A recent encounter with a discarded stove allowed me to think about what could’ve been or perhaps could be in a more sustainable future – if we could build consumer goods to last, end discontinuation, or use more standardized interchangeable parts.
What happens to your career when you start to make a stronger commitment to your values? How does a spiritual practice manifest in how you approach work or the professional choices you make? What does Buddhist practice look like in modern-day America?
For episode 2 we hear from Vyki Englert, a data strategist and product manager working in Civic Tech. Civic Tech at the most basic level is about building technology for government – two worlds with a lot to feel pessimistic about lately. However, Vyki goes into the unique spirit of the space in which people are trying to bring out the best in both to serve those most in need.
For the very first episode, we hear from Maura Brewer (L) & Abigail Glaum Lathbury (R), collectively known as the Rational Dress Society. They discuss Jumpsuit, their clothing production line that addresses the biggest ethical dilemmas in fashion and demonstrate that alternatives are possible. As “the open-source monogarment for everyday wear to replace all clothes in perpetuity”, it is made entirely in the U.S. in 248 sizes and available for purchase or as an open source pattern to sew yourself. They also speak frankly about how they sustain themselves and their work and finish by discussing their offshoot Make America Rational Again project and the current state of textile recycling.
Dutch historian Rutger Bregman makes a compelling case for money for nothing.
Utopia for Realists is an accessible, modern read that makes a case for some pretty dramatic shifts in global economic policy without the baggage that usually weighs down that kind of talk. It reminds you of the freedom and hope that can come from embracing sensible new ideas that just happen to have radical implications.
So what is this utopia?
In a nutshell… Universal Basic Income (UBI), a 15-hour workweek, and open borders.
