This guy!

[jp1]

Youtube recommends such a random assortment of videos, including this one. This guy is the true definition of zero environmental footprint. I'm not sure I want to go to the extreme that he has, but he's definitely an inspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yXU8K-9SIw

[catherine]

I follow Rob Greenfield and, yes, totally inspiring. Talk about walking the walk. He’s extreme but he definitely has a purposeful lifestyle. Cool video!

[Tammy]

I wonder if he goes barefoot all the time?

[catherine]

Here's his TED talk. And his website: http://robgreenfield.tv


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1080&v=AhKevstJyrc

I find him fascinating, but then again, I also find Mark Boyle, Suelo, Heidimarie Schwermer and Peace Pilgrim fascinating.

[ApatheticNoMore]

don't most homeless people meet the definition of sustainability much more, plus emulate an option most of us actually have ready access to? Considering people live in RVs on city streets (a form of homelessness), and in cars (another form of homelessness), people might choose this if it wasn't so non-viable. The fact that people choose the other options, including living in tents, says a lot about what is actually doable.

[jp1]

The reality is that for most of humanity’s existence people lived in similarly sustainable ways as this guy. And, yeah, homeless people live a much more sustainable life than most people, with the exception that they get food from the factory farming industrial complex. But personally i’d rather at least have a house even if it’s just small and basic like this guy’s. Living in a tent or under a bridge just doesn't appeal to me.

[catherine]

Kind of related to this thread is this post about a trash picker who makes his living recovering sellable finds from the trash of the nearby rich in San Francisco.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/07/us/trash-pickers-san-francisco-zuckerberg.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

As for the homeless thing, there's a big difference between forced homelessness and choosing to live tiny.

But I enjoyed the book Walden on Wheels, about the guy who lived in a van rather than paying room and board at college.

[JaneV2.0]

...
But I enjoyed the book Walden on Wheels, about the guy who lived in a van rather than paying room and board at college.

That is one of the most suitable applications for tiny houses too, IMO.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Sometimes I find it about like the 20 something dying their hair gray, but noone says to someone old enough to have natural gray hair: oh you are so lucky, your hair is gray, I can't wait! Real people making do are all around, but stuff that isn't widely available like this trends. Tiny houses: oh it's so cool. Having no more living space than that because you rent a room in shared apartment, never seems to hit the cool-o-meter. But for every 1 person living in a tiny house there has to be 100 renting a room, so what is really a viable sustainability?

[jp1]

The thing that makes this guy leap years ahead of virtually everyone in the US today is that he literally has no waste and doesn’t support Big anything. Not even toilet paper...

[razz]

That was an interesting video. Hmmmmm, one change to make. Have to think about that as I am already trying to cut back severely. I am tempted to go vegetarian but any time I have tried, I do fall back.

[Tammy]

And yes - he goes barefoot everywhere.

He says he has pair of sandals for libraries and public transport where it’s required. But he has flown without shoes.

[ApatheticNoMore]

But he has flown without shoes.

wait ... why is he flying?

(he may be very low impact still, but flying just seems so inconsistent with the message)

[jp1]

Because he can’t do a ted talk from orlando? I’m just guessing but that would be my first guess.

[happystuff]

Thanks for posting. It's a timely push for getting me motivated to begin decluttering... again.

[happystuff]

As for the homeless thing, there's a big difference between forced homelessness and choosing to live tiny.


I totally agree with this. It goes right along with being frugal out of necessity rather than choice. From a personal perspective, while there were times way back when that I REALLY resented having to be so frugal, I'm now happy to have done it. And while it is still definitely a necessity, it is also a choice. Not sure if that makes sense, but I don't know any other way to say it right now. LOL.