General

“A Call for Sustainable Practices in America”

flowerStatement of Intention – A Call for Sustainable Practices in America

We contend that many of the current laws in relation to land use, building development, health, and fire protection, while likely having the original purpose of protecting public health and safety, have not responded to critical social and environmental circumstances that now change the very definition of health and safety for today’s communities and for generations to come.

We believe that many aspects of the current system functions by taking from our grandchildren to feed our children. Unfortunately, these laws do not allow for a person or community to live simply, sustainably, and within a broader definition of health and well being. We believe that it is not only the right of each human and community to be able to live in health and safety within a sustainable system, but an obligation to our children for generations to come. In view of social and environmental imperatives, we believe we are obligated to practice simple and sustainable living and to make these practices accessible, useable and desirable for all people – today, not tomorrow.


We at True Nature Society are developing a plan of action to address and bring positive change to the underlying beliefs, laws and systems of local, state and federal entities that currently govern the way that the people of the United States can provide for their basic human needs of Shelter, Water, Fire and Food. We are tending to the social and political soils and seeding a grassroots collaboration with other individuals, organizations, and government entities to bring to light, in a peaceful fashion, the violations of our human rights and dignity in sustaining ourselves and our children’s children for generations to come.

We have identified core sustainability practices that not only receive limited support, but are deemed illegal in many places by unsustainable laws. We have observed that many of these laws are derived from commercial interest inappropriately influencing legislation for profiteering. Most sustainable living solutions rely on local materials and community building where the energy yield is direct and profits for corporate interests are little. Each practice needs to be considered from its place in a larger system of sustainability. Whole system consideration is mostly overlooked in our current laws and enforcement. The laws also need to accommodate the individual’s, family’s and community’s ability to live in a manner that is safe and healthy in the inevitable event of an interruption of water, fuel, power and food delivery.

The following practices have been made illegal in many municipalities by unsustainable laws:

  • To provide for one’s own shelter, water, fire, and food in a sustainable manner and to share in resources with one’s neighborhoods and communities
  • To build shelter using local, recycled and/or natural materials in all aspects of construction that is chemical free and land integrating
  • To be able to live within simple tented structures, (i.e. canvas, wool, vegetative, etc.)
  • To build shelter using low-technological processes that can utilize unskilled family and community labor
  • To gather rainwater and spring water for domestic use in the conservation of valuable water resources
  • To utilize waste recycling systems (i.e. composting toilets, greywater, etc.)
  • To not use electricity in your shelter or to use alternative energy sources
  • To live within a self sustaining system in which dependence on the municipalities or other outside interests is not required
  • To develop living system fire abatement; i.e. green belt as opposed to fire break
  • To involve passive energy design instead of energy consumptive heating and cooling
  • To minimize or not involve earth damaging systems and energy inefficient practices in exterior and interior building, fire abatement, landscaping, easement, waste production and disposal
  • To define health and safety for ourselves in awareness of pressing current social and environmental needs

We approach our research, communications and actions in a peaceful manner where we stand in our truth in hopes that many others will join us in the knowing that we are responsible for our actions on this planet and must live within the interdependent finite web of sustenance that must support all people and all species for generations to come. Please write Warren Brush to offer your support and feedback.

One Comment

  1. Hello Warren

    For two reasons, the key phrase is “standing in your truth.” One is that the “conventional” way is so pervasive that people quite literally can not imagine another truth. The best exposition of this issue I have come across (after Thomas Kuhn’s seminal “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”) is Appendix four of Chris Alexander’s “The Production of Houses.” If you or a reader is interested, drop me an email and I will send you a copy of a paraphrase of the appendix we discuss in great depth with all potential proprietors at Rosneath Farm.

    The other reason is that we need more and more people “standing in this truth” that is, living sustainable life styles, to show not just that it is possible, but that it is more rewarding, here and now. People will NOT change until they see the alternative as more desirable, unless you are forcing them! They need to see the alternative as a POSITIVE DEVIANCE. So it is important that those taking up the goal of building sustainable systems for themselves and their grandchildren do so in a manner that is seen as an extension of where we are, rather than a rebellion; a progression, not a protest.

    We have two phrases we use to describe this goal at Rosneath Farm:

    Learning, livelihoods and lifestyle

    Elegant low consumption lifestyle.

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