Ivan Enviroman

Ok, I’ve been reading Crossroads Dispatches (one of the blogs I read first) and wondering when I would get tagged with the five things you don’t know about me meme. And then it hits my office mate Tara Hunt. I start reading her entry and wonder again when or if it will happen to me. And then, the very last words of her post are my name! So here they are:

1. I am an (optimistic) atheist and a scientist, and I believe in spirits, too. It’s hard to make sense of, perhaps it’s like speaking English and Spanish, or programming HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby in the same day. I believe different belief systems and modes of consciousness are just tools in the toolbox to be explored and utilized appropriately. I’m pretty sure everyone does that to some degree - you don’t use science to relate to your family and loved ones. And it’s hard to use pure love to get your car started in the morning. (although I’ve tried). So I explore and enjoy practicing Core Shamanism, Tibetan Bon, and Zen. And, more recent explorations of Binaural beats. I am always seeking more opportunities to achieve Flow in my life. I try to integrate these practices into my daily consciousness depending on my time available and the willingness of others to participate, or the availability of quiet time alone. By the way, the expression “optimistic atheist” comes from H.H. the Dalai Lama . When I saw him talk in Boulder, he answered the question “Do you believe in God?” with - “I am an optimistic atheist” It’s really quite amazing that the head of a major world religion would say such a thing, and I was forever impressed. The statement has a zen koan like quality to it. More in #2 on my belief in socialist anarchy.
2. I am a socialist anarchist. I usually don’t talk politics because my mission is to help spread green values and methods to all sides of the political spectrum. The environment is too important an issue to not be able to communicate in a respectful and engaging manner to liberals and conservatives. However, I’ll say it again: I am a socialist anarchist. I guess that’s two of the most hated and misunderstood words in american politics - commonly misinterpreted to be opposites of each other. However I don’t believe they are. The fundamental principles I believe in are social equality, caring for others and more importantly helping them succeed, peace, and lack of hierarchy and coercion. “Unlike the popular definition of the word, anarchy does not mean chaos, disorder, lack of organization, or lawlessness. Anarchy – literally, an (”without”) archy (”rulers”) – is a lack of hierarchy and coercion.” This is also how the internet works, (mostly). I have a strong feeling looking at the open source community that its ethos will eventually translate and permeate to all aspects of our culture, bringing evolutionary political change that will balance out the unhealthy lean towards hierarchy that our society has today. If you are curious, check out “The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations” (Ori Brafman, Rod Beckstrom) for starters. And then check out “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” (Charles C. Mann) , especially the stuff about people in the northeast US including the Iroquois Confederacy and the Massachuset tribe, to see how some of these values really are core American values.
3. (un)Green Guilty Pleasure - this is a meme I have been meaning to start among the enviro-blogging crowd. While we spend most of our time being huge proponents of everything green, and voting with our wallets, there has to be one or two things that everyone does that’s not quite so good that we can’t give up. I think admitting these things makes us more human and shows the rest of the world that it’s not impossible to make the leap to green purchasing. For me, I take long showers. I know that’s really bad for water conservation, but it’s really good for my peace of mind. It’s one of the only private spaces of my day - time to think and be creative after I get up, and the warm water on my frequently sore legs (from trying to be a better runner) feels so good. Related to #1, the shower and steam is a mix of liminal states - water and steam, sleeping and waking, that promotes a creative and fresh outlook on life.
4. Although the last several years I have been known as a great personal networker and outdoor adventure guy, I was an extremely shy teenager, and I was bad at sports. I’m still bad at team sports. I didn’t actually go camping until I was 18. And, recently in SF I’ve become a bit of a slacker, but I’ve been trying to get more active in the city! I am always up for a hike, a bike ride, a rollerblade, snowboarding or kayaking. And if anyone is crazy enough to join me on a Tierney board, awesome.
5. This is a little personal and sad, but my girlfriend and I just split up. I want/need to move into San Francisco, and I’m asking the universe for help finding a good living situation that is affordable, calm, and fun.
6. I started Sustainable Marketing while renting out my condo in Boulder and living in a 1999 VW Eurovan Winnebago camper edition and traveling around the US. with a Verizon AirCard for internet access. All I can say is many thanks to girlfriends, family, friends, and even clients that gave me regular showers and support! oh, and… FESTIVAL!!!

O.k. - enough disclosure for me! I’d like to take this out of the tech world and start tagging the green blogosphere asking for their five things, hopefully including their (un)green guilty pleasure (and pass it along to five others): Gil Friend, Joel Makower, Green LA Girl, Sustainablog, and Ethotec (when Lee gets started with is blog, check his site for the link)

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