ReThink: Xmas Holidays

Only recently did I realize that Xmas was looming large. This is probably the most commercial and wasteful holiday of them all. (Okay maybe Valentine's is worse). Before you call me a grinch, please remember that Xmas is supposed to be about family, and doing good things for your community. Neither of those entail buying/wrapping/needing/wanting/consuming (other than dinner) and all the negative aspects of the holiday season.

I've decided to make a list of Xmas suggestions. If you can manage 1 out of all of them, then surely you deserve a pat on the back. Imagine if everyone did at least 1 positive thing, then it would truly make a huge difference. I plan on adding more ideas to this list so please check back frequently.

• Buy a potted, replantable Xmas tree, to avoid cutting down a real tree or getting a fake plastic garbage tree. Honestly, it should be a sin to cut down a tree as a 'decoration'
  
• Okay, aside from the religious connotation, the idea is still a good one, check out BuyNothingChristmas.Org
• DO NOT buy gift certificates: They are lousy impersonal gifts, worse than cash and often go un-redeemed. What's worse is that people generally end up spending 15-40% more than the value of the gift certificate (according to the wall street journal)
  
• If you must give something to someone, make sure it's comestible, handmade, or useful
  
• Giving stuff or doing nice things for people should be a year round thing and not dictated by a holiday
• Volunteer
  

RePlace: Goodbye Batteries

Dematerialization embraces the reduction of everything, especially the integration of devices. A previous post on solar power (see make the sun your b*tch) talks about devices that are powered by the sun.
What about batteries? I'm not going to bore you with statistics on how many batteries end up in landfills (a lot) what batteries are made of (acid and other crap) and who is better, Energizer or Duracell (who cares?)

I will however provide a list of devices that said, "hey Mr. Battery, you toxic piece of sh*t, why don't you f*ck off?"

• Induction Powered Flashlight
• Wind up remote control for the old picture box (Wow, $25?)
• Wind up Radio And an article on wind up radios
  
• Kinetic Watch
• MP3 player that charges the internal battery via USB port
• Battery Free Wireless Mouse
• Battery Free Bike Lights

I'm sure there are more. But the whole point isn't for me to be endorsing certain products, just certain categories of products. Get off your ass and do some googling...

Batteries: 0
Non-Batteries: 1

ReThink: Dematerialization and Consumerism

At the root of dematerialization is consumerism. If I wasn't a devoted consumer in the first place, I wouldn't be in this position of getting rid of stuff (much of which I never needed in the first place).

I remember being younger, spending days shopping. I felt compelled to buy something, often for the sake of buying. Then one day, I reconsidered my impact. It wasn't instant, and it's a process at the very least, but it doesn't have to be all at once, just get into doing it and it will come as second nature

The impact on consumerism is ... well, I don't think that a word exists in the English dictionary to explain how big it is. It's enormous and it's connected to everything, world trade, the environment, labor, media, culture, fashion, the economy. I'm not qualified to write about most of these things but if you're wondering, what's the point of dematerialization, here are some simple thoughts.

• By buying less you're not buying into the idea of consumption, that's where companies have convinced you that you're not 'the right kind of person' unless you own certain things
• By careful consideration prior to making purchases you can ensure to support companies that include ethical considerations in their products, including fair wages, environmental concerns, or products that are made to last where the companies stand by and offer excellent customer service, support and warranties.
• By ignoring silly celebrity fashion trends you assert your individualism and show that you don't have to look like everyone else, to look good
• By overriding a reliance on buying things to make yourself feel better, you free up time for more productive endeavors (yes surfing the Internet is productive)
• Refusing to patronize companies that are blatant users of slave labor, you are refusing to support their unfair practices
• By being informed, you have the ability to inform others, and at the very least present an alternate point of view. Even if they disagree with you, if you live it and don't just preach it, you can change their minds
• Some people will argue, the earth is screwed regardless of what we do. That may be true, but if enough of us set an example maybe we can make a difference.

ReThink: It's been a while

Before this blog gets too off topic with me making excuses as to why I haven't been blogging, I will just admit that there really isn't one. I've had tons on my mind, and since I stopped acquiring stuff I don't need, dematerializing hasn't been as much of an issue.

What I forgot however is that dematerialization isn't just ridding your life of material items but also about simplifying your life and adding good and new things to it. I found it hard to write about this kind of dematerialization because I wasn't doing it myself. I needed to practice before I could preach.

We're all busy, being busy is my excuse for everything. Funny how I find time to do stuff I shouldn't do, but never what I should. Here are ten things, (small things) that you should (if you don't already) do.

1. Drink 1 bottle of water a day (refill a bottle) water does make a difference, it clears your skin and keeps you going
2. Find five minutes a day to learn about something new on wikipedia
3. Find something to make yourself laugh
4. Think one positive (even if silly) thought each day
5. Eat a fruit
6. Keep your karmic nose clean, do onto others... bad things that you do WILL come back to haunt you three times worse.
7. Say something nice about somebody behind their back
8. Get a plant, they help you breathe better and provide excellent company
9. Try to notice one really cool detail or amazing thing every day
10. Tell someone important to you that they make you happy and that you're fortunate to have them in your life.

Okay kind of cheesy but the little things are what matter most.
More actual dematerialization to follow - I promise

I apologize for my Hiatus

I know there have been a few now, I'm in the process of moving, AGAIN. So dematerialization has ironically taken a back burner to the rest of my life. Rest assured this blog will continue in the very near future.

In the meantime, I urge those of you in the US to quickly scour your closet and donate any extra clothing to hurricane victims.

RePlace: Material with Immaterial and Double Duty

We all know that things = clutter, even those that are useful

Dematerialization includes two key concepts
1. Replacing the material with the immaterial AND
2. Making items do double duty where possible

REPLACE

• Replace bulky Compact Discs (CDs) WITH Mp3 files
• Replace a bulky DVD movie library WITH Streaming movies via CinemaNow or OnDemand, or even Netflix (where the movies are reused and not just stored individually by one family)
• Replace a TV WITH a Projector system (DIY kit version :: Super Cheap DIY version) or (Expensive version) where the projector hangs from the ceiling and the wall stays bare BONUS no one will steal it like an LCD tv
• Replace an Alarm clock WITH a software version for your computer (Recommended only for nerds who sleep with the computer on)
• Replace a bulky game system WITH an emulator just ad controller (Super Nintendo :: Sega, Xbox, PSP, other Nintendo, Arcade Games)

DOUBLE DUTY

• If you already have a computer in your room, an LCD monitor with TV tuner can do DOUBLE DUTY as monitor and TV

Double duty and Replace: 2
Waste waste waste: 0

ReThink: Air Purifiers

Ok, I know it's been a while, better late than never right? I have no excuse except for maybe I just didn't have anything new to bring to the table for over a month. (It's been over a month!)
I'm in the process of moving to NYC and I have been dematerializing like it's going out of style. I guess the new challenge now is rematerializing but remembering the dematerialize key concepts.

Enough rambling, onto today's topic.

I live with pets, I live in the city, I live in an apartment. Sometimes I come home and it smells, the air is stale.

Obviously commercial air freshners are out of the question. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals.

Alternatives?

• Salt crystal lamps are chunks of rock mined from the base of the Himalayan mountains. If you've ever swam in the ocean or breathed in the air after a thunderstorm, that's what you get.
  For more info check out IonicSalts.com or Saltlamps4U.com or Google "Salt lamps". Ebay tends to have the best prices.
  
  
• We all know that Plants give us oxygen but buy them for environmentally friendly air purifiers as well
  This is a list of plants gleaned from various web sites that have air purifying properties: Bamboo palm, Spider plant; flowering Mums; Peace lily plant and Mother-in-laws-tongue, aloe vera, dracaena plants, philodendrons, golden pothos, scheffleras (there are more)
  
  
• Some sites that give more details on the benefits of purifying plants: humeseeds.com
  worldwise.com (guidelines on how many plants for a room size)
  vegetarian times (what plants remove what chemicals/odors)
  Or pick up the 'bible' How To Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office by B.C. Wolverton, Ph.d., (Penguin Books, 1996)