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People In Your Neighborhood
by David McCarthy
The purpose of this particular column is to get you thinking about some very basic questions—questions such as these: What is economic justice? What role can compassion play in economics? And what is the relationship between justice and compassion? It is far more important that you think about these things yourself and see where that takes you than to just read whatever I have to say about it. It has been said that wisdom has more of the character of a question than that of an answer. Therefore, if we want wisdom we need to engage ourselves with questions that matter.
Now obviously, when we talk of justice and compassion in economics, we are firmly in the camp of so-called “normative” theory. To those who may think that economics is all about objective observation and rational analysis, I would suggest that yes, it’s about these things, but what we are observing and analyzing is human behavior. We are humans observing humans (along with the world we live in), and if you honestly pursue that line of thought you will see that human values are inevitably involved. There is a profound level of existential cowardice at play when people avoid putting human values front and center in economics—or perhaps what is worse, dumbing down human values to the level of “more is better; it’s all about growth.” If we don’t avoid the normative question—if we take on the messier but more profound work of thinking in terms of human values—then at some point we start thinking about justice.
There is an interesting phrase in our Pledge of Allegiance: “...with liberty and justice for all.” That’s pretty juicy, isn’t it, when it comes to economics? Does individual liberty constitute justice? Certainly the principles of human freedom are a cornerstone of any kind of justice, not just the economic sort. But have we achieved it “for all?” And what would a complete picture of economic justice look like? Typically this discussion is framed in terms of the individual versus society as a whole. The individual likes freedom (and here we are leaving aside the question of whether we are talking about a healthy, sane individual or the sort of mere egomania that often passes for individualism). Society, on the other hand, needs and expects some limitations on individual behavior. If you leave it at that level, notice that the discussion is still centered on the individual. The tougher nut to crack is how to achieve justice for all individuals. And does “all” pertain to economic justice for those in the future who are yet to be born?
Now here’s another question: Why would anyone even wantjustice for all? If you think this one through, somewhere along the way the idea of compassion will come up. The idea of justice for all is linked to compassion for all. Why? Because to want justice for all means you have some sort of positive feeling for everyone, you believe in some kind of inherent equality, and furthermore you aspire for their wellbeing. That is compassion, and it also reminds us of the interesting point that for compassion to be real it has to be extended impartially. In this way, justice has something to teach us about compassion. Justice is not real if it is not universal. If it is not extended to everyone, there is injustice. In the same way, it has been taught that biased compassion is really not complete, because it contains the element of attachment to those we like and indifference (or worse) toward those we don’t.
These ideas of universal justice and universal compassion are amazing, because they show us something about the capacity of the human mind or spirit. We all have the capability of thinking this way. It is part of our inherent wisdom.
Now, as history has shown, the road from thought to action is not always easy. At the same time, we really have no choice but to keep trying. If we start with these principles, and go deeper into the details, we come to more questions. What are the ways we can enact compassion in economic life—as individuals, and at the macro scale of society? In a similar way, what are the details of justice? For example, are clean air, clean water, and a stable natural environment things that could be called rights? If so, what are we going to do to make good on those rights?
My work in economics is about exploring these questions. As always, I invite you to join in the conversation.
tongdrol@gmail.com
Home remedies for making it through the common cold.
by Rochelle Riservato
In order to properly address a medical issue, such as The Common Cold, we must first obtain a proper definition of such to know what we’re dealing with. Medically defined as a viral infection of the upper respiratory system, a common cold affects the nose, throat, sinuses, Eustachian tubes, trachea, larynx, and bronchial tubes. With more than 200 different viruses known to cause this infirmity, the medical arena states 30 to 50 percent of these colds are caused by a group known as “rhinoviruses”.
Research dictates almost all common colds clear up in less than two weeks, with an average of ten days, without causing any complications. Given time a relatively healthy body will produce antibodies to cure itself of a cold. With cold-season commencing in early autumn and extending through early spring certain circumstances may lead to common cold susceptibility. Catching the common cold can range from being near a sick person who coughs, sneezes or speaks—all expelling tiny fluid droplets containing the virus that is then breathed-in—to touching an infected person or inanimate object that has become contaminated with the virus. So it’s wise to avoid being close to people during the first 2 to 4 days after they show cold symptoms.
With the common cold giving rise to a multi-million dollar industry for over-the-counter (OTC) medications and a leading cause of work and school time loss, most colds can be treated with simple natural remedies that you can do at home or are in your home already.
Symptoms
Initially there’s throat tickle, runny nose, and sneezing. The nasal discharge starts as clear and thin and later changes to a thick yellow or greenish discharge. The common cold also brings along head and muscle aches, chills, a sore throat, nasal congestion, hoarseness, watery eyes, appetite loss and general tiredness. And if there’s a cough, it’s usually intermittent and dry.
So to make those first four to five days, of the usual ten day total stretch, there are many natural remedies for you to try before running off for an antibiotic. Remember antibiotics do not treat viruses—they are only for bacterial infections.
Natural Remedies
• Drink plenty of fluids, preferably hot, but avoid acidic juices, which may irritate the throat.
• Lots of rest.
• Use saline nasal spray containing purified water and sodium chloride to flush out mucus and bacteria.
• Gargle with any of the following: One teaspoon salt to 8 oz. warm water; warm water with turmeric powder or astringents such as alum, sumac, sage and bayberry; Warm tea that contains tannins with sage leaves;Licorice tea; a mixture of honey and apple cider vinegar; or a cooled-down steeped mix of raspberry leaves or lemon juice with one teaspoon honey and two cups hot water. Remember children under one year of age should not be given honey.
• A cool-mist room humidifier to ease congestion and sore throat.
• Vaseline or other lubricant under the nose prevents irritation from frequent nose blowing.
• Inhaling a steaming mixture of lemon oil, thyme oil, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil.
• Taking doses of natural coneflower, goldenseal, yarrow, eyebright, garlic, or onion available at health food stores.
• Natural herb loquat syrup for cough and sinus congestion and Chinese ephedra for runny nose.
• Zinc or black current lozenges every two hours.
• High doses of Vitamin C or drink Elderberry juice.
• Eliminate dairy products to cut down possible mucus production.
• Eat antioxidant-rich, nutrient-dense foods including whole fruits, vegetable, grains and omega-3 rich foods—and don’t forget chicken soup, the most requested food of cold sufferers.
• Blow nose often and correctly; with one finger pressed over one nostril while gently clearing the other. Alternate.
• Take steamy showers.
• Place hot or cold packs around congested sinuses.
• Don’t smoke.
• Meditate to reduce stress.
• Moderate exercise if feeling up to it.
• Sleep with an extra pillow to help drain nasal passages.
• Sage extract for mucus removal, cough calming, and as an expectorant.
Note: Be mindful. If one experiences any symptoms other than the ones listed above, please consult a physician. The common cold can produce secondary bacterial infections of the upper respiratory system in people with a weakened immune system, chronic lung disease, asthma or diabetes. A common cold in those subject to any of the above conditions are more prone to secondary bacterial infections leading to middle ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infection, or strep throat.
Creating masterpieces with the colors of yesterday's flooring.
by Rebecca Shea
To look at art and be stirred from my feet up is exciting. Bill Miller's collage pictures—some made from vintage linoleum—may do this for you too. Certainly, Miller’s pictures quickly engage you with recognizable imagery, dynamic colors, and an innovative process, but it is that warm feeling of nostalgia that creeps up from my feet that is the exciting new art surprise for me.
It is the linoleum and Miller's portraits with landscapes that stir my memories of the garish kitchen floor of my early days when dinner was not my responsibility. To daydream while rolling around on the linoleum kitchen floor apparently was my job. As I lay on that cushiony warm linoleum, I was safe and happy to daydream looking out the window.
The daydreams I had were part truthful images of people, places and things, part fantasy, expressive images, part glimpses of landscapes that slipped between remembered and imagined; quick and sketchy, shimmering and alive and then they were gone and another scene would unfold in my mind's eye—sort-of like moving through a gallery of Bill Miller's pictorial collage work. I know that scene. I remember that moment. Was that my memory or Bill Miller's?
Miller's innovative and evocative work, using found and repurposed materials like linoleum, have earned him national acclaim. He has been widely exhibited, including solo shows in NYC, LA, Philadelphia, Seattle, Austin, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Baltimore and Woodstock, NY. He has been profiled by the National Geographic Channel andWQED TV (public television), and featured in prominent publications including New York Times, HOME Magazine, and the coffee table book Found Object Art.
Miller was chosen this year to create the artwork for the 13th annual Woodstock Film Festival, joining notable artists Peter Max, Milton Glaser and Bill Plimpton, who were previously selected for this honor.
Born 1962 in Cleveland, OH, now a Woodstock, NY resident, Miller originally concentrated on painting and printmaking. He relocated to Pittsburgh where he was a founding member of the Industrial Arts Co-op, which called for a collective artistic response to the devastating impact of decaying industrial infrastructure on surrounding communities. The group constructed immense sculptures inside abandoned industrial buildings from materials found on-site. While scavenging for materials, Miller was drawn to scraps of linoleum, and compulsively began collecting what was to become his new pallet and principle medium for almost 20 years.
Linoleum had been present in all aspects of 20th-century life, from our homes to the workplace and throughout school buildings. It was durable and looked great especially after waxing. Then vinyl or resilient flooring arrived on the market and became the go-to floor covering for quick, easy, affordable floor covering that didn't require waxing and sealing to keep it looking good. But linoleum is making a return due in large part to the earth-friendlier, sometimes renewable materials used to make it up—and because of the urge of many home renovators to accurately copy original flooring to their home.
Linoleum is primarily a combination of linseed oil, wood flour, cork powder, resins and ground limestone mixed with mineral pigments to provide color and pressed onto a jute base. The name comes from the Latin words "linum" (linseed) and "oleum" (oil).
Bill Miller doesn't have to scavenge for his linoleum anymore as he says his dumpster diving days are mostly over. He acquires a lot from donation and only has to rummage through his own scrap bins of linoleum for his materials.
Miller cuts up the linoleum remnants and then fits the pieces together, adhering them on wooden boards with construction glue and adding layers and layers of non-yellowing varnish. The varnish layering adds a mosaic quality that imparts a stained glass look to the work.
Using only the flooring’s found surface, with no added paint, to render his subjects, Miller's work ranges from landscapes to political that draw on iconic news and pop culture. Miller's work has also been linked to flat patterning applications used in quilting traditions, which happens to be a long-time avocation of his sister.
In 2007, Miller was honored with a retrospective exhibit at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. In 2010, he was chosen to create the cover image for the Frank Zappa CD Congress Shall Make No Law, issued to mark the 25th anniversary of Zappa’s anti-censorship testimony on Capitol Hill to support artistic freedom of expression. Yah!
Renewable building material offers energy savings and longevity.
by Anne Pyburn Craig
Straw bale building got its start on the plains, where timber wasn’t easy to come by. What was available—straw and mud—stood the test of time. The invention of the mechanical baler in the mid-19th century meant that there was a handy supply of these nifty sustainable building blocks, and more than a few of the resulting structures still stand today.
Those early pioneers probably never imagined that straw bale construction would ultimately inspire a wave of innovation. The 1930s saw a decline in straw bale building as cement took over for a while. But the technique’s advantages remained hard to top, and it began to be reintroduced as late-20th-century humans sought energy-efficient and nontoxic ways of building nests.
“A couple of people out in the southwest found an article about it and decided to build one, and started a whole movement without particularly trying to,” says natural builder Ben Simpson of Rosendale. “People who saw it wanted one, the idea spread, and pretty soon it was being written into building codes.”
Something about the common-sense nature of straw bale construction—using a material that would otherwise be burned as waste and provides a built-in R-factor of over 35—seems to bring together traditionalists and zero-energy fans in a happy convergence. One of Nebraska’s latter-day creations, a bar built in 1996, is christened Angels’ Straw Bale Saloon and features the story of its eco-friendly construction prominently on its website (“a time-consuming process as all labor was provided by the owners and funding was minimal”) next to the links to Bikefest photo albums. One tough place, you might say, built by the children of the original proprietors after the earlier incarnation was flattened by a tornado—take that, Three Little Pigs.
In the Hudson Valley and Catskills, straw bale building has been the mode of choice for several showplace structures and a good sized handful of green homes, though still rare enough to garner feature write-ups in Chronogram and the New York Times. For every frequently raised question, straw bale folks have a ready answer: the structures are, if anything, more fire-resistant (and far less toxic) than typical post-and-beam fiberglass-insulated ones; and clean, dry, dense straw is extremely resistant to vermin and insects. More than one local building inspector has begun as a skeptic and come away a convert.
There are two distinct methods in straw bale construction. Straw can be used as infill and insulation for traditionally framed stick-built houses, or serve as a load-bearing structure (“Nebraska style”) in its own right. Once the walls are built, some sort of mud mixed with straw is used to create the sheathing.
When they needed a multipurpose agricultural building on Four Winds Farm in Gardiner, Polly and Jay Armour hired Simpson to build it of straw. It was only the second such structure that Simpson had created, but his sense of purpose as a builder dovetailed beautifully with Four Winds’ mission of sustainable agriculture. In about two years, the farm’s community supported agriculture (CSA) operation had an office/greenhouse/root cellar space to be proud of.
“We’re very satisfied with it,” says Jay Armour. “It’s super well insulated, no auxiliary heat needed. We have a CSA that operates here, and they distribute there in the heat of summer; you walk in, you’d think there’s AC. And as we harvest it’s nice to have a cool space to bring it into. A lot of people think in terms of reducing the energy they need for heating, but cooling is also a big factor, especially in agriculture...We’re looking at trying to reduce our carbon footprint as much as we can, and I know that building has helped. It’s eleven years old now, and aside from the dust—which has nothing to do with the straw bales—it looks as good as new.”
“A lot of people get the silly idea in their head that straw will rot or fall apart,” continues Armour. “No. Packed really tight and covered with stucco, it’ll last indefinitely—probably longer than stick-built.”
Simpson came to his calling in sustainable, collaborative construction via a somewhat roundabout route: a geography major and cartographer, his fascination with the Earth and its places led him to wanting to build environmentally sound and human-friendly dwellings on it. Straw bales are one of several materials he uses as sole proprietor of Your Growing Places.
“I love working with straw and earth plasters, blending those with more conventional techniques whenever I can,” Simpson says. “It’s really nice material and lends itself to curves and creativity. I think that’s part of what people are attracted to, besides the energy advantages.” In addition, he says, it’s fun and more user-friendly than conventional piles of sheetrock and two-by-fours. “On the Four Winds project, we had a bunch of high school kids from the Bruderhoff come down with trowels and hawks and just jump up on the bales and jump in. A lot got done, a lot got learned, and we had a blast…Clients can invite their friends to come out and help out, which isn’t something you can really do on a stick-built home.”
“Straw bales are a natural, safe, locally available and annually renewable material,” Simpson wrote in an article he authored on the subject during the Four Winds project. “Homes built using this technique offer insulation values of up to R-45 and can be constructed using unskilled labor. This technique also helps to support local farm economies, reduces fuel dependence, is economical, can last 100 years or more, and creates beautiful and comfortable spaces. When combined with a passive solar heating design and super efficient appliances and lighting, it’s possible to move towards a zero-purchased-energy home.”
Since Four Winds, Simpson has worked on a wide variety of other projects including a load-bearing house in Kerhonkson. “Load-bearing is less common in wetter climates because all of the bales need to be placed before the roof goes on, meaning there is more risk of the straw getting wet during construction. It can be a challenge in our climate,” he says. “I spent 45 minutes a day tarping and un-tarping. But hey, they heated the whole 1,400-square-foot house with three-quarters of a cord of wood—I’d do it again if someone asked.” Other projects have included a straw-bale recording studio and an 800-foot addition on a house in Rosendale. “It’s all polished logs and local hardwoods and a great big earthen fireplace surround. I think it may be the nicest one yet.”
Perhaps there is something inherent in the compressed blocks of vegetable cellulose and the wheelbarrows of clay mud that will keep the rules looser and more flexible going forward. Simpson collaborates at length with his customers through every phase of design, permitting and building, as does North Catskills straw bale wizard Clark Sanders. Sanders, a former veterinarian, has been building with straw since the 1970s; one of his better-known projects was a house for his ex-wife. She’d divorced him, but still hired him; reports suggest she’s never regretted it.
"Ultimately if we (the client and I), have done our job well, we will have sculpted a home which embraces, soothes and protects the occupants while providing refuge from the inherent stresses of life,” says Sanders on his website, sounding a lot like Simpson. One suspects that the denizens of Angels’ in Nebraska, though they might not put it that way, enjoy a similar sensation—as do the Habitat for Humanity clients who’ve helped build their own straw bale houses in the Southwest. Simpson and his fellow sustainable builders would like to see the method employed in impoverished parts of the city of Buffalo, too.
The rules are still being written, but the limits may never be found.
To learn more about straw bale construction, visit www.strawbale.com or www.yourgrowingplaces.com.
Tales of a Hudson Valley Localist
by Scott Tillitt
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| Re>Think Local's REMIX in Newburgh, 11/19/12. |
Stop reading for a few seconds (though you should finish the paragraph first) and think about how many of your friends and acquaintances work for themselves—not just those with their own business, but also those who freelance or consult (whether full or part time). How many consider themselves “creative”? We’re talking the kinds of folks who make art or sell crafts on Etsy, or provide creative or technical services, maybe create artisanal food products, design apps, or run a healing practice.
Chances are, you know a lot. And chances are, as the months get warmer and then colder and the cycle repeats itself next year and the year after, you’ll know more and more.
Independent workers in all their manifestations comprise nearly one-third of the US workforce—and that’s according to pre-recession 2006 figures (when the government stopped counting), so the count is probably higher. Such citizens are integral to the New Economy.
While the positive impact of cultural institutions is pretty much conventional wisdom at this point, the larger creative economy that includes DIY (do-it-yourself) makers and small, creative businesses is less understood. For the most part, policies and budget decisions and economic development initiatives aren’t considering them.
Consider this: Entrepreneurial activity in 2009 was at its highest in 14 years. In 2008 there were 23 million personal businesses in this country, with 1.7 million started that year alone. Census data shows that about 40 percent of personal business owners work less than 20 hours per week on their ventures, so many of these new operations are part time. A 2008 Kauffman Foundation study found that 36 percent of small businesses surveyed started as a part-time business.
“It is clear that the new DIY movement is creating new small business opportunities and Makers are starting full- and part-time businesses to pursue them,” concluded the authors of an Intuit Future of Small Business report.
Berkshire Creative, a group focused on (as you may intuit) stimulating the creative economy in the Berkshires—a region not so different from our own Hudson Valley—has found that, among other things, the creative sector:
• helps revitalize downtown areas;
• helps attract other businesses and residents; and
• increases the economic competitiveness of other sectors and creates new jobs in them.
In Beacon, where I live, the renowned contemporary art museum Dia:Beacon is largely credited with the town’s renaissance, bringing international awareness, tourists (65,000-plus a year) and money—but also artists and other creatively inclined residents who started moving here soon after Dia’s move was announced and continue to more than 10 years later.
Those residents have brought new energy and businesses, but they also bring new thinking that can impact larger societal issues. They have the kind of broad perspective we need to address the intertwined challenges we face, connecting the dots between seemingly disparate ideas. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them,” said Einstein, the literal poster boy of creative thinking.
So how can we nurture this creative class and creative solopreneurs? Quite simply, we need to rethink outdated approaches to economic development, which often focus on attracting large out-of-region businesses and giving them tax breaks, hoping jobs and subsequent tax revenues will follow. That model has been mostly proven bunk.
I agree in part with Freelancers Union founder Sara Horowitz: “The solution will rest with our ability to form networks for exchange and to create political power.”
We’re starting to do that in the Hudson Valley. Re>Think Local and BEAHIVE, both of which I’m involved with, give the creative class and entrepreneurs a voice and support not found in typical government agencies and traditional business organizations.
Both are part of growing global movements. Re>Think Local, a progressive business network, is affiliated with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), which includes 80 networks representing 30,000 values-aligned business innovators.
BEAHIVE is partly inspired by the “coworking” movement, collaborative spaces that address the changing nature of work, providing professional and social and emotional support to people. There are now more than 1,300 dedicated coworking spaces worldwide, having doubled each year since 2006, when the movement more or less started.
As Buckminster Fuller said, “To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Let’s build it, together!
We’ll explore all this more in future articles and through various initiatives, including TEDxLongDock, an independently organized TED conference coming to Beacon this spring.
Scott Tillitt is a founding board member of Re>Think Local, as well as founder of BEAHIVE and Antidote Collective, which does PR and communications for social impact.
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