there is no such thing as clean coal

The Coen Brothers, of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou and Fargo fame, made a commercial on clean coal. Or rather, on its nonexistence. Check it out:



The commercial, of course, doesn't give any reasons, but the truth is that this is reality: there's no such thing as clean coal. The technology simply doesn't exist. It's a dream, right alongside ideas like electricity powered by solar panels in space. Theoretically it could work, but practically we have no idea how. It's become an accepted idea in political conversation, just like faster-than-light space travel has become an accepted idea in science fiction novels. It's fun to think about, but that doesn't make it real.

southeast green

Check out the new resource for environmentalists in the southeast at southeast green. They're syndicating my blog, but that's not the only reason I'm recommending them. It's a great site with lots of resources and lots of local bloggers. Take a look.

10 things that will make a comeback in America

Rod Dreher of Crunchy Cons just posted a list of "24 things about to disappear in America." Some of them I think he's right about; others I completely disagree. Maybe I'm just biased. But I thought it was a fun idea, so here's my twist on it: 10 things that will make a comeback in America.

1. Family farms. Dreher thinks these will disappear. He's right that they've been disappearing. But they'll come back--they have to. As oil continues to decline long term, local, sustainable farms will be an essential source of food.

2. Trains. Both light rail and intercity trains are going to be rebuilt in the next ten years. They'll have to be. We'll need them. We aren't going to be able to get around in cars forever--for practical reasons as much as environmental ones.

3. Living in community and depending on your neighbors. In times of need, people start to recognize how much we need each other. They'll also start to share housing--especially those big McMansions that have been so popular in the last few years. Which will be a great way to conserve resources and help the environment.

4. Gardening. Especially in the city and the suburbs. Empty lots will become useful.

5. Thrift stores. Secondhand goods are going to be really popular as the economy continues to struggle. I remember when I was in high school, everyone made fun of me for shopping at thrift stores. My daughter won't have to deal with that (which is lucky for her, since I certainly won't be buying her new clothes).

6. Buying in cash. My generation has been buying everything on credit, but that is going to end. With the collapse of so many banks recently, credit is becoming less and less available, and people are beginning to recognize that just because you can get credit for something doesn't mean you should.

7. Staying close to your family and living close to home. Our society is going to become a lot less mobile. Maybe not right away, but eventually.

8. Local arts. As there's less mobility, people will begin to seek out entertainment closer to home.

9. Stuff that lasts. We live in a throwaway society: phones and computers are actually designed to be replaced after a few months or years, and things like furniture and appliances are not expected to last more than a few years at most. But as the economy continues to contract, constantly replacing everything will be less and less realistic for most people. People will start looking for things that will last, things that can be repaired and kept not just for months or even years but for generations.

10. Bicycles. Fewer cars means more bicycles. Yay.

11. Yes, this is supposed to be a list of ten things, but here's my bonus item of a new thing that's going to be big in the future: freecycle. Don't know what it is? Google it. You'll be glad you did.

communal living

Is living in community really worth it?

Lately we've been moving deeper and deeper into community. I joked with a neighbor that really we want to live in a commune, but we don't quite have the guts. And there are many benefits to community: the spiritual growth that comes with having to put up with other people; the lower environmental footprint thanks to shared resources; free babysitting exchanges.

It all sounded great on paper. And so we decided that our close apartment community, where neighbors dropped by freely and sometimes came in without knocking, wasn't quite enough for us, and we've moved to a house--which we're sharing with a friend.

But even though the new arrangement is great in many ways, I'm finding myself mourning what I've lost.

I've lost the close neighbors who I'd grown to love--and even though I used to get frustrated when they constantly stopped by, now I miss them. I've lost the tiny little apartment and all the memories we formed there--and though its smallness drove me crazy at least a hundred times a day, now I miss its cozy setting. And I've lost what little remains of privacy we had there, for now our entire house is shared.

I knew what I was getting into; it's not like I haven't done it before. I lived in a three-bedroom apartment in Romania with ten other people (at highest count); heck, I've hardly ever not had a roommate before. But it's still a challenge, this learning to live with someone new.

There are days when I just wish for solitude and quiet. I wish for nobody turning the tv on but me. I wish for no boxes littering the still-unpacked living room but my own. I wish for extra rooms that I get to use, not share, and I wish for a kitchen that no one else makes a mess in.

But if I had all that, I don't think I would know what to do with it. And I'm grateful, too. I'm grateful to not be alone during the day. I'm grateful for somebody who cleans the kitchen after I cook, or vice versa. And I'm grateful to know that combined, we're using a little less of the resources that any of us would be using alone.

And really, isn't privacy a little overrated?