Paul and Sarah Edwards are authors of a timely book “Middle-Class Lifeboat: Careers and Life Choices for Navigating a Changing Economy.” In a world of decreasing resources, they ask, how do we financially support ourselves while moving towards sustainable lives? Emphasizing independent income sources, they consider dozens of possible careers from basic services to local-scale technologies. Life choices include lowering costs through simplifying, getting out of debt, and demonetizing (e.g., bartering). Or one can consider an “off-the-map” lifestyle like living abroad, off-grid, or an intentional community. This downturn is not just a cycle, they emphasize: it heralds a sea change. (www.middleclasslifeboat.com). Produced September 20, 2008. Episode 127.
Related Articles
Brazil’s cooperatives show how local communities can drive the climate transition
From low-carbon farming to community energy and Amazon restoration, Brazil’s cooperative sector is mobilizing millions to act on climate at a local level. The model highlights how existing co-op networks could be scaled to support a more just and resilient transition.
May 1, 2026
What to expect from the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels
More than 50 countries are meeting in Colombia to explore how economies can move away from coal, oil and gas through “complementary” multilateral negotiations.
April 24, 2026
Corporations have become the world’s most powerful institutions. It’s time to rewrite the rules
From engineered consumer addiction to environmental destruction, corporate harm is not a failure of the system but its logic. But because corporations exist by public charter, that logic can be rewritten through democratic oversight, time-limited licenses and rules that focus on risks to people and the planet.
April 22, 2026
