Freeconomy Blog
Sat
26 Sep
What is the single most important thing we could do?
The main reason I live without using money is because I believe that it is the single most important act I can do, right now, to limit my impact on the climate, to halt the depletion of the world's resources, to stop the destruction of the planet I feel completely privileged to be living on, and to not be complicit in the exploitation that I am witnessing of all the species - human and non-human - that dwell upon it.
I completely accept that this may be an entirely flawed stance, as my understanding of the world I live in is constrained by the fact that I have a human mind that is conditioned by its limited knowledge and experience of life. Having said that, in two years of holding this belief and questioning it on a daily basis myself, I have still yet to hear an argument to alter that opinion.
I do, also, accept that to most people my actions are perceived as 'extreme', and that most will feel they are totally unrealistic for themselves to follow. I, personally, don't believe them to be extreme, I feel they are only seen as such because 50" plasma screen TV's, dishwashers and toys made for children, by other children in China, is seen as normal and sane in today's society.
And so I know that few will ever join me on this path in the near future. Which isn't really my concern - as Gandhi once said, "the truth is the truth, regardless of whether you are a minority of one or a majority of millions"; and whilst I would love humanity to start moving, however slowly, along this path, I accept that I may have to walk it alone and never live to see the day it becomes reality again. Because remember, it is only recently in human history that we've actually used money.
What I am really interested in this week, though, is what you think is the single most important and 'realistic' act that humans could do to help the planet and all that dwells upon it? It can be anything that helps people, communities, animals, the planet's ecology, or anything for that matter! It can be a small act that anyone can do, whether they are a mother of five children or a single man, or it could be a huge act that some people may then be inspired to do.
Please share with everyone your thoughts so that we all can learn and maybe even get inspired to do something that can change the world we live in for the better...
THE FREECONOMY BLOG is written by Mark Boyle, the founder of The Freeconomy Community who is also living without money for one year.
Comment on this Post:
comments ...
One of my best habits is not to carry any cash on my pockets when I'm going out, and I spend hours outside daily, you realise how little your need it for the day to day living. Never ever I go shopping with kids as a routine or to fill a gap during half-term/holidays. I'm concerned about how children are educated in school to be the future consumers drones, so I normally don't support any fund-rising schemes in schools; supermarket's vouchers, sales, shows that involves money (it's still a consumer mindset in disguise). I would like to see in schools a similar campaign as the five a day, but this time ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT SOME GOOD BASICS HUMAN VALUES. But to be totally honest my less-money support, it's as much for the planet as for our own personal survival.
Solan comments ...
We could find copies of books on self sufficiency, and on the gadgetry invented by Victorians to make their lives easier. I particularly liked the bucket -shower contraption with the curtain thing round it that I stumbled across in a National Trust property. They had an indoor earth closet too. It is encouraging that you only need 10sqm per person to grow vegetables.. if you know what you're doing that is...
Keseral comments ...
In my opinion, one of the most important things we can all do, is keep learning. If we all have knowledge about the world we live on, then we can help other people (who may have differernt knowledge) do what they need to do. As we learn, it is easy to teach others, as often some things are so fascinating or exciting that they just have to be shared!
Also, I find that the more I know about the situation we are in as a species, the more imperitive I feel it is to take action, and many actions become obvious once we know what we are trying to prevent.
LyssaM comments ...
As a mum I think the most important thing I can do is to teach everything I know to my children. I'm learning to grow my own veg and I remember my grandad growing but I was too young to learn so when he died his knowledge went with him... I'm inspired by remembering his garden but struggle with mine... but still learning... my girls will learn early as you never know what will happen... And as I learn new things... I am teaching my children. Too much knowledge has been lost over the years... we need to start teaching and sharing!!
frantasia comments ...
I love your suggestion that each person reading would submit an idea of one important act for the world. I feel one thing we could do is to exercise goodwill and respect towards all - it's probably something that all posters here are already doing, but I believe that practising this concept would change the world (for the better!). Good wishes.
Meera comments ...
Like other commenters here, I believe that respecting others' views & opinions and readiness to accept them using logic and reason (and humility), when practiced worldwide, would make a revolution on earth. There is also the need to keep life simple because (I believe) happiness is not a material, it's abstract....so it can be obtained too via abstract means (good actions) and not materialistic means. Also, when one is happy, he/she becomes contended.....and for making others happy we need to be happy ourselves (logically, your mood won't lift up if you see a sad person trying to make you happy!). So, friends, keep smiling, have a positive attitude towards life....though be aware of the possibilities of failure (failure is not the end, it's just the beginning), and help each other! Have a good day!
Mark comments ...
@ Ana - I think your attitude towards your kids, and the education system, is fantastic, good on you. I also think it is funny you always forget to add your name! @ Solan - Self-suffiency is the way forward, though I would maybe prefer to call it interdependent-sufficiency, though it sounds very awkward, as we can never survive just by ourselves (we at least need bees, earthworms etc). Independence is one of the greatest myths sold to us. @ Keseral - Learning is key, I agree. I'd also suggest that we learn to feel again. Instinct, to me, is even more important than intellect. @ LyssaM - like Ana you sound like a great mother! Lucky girls, not many kids in the UK get to learn how to grow food from an early age. Much love. Teaching the next generation how to grow food is definitely up there with the most important things we can do. @ Frantasia and Meera - couldn't agree more, not until this happens at the micro level can we ever expect to have peace between nations and religions.
burntsun comments ...
A small practical idea: we have just finished Eat the Change week in my home and it DRASTICALLY reduced the amount of money/oil/waste that we normally generate by our food consumption. For anyone wanting menu ideas, I've listed what we ate on the Forum (http://forum.justfortheloveofit.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=2211&p=4064#p4064)
Alan comments ...
I think to learn to trust one another would be a good start as i think a lot of that is lost especially in the cities, especially with what we see in the papers e.t.c. I must admit i lived in cornwall for a bit and its amazing how much more time people had for me down there. I guess thats an example of learning to live with less money, whereas those who chase the money leads them to the everyday rat race of city life. I know which lifestyle i prefer anyway ;)! I do agree with education as key to change, having an awareness of where things come from and why there is a need for change. Im sure primark would notice a difference in its monthly takings. I guess change takes time, but there has to be that visible incentive for people to take it up.
Frederick Dsouza comments ...
Today on 27th i went to http://www.reallyreallyfree.org/ market. another site like justfortheloveofit in usa. I enjoyed it freeconomist btucker advised me to go there. I mentioned about jftloi to the incharge there . He told me he knew about this site and that he is also a freeconomist . This is the single most thing i could do to spread the word by getting invovled with other people or organisation who does it free just for the love of it.
mag93 comments ...
It was important to me to raise my daughter to value sustainability over materialism. It was difficult for her as a young teenager - the idea unaccountably seems to anger people - but she's glad now to have been raised with values she respects and she does influence her peer group.
I would say that a vital thing I discovered as an arts educator has been the importance of conveying a sense of belonging and unconditional and innate respect. So many people (not immediately obvious who) feel alienated and I think if you feel rejected by society you're less likely to care what happens to others. I think it's very important to assume the best of the people you encounter in life and to talk & listen to everyone in a respectful, open-minded, genuine way. In my experience even the apparently hardest of hard nuts respond to this - I worked in prison & it blew me away!
Georgina comments ...
Firstly, In response to what Mark wrote at the opening: the human mind is conditioned by its limited knowledge and experience of life, the first thing I thought was that if you know, and have experienced that you can choose in what you believe in and what you do, maybe spiritually, then this negates that we are conditioned by our limited knowledge and experience. If we're aware that we have been conditioned into 'someone' eles's way of life, then we can accept that we can change ourselves knowing that they were/are only experimenting with life too and what they knew at the start had changed at the end. Being judgemental instils limits on us.
Permaculture on a mass scale is needed to be enforced right now to help the planet and our resources. Stop planning get doing! Being resourceful and living sustainably and in harmony with nature is important if we are wanting to not wipe out the human race. Locally we can grow our own fruit n veg and learn how to cook for health. Only buy what we need and at local shops as there is an opportunity for supply and demand for locally produced goods. Compost/recycle. Stop breeding for a while. (don't mean to offend!)
Sometimes i wonder what should come first, whether money is needed to work our way out from the inside, or to teach by example without money so others can learn that it can be done, we just have to shift our focus point.
Ant comments ...
Buy a bike (for the cost of 2 tanks of petrol)! Less pollution, less stress, get fit. But that’s not the whole story……..
‘Cycling to and from work I can look at the trees. In the winter they stand bare. I watch them bending and dancing. In the Springtime I see the cherry blossoms shaking; pink, white, pink. The green Summer, trees are heavy, birds sing squirrels jump. The autumnal city shines; leaves on the road. I see high walls. I see the sun setting over the Oxfordshire hills. I can feel the rain. Snow. Wind.’
Alessandro comments ...
One other thing that I do is meditation. Through meditation you can clear you mind of consumism thoughts. I want a new car, I want a new pair of shoes. When you meditate, you realize you don't really need this stuff. All of that was just a thought that passed through your mind.
Pauldodo comments ...
I love all of the thinking here- as a primary school teacher I am always aware of the need to educate children way beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum, but, as they say, it takes a village to educate a child- I hope I'm doing my bit!
Owen comments ...
Let's try to live the best life we know, using the lowest impact methods: solar showers, composting toilets, organic gardening, houses made of locally available natural resources (earth, stone, straw, etc.). My personal goal is to not only utilize these methods, but use them to show others a better way. In other words, just do it. Our actions will ripple across society one way or another. Your goal of creating a low-impact community of like-minded people is exactly what I'm referring to.
William Will comments ...
Have fewer children.
All the ecological problems you so well describe are due to two things: consumption (the money thing you have down pat) and human overcrowding.
I'm a little older, so I still remember a world with less people, less crowded places and more open land.
Unfortunately in all the discussion about the future of the planet population control still seems to be the one taboo no one really wants to talk about.
Imagine if there were half the people wherever you live. Even if they did nothing else to change their behavior, there would be half of all the pollution and half the buildings and half the cars...
It's really quite simple.
Rodney comments ...
Without a doubt the single most important act anyone can do is not to have children.It does not surprise me Mark that you have missed this in favour of not using money, as it is the least popular view point ever and virtually guarantees ostricisation from everyone.However, it was recognised decades ago when The Club of Rome released a book titled "Limits to Growth", of course the book never gained much popularity for obvious reasons.But there will never be the individual will let alone political will to implement a population control agenda.I am not against babies or children just against human suffering - depopulation and human suffering will be an inevitable consequence of resource depletion and coming up against hard limits.Finally, I do commend you on doing something - as I always believe something is better than nothing, the question is, will it be enough? Kind Regards, Rodney.
Eric comments ...
I believe the single most important thing that we as a species can do right now, is to see 'ourselves' in all things, in all of creation. To see that the illusion of separateness is an ideology and not a fact of nature is a fundamental truth. In my view, this is at the root of the struggle of the human condition. Thank you for this site and what you are doing. I respect and honor you.
Lynn Shwadchuck comments ...
I'm happy you've attracted lots of attention with your commitment to be the change you want to see. My idea is, I think, quite easy for huge numbers of people to do. If many people eat lower on the food chain without being obsessive about any particular 'isms', we can make a big difference. I know eating is mostly based on habits and cravings, so I've made a web site that shows people how to eat tasty peasant food easily and with most of the convenience of eating grocery store frozen meals. Even young people and nouveax-pauvres who aren't used to cooking with whole foods can do this. There's a cute introductory video on the home page and a free downloadable set of recipe cards.
Keep up the fight!
Lynn Shwadchuck
Canada
http://www.10in10diet.com/
maxguo comments ...
Honestly, I think the increasing population is a serious problem. I never felt a burning desire to have children biologically, and instead, I adopted my children. I realize some people feel strongly about this, but if people could limit themselves to having only one or two biological and/or providing loving homes for children who have been orphaned, it would go a long way to preventing future stresses on the planet.