<p>I think we are undergoing a dramatic shift in how many of us perceive the world and our place in it. ( for those who live in the US anyway- better late than never)</p>
<p>Finances have already motivated our own family to live simply- ( I admit my husband does like his power tools)- but since I have become more aware of resources consumed to manufacture products that are produced with a short lifespan in mind-
I am motivated to look for pre-used goods- grow more of my own food- buy new items that are repairable.</p>
<p>Yes this may cost some manufacturing jobs in China/Mexico- and it may seem like a drop in the bucket- but it has been more satisfying than looking for the latest thing.</p>
But he deserves a break on this because he’s probably saving money by using them to do work himself that would otherwise have to be done by expensive hired labor. In addition to power tools, I save a lot of money by working on my cars myself as well even though every now and then I have to buy some more tools.</p>
<p>I agree - I’d rather buy a well made item once up front than poorly made items multiple times.</p>
<p>That’s the excuse I always use to buy new power tools!!!</p>
<p>I’m with you guys - buy quality items that can be maintained rather than cheaper disposable items. Latest “I fixed it” was a telephone that had been dropped. Touch of a soldering iron and all better!!!</p>
<p>I thought this was going to be another Bill Ayers thread.</p>
<p>This is a revolution that I am down with. Except I’m not so good at fixing things. (And, to make matters worse, my father-in-law was a physicist/engineer who was also an excellent amateur carpenter. My wife’s standards about what a man ought to be able to do are not realistic. My own father could not even touch a tool without risking serious injury, to himself and to others.)</p>
<p>I have seen Living with Ed. He has visited some rich people out in his neighborhood who are living completely off the grid. I believe Jackson Browne is doing this. Of course you need money and space to achieve this goal.</p>
<p>I have heard about new solar cells being developed that can be applied like a film to windows (tints and traps energy). </p>
<p>I hope that technology like this is developed and deployed throughout the world. The best revenge against Iran and Syria is to no longer be a customer. We will probably need fossil fuels in some capacity for years to come, but if we can get it down to a bare minimum, Planet Earth would thank us.</p>
<p>Well I’m with you guys (no offense EMK), but we’ll need some co-operation from manufacturers of gadgets. I used to carry some spare parts and a few tools in my transport (OK yeah, it was British-made but still …). My current automobile doesn’t even have a throttle cable (or carburetor, or ignition points, etc.). And don’t even get me started about malfunctioning DVD players – $45 to diagnose the problem or $39 to replace the unit.</p>