I’ve written about the revolution in low-tech. “Teach us delight in simple things …” are words, in my opinion, by which to live. I wrote about a different view of freedom in which the idea of using less energy and consuming fewer resources might actually be construed as liberating. I’ve quoted Bill McKibben in my look at his article in the “NY Review of Books” about a Tom Friedman book: “Does it ever occur to him, in the grip of a fantasia like this, that if the sun is shining brightly, or the breeze is blowing steadily, you could dry your clothes on a $14 piece of rope strung off your back deck, or for that matter on a foldable rack in the apartment hallway? And that since most of the world already knows how to do it, we might be smarter moving in their direction instead of insisting that they buy into our entire high-technology suburban dream?”
I’ve written about green building quite a bit, including noting this terrific article by Libby Rosenthal at the “NY Times” on passive houses. Now comes another great bit of reporting at the “NYT” – on living without AC: The Unchilled Life. The article looks at several folks who have been living the dream. How? With open doors and windows, fans, and using their patios much more often, among other methods. See the article for the stories of how these people have prospered by saving money (lots), getting to spend more time with their kids, and even losing weight. Practical tips are included.
