First Eco Sabbath

Colin Beavan is kind of annoying, actually.

He's also known as "No Impact Man"; a guy who tried to live with as little impact on the planet as possible for one year. I read his blog regularly, but have to admit that sometimes I don't because he's so completely bent on his objective. (Actually, of course, I really admire someone who lived without electricity for a year in New York City. I just get embarrassed sometimes when people get really sincere about something... like They Might Be Giants used to make me feel embarrassed this way.)

Anyhow, whether you like his message, or like one friend of mine you think "he's so arrognant about it that it makes me want to go irresponsibly consume like a mofo" he and his family made themselves an example in a lot of important ways for those of us who are preparing for a post-petroleum world.

One thing that he suggests is to take an Eco-Sabbath. His suggestion is: "For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life."

The funny thing is, though I planned in advance to do my eco-sabbath, I didn't write down his example, or even look at it the day before. I knew I didn't want to use my computer, so I didn't look it up, which means I didn't quite hit his mark. I did spend the day quietly, and without my computer which had a tremendous impact. The way that our house is organized, our computers are in the central room of the house. Since Zak is often at his machine when I come home, my computer has become my resting place. This is a very new development and I'd like to undo it. So, no email or Facebook yesterday, which was very nice, and gave me a lot of extra time.

I had a lot of time for yoga in the morning, and I didn't set an alarm which was very relaxing. I did use machines and spend money, because I went to the laundromat, but that had been put off for days and HAD to happen. (I wore sweat pants and some stripey Christmas socks with holes in them to the laundromat... we were pretty far gone.) Next time, I'll make sure not to procrastinate my laundry onto eco sabbath.

I also baked, mostly because I didn't read the description. I was headed to a potluck later in the day, and made enough risotto cakes for the potluck and for Z and me to have for the next day.

Conveniently, the potluck I was headed to was all about Transition Towns. Those of us who gathered for a workshop in November were getting together to see about what's next. The potluck was at JP Greenhouse, which is an awesome demonstration house. They're rehab-ing an old building into a Passive House, and they're very close to their goal. I brought my risotto cakes into a warm ("65 degrees and no heat outside of the sun, our appliances the light bulbs and you people!" the homeowners pointed out.) bright room, had some incredible food and then got a tour of the house.

Finally we sat down to talk about Transition. It's interesting to me that the people in the room who have really given their lives to making change in the world, who have been activists for as long as I've been alive are the people who really have the hardest time with Transition. “Who are the leaders?” “How can this work in an urban setting?” “There are already people doing things!” Our training was very interesting to me, and it was easy for me to see the value in having principles and protocols for how to come together about things as mind-boggling huge and overwhelming as climate-change and peak oil, while respecting and encouraging everyone's different work and learning from one another. Another woman who was there is a perma-culture teacher and she also had no problem with the “haziness” or ambiguity of the Transition handbook. I spoke up a couple of times in the meeting, once to suggest that we have an Open Space conversation next. The facilitator said she preferred another meeting “like this” in order to see where people were. I pushed back and then she smiled and said “Do you want to plan the next meeting?”

So, that's where my big mouth has gotten me: planning the next meeting for a movement of people who aren't even sure they understand or believe that the movement is what it says it is.

Whhhheeeeeeee!

I biked home and spent the evening reading until it was time for bed. I haven't spent that much time reading for pleasure in a long time. I think this eco-sabbath thing might stick.