2020: Accelerating Hope

OnFire

We were born for this moment. Naomi Klein

In this season of 'joy & peace' it's important to hang onto hope. The challenge is to reframe the emergencies we're in and take action. We can be guided by the millions who support life-sustaining changes as Naomi Klein does in her latest book, On Fire. Naomi firmly and clearly describes the emergency, but also gives us hope... be it not until the Epilogue. A deep question underscores Naomi's writings: Is this who we've become? We have choice but need courage, support and doable solutions. Naomi gives us all three.

Solutions will not create a win/win. The fossil fuel industries and all those invested in past 'wins' will kick and scream all the way to extinction unless the growing critical mass of dissent breaks through. Let's be a part of that break-through by working at local AND global levels.

Klein says we need to change:
how our societies produce energy,
how we grow our food,
how we move ourselves around, and
how our buildings are constructed.

Here are some TetraQuestions to guide you into a living future.
Then, our photos share how we've created HANDPRINTS (giving back more than we take) by doing what we do best...facilitating change.

This Christmas, give your family, friends, the world and Nature your very best.

	How our buildings are constructed What, specifically can you DO in your home, on your building site, where you work, to reduce waste and create safe, healthy places? What's your HANDPRINT? Tanglewood/Brett Handprints: Throughout construction and now living at Tanglewood, waste minimisation keeps us and the site hygenic, safe, beautiful. Reuse and recycling has allowed us to counter materialistic cravings and addictions. Using Tanglewood as a venue for advocacy creates an educational handprint. (see slideshow)
	How we move ourselves What can you do differently when going from A to B? Public transport - video conferencing - consolidate travel - incentivise self for travelling wisely, create a handprint to offset when you don't. Tanglewood/Brett Handprints Have created a zero-carbon emission house and way to travel We've facilitated carbon sequestering by matching airfare costs to a NZ tree-planting scheme - dollar for dollar. (trust us...this makes us think twice about every flight we consider!)
	How we grow our food What more can you learn about the food you eat, ingredients you use? Understand the fuss about why a plant-based diet is healthier for you and the planet. Tanglewood/Brett Handprints Close to zero beef/dairy diet We support regenerative agriculture by buying organic, refusing/reducing single-use plastics and considering sources and supply chains.
	How we produce our energy It is not enough to produce just enough energy for daily use. What about the embodied energy in the solar panels, our stuff, our car, our house, the roads we use...? Increase your handprint ...it's more fun, measurable and a rewarding form of climate action! Tanglewood/Brett Handprints Our solar panels produce twice the energy we need, partly because we make conscious efforts to reduce waste in all its forms. Our house battery creates a challenge to live within our storage limits and reduce peak demand.

Slideshow

Subscribe to the Tanglewood Blog