Let’s get this over with right up front: I’m a believer in the apocalypse, at least the man-manufactured one that seems, barring a late-Act III entrance from some serious, ass-kicking deus ex machina, inevitable.

Additionally, I must confess that I came to my knowledge/world view late in the game, getting turned on to Kunstler and peak oil and other earthly delights after the vanguard, but apparently before the bulge of the curve. Ironically, I find this unbelievable: how can a political dunderhead like me be early to the party? Is it possible that the majority of my countrymen are more preoccupied, more obstinate, more—okay, stupider than I? For chrissakes, Will Rogers, American icon, pointed out the folly of ignoring the obvious more than 50 years ago; are people really so dense as to not get that, like land, at some point we will have burned through our supply of dead dinosaurs?

And really—really—does anyone actually believe in suburbs as an inalienable right? Of sprawl as manifest destiny? While we’re at it, does anyone actually believe in Manifest Destiny anymore? That some unseen power said “Poof! lucky white dudes! You really are my favorites! Grab what you want, pave over the rest and throw up a Starbucks every 500 yards! And get me a decaf Venti soy latte, while you’re at it—I’m cutting back on my caffeine intake.”

Besides, as Kunstler himself points out in, among other writings, this excellent review (of what looks like an egregiously irresponsible book), for this you’re chewing up resources? For 99¢ tacos and “Tuscan” minimalls and 3-Day Blinds and Axe? I’m no purist—I love In-and-Out and I drive my Corolla and I spend most of my waking life in front of a computer that will eventually kill off a square mile of rainforest or something when it hits the landfill, but Bratz dolls? Putting aside the allocation of precious resources to perpetuate several particularly nasty features of the patriarchy, on a purely aesthetic level, they are ass.

Like I said, I’m as bad as anyone else when it comes to much of my consumption, meaning it is thoughtless. I do not think about blood-stained oil when I curse the traffic on the way to my shrink appointment; I’m adding to the problem with almost everything I do, and thinking about the extent to which I’m stomping the world to death with boots—Australian Blundstones, borne to me across the ocean on fairy wings, natch—makes my head throb. How do I change!?! Where do I start!?!

Alertness, right now, is all I know I can do. And I know it is the thing to do in part because practicing it is so alarming. How starkly I am struck by my ability to take things for granted when the power goes out for 26 hours. 26, you see? Every last minute counted.

I’ve implemented a few things to help me stay aware and awake, which I’ll share not to lord it over anyone (who am I to talk?), but in hopes that it might help a few overwhelmed types like me find a place to start:

1. I’ve trimmed down my possessions to the point where everything has a place, I can put my hands on most of them without too much thought, and there is plenty of space in between them.
2. For the most part, I did it by reasonably “responsible” methods of recycling and reducing consumption. On the recycling side, I’ve increased my reuse of items—paper, mostly—before sending things off to the Magical Recycling Place. (I’ve always been a fanatic about reusing bags and rubber bands.)
3. On the consumption side, I simply buy far, far less than I used to, purchasing used items where I can, borrowing where appropriate (e.g. the library instead of the bookstore), buying fewer trendy/disposable items and thinking about whether I can wait or do without before I buy.
4. Also concerning consumption, I’ve dramatically reduced the amount of fuel I use by quitting acting (which is mostly auditioning, which is mostly driving) and working from a home office. I live a little too far from the public rail system to make use of it, and buses are notoriously slow here in L.A., caught in the same traffic as cars, so I still drive my beloved Corolla. I’ve toyed with getting a Prius or a biodiesel conversion, but without retiring my car, I don’t know how much good I’d be doing. The only long “commute” I have now is my weekly Toastmasters meeting, 10 miles away in the Marina. My plan is to finish out the year there, then look for a Toastmasters within walking distance of my home.

Not that much, really, but a start. And for anyone who’s interested, #1 has improved my life in many ways besides feeling better about not being such a piggy. My stress level is down and my productivity up—if not in all areas of my life, at least in some.

Besides the peace of mind that comes with a reasonable baseline of organization has got to have some salubrious effect on the world, as well, if only in that it frees me up to think more about serious matters. Right?

xxx
c

Image by C-Monster via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license
.

TOPICS: change, Environment.

Despite all the razzing I get from Neil about my fashion-forward geek-aliciousness, I am not an early adopter. Early adopters have to be the first (First!) and they’re willing to pay for the privilege. Me, I am too cheap. I let the early adopters ride out the kinks of version 1.0, wait for structural improvements, a better user manual and a lower price, and then I jump.

Take compact fluorescent lightbulbs, for example. Raised by an environmentally conscious alcoholic, monthly trips to the recycling plant with a Chevy Malibu full of empty booze bottles seemed as natural as breathing. Mom predated CFLs by about a decade, but you know if their paths had coincided, she would have ratcheted down to the box Chablis to cover the initially high cost. (Oh, wait—she dropped down to the box Chablis anyway.)

No such sacrifice is necessary now, of course. You can pick you up some dandy CFLs at IKEA for about 5 bucks a pop—free, if you can sneak them into your boyfriend’s cart. They’ll save a bunch of energy, which saves the planet and also saves you money. How is this not the most fantastic thing in the world? More importantly, how is it that only 6% of U.S. households are using even one CFL now?!? Does no one want to save money? Do you crave full-spectrum light that much?

True, the light isn’t as pretty as that from incandescent (i.e., “regular”) bulbs. But the new CFLs are pretty darn good. And the ones from IKEA don’t even have that weird coil shape.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

xxx
c

This post made as my bloggy contribution to a worldwide blogger effort to raise awareness about CFLs. More information on Seth Godin’s site, here. Save the planet! Buy a lightbulb!

Image by Irina / Riri via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

TOPICS: CFLs, Environment, Shameless plugs.

the rolling blackouts have started
and my building is dark
or will be
when the sun sets

no power for the two old ladies
who have lived there
since it was built
way, way back
in ‘59

not that they have A/C
or insulation
or even the magic
of cross-ventilation

(that’s not how they built things
in ‘59
no matter what anyone says
about the Good Old Days)

but there is no power for their fans
or their ancient refrigerators
or a light in the bathroom
so they can run a tub
of cold water

plenty of power on Wilshire, though–
can’t have those personal relocation devices
hitting each other

and they say
there’s so much power
at the mall
that the air-conditioned merchants
leave their doors open
to help cool
the shoppers

(nice merchants)

lately I swing
between wondering if this is the end of the world
and hoping it is

there would be a kind of satisfaction
in watching the wolves
set upon the drivers of SUV Nation
and the barons of McMansion Estates
and other members
of the Clueless Majority

stay here long enough
and you’ll know what I mean
unless you don’t
in which case, the wolves
will probably get you next…

that is
if they don’t take me out
on my way back from Peets
where I came to cool myself
with stolen dinosaur bones
and a strong sense of irony

xxx
c

Posted at 9:31pm. I’m home and so is Mr. Watts…for now.

Image by Spamily via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

TOPICS: blackouts, conservation, consumerism, energy consumption, Environment, Poetry Thursday, Rants.

I know, I know—we live in a city. A big one. A humungous one, even, that affords many excellent niceties only a larger metropolis can offer.

Still. Still…

This week’s heat finally forced me to attack my most-loathed chore as a (rental) householder: the replacement of several slats of my jalousie windows with gigantic, ghetto-ready box fans. Yeah, it’s stunningly unnattractive, but when the mercury hits a certain point, I’ll do almost anything to increase the flow of air in the hideous stank soup that is the air chez E-Z-Bake Oven™. In fact, I’m typing this naked right now!

It’s always a narsty job, but the sheer amount of filth that must be wiped off the windows pre-removal seems to have grown exponentially in the past few years. Have we crapped up the environment so that things are that much dirtier? Or have we perhaps crapped up the environment so that it’s that much drier, creating barnloads of extra loose dirt to swirl around before settling in my apartment?

More importantly, can I use this turn of events to double-up on ire and take umbrage against my next-door neighbors’ use of gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the dirt off of their driveway? And what’s up with those retards, anyway? Does someone not understand that all they’re doing with those mother-humpin’ leaf-blowers is shooting a bunch of filth arrows in the air, to fall to earth they know not where?

They’re falling in my apartment, you environment-killing assholes! Yeah!!!

And I’ve got the spent pile of sodden paper towels to prove it…

xxx
c

Photo by ♫axime via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

TOPICS: Environment, Los Angeles, Rants.

1. Longer BBQ season.

2. Incessant worry over impending doom excellent for weight maintenance.

3. Oceanfront property in Stockton!

4. Hurricane/tornado/storm coverage makes good swirly patterns on Doppler Radar™.

5. Heavy winter clothes aggravate delicate Celtic skin.

6. Disproportionately large feet look better in flip-flops.

7. Warmer weather = more cool summer salads.

8. Costs less to heat spa.

9. Costs nothing to heat swimming pool.

10. Turns earnest, dull politicians into superhot slideshow presenters*.

xxx
c

*Go see An Inconvenient Truth. If you live in NYC or LA, go THIS WEEKEND!!! It’s moving, it’s gorgeous, it will make you feel like you’re a part of something bigger. Which you are, by the way, in case you didn’t know…

TOPICS: 21 day salutes, Cheering the Hell Up™, Environment, global warming, List-o-rama!, reviews/film, satire, Shameless plugs.