The members of the middle class in the United States are finding increasing difficulty achieving and maintaining their expectations for jobs, housing and other basic aspects of life. With the limits to growth putting basic lifestyle assumptions under increasing assault, can people use intermediate technologies to reduce their ecological and financial footprint? If we start imagining new ways of procuring energy, food and shelter can we also reconfigure our culture in the process?

In Extraenvironmentalist #72 we discuss appropriate technology with John Michael Greer as he describes the ideas in his new book Green Wizardry: Conservation, Solar Power, Organic Gardening, and Other Hands-On Skills From the Appropriate Tech Toolkit. JMG describes how a downwardly mobile middle class can begin mastering the skills necessary to change their lives and their culture. Then, we talk to Jessica Kellner of Mother Earth Living about her book Housing Reclaimed: Sustainable Homes for Next to Nothing and the people across the United States who are building their homes out of salvaged materials for hardly any money.

Note: In the RSS feed version of this episode we have a 15 minute version of our interview with Jessica Kellner, on our Soundcloud page you’ll find the full 36 minute interview.

//Segments on Soundcloud

// Books

The Integral Urban House

Green Wizardry by John Michael Greer

Housing Reclaimed by Jessica Kellner

// Links and News Items

#1 - http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.ca/2014/01/seven-sustainable-technologies.html via our listener Robin

#2 - http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/29/241664654/community-supported-canning-gets-locavores-through-winter?ft=1&f=1001

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[First Break] – 34m

Jacob Brownowski – The Ascent of Man

Thomas Friedman – Why Green is the new Red, White and Blue

Obama – The True Engine of Economic Growth

Ray Kurzweil – The Coming Singularity

Carlin: When the Electric Grid Goes Down

James Burke – Connections – The Trigger Effect

EF Shumacher on Appropriate Technology

[End]

Small Is Beautiful: Impressions of Fritz Schumacher

// Music (in Order of Appearance)

Afrobeta – Love is Magic

Emilijo A.C. – That’s All I Do

Stefan Biniak – The Read All About It Bootleg via Soundcloud

Rhianna РStay (Call Me Se̱or Cover) via IndieShuffle

Androme – Gunjule

// Production Credits

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #72 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Vincenzo in PA

Patrick in OR

Dean in CO

Kevin in CT

Paul in CA

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