Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local LivingAdvance praise for Farewell, My Subaru “Fine is Bryson Funny.” ——Santa Cruz Sentinel “Fine is an amiable and self-deprecating storyteller in the mold of Douglas Adams. If you're a fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-style humor -- and also looking to find out how to raise your own livestock to feed your ice-cream fetish -- Farewell may prove a vital tool.” —— The Washington Post “Fine is an eco-hero for our time..” —— Miami Herald “An afterward offers solid advice and sources for learning more.” —— On Earth Magazine, Natural Resources Defense Fund “This is Green Acres for the smart set—: a witty and educational look at sustainable living. Buy it, read it, compost it.” –A. J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically “The details of Doug Fine’s experiment in green living are great fun——but more important is the spirit, the dawning understanding that living in connection to something more tangible than a computer mouse is what we were built for. It’ll make you want to move!” –Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future Like many Americans, Doug Fine enjoys his creature comforts, but he also knows full well they keep him addicted to oil. So he wonders: Is it possible to keep his Netflix and his car, his Wi-Fi and his subwoofers, and still reduce his carbon footprint? In an attempt to find out, Fine up and moves to a remote ranch in New Mexico, where he brazenly vows to grow his own food, use sunlight to power his world, and drive on restaurant grease. Never mind that he’s never raised so much as a chicken or a bean. Or that he has no mechanical or electrical skills. Whether installing Japanese solar panels, defending the goats he found on Craigslist against coyotes, or co-opting waste oil from the local Chinese restaurant to try and fill the new “veggie oil” tank in his ROAT (short for Ridiculously Oversized American Truck), Fine’s extraordinary undertaking makes one thing clear: It ain’t easy being green. In fact, his journey uncovers a slew of surprising facts about alternative energy, organic and locally grown food, and climate change. Both a hilarious romp and an inspiring call to action, Farewell, My Subaru makes a profound statement about trading today’s instant gratifications for a deeper, more enduring kind of satisfaction. |
Contents
A Land Like Matzo | 11 |
Last Exit to WalMart | 21 |
The CarbonNeutral Patriot | 69 |
The Kung Pao Smokescreen | 87 |
Modern Snake Charming | 117 |
Worse Than Elmer Fudd | 163 |
Reaping Rewards | 179 |
Other editions - View all
Farewell, My Subaru: One Man's Search for Happiness Living Green Off the Grid Doug Fine Limited preview - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
Albuquerque Albuquerque Alternative Energies asked assessor barn biofuels breadbox called carbon-neutral chard chicken Chinese co-op corral couple coyote Craigslist desert Dick Cheney diesel driving Ed's eggs engine everything fact feed feet felt flood fossil fuels Funky Butte Ranch gallons garden goats going grease green grid Herbie hundred ice cream Jimmy Kevin kind knew Kung Pao Kung Pao chicken living looked LOVEsubee Lupy Melissa Mexico Michelle milk Mimbrenos Mimbres River Mmbah morning Natalie neighbor once organic Pan Sisters pepper percent plant pretty pump purple primer ranch house rancher rattlesnake realized ROAT Sadie Silver City smell solar panels solar power started Subaru sure sustainable tank teaspoon things thought tion told tomatoes took town tried truck trying valley vegetable oil veggie oil VegOil vehicle Wal-Mart wanted waste oil week windmill