The Goods Life

Affluenza, n.

1. A painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. 2. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.

An overwhelming feeling that we have become:

• Too materialistic;
  
• Too greedy;
  
• Too selfish;
• Too self-absorbed;
  

And that we need to bring back into balance the enduring values that have supported this society for generations, particularly during 'hard' and 'troubled' times.

We have been producing and consuming beyond the limits of natural repair and replenishment. We have created a disease of consumerism that has spread around the world - we must begin to alter our patterns of consumption before the infection becomes an epidemic.

"Waste not Want not" said Benjamin Franklin.

Simplicity, the Greeks believed was a mid-point between luxury and deprivation; The Middle Way.

Consume, v.

1. to destroy or expend by use; use up.  2. to eat or drink up; devour.  3. to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.  4. to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.  5. to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity. 6. to undergo destruction; waste away.  7. to use or use up consumer goods.

"Don't Get the Bug, Power Down for Energy Decent"

Growing Resolutions...

More than a few of us probably received a gift basket or two this year.

After eating the plastic-wrapped foods and confectionery or restocking the bathroom with soaps, shampoos and bath bombs, we do our best to recycle the packaging until all that remains is the basket that the gifts once lived in, so what do we do with it?

In these modern times, we don’t really have much need for a basket, do we?

Maybe you’ve already converted one old basket into a sewing kit, another holds clothes pegs or collects unused screws, nails and spider webs in the shed or garage.

Here’s an interesting idea for using your newest basket!

What You’ll Need:

• A Basket
• Soil
• A Plastic Carrier Bag
• Seeds
• A Knife

Step 1
Take the basket and put the old carrier bag on the bottom, poking a few small holes in the plastic.

Step 2
Fill the basket with soil. Use some of that compost you've been saving all year!

Step 3
Plant seeds.

It’s that easy!

Make sure to water daily and you’ll be enjoying natural homegrown and healthy herbs with your meals in no time and with no cost to you or the environment.

[Adapted from a post by - Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, CA, January 2009]

Hippy 2009

From its humble beginnings in the peace and love generation of Woodstock and flower-power, to the controlled anarchy of the non-violent direct action that has become commonplace throughout much of the last two decades, the ideology has remained constant. Protect this planet and love everyone equally.

Many see this as 'odd', a bunch of crusty smelly folk with long hair and no jobs whinging about the state of the world, when in fact they should have a bath, cut their hair, get a life and join the system.

Personally, I have no wish or desire to see this planet go up in smoke! from the continued raping and decimation of our earth's natural resources, nor do I wish to be spoonfed consumerism by a corporate nanny state, intent on serving only the best interests of global capitalism and personal greed, at any cost.

However, I must stress that having experienced both sides of this coin, from the muddy protest sites to the shiny boardrooms I feel I am able to better share the wealth and knowledge of each extreme. I want only to use my skills to help build a better future for us all.

Over the next year, theARCproject will launch new and innovative approaches to reduce our impact and power down our reliance on non-renewable resources. With our Resolution No.1 being "to meet the needs of the present without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet their own needs."

As a certain advertisement once said, "the future is bright", however in the case of this Not-For-Profit Social Enterprise and Community Interest Company, the future is Green.