Sustainability and SOPA

The good news is that after a long and rather crazy week last week, I seem to be once again relatively caught up on life, which feels new and novel.

The bad news is that I’m totally behind over here.

I need to properly thank the inspirational Canadian Doomer for passing along a Liebster Award, and need to point out a few of my favourite blogs in return (which is made all the more difficult by the fact that I would have chosen her blog, hands down).

I need to update on my plans to try to more actively take on Sharon Astyk’s Independence Days challenge again this year and, with a bit more free time on my hands, devote more of it to getting a bit more prepared for whatever comes.

I also need to think through whether I’m up for taking on the Riot for Austerity this year, and trying to cut back a lot of our consumption by 90 percent – a big number, but both worth it and necessary, I think.

Also, in somewhat less serious matters, I have two new books that I’m utterly thrilled with that I’d love to share.

But for now, the thing I want to talk about – albeit rather briefly, especially given the significance of this legislation – is SOPA and PIPA.

I’m based in Canada, so I’m a bit removed from all of this.  Only a very little bit, though.  The truth is, SOPA and PIPA – the current Stop Internet Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act, which are currently up in the United States – will affect Internet content and freedom around the world if they pass.

Some of my research and teaching is focused on digital communication practices, so this hits close to home for me in that respect.  But even more importantly, as I think and plan and dream about sustainability and self-sufficiency and all kinds of good things, I’ve come to hugely value this massive resource that we have in the internet.  Sure, it’s not without it’s problems.  But I’ve learned so much useful stuff from the Internet on this journey and on others.  I’ve gathered helpful information.  I’ve connected with wonderful people.  I’ve seen some truly motivating and inspiring content that’s helped me move forward in interesting and sometimes unexpected ways. I’d hate to see that change.

I think it’s important to be aware of what’s going on, because the implications down the line could be huge. These measures could be a significant threat to how we are able to use the Internet, and while I understand that there are some interests that perhaps should be protected, I worry that the measures currently on the table will do a lot of harm in terms of creativity, sharing, and connecting with others.  Other people have probably said it better, though, and this video provides a good, straightforward explanation of reasons we have to be concerned.

My hope is that people will increasingly inform themselves about these issues.  More and more, bills and laws and other legislation seems to be being passed that has significant effects on how we live our lives, and not always in ways that are positive, or in our best interests.  But for now, there’s still time to become aware, and still time to act and make our opinions known as best we can.  There are petitions to sign.  Numbers to call.  Awareness to be raised.  And, with some luck, change to be made.

Plaid Friday and locality

Being that I almost never advocate shopping, I was a bit hesitant when I heard of Plaid Friday, an alternative to the craziness of Black Friday.    Being in Canada, we also don’t really have Black Friday here, and certainly not in the same way as it tends to happen in the states.

According to the site, “The name Plaid Friday celebrates the diversity and creativity of independent businesses. Plaid Friday is the fun and enjoyable alternative to the big box store “Black Friday”, and is designed to promote both local and independently owned businesses during the holidays.”

While I don’t usually advocate for shopping, I recognize that it’s hard to step completely out of the consumer system.  Most of us still need to buy things here and there.  But when we do, shopping locally can be really important.  It supports local businesses, keeps people working within the community, and keeps a lot more money in communities than when shopping at national chains.  It also helps to ensure that the stores and services that a community needs remain easily accessible within the community.  This is part of the reason I started shopping at the farmers’ market and trying to get as much as I could there, rather than at the grocery store.

That said, it strikes me that I don’t actually know of that many local businesses especially apart from food. I think this is somewhat sad.  Given the limits of my grad student budget, I tend to buy things when they go on significant sale.  This is most likely to happen at bigger retailers who are able to offer loss leaders and other good values or through online retailers who can offer discounts because of low overhead. In any case, I haven’t really put my money where my mouth is.

Furthermore, because I buy almost everything else used and don’t really shop that much anymore, I’m not really all that familiar with what’s available locally – I get most of what I need from two or three stores.  But now I find myself suddenly wondering if it’s always better to buy used from a thrift store.  Sure, things are used, which is a very good thing in environmentally in my books, and I can get quality goods for not a lot of money, which is also good for the budget.  But I also wonder how much the proceeds stay within and benefit the community, especially with bigger-name chain thrift stores.

I’m not likely to go out and buy much on Friday simply because I don’t go out and buy much any day.  There’s nothing that I need right now, and I’m not likely to start spending just for funsies.  What I am thinking is that perhaps I will don my plaid shirt and head out to see what I can find that’s locally owned and operated for future reference, so the next time I need fuses, or a pot, or shoes, or a particular book, I have some local options beyond the bigger stores and online retailers that, while seductive, might not be so good for our communities.

 

 

Food Secure Canada Steering Committee

For anyone who’s interested, I just stumbled across this today.  The deadline’s fast approaching, but if you’re interested in food security in Canada, and think you could contribute, this could be a really interesting committee to get on board with.

Nominations for Food Secure Canada’s Steering Committee

Deadline November 25th.

Are you interested in being part of a dynamic team of people from across Canada?

Do you have skills that could help Food Secure Canada grow and prosper?

Do you know someone that might fit the bill?

Please fill in the nominations form no later than November 25th.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on December 16th, 2011.

Don’t forget to renew or become a member so that you can cast your ballot!

 

Mise en candidature pour le comité directeur de Sécurité alimentaire Canada

Échéancier le 25 novembre.

Aimeriez-vous faire partie d’une équipe dynamique composée de personnes des quatre coins du Canada ?

Possédez-vous des compétences qui pourraient contribuer à faire croître et progresser Sécurité alimentaire Canada ?

Connaissez-vous quelqu’un qui correspond à cette description ?

Veuillez remplir le formulaire de mise en candidature au plus tard le 25 novembre, 2011.

Notre assemblée générale annuelle sera le 16 décembre, 2011.

Renouveler ou devenir membre pour être éligible pour voter.

Sécurité Alimentaire Canada [1] info@foodsecurecanada.org

2746 Cassels Street Ottawa, ON K2B-6N7 Canada

Pour vous désabonner, cliquez ici ou envoyer un courriel à : mailto:[2] u.165.9391.1fdd0bfa988c6c88@foodsecurecanada.org

Pour ne plus recevoir de courriels de Sécurité Alimentaire Canada, cliquez ici ou envoyer un courriel à : mailto:[3] o.165.9391.1fdd0bfa988c6c88@foodsecurecanada.org

The kindness of friends

While I think about this somewhat regularly, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about community, and friendship, and especially about sharing.

I realised awhile back that in some of my efforts to live a low-impact, low-energy, low-cost life, there are times when my friends loan me things, or do things for me, that get to be difficult to do on my own.  Because I don’t have a car, sometimes I need rides to or from places, especially at night when the buses don’t run a lot.  Since I’ve chosen not to have a cell phone, sometimes I need to borrow one if we’re out and about.  I have a friend who regularly lends me her vacuum, which means that I don’t have to buy or store one.  I appreciate all of these things – really, my friends are great.

Realistically, I know there are things that they get from me in return.  I spend a lot of time listening to people’s problems, and I offer advice.  I cook and bake for people.  I watch pets, water plants, collect mail, and return library books.  I’ve read and edited an awful lot of papers and grant applications.  On paper, these don’t feel like big things, and yet I know they matter to the people who they help.  But sometimes, even though I do think I probably give back as much as I receive, I’m just so very, very grateful for the people in my life who help me out every now and again with the things that it gets to be difficult to do on my own.

I’d like to do more, though, and I see the world in its present state, and all of the things that need dealing with, I think we need these connections with other people more than ever.  So I’m going to make a concerted effort to not only be a better friend, but to be a better friend to more people.  I want to share more of what I have, especially in terms of time and energy, with those who could use it.  I’d like to spend more time building community, and finding ways to connect with people, and fostering the sharing that I think we so desperately need.

But community and help goes both ways.  It’s important for people to feel useful and needed.  And so I’m also going to try to be better about asking for help when I need it, which is something that I am not always so good at.  There’s lots I could use help with, though – everything from gardening advice to reading my papers as I work through them.

This could take awhile to work up to.  I’m rather shy, and a homebody, and because of these things I sometimes find building community takes a lot of effort and time.  But I think it’s worth it, and I’m looking forward to getting out there more.  I’ve had an awful lot of good in my life, and I’d like to give some of that back.

Hope in hard times

It seems fitting to me that I start this blog on earth day. Although there are lots of things that I want to do, document, and ponder on this blog (with many different motivations) a great deal of what I do and think about these days is living more sustainably and in a way that’s less damaging to the earth. Not just on earth day, though. Every day. All the time.

I’ve started a few blogs. None of them really captured what I was after, I don’t think, although I’ve gotten closer every time. Perhaps this one won’t quite hit the mark either. But I hope that it will, because I think these changes – these modest revolutions, if you will, the idea after which I named this little corner of cyberspace – are important. They’re important for changing our lives, the lives of those around us, and with any luck, the state of the world.

As scary as it is to put out there, I believe we’re heading for trouble that is bigger and coming faster than we expect. Really, I suspect that we’re facing what some people would refer to as hard times. But this threat is only a part of what I want this blog to be about. I’m generally a reasonably positive person, and I believe there’s always room for optimism and even hope, even when things look pretty dire. I’m not convinced that hard times necessarily have to feel so very hard. Different, sure. Trying, possibly. A challenge to rise up to, definitely. But hard can be moderated and possibly even lessened by the things we do now. So, I think there’s room in all of the crazy that the world seems to be heaping on us not only for hope, but also to make changes now that, while they may seem intimidating or hard or even impossible in some cases, are useful and worthwhile and even beneficial and pleasurable in the end.

But more than that, there’s room for justice, and for making sure that people are better able to get the things that they need. We live in a world that isn’t known for anything even approaching equality for people, and as much as possible I’m aiming to live in a way that doesn’t just benefit me. There’s lots of room for good in there as well, for the earth, for our communities, and for us as well. That’s what I’m looking to find.