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  • From: jenny Nazak <jnazak@yahoo.com>
  • To: "permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Lifestyles of the Voluntarily Heatless
  • Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:26:21 -0800 (PST)

Hi All,

Here in Austin, Texas, where the weather typically defaults to warm, we have
had unusually harsh cold this winter. And I know that other places have had
it a lot tougher than we have.

Yesterday I saw a great article in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com";>New
York Times</a> about people who choose to do without heat in winter. Their
reasons for making this choice fall into many categories. There are people
who like living in low-rent marginal urban spaces to give themselves the time
and money leeway to pursue their true calling in life (and for aesthetic
reasons as well -- some people, like me, genuinely prefer those untamed funky
spaces); people who love their gorgeous quaint old homes but don't want the
huge heating bill; green folks who want to show themselves and others that
what seems like sacrifice can actually be enriching and empowering.

The folks profiled are living in cold places like New York and Colorado.

One guy in NYC lives with 4 of his best friends in an unimproved space that
they love because it has a stage that they use for their music and poetry
performances. They basically built a yurt inside their big space, and that's
where they hang out (with their cats!) a lot of the time. A well-placed hour
or two in a warm coffee shop can be all that's needed to make the rest of the
day go better. (And obviously that time spent coffee shop gives other
benefits as well.)

It's a beautiful article - you can read it at <a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/garden/21cold.html?pagewanted=1#";>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/garden/21cold.html?pagewanted=1#</a>

What's great about it is the sense that these people are having FUN and
feeling empowered.

This article prompted me to do some reflecting on my own path... This winter
is my third (or fourth?) winter of choosing to do without heat. (I've done
without airconditioning most of my adult life, but that is a matter of
preference.) My decision to go heatless started out as part of the <a
href="http://www.riot4austerity.org";>90% Reduction Challenge (Riot for
Austerity)</a>, but over the past couple of years, I've realized that
shrinking my footprint, in and of itself, is a poor motivator for me in the
long run. I end up feeling discouraged, like I'm never doing enough. I bet a
lot of people feel that way! Also, it's not an exciting motivator for the
folks around me. They might feel like they "should" live more like me, but
sticks make poor incentive. All of us need carrots to live. And carrots, not
sticks, are what prompts true evolution. Truly functional design, whether
it's the design of a building or the design of one's life, is always
motivated by
higher aspirations than the mere goal of human survival. We want to
accomplish something or other for the greater good.

My other motive for going heatless was to confront my fears about dealing
with cold, and assure myself of my ability (physical and mental) to adapt. A
big part of this adaptation has come in the form of what you might call
"personal design": how to dress more effectively; how to structure my day to
take advantage of warm times (or at least less-cold times) to do washing and
other tasks that are harder when it's cold. How to keep warm when I'm doing
tasks such as typing and sewing that require sitting still and having fine
motor control of my fingers. (Answer: do these things in the morning as much
as possible, while I'm still in bed and while my body is still warm from
spending several hours under blankets.) Here again, my motive for going
heatless - to assure myself of my adaptability - was a survival motive.
Gratifying for awhile but not inspiring over the long run.

From there, my motive expanded: By making myself a lab rat for an experiment
in living without heat, I hoped to assure other people that we could all do
this if we had to, and survive.

Again with that motive of meat-body survival! Necessary, perhaps, but still
not very inspiring.

But over the past few months, I've found there's actually a higher motive
involved. I've noticed an increase in my creative energy and in my urge to
play, to come up with new designs for a living space that is comfortable
without heating or cooling inputs. I have so much fun thinking, imagining,
doodling designs for functional and cozy and beautiful spaces. At some point
I may put these ideas into a book or website to encourage others. Now THAT is
exciting. By choosing to do without heat and a/c, and by choosing to get
around by foot or bike, and through other lifestyle choices that were
initially motivated by eco-guilt or by fear, I have ended up becoming a
pretty good designer, tuned in to material properties and the natural
environment! How cool! What fun! I have a new skill/hobby, and one that can
actually serve others!

Hmmm, I wonder if one broader lesson here is that a "stick" (guilt, fear) can
be a good initial motivator for our evolution as humans, but that in order to
sustain the forward movement and evolve in any way that really pushes the
envelope of our potential on this planet, we really need carrots. This might
be a good concept to keep in mind when we're trying to motivate the
government, corporations, and others to move in a greener direction.

I applaud my fellow "heatless by choice" folks profiled in the New York Times
article, for always keeping their sights on the carrots!

That, to me, is the true essence of permaculture. It's not about making a
"less-bad" world; it's about stretching ourselves and expanding our
viewpoints in order to create a world that's better than what we've ever
created before.

Enjoy designing your life! You're already armed with your awareness of the
problems and with your full heartfelt intent to serve the greater good. Now,
with this awareness and intent, set out to create a home and a life that you
really love. Optimize your world to your ideal specifications! The highest
use of the human mind isn't survival or adjusting-to; it's CREATING.

All the best,

Jenny

Jenny Nazak, Licensed Avatar Master
512-619-5363
Avatar minicourse: www.avatarintro.com

"When we perceive that the only difference between us is our beliefs, and
that beliefs can be created or discreated with ease, the right and wrong game
will wind down, a co-create game will unfold, and world peace will ensue."
--Harry Palmer, author of the Avatar® Materials, www.avatarepc.com

Avatar® and ReSurfacing® are registered trademarks of Star's Edge, Inc. All
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