Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Frustration

[Judy Baxter (BAXTER]

Jose Marquez wrote:

>I believe that we each have to do our part....but we do ALL have to do our
>part and that doesn't seem to be happening!  I hope that cohousing can be a
>force for increasing unity of purpose for our species....for without unity
>we will destroy our planet Earth.  Any ideas out there?

What I have learned over many years  (and i only recently got involved again in
environmental  activities, after getting a Ph. D (sob) in ecology and working
for state government for several years, leading to many years of despair and
minimal involvement) is that *for me*, keeping track of even a small fraction
of the discouraging, negative stuff going on gets me to paralysis, despair, and
inaction.  So I only minimally keep up with the news, choose my subscriptions
carefully  (currently, YES,the magazine of positive futures, Whole Earth, Env.
Defense Fund) and focus on  doing my part. There *is* an amazing amount of
stuff going on towrd sustainability - it just seems invisible in mass media,
the little I see.  

I also recommend a book published by Union of Concerned Scientists, The
Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices - I keep meaning to
summarize it and send tht to all i know, but get sidetracked.  

I'm involved with The Natural Step (www.naturalstep.org) which is an
environmental framework, tool for moving twd sustainability, and educational
organization.  My sources there say Home Depot has recently committed to
selling only sustainably harvested wood by 2002 or 2003!  And the timber
industry is reacting!

So, I think we do our best, don't sweat the small stuff (UCS says - if the
choice isn not very clear (paper vs plastic bags, for ex), don't agonize.  As
I remember it,  the top impact choices are:
        Transportation - walk more, bus more, bike more, drive less, cleaner
vehicles
        Eat less meat
        Buy Organic
        Energy Efficient Appliances

they have a web site (ucsus is part of the address, I think)

Also, I think we in cohousing *do* contribute by learning how to live in
community, however imperfectly.

Judy

Pursuing sustainability, one Step at a time

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community,(MoCoCo) Twin Cities Area, Mpls.,MN
-- e-mail:      baxter [at] epi.umn.edu
15 homes - 7 new townhomes plus 
        8 coop apartments       in the Mansion (a rehab Georgian building)
(built as a retirement home in 1924 -) which also serves as our Common House
coops moved in 1993, townhomes in 1996
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One 3 BR  townhome for sale - see our web page
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 Voice Mail for Monterey Cohousing - 952-930-7554
 web page: http://www.jimn.org/mococo/