Yadda, yadda, yadda.... Eco this, eco that. What a bunch of sticks-in-the-mud!
[Speaking of sticks in mud, have you heard about our natural building
techniques?] I mean, all you people talk about is eco-crap! [Oh,
have we talked about humanure composting yet?] If I were to actually
enact all of this stuff, I'd be so restricted that I'd be miserable!
I've been told before that I don't practice voluntary simplicity,
but rather that I practice voluntary hardship. But I don't feel
that way at all. One of the themes I've tried to highlight throughout
this series of articles is that choosing a more eco-lifestyle
can involve making some major changes, and while those changes
may at first seem daunting or even unpleasant, they can actually
be more enjoyable. Often the benefits aren't immediately apparent,
especially compared to whatever you're used to. Still, what better
way to highlight that it's not all hardship than looking at more
environmentally-friendly ways to have fun!
Dancing Rabbit was founded, in part, on the philosophy that we
must start with basic human needs when addressing environmental
issues. Food, housing, water, and energy are some of common themes
in developing an eco-lifestyle. Yet, Americans spend a great deal
of their time pursuing entertainment. Does it have an environmental
impact? You better believe it.
What's the problem?
Movies, TV-shows, radio ... these are all fine media for many
wonderful forms of entertainment. Do I think you should stop enjoying
them? No! But consider for a moment the amount of plastic used
for the entire compact disk industry. Or consider that almost
all movie theaters require the entire audience to drive a long
distance to get to the theater. Or consider that TV programs are
entirely dependent on commercials that aggressively promote consumer
culture. The entertainment industry is gargantuan and its environmental
impact is also large. Therefore, I recommend broadening your sources
for entertainment.
Other options
Here are some criteria that I have looked for in eco-friendly
entertainment:
1) Doesn't require technology that is electricity dependent
2) Doesn't require driving
3) Doesn't produce much waste material;
and of course
4) Entertains Take a minute and see if you can think
of some ideas that fit these criteria.
These are pretty simple criteria, and I'm sure you can think
of all kinds of entertainment that I haven't thought of. Here
are some of my ideas:
1) Home-made music -- as Pete Seeger is fond of pointing
out, not so long ago the only way anyone heard music was if someone
else was nearby making that music. Rather than causing a scarcity
of music, this meant that many more people made music. From house
concerts to sing-alongs and jam sessions, home-made music's a
great way to have fun.
2) Sports -- From badminton to basketball, most sports
require only a minimum of equipment and a few people. Garage sales,
resale shops and even a few sports-specialty resale shops make
lots of equipment available for the pocketbook and eco minded.
3) Parlor games -- Charades is probably the best known
traditional parlor game, but there are hundreds of others. Board
games are essentially parlor games too, and in fact a great many
modern board games are simply pre-packaged, copyrighted versions
of age-old parlor games (Scattergories comes from Guggenheim,
Balderdash comes from Dictionary, etc. ). From games of words
and wit to theatrical mayhem there is a world of entertainment
possibilities in parlor games.
4) Parties -- Depending on how you do it this idea could
fail on all four criteria, but fortunately it could pass all four
with flying colors too. Pick a theme, invite some friends and
you're off....
These are just a few ideas to get started. Rather than provide
answers, I'm just framing the question in a helpful (I hope) way.
Obviously, the suggestions above aren't anything especially inventive.
But notice that they all share an interesting side-effect: building
community. Every one of these ideas brings people together to
play and enjoy each other's company. As I am fond of pointing
out, in order to enact social change we must build community ties
to strengthen our resolve, emotional reserves, resources, and
sense of joy and momentum. Furthermore, building community frequently
means building local community. The more our lives are founded
in a local culture, the more our lives can make use of local (and
therefore generally less energy intensive) resources.
So, explore the options and have a great time!
Intentional Community Bookstore