Sustainable Living in Alaska

Living sustainably in Alaska isn't about importing Southern California's solar-panel aesthetic. It's about understanding place, respecting limits, and building resilience in a landscape that doesn't forgive shortcuts.

What Sustainability Means Here

In a state where:

• Winter darkness lasts 20 hours a day
• Supply chains are fragile and expensive
• Heating costs can break you
• The land itself is the greatest teacher

Sustainability becomes deeply practical, not theoretical.

Core Principles

Energy Consciousness

We don't have the luxury of wastefulness. Every kilowatt-hour in winter is precious. This has taught me more about Living Within Limits than any environmental philosophy book.

See also: The 100-Mile Diet in Alaska - spoiler: it's challenging.

Community Resilience

When you're this remote, you depend on neighbors. The Coffee Shop as Third Place explores how these community connections aren't optional—they're survival infrastructure.

Respect for Indigenous Wisdom

Alaska Native communities have been practicing sustainability for 10,000+ years. Their wisdom about living with the land, not against it, informs everything. See my notes on Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Paradoxes I'm Wrestling With

How do I reconcile:

• Living in a petroleum economy while advocating for climate action?
• Driving a car in a state with minimal public transit?
• Eating imported food because local growing season is 90 days?

These tensions live in my note: Imperfect Environmentalism

Connected Ideas

This connects deeply with:

• AI Ethics and Human Flourishing - Technology must serve place-based living
• Neurodiversity as a Gift - Different cognitive styles see different solutions
• Second Chances and Grace - We're all learning; perfection isn't the point

This note is a living document. It grows as I learn.