Loose Leaf Notes

I’ve typed the name Mckibben so many times in the past few days that I can actually spell it now without using a cheat sheet. The environmentalist and best selling author came to Floyd on Tuesday and spoke at The Floyd Country Store on sustainable local economy to an engaged audience of about 140. I was busy taking notes and pictures, so I didn’t ask a question during the hour long question and answer time, but if I had the name “Al Gore” might have come up. I’ve been told Gore was first alerted to the dangers of global warming through the work of Mckibben.
It’s amazing to think that over 20 years ago my family and many others came to Floyd with the intention of building community and living more sustainable lives, and now sustainable local economy is a topic of mainstream conversation. For decades those in the Floyd alternative community have been living under the radar homesteading, home schooling, home birthing, growing food, living simply (some of us off the grid), bartering, making our own plant medicines, shelters, and crafts, and gathering in celebration and circles that have strengthened our bonds. This week we drew a national celebrity and kindred spirit to talk about the value of those very things.
I was impressed with Mckibben’s ability to blend intellect, humor, and spiritual reflection in his talk. He managed to give an uplifting message along side sobering lines like … “the artic is melting fast … We can no longer change global warming one light bulb at a time … oil is running out faster than once thought… Our problem is that we’ve been trying to meet non-material needs for love, respect, status, affection, and all those things humans need with material purchases, and it hasn’t worked very well.”
One of my favorite Mckibben lines related to the economy of local food brought laughter from the crowd. He said, “Most food travels an average of 2,000 miles to reach your lips. That’s a high ecological cost, but it’s also a high culinary cost. I just traveled 2,000 miles yesterday to get here. I know how that tomato feels.”
I’m working on a more in depth story on Mckibben’s visit for the Floyd Press. In the meantime, you can view a series of short video clips of the event, which was hosted by Sustain Floyd HERE, HERE, and HERE. Doug at Blue Ridge Muse has a post on McKibben as well.