A Young Couple Find Freedom in Simple Living

[peakmoment]

@erinquintia1

[soggieshorts1]

its to bad i so thought this was a good video but then you had to tell us a bucha crap about somthing that isent real if global warming was real why are we at 210% above annual snow fall here in colorado look it up its really funny how this could happen if we are in a global warming situation ??????????????????????????????­?

[peakmoment]

@soggieshorts1, the effects of global climate change shows up in increasingly violent and erratic weather patterns like your snowfall. The tornadoes in the midwest. Floods in the Mississippi. The wildfires in a drier southwest. Flooding over 20% of Pakistan. The melting polar ice caps. The melting continental glaciers. 100-year floods in England every 10 years (approx). Something like 7 of the last 10 years were the hottest on record (global temps). Ocean temps rising, plankton dying.

[peakmoment]

@soggieshorts1. Just in from Bloomberg: "Parts of China, the biggest grower, had the least rain in a century, some European regions are the driest in 50 years and almost half the winter-wheat crop in the U.S., the largest exporter, is rated poor or worse." Hmm, maybe it is warming a bit too much in other places than where you live.

[doompadoo]

@soggieshorts1 I truly cant believe in this day of information I still see comments such as these. Must be a republican because those are the only people I have heard spew such uninformed crap. I am not going to try to inform you only because people such as yourself are not interested in learning but I truly hope the upcoming generations of people use you as an example of the wrong way to be

[jack2121]

@soggieshorts1 it should be called global "weirding". the overall net effect is higher temps, but that means that in certain areas, there's more rainfall, more snow, etc.

[gonephishin77]

@soggieshorts1 Its actually a global climate change, this can affect the weather in different ways and cycles not necessarily a warming change.

[peakmoment]

@soggieshorts1 NASA Finds 2011 Ninth-Warmest Year on Record: The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.

Extreme weather is what Global climate change brings -- not just warming. Heavy snowfall one year, barely any the next.

[MrRobertGulabo]

I walk to the grocery now with a backpack. I find that people who drive there waste all that gas and then park their cars at home and then put on jogging suits and run around in pointless circles around their neighborhoods. (quite often, they would also pay someone else to mow their lawns and then they go off pay a gym so they can once again run around without getting anywhere) I have combined both things --exercise and grocery shopping to fulfill two tasks at once.

[parkerjwill]

Community is the key! Knowledge is power. Sell the TV!!! Best piece of advice hands down!!

[MrRobertGulabo]

@parkerjwill I got rid of my TV 3 years ago. Today, I don't miss it at all. Media has very little influence on me. I have no desires to get the latest doodad anymore... pop culture has no more power over my money and my life. "shows you cannot miss" do not exist anymore in my life and it is TRUE freedom. I can read all the books I want and fill my brain with the things that do matter.

[kirataffy]

I hope they don't have kids.

[ogicabp4u]

@superincredibleguy  3M Vinyl (insulation plastic) is awesome. Seals up your home like you were living in a sauna!!

[ogicabp4u]

all the furniture in my apartment I got out the trash. Bought the few tools needed (and disinfectant/cleaning materials etc...) to fix it and now its you'd never have guessed my apartment was once trash. I'm writing this on a once broken laptop (screen and keyboard mashed) that I plugged into a large screen and keyboard and external DVD/RW drive. Not only cheaper uses less electricity even with a 32inch screen!!! use it 4 everything DVD movies, internet, CD Player, Games, YT, ebooks, radio.

[peakmoment]

@ogicabp4u, what a great story of your self-reliance and fix-it skills. Keep it up and teach others, too!

[MrRobertGulabo]

@ogicabp4u I'm the same way. All my furnishings are just out of cast offs from neighbors. The key is just keeping an eye out for items with potential all the time. I have never even considered debt or credit cards. People always ask my how I am going to buy a car.... well, you just save until you can afford it. The house is the last thing. but like always, I am already working around those rules. the fact is, this society is engineered to suck money from you one way or another.

[ogicabp4u]

@MrRobertGulabo the man speaks the truth. Listen to this guy.

[norbert779]

Over the last few years I have gained a deep understanding of peak oil and the crises that lie before us. But I found I had few frivolities to trim from my life, as I have always been very frugal, so I haven't changed much. Since I've never had a full-time job, though, I don't have the cash to make any real preparations for the coming collapse. Buying (or renting) even a small house or apartment is not an option. It seems I have to join the economy of exploitation in order to escape it.

[Engineer245]

Thanks for the video guys. As a member of several green energy type social groups I used to subscribe to the proffesional mags such as "Home Power" and others. Over time I have written many letters to the edittors about their promoting big fancy 2000-3000+ sq ft homes as energy efficient. They say small efficient project don't sell. A shame. My wife and I have worked hard all our lives to be debt free. My dad said, "If you don't have the cash you haven't earned it" Even a home!

[VideoGuyNC]

400sq ft isn't small living. Maybe we need to take lessons from the third world where truly tiny huts are the dwellings of the majority. Their apartment looks like a lightly furnished, MODERN average home.

[Whippetfest]

Loved the show!

[gabbogabbo]

If we are going to live anything close to the way we live now...we NEED oil, if we want to like like its the 1830s then we dont need oil. Great vid thou these people are awesome!

[nevyn1]

@gabbogabbo because progress and technology were powered by oil does not automatically mean we have to ditch those fruits (what a waste would that be!)

read up on biomimicry, that's the way i think technology should go to stay sustainable without the need of fossil fuels.

[loganenator]

Thank you again Janaia and Robyn for this great conversation! And thank you to everyone else here for the encouraging comments. We were very fortunate to also be able to share our story with the New York Times recently in an article entitled "But, will it make you happy". Although there is a great deal of change that must occur to make our world more sustainable, we truly believe in M.K. Gandhi's advice in this regard that "we must be the change we wish to see in the world".

[mythic89]

Damn Hippies you all go ahead and down size cause I like all my materialistic toys and peak oil is a myth got that a myth to the victor goes the spoils and I'm keeping all my shit.

[nevyn1]

@mythic89

and why do you like your materialistic toys?

peak oil a myth? then why is the stuff becoming increasingly expensive?

price raises are always linked to shortage (the market is bigger then the supply)

i think you have to start getting to know yourself, it's quite nice knowing you can rely on yourself in stead of your 'shit'. but then again you are quite young and insight normally comes with age.

[Yodelinglimabean]

Many good points, however, saving six hundred a month on cars? There is such a thing as used cars for under a thousand dollars.

[livehealthyhappy]

Love this! 

[saraheve42]

great interview! my partner and i are in the process of downsizing to live in an rv near portland and its great to hear other young like minded individuals. we are in our 20s and have had many of the same epiphanies that tammy and logan have had! i've actually read tammy's rowdykittens blog prior to stumbling across this video on you tube. small world! ha!

[peakmoment]

@saraheve42. Very very small world - Tammy and Logan are now in Portland. We'll be traveling up your way to tape new programs this coming August-September, including one on tiny houses.

[MrEnergyCzar]

The peak oil grieving stages are brutal but once you get through it life is so much better....

[Critchy39]

I don't see the point in being in a relationship young. Their is so much pussy and so twice as many tits out there, why would you wanna be tied down to shagging one woman.

This guy is about as much use as a nuns tits.

[stefanherm]

what happens when someone takes a huge poop in your tiny house bathroom on a hot summer night- how long does it take to get the smell out? does the whole house get to enjoy it?

[lookingforthemeaning]

Welcome tothe new green communist agenda.

the idea that the oil will run out is simply false.

"Fischer tropf "is a process that allows the production of hydrocarbons from methan to heavy oils.

the important fact is.

that every body that is dependent on some person or object,

is in reality a slave to that object or person.

total autark living is near impossible but should be what humanity strives for.

autark communities that understand the real values of the objects around us.

[peakmoment]

Have humans ever really lived without depending on others? We are social beings, originally living in groups of 100-150 people relying on one another for shared needs: food, shelter, childcare, etc. I think that we have lived interdependently most of our time on the planet, and that slavery has come with "locking up the food" via civilization.

[lookingforthemeaning]

i preferre to say the food (real homemade food) has been made illegal and a Biohazzard. Now we live of processed c**p made from sawdust and fungus for taste.

freedom is found in the garden ;-)

not on the flat end of a TV (i sold mine years ago. at the beginning because the adverts annoyed me. now i refuse to buy another because there is no critical news/information on TV)

humans develop much better in small groups than in large cities or in solitary confinement

[IOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIO]

@lookingforthemeaning @lookingforthemeaning @lookingforthemeaning Hi, even though you can always say that the scarcity of cheap oil is speculation at this point it will always be true for many that a simpler life leads to more happiness and that there is a sense of empowerment that comes from even the smallest levels of self-sufficiency. Having said that I think you will find in these videos more things to be curious about than to fear. Cheers!

[lookingforthemeaning]

@IOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIO i have found information from these videos that is why i watch them. i my self have property 2500m² about a quarter hecter of land(sorry not sure of the imperial measurments) the latest video 4 acers of independance i found very fitting. i only fear fear its self (and large spiders :-P) the mesages are good. but when they hit on the green thing , well, me as an environmental engineer i just see the bs :-/ sorry. i like the "do it for yourself and strenghten the comunity "

[IOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIO]

@lookingforthemeaning I envy you, having land and using it productively is always a good idea, that doesn't need a real catastrophe to be justified. I share with you to some extent that you don't peak oil or other ideas to validate your choices towards living from the land. Sometimes stuff like that just makes sense.

[lookingforthemeaning]

@IOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIO 1 acre is 4046m² so i got about 2/3 of an acre. the right size for chickens and goose maybe a goat or 2 and the food garden. thinking of a HTB horizontal top bar beehive to ;-)

[simonkism]

@lookingforthemeaning so was this like a bad joke or do you work for an oil company? or are you just a total idiot who knows nothing about oil?

[lookingforthemeaning]

@simonkism sorry! but ur going to have to explain what you dont understand!?

[itisaduck]

I do applaud this couple for getting out of debt. They actually are acting as traditional Americans being more self sustaining and spending no more than they make. Saving will cure our economic issues. But the planet is not dying, only changing. Man can only kill it for a time with nukes, but that aside impossible. We do need to fight for clean air and water locally but our socialist brothers overseas absolutely plan to get ahead of us, pollute and kill their own to do so.

[loganenator]

Thank you for your support. :)

Getting out of debt and living a simpler more sustainable life was our primary goal. We agree that oil is not evil, it is a fantastic nonrenewable (on our time scale) resource that we believe we are wasting with expensive disposable lifestyles. Going car-free was one way we could save more, spend less overseas, fight for cleaner air and water, and volunteer more time to help build greater self sustaining resilience in our local communities. :)

[itisaduck]

A. Simlify, Simplify a call from Henry David Thoreau is a darn good way to eliminate stress and live a happier life.....But the idea that Oil is evil is silly. An I do not see us peaking. Temperatures are not rising but deceasing for over ten years. The Global warming hoax is based on bad science and manipulation that favors socialist agendas. a

[itisaduck]

B. Your neo-communst among us see this as a way to neuter our success and demote us to 3rd world thus ripe for social experiment. We see it now and it is failing. America is a unique system of individuality. These people are unique and acting as individuals but based on false info. We have plenty of Oil in California and in Alaska. Just pump it. The left is the problem not the solution. Allow the building of refineries and drilling and then all will be fine again.

[johnmonk66]

you are correct about the oil, but there is only one conspiracy theory I believe in, and that is as to why we will not pump our own oil, because we will save it, we will burn the oil from the rest of the world first and then someday only america will have oil

[itisaduck]

johmonk66, You're absolutely correct. It is a good idea to keep our oil safe in the ground and buy foreign but it's not a conspiracy unless a leftist conspiracy for a takeover then neo-communists will pump, manufacture and polute per global history. My family owned a California Oil company and I just passed the last piece of oil prop to my son. It lays fallow.

[johnmonk66]

conspiracy could be the wrong word, long range plan might be better. And I don't mean oil drillers are the conspirators, I believe it is a government plan. We have more oil in America and Alaska then they have in the middle east, and our governement is passing every law it can to stop you from drilling it, but it will be drilled in the future when it is needed

[itisaduck]

Yes, they intentionally stored OIL RESERVES. True! I don't wish to get into domestic and foreign intrigue but there is a world wide plot, plan, conspiracy of the International Communist party overseas and USA to take us as soon as possible. While working, the US Communist party leadership, in moment of anger and frustration, bragging, once said to me, "We are going to vote as far as we can into socialism, and then out come the guns for a jump into Communism." Chilled my bones.

[itisaduck]

If you get deeply involved in seems anything that either upsets the Corporations or the International Communist Party it becomes like a B movie if YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. I started seeing all the threads like vines and roots that travel thru this stuff.

Life is somewhere in the middle..but this couples motives in economic and peace. The interviewer I believe has larger motives of the negative kind. Not in her mind maybe but aren;t we all pawns now and again? A lot of good Nazi believed.

[johnmonk66]

i can see a connection between communism and corporations, or more so between communism and unions. In a union everyone is payed the same, i see this in civil service, the lazy fuck next to me who does half the work i do gets the same pay. that is unionism, and communism.

we have seen proof our new president is a communist, "share the wealth"...how the fuck did we elect a communist?

[itisaduck]

I meant a coporation which is a legal person. A psychopath that figure in the cost of killing with one goal, profit for owners. That is extreme capitalism. Socialism/Comunism/Unions absolute connection. Civil Service is a microcosm of socialism/communism. The smart worker slows to just enough production not to get fired and saves himself for days off, vacations and retirement, by which time he has become so depressed and has used so many drugs and sugar to cover the pain he dies early.

[johnmonk66]

funny when you speak to communists they support their cause only if they will be among the communist leaders, they say we should all be lowly workers, but if they had to be lowly workers they would quickly give up communism

[itisaduck]

Yes and they know historically socialism and communism has always failed. But if you talk to them the reason it failed is BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT INCHARGE. Neo-communists. Plus the leadership sugar covers comm and soc like it is pure democracy. Political correction. Political officers in the army and at the workplace. Thought police. Poverty and death ultimately. Capitalism is always the best of two evils.Look up Milton Freeman or see the first two movies I mention on my profile.

[johnmonk66]

why do they have to make this spiritual? why isn't it just common sense to live a simpler life, why does everything have to be about religion? they are doing this to save the planet? I think they are doing it to put money in the bank, no need to make up a new religion to explain it

[loganenator]

Hi there johnmonk66,

Our intention in this interview was not to make our story spiritual or religious or even about saving the planet. We just wanted to be free from debt and car dependence and share our experience of pursuing our goals and living an intentional life. When we referred to "waking up" we were trying to express our transition to a simpler way of life using the analogy discussed in peakmoment episode 150.

[johnmonk66]

well, calling oil evil is bringing up religion, oil is a tool, so is a car. You save a little oil by getting rid of your car, but your city burns oil, coal and gas to provide you with electricity and heat. You would save a lot more oil if you left the city, moved into a trailer that used solar panels and ground water, and drove a car only when neccessary

[itisaduck]

I like the gentle people. I was into Henry David Thoreau's "Simpify, Simplify" stance, even if he was kind of a leach eating at Emersons house and bragging how much money he saved lol. Visited his stone cabin remains by Walden pond, Mass. But Oil is hardly evil, but if you can live without it, wonderful. Do not use a bus or a train, no planes, etc. It all runs and gas and oil. oil comes from the same evil ground as evil, coal, natural gas, food.

[Tsahaylu]

The point is to wean from dependence upon the corporations, and shift our dependence to our community.

[ryecroft57]

What a great show-- very inspiring and encouraging. The clear contentment radiating from Logan and Tammy refutes all arguments against what they're doing. I especially appreciated their emphasizing the benefits of getting rid of the television, such a pivotal step in many people's journeys. I wish them only the best and suspect they have already found it and will only experience it deeper as they progress farther down the path they're treading.

[johnmonk66]

getting rid of television is a good idea? maybe if you abuse it, but one can say the same about computers, which you don't have a problem using

[loganenator]

Thanks rycroft57!

We appreciate the support. We are doing our best to keep folks up to date on our adventures at the blog. :)

[baubosophia]

Great kids! Your parents should be proud of you! There are many paths! Too bad we didn't get to see the tiny house. Bet it is cute. Tiny houses work in urban circumstances, but when you are actually living on the land, you will need more space because you are working in the house preserving food, etc. Also you need shop, storage and greenhouse space.

[baubosophia]

What a silly idea that all annual cropping is destructive. Read Bill Mollison's 'Permaculture." Annual cropping, should be 1/5 to 1/30 of the landscape. Trees, pasture, aquaculture, greenhouses fill in most of the rest. There is no need for monoculture. Please try to stop thinking in such absolutist terms. Lighten up! Become a good observer!

[krishnaspal]

Congratulations on your success and keep on inspiring people. Fantastic

[scarmenl]

This is great. It is good to see people that have looked and are making changes that do well for them.

Me. I plan to go bigger. But bigger in a positive way. I think I've figured ways to produce power without pollution, building products that come from fast growing plants, fuel that is easily produced and burns clean.

The fact of the matter is that things may change but if some of us don't come up with ways to do some of the things that we still need that we can't do ourselves. That is why.

[peakmoment]

Interested to know what you're working on, and especially how growing those plants (for fuel?) might affect agricultural production for food.

We sure need people experimenting and trying things out! I'm not hearing about much at the governmental levels or research institutions...but welcome input.

[scarmenl]

The plant is hemp, industrial hemp. At least that is one of them. It will produce the fuel as well as the building products.

Hemp also can be grown on marginal land that is no good for food crops and if done correctly will improve the land to make it viable to grow food as well. Then the hemp and whatever food crop can be rotated so you get the best of both and more food usable land.

The thing is that I don't plan on using one foot of food crop growing land to do this.

[dhymers]

*cough* and there are many of us that didn't realize peak oil until after we bought the house and the 30 mile commute :(

One day I'll drive electric, but I fear I am pretty unprepared, and living in debt don't have the resources to claw my way to preparedness of the scale I need. Oh shit.

[peakmoment]

I think many folks are in your situation, and with the real estate collapse, many more can't move from where they are. But for now you can look at what you can do to be better prepared: some combination of rideshare, bike & public? A scooter?

Maybe you can do like Tammy and Logan did: reduce expenses as a start on getting out of debt. There's the big freedom.

[sizercam]

When things are good in the money scheme of things no one wants to move from that, when its bad they carn't afford it. It's just a matter of if they want to our not, not because of something happening on a global scale

[scarmenl]

forget electric and all that crap. Get together with a group of people in your area and contract with a farmer who is out of work to grow you a fuel crop and make alcohol.

Keep your car and your commute. Heat your house and don't panic!

[REXMARX003]

Don't move to Portland - it rains here all the time and the car drivers hate bike people. It is dark and nasty, the sun never shines and nothing grows in the soil. And it is crowded so you coming would not help.

[1mealperday]

Thank you REX. It has been rather wet of late. Neighborhoods often slide onto the streets and we have no jobs here. There are many hunters with bad eyesight and quicksand is everywhere.

Dont come here, its just awful. And dont forget we have a flesh eating bug here in Oregon.

[1mealperday]

Also trees grow in Oregon and tend to fall over and hurt people. Fishing industry is gone, logging is not happening due to no housebuilding. Taxes here really are high and we get flooded regularly. WE dont like strangers , but will take their money.

Farmers here grow poison ivy for fun and to keep you out.

LOL

[Tikmondo]

not owning a car seems like such a outlandish idea in most of the US, but if you look at New York City, that seems to be the rule and not the exception.

[Auggie56]

@Tikmondo Many don't own a car because parking is at a premium in NY.

[Tikmondo]

That is one of the many reason. My point being that is very doable and pretty common in places like NYC.

other reasons: - expensive auto insurance - road tolls everywhere - high car traffic - high car theft - good public transit - cars are not that ingrained in the culture - dense city architecture - etc

[loveofvegetables]

I can definetely see this happening more in Europe where transportation is better and where they also have wonderful bike trails all over the place but here in the US they just don't provide that at all except in big cities. It is also easy to downsize when you don't have any kids to take care of. Myself I try to grow as much food as possible for my family in my small back yard.

[sammieluvsdoomy]

this was a GREAT episode =)

thanks =)

[wreckerpecker]

I can live a life out of a backpack as long as that pack fits on the back of a motorcycle. Shoot, I pretty much do that already

[greenteen85]

great video

[btigtime2]

Suburbia is so not set up for walkers and Bikers. I can not believe how dangerous it is to bike and walk around my house.. even new roads are being built without bike or walking lanes in Baton Rouge. The Government is still catering to the car even though its forceably on the decline. They still view bikes as recreation, it kills me because I want to bike.

[mos6507]

Another good episode as always. Liked the little quip at the end about Derrick Jensen, um, not leading to happy thoughts.

[peakmoment]

It takes courage to really take in Derrick Jensen's message. Just like watching "What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire." He says Industrial Society is destroying the earth and all its biodiversity, and we must do whatever we can to stop it.

[scarmenl]

What we need to do is take the bull by the horns and change it not stop it. We don't need to give up everything but we sure need to change how we get what we need and want.

I believe that with changes to clean industry and manufacture and energy we can have a great world.

One change is to either do as a local group or in co-operation with local government is take our human waste and animal waste and use it to make energy. You also get useful soil out the other end of this type of plan.

[woodswoman783]

These people are so wonderful. People often think of their cars as their freedom but we often work to take care of that car. It actually traps us more in our lives than gives us freedom. Living simply and giving up things that make you a slave to your live instead of living it makes most people so much more happy than buting all the stuff they think they need. Fear makes us hold onto things we don't actually need. Wonderful vid

[blueeggsitter]

What an awesome example they are providing for our future generations!

[vention4wh]

Wow! These people rock! They're frugal, they've paid off their debts and saved money, they've put together a pantry with a supply of food that will last a while, and they've gotten rid of their TV. These people are preppers! It's great to see!

I too was totally disgusted by the consumer culture and strove to be frugal as well. I bought a nice working class condo instead of a house, got all my debts paid and have only 20k left on the mortgage. I plan to knock that out this year.

[vention4wh]

I'd hate to give up my car and truck though. That truck is EMP proof and would still get me out of the city if an EMP were popped off. That's an unlikely event though. It sure was useful this morning when I zipped down to the home center and picked up a sheet of plywood so I can make a cold frame for my deck garden (and the ball rolling for a great garden this summer).

My worm bin arrived the other day too and as soon as my worms come in I'll start composting my kitchen scraps. Good times!

[Tikmondo]

I think car/trucks/heavy equipment are kinda necessary in a rural community. But there's no need for everyone to have one of their own. it could be shared in a community. this will save everyone money and create a sense of community. sharing resources and barter economy needs to make a come back in our rural communities as was once the case.

[permacultureli]

if we give it some thought...we can all write up a list of things we can simplify/eliminate/substitute.­..and move towards more simplicity......

[theproducegarden]

good video!

[Auggie56]

Works well for you living in California. What about those who live where winter can be a problem ? Think about the loss of productivity, by having to walk everywhere.

[Tikmondo]

Majority of people in places like NYC, Copenhagen and Amsterdam (where the weather can get pretty cold and nasty) don't own a car and they are not exactly third-world economies!

[Auggie56]

@Tikmondo Big box stores have put out many small stores here in the US. And you pretty much have to have a car, just to grocery shop.

[Tikmondo]

@Auggie i know most US cities, towns, suburbs are designed around cars to the exclusion of other modes of transport. but at least from examples cited we know that it is possible to live a productive life in cold places without the use of automobiles. however it will take time for people and infrastructures to adapt.

[Auggie56]

@Tikmondo When I was young there were stores in the neighborhood. One had a butcher and was really a small market. However their prices were higher, than the big market a mile away. These places went out of business in the sixties, as they couldn't compete, price wise. Unless people are willing to pay high prices, I don't see it happening anytime none to soon.

[Tikmondo]

the reason why those big stores are cheaper is b/c we subsidize them heavily and they depend on cheap energy to keep going. Once oil prices hit $6+ and when shipping stuff long distances becomes economically unfeasible. then the small local shops will have the price advantage. and i don't think that is very far off.

[sizercam]

But so many have already gone, that big business always wins. Even Trump started building trailer parks because he could see what was about to happen.

[crewlla]

cant sell the car. I have to get to work. if I dont get to work you dont get to work. I am the transportation.

[vention4wh]

crewlla

Me too. I fix transit buses