Sustainable Living: January 2008

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Introduction to this blog - by Robb

I intend to use this blog to develop ideas about creating sustainable lifestyles within the context of modern society. I will discuss what sustainable living means to me and to those people I know for whom questions of sustainability color their daily experience of life.

Areas of primary interest include: personal health - issues such as diet, exercise, stress, personal relationships and balance; efficiency - getting the most out of the systems we interact with, making decisions that increase personal efficiency and the importance of shifting the emphasis of society from conspicuous consumption to efficiency; energy - implications of our energy choices, impact of personal energy use, viability of integrating various renewable energy systems into our lives, and methods for supporting the uptake of renewable energy technology in society at large; freedom - from debt, from guilt, and from corporate control of our lives.

I may range into politics and religion as I go along. Who knows? It is important to me personally to explore all aspects of sustainable living.

About Dave

Dave Maynard - I'm a native son of western Montana, where I grew up on the edge of town when towns in Montana actually had an edge. I moved to Washington state at 26 in an effort to find a career in acting, which evolved into a niche in technical theatre and scenery construction, which after 14 years morphed into starting a one-man carpentry business, which has held steady for the last 7 years. I work well with others, but prefer to figure things out for myself. I like reading poetry when my spirit is hungry, and Harper's Magazine when my intellect is. I applaud telling truth to power, and abhor willfull ignorance and any kind of squandering. I hope that when everything settles, I can end up mattering...even a little.

Blanche Cameron

Co founder and training director of RESET. Lecturer and staff member at the Graduate School of the Environment University of East London at the Center for Alternative Technology B. Arch Hons., DIPL. Arch. Studied at Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art, And Ecole Speciale d'Architecture, Paris. Worked for architects in London and Berlin, before moving to Wales to work as an environmental builder at CAT 4 years ago. Developed environmental architectural design and consultancy business. Principal areas of interest are housing, particularly self-build, planning and design for health. Currently working as environmental consultant on Newport Waste Savers' new Recycling Centre and for the Forestry Commission's Mountain Bike Centre of Excellence near Neath. Actively involved in local and national Welsh planning, community and housing issues, member of Association of Environment Conscious Building. On committee for the Welsh Greener Homes and Buildings Show - a new annual event.