Diamond-Cut Life

More Joy, Less Stuff

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Entries Tagged as 'GDP'

Suppleness And Going Beyond First Glance

December 8th, 2009 · 3 Comments · energy, global warming and climate change, health & well being, simplicity

It’s a frigid 18 degrees as I write here in Portland, Oregon, with the air so dry that the skin on the back of my right hand is brittle, cracking into little red lesions, despite my frequently rubbing lotion into them to keep them supple. In this same moment, Copenhagen, Denmark where the world climate [...]

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Gustav And Living In Harm’s Way

September 1st, 2008 · 1 Comment · politics, sustainability

My heart is with the two million folks fleeing their homes due to Hurricane Gustav. How frightening and painful! I wish for all of them to be safe and secure. There is more, though; the head and the heart should always work together. Doesn’t it make more sense to flee permanently to more sustainable homes [...]

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Learning To Count Carbon

April 3rd, 2008 · No Comments · sustainability

I posted my thoughts on Bear Stearns right after it collapsed. But a deeper problem even than the money-drunk nature of our culture is the way we count.

Our economic system hasn’t yet learned how to count in a way that reflects reality. Natural systems like air, soil and water (also known as the primary world) are holding up our whole civilization. Our economy is predicated on them

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The Inconvenient Truth of the Diamond-Cut Life

January 4th, 2008 · 3 Comments · lifestyle, sustainability, work

Bad news here for the advertising industry, but good news for human beings and all other species. Research from many countries shows that after people’s survival needs and some reasonable pleasure needs are met, consumption piled-higher-and-deeper does NOT create more happiness. Rich is not great. Greed is not cool. Working harder might be moving you backward.

Inconvenient, at least for 20th century notions of economic growth and GDP, but

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Thanksgiving, Patriotism and Right-Sized Eating

November 20th, 2007 · 1 Comment · food & drink, sustainability

For Thanksgiving I’ll suggest (and practice myself) a novel idea: to not eat a great deal. Just a normal-sized meal, with more sociability than usual.

“Unpatriotic!” I can imagine you criticizing me. “Killjoy!” “The economy would nosedive!” “Anti-consumption equals Anti-Christ!” (OK, pardon my drama.)

In truth, I’m very patriotic. I love our forebears. In fact I suggest we be more like them — by not being overweight and

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