagine, such a lifestyle is easier on the environment and as such is healthy for our planet as a whole. We use resources more conservatively, we reduce our personal environmental impact, we eat a more planet friendly diet, and we reduce our carbon emissions. 

But what most people do not realize is that such a lifestyle is one of the best ways to improve your...

I have often said that the world just might be a better place if everyone could live like I do. When I go home it is quiet and peaceful with no traffic noise. I sort of have neighbors but I may only see them every couple of weeks if that. 

Much of my time is spent outside even in the winter. I often have chores to do that requires some sort of physical labor which of course gives me regular exercise 

Many people do not understand why...

Did you know that on average we now spend almost $12K per year on food. This includes money spent on take out and delivery as well as cooking at home. The average person in our culture only eats 8 meals per week at home which means we are spending far more money on restaurant and take out food. 

Unfortunately, in our modern society fewer and fewer people have the desire or skill to cook at home. Cultural shifts, changes in prioritie...