permaculture

[<fdnokes@hotmail.com>]

This is very interesting.
We are on Vancouver Island. In the most moderate part of Canada, but still 
have something more like winter.
This one has been very mild with rarely a freezing temperature, and 
comfortably above freezing most of the time.
We tell ourselves it's 'just for fun', but we often keep the temperature at 
60 F.
We do have a little portable heater in the bathroom that we turn on before 
showering.
And we have taken to wearing warm clothes around the house.
I also invested in a wii fit plus and have found the exercise wonderfully 
warming.
We are not heatless, but just not boosting it up to high levels.
One thing I find interesting is how the same clothing that feels warm 
outside sometimes seems cooler indoors at higher temps.
In part because I'm walking around, but not sure of the whole story.

Very interested in hearing tips, survival strategies for cold weather temps.
Definitely have noticed a change in that I seem to be adapting to the temps 
quite a bit.
Huge differences felt inside when it's colder, windier. The thermostat is in 
a 'core' area of the house, and the difference between what it says and 
areas closer to the 'surface' of the house can vary greatly in colder, 
windier times.

Thanks for raising this interesting topic at this time!

Frances

--------------------------------------------------
From: "jenny Nazak" <jnazak@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:26 PM
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Lifestyles of the Voluntarily Heatless

> 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
>
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>
>
>
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