To us, the phrase "Part Of The Solution" defines someone or something that makes the world a little better. We try to give back more than we take from the planet and humanity in general. This section is designed to give credit to the people who are doing just that. Maybe they'll inspire you, or maybe it's just good reading/viewing, but hopefully it will make you think about what you're doing and how you can, in your own way, become Part Of The Solution.
Let us know how you are being Part Of The Solution - Maybe we'll do a video of you!
This is Dan Price. He's a pretty unique guy. He rode one of our trikes from Joseph Oregon down the coast to San Diego, than across the United States all the way to Key West Florida. Over 4700 miles and still the longest trek on a trike that we know of.
Dan is a writer and produces hand-written and illustrated journals about his simple life at home and travels abroad. They are called the Moonlight Chronicles. He describes himself as a hobo artist and has been spreading his philosophy of how to live and create an authentic life while living frugally and creating a near zero carbon footprint.
Oh, and he lives in a hole in the ground.
A Thoreau for the twenty-first century, he has helped champion a growing trend that’s been referred to as “downshifting,” “opting out,” or “simple living.” What makes him so different and engaging is that he speaks from the authenticity of first-hand experience, for Price is an American original who has made his dreams a reality. His message is: “You can live a life of freedom, in harmony with the rhythms of nature, and your own internal rhythm and creativity. You can live very well with very little money. That’s what I’ve done, and I can show you how.”
Part Of The Solution - Episode 1 |
"Don’t expect him to be trying to track down the carbon imprint of every can of tuna he opens and consumes," Price writes of himself, "but each issue of the Chronicles will document the extent of his pollution output." Recently we featured him in episode 1 of our "Part Of The Solution" video documentary.
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His book, "
Simple Shoes - A Cool Little Shoe Company
The Simple Shoe Company are a small manufacturer of earth friendly shoes that use recycled car tires, organic cotton, recycled plastics and hemp.
With all the over-built, over-hyped products out there, it's pretty hard to find sustainable shoes that you can live with. So they started Simple, your stereotypical, anti-stereotype brand offering good shoes and a big dose of reality.
About a gazillion pairs later... give or take a few... they've managed to learn a few things. Well, actually a lot of things. And none more important than this: HOW they make their shoes is just as important as WHY they make them. That means finding more sustainable ways of doing business so they can make a gazillion more.
Which pretty much is where they are today... at the crossroads of here and now, aware of their responsibility to the planet while trying to pay the bills. The nice little shoe company getting in touch with its inner hippie.
Simple Shoes in their small part, are Part Of The Solution.