The late Joe Domingues of the Simple Living network argues that once we have the essentials ( including a few personal luxuries), getting more "stuff" just brings on more confusion. Stuff has to be taken care of. So reducing on consumption actually means getting back more free time-- an interesting tradeoff where time has become the scarecest commodity. It is such a RELIEF to have less. I think I already mentioned the car-less Sundays in Switzerland in the 80s and how wonderful and fun they were...
By the way Robert, I am most interested in your strategies for keeping your house cool, am already gritting my teeth for the cruelly hot Brazilian dryland sumemrs. Built a little house with a passion-fruit-vine varanda around it to try to create a micro-climate.
There is a small factory in São Paulo which produces fans with sponges in front of them- they say it reduces the heat by 8 degrees, while needing the energy only of a fan...What have you done? I imagine it gets really hot in Oklahoma...
Marsha
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[permaculture] Keeping your cool....,
Marsha Hanzi, 06/19/2003