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Going Car-Light

Going Car-Light

Automobiles convey freedom and status. They’re also a symbol of modern convenience: why walk when you can drive? Why take public transit if you can ride in the comfort of what’s decidedly yours?

But a car’s convenience comes with a host of environmental problems that extend beyond the obvious guzzling of gas (which indeed comprises approximately 80-percent of a car’s impact). An automobile’s beforelife requires excessive energy expenditure in the creation of the steel, rubber, glass, and other parts that comprise it; its afterlife is important, too, as plastics and toxic battery acids remain well after the recyclable parts are recycled.

Today I’m speaking with Lifestyle Optimization Coach Meredith Keith-Chirch about her car-free lifestyle. Meredith’s family once had two automobiles but they very gradually reduced their reliance over the years by moving to just one car, then zero. Meredith argues that car-light living isn’t just for those of us living in cities; instead, each of us can take practical steps to reduce car use for our health and the planet’s.

Here’s a preview:

[10:00] 4 personal benefits to using your car less

[18:00] How to handle extra logistics and increased mental load when transitioning to car-light living

[22:30] Essential bike gear for daily errands

[24:30] Practical first steps for listeners interested in using their car *slightly* less

 

Resources mentioned:

 

* Want more episodes like this one? Check out Meredith’s first appearance on the show: #201: Fewer But Better Adult Friendships.

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* Watch the full version of this interview on Youtube here.

 

Automobiles convey freedom and status. They're also a symbol of modern convenience: why walk when you can drive? Why take public transit if you can ride in the comfort of what's decidedly yours? But a car's convenience comes with a host of environmental problems that extend beyond the obvious guzzling of gas. An automobile's beforelife requires excessive energy expenditure in the creation of the steel, rubber, glass, and other parts that comprise it; its afterlife is important, too, as toxic battery acids remain. On this episode of the Sustainable Minimalists podcast: how to gradually transition to car-light living (even if you don't live in a city).

 

Automobiles convey freedom and status. They're also a symbol of modern convenience: why walk when you can drive? Why take public transit if you can ride in the comfort of what's decidedly yours? But a car's convenience comes with a host of environmental problems that extend beyond the obvious guzzling of gas. An automobile's beforelife requires excessive energy expenditure in the creation of the steel, rubber, glass, and other parts that comprise it; its afterlife is important, too, as toxic battery acids remain. On this episode of the Sustainable Minimalists podcast: how to gradually transition to car-light living (even if you don't live in a city).

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Saying No To New

New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most.

In a world that constantly tells us that new is better, our relentless pursuit of material wealth is costing us money, time and happiness. Worse, when we define ourselves by what we own rather than who we are, we reduce our lives to a single, superficial dimension.

On today’s show, New York Times journalist Eric Athas offers advice for stepping away from the cycle of constant buying, saying no to shallowness, and discovering the right kind of “new” in our lives.

Here's a preview:

[8:00] We're wired to become bored the familiar, and other truths to newness

[16:00] Consumption has costs! (In fact, it robs us of our finite attention, dilutes our capacity for genuine enjoyment, and misaligns our pursuit of happiness.)

[26:00] Musings on the ways in which overconsumption leads to superficiality

[37:00] Put down the trinket! Redefining what it means to experience novelty, growth, and freshness without relying on a transaction

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Hello there, I’m Stephanie. I live a crazy, beautiful life as a full-time wife, blogger + mother to two spirited daughters. I’m on a mission to simplify eco-friendly living so as to greater enjoy life’s sweeter moments.

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