Gulps from a Petroleum Sucking Spigot

Last night Matt and I trekked to our favorite bookstore in LoDo (as those wannabe New-York cool Denver residents like to say) to listen to a presentation by the author of the newly published Farewell, My Subaru.

Doug Fine proclaims (from the very top of his soapbox) that if he (a Brooklyn-ite who was weaned on Domino's Pizza) can live locally and get oil out of his life, anybody can.

His argument is mainly compelling (despite the fact that he lives on a 41-acre ranch in New Mexico and seems to sustain himself through the proceeds from his book deal). I walked away from the presentation with the following resolutions:

1. I will splurge to install solar power on my house.
2. I will start raising chickens for a daily supply of local eggs.
3. I will investigate using drip irrigation in my garden.
4. I will expand the offerings providing by my garden (including a greenhouse where we can grow tropical fruit--yum!).
   

I especially like how he coined the phrase "Hypocrisy Reduction Project," but I'm wondering why this project doesn't extend to bottled water. I mean really. How can a self-proclaimed local-ite stand on his soapbox (there really was a little stage upon which he occasionally jumped) and preach to us about living more sustainably in between gulps from a petroleum-sucking spigot?

Share |