how to change the world - triple emphasis on "how" and what one person can do

three things - the first two are not doing so good

thing 1: Be angry at bad guys.  It's a rigged playing field, but with enough people pushing hard enough all at once, there will be change.  Brute force against the bad guys.  It is a difficult path, but if we can get 100 million people to get to work we can do it.


thing 2: Sacrifice.  If enough people suffer, the power will be stripped from the bad guys.  It is a difficult path, but if we can get 100 million people to get to work we can do it.


thing 3:  Viral luxuriance.  All of the advantages of "thing 2" but the opposite of sacrifice.  This is what I advocate.  Come up with a solution that is so good that it saves people money and/or adds a lot of luxuriance to their life.   The people that want change seek the change so they can get the end result and they happen to get the other benefits too.  People that are less motivated by the global change angle, make the change for the direct benefits.    It is an easy path, but if we can get 100 million people to get to work we can do it.


thing 3.1:  Heat.  In a cold climate, 65% of one person's energy consumption involves heat.  The solutions must be to make people luxuriantly warm while saving them a lot of money.

thing 3.1.1:  Microheaters to heat the people instead of the whole house.  This cuts the heating bill by 90%.  Do as much or as little as you want.  More

thing 3.1.2:  Rocket mass heaters.  This cuts the heating bill by 98%.  A wood burning contraption you can build.  Compared with a conventional wood stove, it heats with one tenth the wood and one thousandth the smoke.  Overview / forum / FAQ

thing 3.1.3:  Wofati to use the heat from the summer to heat a home in winter.   Still a bit experimental, but promising.  Overview / forum / allerton abbey


thing 3.2:  Less poison in our environment.  Cancer and other ailments go to the top of this list.   Better air, water and food.  Every solution needs to add immediate gratification (luxury) while saving money.   A few big things combined with a lot of little things.

thing 3.2.1:  Pooless - eliminate the use of soap and shampoo in the shower.  After a week, people report that they feel cleaner, smell better and have better skin and hair.  They can also sleep in an extra five minutes every morning, save money on the product and this is the #1 way to reduce the hot water bill.  Plus less toxic gick being smeared on their bodies has resulted in thousands of people experiencing the end to chronic ailments.

thing 3.2.2:  Clean with cleaners you can eat.

thing 3.2.3:  Permaculture gardening.


thing 3.3:  Food. 50% of our petroleum footprint and 35% of our carbon footprint is tied to our food.

thing 3.3.1:  Grow a garden.

thing 3.3.1:  An apple a day.  When you eat an apple, put the seeds in your pocket. Plant the seeds when you see a spot. An apple a day could result in cutting your carbon footprint 100 tons per year.


...  I gotta run away for a moment, but maybe folks can make suggestions about what more to add to this list that I started.  Community needs a spot on the list ...



...  this is the bit that inspired me to write this:

Many people have told me that I am the most evil person in the world because the things I advocate are the same things that big oil advocates:  blame the consumer rather than blame big oil.  Effort is distracted from the true enemy as people go plant gardens instead of join the fight against big oil.

I like to think that if these ideas do go viral, as I hope they will, then the total amount of money going to big oil and big whatever will dramatically shrink.  So rather than fight big oil directly while continuing to give them mountains of money - simply take their money away.  I think most people don't see a way to take their money away.  I hope to paint a picture full of so much luxury and money savings that millions of people will will gradually transition to a better life and, along the way, find that they no longer want to commute to a workee job - and they just end up going to a grocery store or restaurant less often.  That they know few people with cancer and ailments.  It won't be perfect, but it will be better.   And I think it has a better chance of success than the political fight, or the sacrifice.

One thing that continues to amaze me is the decadence of home grown meals. Talk about luxury! 5 star dining that leaves you feeling physically and spiritually  nourished. And usually at a cost that is comparable to the cheapest fast.food options

I tried to think of more and fill the list out some more. I'm sure I'm missing a ton! It'd be neat to have links for each of these, too!


thing 3.1:  Heat.

thing 3.1.4: Incandescent light Light is better for your eyes, helps with your circadian rhythm, heats your house, and requires less energy to produce the lightbulb. Incandecent better than LED

thing 3.1.5: use a clothesline and wash in cold water Instead of heating your clothes dry in the dryer, hang them outside on a nice day--they'll be dried naturally, and sanitized in the proceeds. Use cold water to wash most clothes.  

thing 3.2:  Less poison in our environment.

thing 3.2.4: Wear natural fibres Natural fibres require less energy to produce than non-natural fibres. They breath better, are compostable, and do not create microplastics with each wash. Buying well-made natural fabrics will last longer and be easier to mend, too. Clothes are polluting our oceans

thing 3.2.5: Buy clothing and items at thrift stores and garage sales Save money, keep things out landfills, and don't get laden with plastic wrapping and packaging that's on store-bought items. You'll often get much higher quality items than you can get in big box stores.

thing 3.2.6: Go Zero (or reduced) Waste Need less (or no!) trash service because you no longer have wrappers and packaging to throw away. Tips for how to shop zero waste

thing 3.2.7: Bike or walk when possible Get exercise, build community talking to those you pass, enjoy the scenery, and save money. And use a lot less fossil fuels!

thing 3.2.8: Have more of the stuff you need to do be within walking/biking distance Work from home, have a thriving community of people nearby that produce the things you need and want.



thing 3.4:  Cooling.

thing 3.4.1: Plant deciduous trees or vines on the south and west sides of your house[/b] cooling shade in the summer. Added bonus: have the trees/vines produce food for you!

thing 3.4.2: Open windows at night Use cross ventilation to cool down your house during the night, and bring in fresh air. Close up the windows during the day to keep the cool air in. Use white/reflective curtains or window shutters to keep the house cool during the day.



thing 3.5:  Community.

thing 3.5.1: more people living under one roof without stabbing each other

thing 3.5.1: trade/barter

thing 3.5.2: replace petroleum with people

adding more:


thing 3.1:  Heat.

thing 3.1.6: heat the person, not the place incandescent light-bulb above, space heater nearby, cozy blankets and sweaters. Heat you and where you are, rather than keeping the whole house at 72 degrees F. https://richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp

thing 3.1.7: insulate with curtains keep the cold out by using wool or other thick curtaing.

thing 3.1.8: better home insulation

thing 3.1.8: heat by baking cook your food at home, rather than buying take out. https://permies.com/t/62284/ways-save-winter-heating


thing 3.2:  Less poison in our environment.

thing 3.2.9: natural make-up and hair dye or don't use any at all! https://permies.com/t/56923/personal-care/purity/natural-beauty

thing 3.2.10: washable menstrual products switch to the cup or to washable pads. Or, buy 100% natural (compostible) pads and/or tampons.  https://permies.com/t/37417/personal-care/purity/shark-week-pads-tampons-cups


thing 3.4:  Cooling.

thing 3.4.3: reflective shades and curtains reflect the sun and help insulate by using light/reflective curtains/shade/blinds.

thing 3.4.4: overhangs, covered porches Shade your windows and house by adding overhangs and covered porches.

thing 3:4:5: loose fitting clothing dress in clothes that will help you stay cool.

thing 3.4.6: earth sheltered buildings: like the wofati! Use the cool of winter to keep your house cool in the summer.


[b]thing 3.5:  Community.

thing 3.5.4: shop local  support your local community, barter/buy/trade food and items with your neighbors.

thing 3.6.5: share permaculture online and with your friends[b] share knowledge and build each other up.


[b]thing 3.6:  Food.

thing 3.6.1: permaculture gardens grow your own food beyond organically

thing 3.6.2: trade food within your neighbor super local food. Even better if you never have to get in a car to get the food, and your neighbors are within walking/riding distance.

thing 3.6.3: low-energy cooking haybox cookers, pressure cooker/Instant Pots, solar ovens

thing 3.6.4: cook with sticks from your yard utilize highy efficient wood-powered rocket stoves and ovens. Cook your food with sticks form your property.


thing 3.7:  Money.

thing 3.7.1: build residual income streams

thing 3.7.2: work from home no need to waste time and energy driving too and from work--work from home!

thing 3.7.3: vote with your wallet buy items, food, and services from company and people who support your values.

thing 3.7.4: Gert live the life of a permaculture millionare--need less money because you are able to provide more for yourself, have a thriving local community to sell/trade with. Need less of the stuff that sucks your soul and wallet.

thing 3.7.5: SKIP the rat race gain the experience and knowledge that would make a retiring farmer wish to give his/her land to you.

thing 3.7.6 Extreme Early Retirement work extra hard and save a larger percentage of your money (by cutting expenses and unneeded purchases) so that you can retire early.

paul wheaton wrote:
thing 3:  Viral luxuriance.  All of the advantages of "thing 2" but the opposite of sacrifice.  This is what I advocate.  Come up with a solution that is so good that it saves people money and/or adds a lot of luxuriance to their life.  

^^ Exactly this ^^  A thousand apples.  Show people how it benefits THEM.  Permaculture has to be open and attractive to everyone for it to spread outside what is often perceived as a marginal/fringe crowd. By focusing on how someone can better their own life, who wouldn't want to adapt at least some of the principles?  Even if each person did only one thing, can you imagine the difference?

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Nicole wrote:thing 3.1.5: use a clothesline and wash in cold water Instead of heating your clothes dry in the dryer, hang them outside on a nice day--they'll be dried naturally, and sanitized in the proceeds. Use cold water to wash most clothes.  

We don't have enough nice days :-), but I learned that clothes that are lightly soiled (slight body odor, something spilled on them, etc), I don't even use soap.  The action of the washer cleans them.  Now, for my husband's stinky gym clothes, that's another situation.  

Julie Harris wrote:
We don't have enough nice days :-), but I learned that clothes that are lightly soiled (slight body odor, something spilled on them, etc), I don't even use soap.  The action of the washer cleans them.  Now, for my husband's stinky gym clothes, that's another situation.  

Not nearly enough nice days! I can't dry outside if it's after the fall equinox and before the spring equinox. It's just to dark and damp that nothing dries out there. But, from the beginning of spring to the end of summer, I seize every sunny day to dry as much outside as I can!

Hand wash in cold water with no/minimal soap and air dry (in the shade) and your clothes will last 10 times longer.  

Julie Harris wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:
thing 3:  Viral luxuriance.  All of the advantages of "thing 2" but the opposite of sacrifice.  This is what I advocate.  Come up with a solution that is so good that it saves people money and/or adds a lot of luxuriance to their life.  

^^ Exactly this ^^  A thousand apples.  Show people how it benefits THEM.  Permaculture has to be open and attractive to everyone for it to spread outside what is often perceived as a marginal/fringe crowd.

Some of the things listed above sound great for the environment, but I'm missing how they relate to "luxuriance." How can I show people that some of these things benefit them? Saving a few dollars here and there isn't enough for many people that I know, especially when there's a convenience factor to overcome. It requires learning new things and changing habits, neither of which provide the immediate gratification that many want to see.

A few ideas. I'd love to see more, too!

Thing 3.3.1 Grow a garden
Benefit -- Most food TASTES so much better fresh from the garden. I didn't like asparagus, beets, radishes, or a number of other veggies until I tried them freshly picked.
Benefit #2 -- You can try a wider variety. Grocery stores are limited to what transports well, lasts on their shelves, and sells. Growing your own opens up lots of new food adventures!

Thing 3.2 Have less poisons in our environment.
Benefit - Less suffering for those who are sensitive to synthetic chemicals. I've seen story after story of people who can't visit family, can't go in crowded places, can't go shopping in person, etc. because of the abundance of perfumes, hairsprays, fabric softeners, air fresheners, and other scented junk. Most people aren't even aware of how many synthetic scents they wear each day.

Thing 3.2.2 Clean with cleaners you can eat.
Benefit - Less concern about toddlers and kids getting into toxic chemicals. I joined some online mom groups recently, and chemicals in the home is a big concern that gets mentioned.

Thing 3.2.4 Wear natural fibers
Benefit - Smell better! I don't remember which thread it was, but it was mentioned that synthetic fibers make armpit odor worse.

Thing 3.2.10 Washable or natural menstrual products
Benefit - Many women say their periods are much less painful after ditching tampons and chemically processed pads.

I mulled this over a bit and realized how much I was talking about myself and not just "other people." I don't feel like I have the mental capacity to make all of the changes that I want to make. I'm overwhelmed and easily fall for convenience or how I've always done things. I make the changes that seem to make the biggest impact for me and my baby, not the environment.

For example, I had every intention of cloth diapering my baby. But family refused to change cloth diapers, and my postpartum recovery demanded all of the help I could get. I also didn't feel up to adding anything to myself, like washing extra loads or going through the learning curve of cloth diapers. I have some guilt every time we empty the trash, but the convenience makes up for it. I think we have fewer diapers, since we're doing part-time elimination communication, so I accept it as a temporary evil.

Many things with permaculture seem to require I build something, which requires the time, energy, and know-how, or buy pre-built, which requires a good chunk of money up front as well as research on the best options. At the very least, it requires a change in habits and decision making, which just aren't happening quickly when I'm overwhelmed and sleep deprived. So while permaculture principles will save time, money, etc. in the future, I'm realizing how often I reach for immediate and short-term results. I could definitely go for luxuriant and convenient, but I'm not seeing that in many of the options.

I didn't save the link that I got this quote from, but it's certainly accurate for me.

People don’t buy products, they buy better versions of themselves. “Here’s what our product can do” and “Here’s what you can do with our product” sound similar, but they are completely different approaches.”

I love this graphic



In the end, if you care, you do the things you can do.  

Here's a nice little ditty for tomorrow's Throw Back Thursday play list.  Paul Wheaton presenting 72 Bricks