I can’t go a day without reading some article about how we have to come up with some Big Solution to some Big Problem. We Need A New Source Of Fuel For Cars. We Need New Cars. We Need New Sources Of Energy. We Need Wind Farms. We Need This We Need That.

It kind of reminds me of our “solutions” to the current money/credit/housing crisis. We Need A New Governance System For The Banks. We Need A Safety Net. No we don’t. People just need to stop spending so fucking much.

This post comes after reading another one of CNN’s brilliant (ha-ha) articles on how families are, god forbid, making their own meals and eating at home. And, god forbid, having to cut back on $5 lattes. (But “I can’t give up my bottled water” says one dirt farmer.) These people act like they are going through the great depression, when actually they are being “forced” to live within their god-damned means.

When did being fiscally responsible suddenly become some special-case? Shit, it reminds me of another article that drove me crazy. It was about a group of parents getting together a support group. It’s a support group for parents who, hold on to your hats, allow their children to play unattended! What is this, you say? Children can survive, and thrive, without constant parental observation? I’m shocked! Jumping Jesus On A Pogo-Stick, when did we start needing support groups for NORMAL activity? Has our definition of normal changed so greatly?

And this leads to another ubsurdity Evelyn and I saw yesterday.

We were taking one of our usual walks and came across a grammer shool, with all the perks (nice playgrounds, ball fields, a little track, etc).

At the volleyball court we saw a shoe. And a basketball. Near the playground we saw, literally, half a dozen jackets. Near the school building was another set of clothes. There were discarded clothes all over the place. It looked like a Goodwill truck had exploded.

Now that’s not all that odd, right? While they are playing, kids take off their coats, leave their balls around, and so on. But here’s the odd thing: There were no kids in sight. Not a one. These kids had been there, and left 20 articles of clothing, and a handful of good-sized toys.

I don’t know what shocked me more, the fact that these kids were just discarding stuff left and right, or that their parents let them do this. I’m all for a free and permissive society, but come on! Learn a little respect and value. I joked with Evelyn that if she came home without a shoe her parents would have her hold a 20 pound bag of rice for an hour as punishment. When the hell did it become okay for kids to discard expensive articles without a second thought? What the hell is wrong with these parents?

Okay, back on track. Back to Boring Solutions.

My point when I started this rant was that people love to look for big, complicated solutions. For two reasons. First, simple solutions are boring. They aren’t fun. They aren’t New And Improved. Second, it’s far easier to throw up your hands and say “what can I do?” when the solution appears complicated. Why worry about power problems when you don’t feel you can do anything about them?

Instead, we need to look for simple, basic solutions. Those types of solutions that allow us to “live within our means”, both financially and environmentally. They aren’t glitzy, but they get the job done.

Look at all the little things you can do to save energy, the environment, and your pocketbook:

• Carry around a study, easily foldable, bag in your pocket. It can be plastic for all I care, but carry it around. When you hit a store and pick up a small item, put it in your bag. No more wasted plastic or paper bags. We carry one around nearly all the time, for our second-hand store finds, and just for normal shopping. We’re always amazing by how people react when we pull out our little re-usable bag. They act like it’s so unique and amazing. “People actually have the forsight to bring their own carrying device? Amazing!” You’d think we were the second coming of Christ.
• Buy yourself 3-4 of those big, insulated, bags for carrying groceries. We HAD to buy them in PR because the grocery store was 1/2 hour, or more, from home and stuff would melt. Bring them in the store and load your groceries into them instead of the endless plastic (or paper) bags. They are sturdy, reusable, and keep your food cold. They also hold about 4-6 bags of regular groceries, so you don’t have to make as many trips between the car and the home. (You can sling them over your shoulder, saving your hands.)
• Second-hand has much as you can. We are very lucky to live in an area of Austin that has a lot of good second hand stores. Bookstores, clothing, general household. These are great for two main reasons: (a) Things are cheaper than new and (b) your “carbon footprint” is greatly reduced. You see, everything you buy used is a thing that doesn’t have to get made again.Just the other day we were able to pick up a heavy duty 40-year-old Steelcase shop stool for $15. Versus the $75 imported piece that Sears was selling. We save money and get a piece of furniture that didn’t need to be shipped across the world, and that will last another 40 years. About two weeks ago we found a set of machinist measuring tools, which cost us $60 second-hand. I looked them up later on and found that the tools along were worth $250 new. Besides the cost savings, it’s good to know that a nice tool tossed aside by the next-of-kin ended up in a loving home.
• Turn off the lights. Turn off the power ‘vampires’. It’s the age old battle between “dad” and the “kids”. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Simple as that. While you are at it, turn off those power strips with all those “wall warts” (power packs). Due to shitty / cheap designs, these power supplies use electricity even when nothing is plugged into them (hence the ‘vampire’). An average home can save $10-20 a month by shutting down unused equipment completely. (I’ve quantified this at home. There is a real savings.) 
• Walk, walk, walk. If it’s within a mile, walk. I realize this is easier said than done for people in colder climates, but it makes a difference. I hate the noise, but there’s something to be said about living in a city where almost everything I need is within walking distance. With the price of gas, you can’t afford not to walk. As an added bonus, you’ll get the exercise you need.

And in the bigger, but still close-to-home, scheme of things, there are plenty of things we can do in our communities that save a shitload of energy, time, and so on. Again, they are all boring, but they all work:

• Get rid of all those stupid security lights. Make them light up what they should. The parking lot doesn’t need to be illuminated to daytime light levels 24×7. It’s just stupid.
• Carpool. This works out well for Evelyn and the seniors in our complex, since many of them can’t drive. Everyone needs to go to Target, the grocery store, or whatever.
• We need to get rid of natural gas ‘vampires’. There is no need for pilot lights any more. It used to be “too cheap to be metered” “pennies a month” but now it’s real money a month, going up in smoke 80% of the time.
• For the love of god, we don’t need streetlights every 20 feet. I’m talking to you, Chicago.
• Manufacturers, we don’t need a clock in every fricken device. In my kitchen alone I have four devices with clocks, and each of them draws power. It used to be cheap, not any longer. They are the “pilot lights” that need to go away. (I was ranting about clocks to Evelyn the other week. I was able to count over three dozen time keeping devices in our house. That’s a rant for another entry.)
• Realize that we only really work 30 hours a week, so we need to cut back on our workweeks. People are too grumpy on Monday mornings and do nothing on Friday afternoons. “Make Monday the new Sunday” as the folks at Yakima would say. The savings on fuel would be huge.
• Quit watering the lawn. Please. For the love of god. Stop. Stop wasting water. Xeriscape.

Well, that’s enough ranting for now. Hopefully your find some useful nuggets in there.