Conscious Geek - Life at the Interesection of Technology and Nature

Feminism's Final Frontier: The Changing Table

the geek — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:15:36 +0000

As of July 1st I have officially been a father for one year. As much as possible I have attempted to help my wife with the care of our daughter. Lisa Belkin's recent New York Times article made me realize that there are other families in my generation thinking about these same issues.

I personally haven't felt like I needed an audit to make sure that I am doing my share. As far as I'm concerned if both partners feel like they are doing their share, then statistics shouldn't matter.

Outdoor Companies and Sustainability

the geek — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:45:31 +0000

Patagonia isn't the only outdoors company that is thinking about the future of the places people use their equipment.

Canada's Mountain Equipment Coop and REI recently released sustainability reports outlining exactly what they are doing to help save the environment.

The Hundred Thousand Dollar House

the geek — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:10:00 +0000

One problem with the current post Inconvenient Truth environmental movement is that is has been largely the domain of the rich. This problem becomes even more pronounced when it comes to environmentally conscious building.

Because many of the techniques used require expensive materials, celebrities are usually the first ones to have solar panels on their roof, and use sustainable materials for construction. One group in Philadelphia is trying to change that with their 100 Thousand Dollar House.

Virtual Energy Consumption

the geek — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:22:15 +0000

How much energy do our digital personas use while we are sleeping?

This question was posed to me at today's Drupalcon keynote and got me thinking. The power to run a website like this is more or less trivial due to my small audience, and the fact that my site is hosted along with several others on the same machine. But what about Facebook profiles, or for that matter the power needed to run virtual worlds such as Second Life or World of Warcraft. The power needed to run these widely distributed networks is not trivial.

Obama for President

the geek — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:47:24 +0000

I have been very interested in the Obama campaign since it's beginning. Nevertheless I haven't felt comfortable fully endorsing him until this morning.

Last week I drove two hours to New Hampshire to hear Barack speak. The event was very exciting, being from Kansas I'm more used to single party politics. Despite the excitement I didn't leave the event fully convinced that I could vote for him in confidence.

The Corporation

the geek — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:07:19 +0000

How did we end up in a world where corporate interests usurp the rights of individuals?

The Corporation attempts to unravel the connections that tie corporations to the fast paced consumption that rules modern life.

The message of the film resonated deeply with my own personal views, I would suggest taking a few moments to watch this film before you venture out into the mall again.

Money and Politics

the geek — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:18:10 +0000

Think that your representative has your best inerests in mind? Think again.

Maplight.org is a new online resource seeking to show who your favorite politician is really thinking about when she steps up to vote.

Take note, and don't allow business interests to continue to be the sole source shaping the direction of our country.

Water Water Everywhere?

the geek — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:05:07 +0000

Water may become the oil of the twenty first century.

Some of you may not be aware that large parts of the world do not have access to safe drinking water. A recent New York Times article brought this issue to the front of my mind again. Although I can understand the need to provide water to America's growing cities in the West, it seems like focusing on our own inability to build another golf course trivializes what others deal with on a daily basis.

Limiting Personal Consumption

the geek — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:38:12 +0000

To celebrate Blog Action Day I am going to give you what I hope to be the opening chapter in a series about consumption.

Limiting your own consumption of natural resources is one of the most important ways to help the environment. So why is it that this is not being sung from the hills? One major reason is that the mass media is supported by advertising, and advertisers usually sell products, in other words consumption is good for the media.

The Three Sisters and Companion Planting

the geek — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:32:01 +0000

This post will probably come as a surprise to my readers expecting another sarcastic take on the state of the world, but those who know me are aware that I have been pretending to be an organic farmer for several years now.

Once concept that is often overlooked in our world of industrialized agriculture, where thousands of acres contain the same crop, is companion planting.

Companion planting is actually quite simple, basically you allow plants to interact in a way that is beneficial.