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My Name Is Gavin and I Was An Addict

July 1, 2010 @ 13:13 By Gavin Webber 7 Comments

Yes, you heard it correctly folks, I am a recovering carbon addict!  A bit of a shock I know, but I am working on reducing my addiction.  I am not the only one of these recovering carbon addicts, because it is not unusual to find many of them lurking here on this blog, reading these pages.  However, you may be surprised to learn that we have a major social issue right under our noses and that there are full blown carbon junkies all around us.  They might even be standing right next to you as you read this post.  Suffice to say, that if you can read this post, and are a user of the conveniences of modern 21st century life, then you are or were addicted to carbon at some stage of your life.

We burn it in our cars, make things with it, ingest it in our food, and generally use the stuff every minute of the day.  Unless you have totally removed yourself from ‘the grid’ or live in a yurt or cave, the unfortunate news is that you are a user!!!  There is a big downside to a planet full of carbon junkies.  The ramifications are events such as Climate Change, Fossil Fuel depletion, resource depletion, environmental damage, mass species extinction, to name a few.

So if we are all carbon junkies to varying degrees, who are the pushers?  For every addiction, there is a supplier of the goods that cause the addiction.  Well, I can think of a many, but I will just mention a few big, well established ones;

1.  Fossil Fuel pushers.  These shady characters lurk all over the globe.  They are the oil companies, coal companies and suppliers of natural gas that we all use.  They provide the raw materials for our addiction.  Some like Exxon-Mobil try and keep us hooked by stopping us from reducing our use by the use of dis-information campaigns, and others like BP are big on high risk operations with little thought for the consequences.

2.  Auto manufacturer pushers.  Some of these pushers make big petrol guzzling, hydrocarbon burning monsters that satisfy some legitimate needs, but mainly are used to further inflate the ego’s of heavily addicted carbon junkies.  They have been know to stifle competing, non carbon addictive modes of transportation.

3.  Advertising pushers.  All forms of advertising attempt to convince us to want new shiny things made with carbon or manufactured with the help of carbon based energy supplies.  Without these advertising gurus, we would not be so quick to get the violent urge to buy stuff that we don’t need and therefore satisfy our addition with a big hit of stuff.

4.  Economic pushers.  The modern economy is constructed in such away that it needs to grow at all costs or crash into recession.  When it hits a finite resource boundary, such as fossil fuels, growth becomes impossible in its current form.  By growing, we use energy, and most of human energy is generated by carbon laden ancient sunlight stored in fossil fuels.  The economy drives our addictive needs.

I could list more pushers like fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide companies that permeate our Industrial food complex.  I could list fast food companies who have transformed the way we eat and grow our food using these carbon derivatives.  I could list the real estate developers and the housing industry for giving little thought to the sustainability of suburbia.  You get the general idea by now.  However, just because I have pointed out a few obvious pushers, it doesn’t mean we are not partly to blame for being addicted ourselves.  Pushers don’t exist without junkies.

So if we are all addicted to carbon it is many forms, what can we do about it?  Well lets take the example of the three junkies that I met on the train the other day and turn the conversation on its head.  What if, instead of talking about methadone, they were actually articulating their carbon addiction.  This is how the conversation might have transpired;

First bloke, “How many tonnes of carbon are you on?”.
Chick, “55!”
Other bloke, “Shit, I am only on 40 tonnes!
First bloke, “Fuck, I am down to 30.  Where do you get your stuff?”
Chick, “Down at supermarket, see, I got some in my shopping trolley.”
First bloke, “You aught to go to rehab love, there is a free one in Fitzroy, for six weeks.”
Chick, “I need six fucking months mate!”

So as ‘First bloke’ said, and he really did hit the nail on the head, we all have to go into Carbon Rehab, just like any other addicted person would have to.  Whether it be self imposed or legislated by governments, it has to start right now.  Bleeding obvious, but just like an addict, very hard to give up for good.  Hey, I am no angel, I still use the stuff, albeit in much smaller quantities.

During my family’s journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle, we have also found it hard to kick the habit, and to ween ourselves from carbon.  Our society is not geared up to go carbon cold turkey, even if we wanted to.  Like our family did, I suggest small reductions over time, tackling the easy and cheap methods first like energy efficiency, which will give you the biggest reduction in carbon usage for the least amount of cost.

Let all try to reduce our addiction, before it is forced upon us.  Peak Oil is looming and in the similar way that any addict gets withdrawal symptoms, we too will all suffer from a carbon shock if the current supply is taken away suddenly!  Anger and denial will be common place unless we take decisive steps now to kick the habit. 

So avoid the junkies if you can, and the road to being clean is a rocky one, however by all weening ourselves together, we might stand half a chance of survival on the other side of the peak.

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Filed Under: Affluenza, carbon footprint, climate change, energy efficency, Environment, Opinion, Peak Everything, Peak Oil, Story of Stuff

Gulf Oil Spill

June 9, 2010 @ 21:08 By Gavin Webber 4 Comments

Last night, Kim and I were watching some news footage of all of the animals caught up in the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater disaster.  It was deeply saddening to watch, and we both had a tear at the end of it.  Our greed has let to this.  Our lust for cheap energy has led to this.  We have done this to ourselves.

I know it has taken a while to comment on one of the biggest environmental disasters that has occurred due to an oil spill, but I have just been waiting for the right words to come to me.  So here they are, inspired by James Lovelock’s most fitting work, The Revenge of Gaia.

I think that maybe Gaia has had enough of us and just burst out of her skin, in effect, and let cry a massive scream of ;

“You want oil, you bastards? HERE, I’ll give you all the oil you want and MORE!  Come get some!”

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Filed Under: Opinion, Peak Oil, Philosophy

Change Works In Mysterious Ways

September 1, 2009 @ 22:41 By Gavin Webber 4 Comments

I have been reflecting today, and without trying to big note myself or getting big headed, I believe that I have a special talent to help people through changes with a couple of simple methods. 

Change in peoples lives, especially the few about to hit mankind in a few years, can cause all sorts of emotions manifest themselves.  From terror, to guilt, to a sense of excitement, anticipation and opportunity.  There are many people who resist change, and would rather continue on with the status quo, however there are some people who relish change and create opportunities to bring others along for the journey, but in a special sort of way.  Everyone who reads this blog or stumbles across it knows what my goal or mission in life is by simply reading the left hand side bar which is about who I am and the basic things I have done, but it is the reason of the how and why I have these goals that is the important thing.

One of my ways to promote change is to lead by example.  This is something that I learnt whilst in the Royal Australian Navy.  I learnt that you cannot ask someone to do something, being a task, behaviour, or change a personal value, if you don’t show that you practice that task, behaviour or have that value yourself.  Sure, in the military they most probably do it because of the command structure and discipline, however they won’t do it willingly and morale suffers.  On the other hand, if they see the person leading by practising what he/she is preaching, then they follow willingly and with enthusiasm.  I attempt to live up to this “lead by example value” in all aspects of my life. That was one of the reasons that I didn’t begin writing this blog until at least 6 months after our family began our journey towards a sustainable lifestyle.  Well, that and everyone urged me to write a book about what I had done, but I thought a blog was a better idea due to the interaction you receive via comments.  I wanted to explain the how and why I turned green and what my motivation was.  You can probably tell by the way I write that I am enthusiastic and passionate about all things green and sustainable, but you probably didn’t know that one of my personal values is that I do what I say I am going to do.  Another of my core values is to try and not let people down when I make a promise. I believe that it is these simple values that rub off on people, who either know me in person or read about my exploits via my writings.  It inspires people to act in a positive way, towards a common goal. 

The second special way of helping people change is to do things in such a way that they think it was their own idea in the first place.  This can be in the form of a simple suggestion, a comment during a TV ad, or leaving a magazine or book conspicuously open to a certain page at work or at home.  It can be in the form of harmless propaganda, like a poster showing benefits of a certain way of doing things.  People may think that this is a deceitful way of getting things done, but that is exactly how marketing and advertising works all around us as well.  I believe that if you have a message to give, you might as well utilise the best known way to do so. 

Let me give you a simple example.  We used to spend lots of money on cleaning products, but now we use only two or three main items for cleaning bathrooms and the like.  Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda are about all we use, the cleaning products that our grandparents used to use.  Now to begin with my wife Kim detested the smell of Vinegar and didn’t believe that bicarb would do as good a job as the shiny, new, advertised chemical petrolium based products.  I had to sutlely convince her so it sounded like her idea.  I must say that I was slightly deceitful in both examples.  The first was we ran out of Windex (a blue liquid window cleaner that stinks and makes me sneeze) kind of on purpose (my bad!).  I then suggested that we try vinegar and newspaper to clean the shower glass.  After a quick demonstration on how easy the vinegar got rid of soap scum and cleaned the glass, Kim was hooked.  That is all we use now, and I only had to make it seem that it was her idea.  Another example was with bicarb soda.  Once again we accidentally ran out of dishwasher tablets (you know, the ones that cost a fortune and are toxic).  I suggested a few tablespoons of bicarb in the bottom of the machine and some vinegar as rinse aid.  Guess what, as I expected it worked well and the dishes were wonderfully clean.  It even got rid of the smell in the machine!  Once it clicked, Kim thought that we should use it to clean the shower recesses as well which works very well to remove soap scum.  I even showed her my very cool method of making a stinky sink drain smell fresh and clean by pouring quarter of a cup of bicarb down the drain and then 5 minutes later tip the same amount of vinegar, and watch the fizzy show and the smell goes away and unblocks the drain.  Much better than highly caustic Draino!  As you can see, all it took was a comment or spark and it then became that other persons idea.  No fights, no arguments, no right or wrongs, just change for the better.  Now she tells all her friends about the miracle of vinegar and bicarb. She is a clever lady, my Kim!  Love her to bits.  Oh, BTW.  Now I have been requested to plant two orange trees in pots by you know who as well.  She loves the citrus we have so much, that more are required. I told you it works!

So, I suppose that the moral of the story and my method/talent that I have learnt through experiance is that if you tell some one to change they won’t and will resist like a stubborn toddler or teenager, but if you lead by example and help them with and along the journey, change is not only inevitable, but fun as well.  This is how I find making changes to my sustainable lifestyle, easy, painless and fun.

If any readers have other subtle ways to promote change and convince others towards a more sustainable way of living (other than screaming at them), please add them via a comment.  This could turn into quite a little toolbox of tips!

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Filed Under: Change, Opinion, Philosophy

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About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

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