Just Popping In

To burst on the scene, occasionally, we must burst the scene.

The idea of repairing our broken items has enjoyed a renaissance lately. In fact, last month, I blogged about an Oregon State University program that helps students learn to repair their stuff. That example took advantage of the resources and setting of a university to introduce students to repair skills.

Sometimes, however, we have to make our own opportunities if we want to raise awareness about an idea. Realizing this, an organization called Pop Up Repair has found a daring way of bringing repair back. The project pops up in temporary locations on the East Coast. While it's in an area, Pop Up Repair fixes broken things people bring in, extending the usefulness of the objects.

The project does more than bring things back to life though. By emerging from a void created by a throwaway culture, Pop Up Repair changed the game. After seeing the popularity of their work, the founders of the project began helping spread the pop-up operation. They provide assistance to those attempting to offer similar services. For more information about this repair revolution, click here.

It's never been more true that if you want something done, do it yourself.

More Than Fair

Old things and a forgotten idea find new life at Oregon State University.

Twice each term, OSU holds a repair fair, giving students the opportunity to learn ways of repairing various items. Offered by the university's Waste Watchers group, the repair demonstrations change each term and range from electronics and appliances to clothing and jewelry.

In society today, throwing things away has become the default reaction when they wear out or fail to work, but not so long ago, we fixed them. Doing so cut down on waste and lowered the need for more production. OSU's repair fairs bring this practice back and give students the skills to keep it going for the rest of their lives. To learn more about OSU's repair fairs, click here.

Learning to repair things certainly helps the environment, but it has other great benefits. First, a person who fixes something becomes empowered by an understanding of it. In other words, that person isn't simply subject to the laws of consumerism. Second, fixing something often gives a person greater ownership and appreciation of it.

Perhaps the biggest repair that results from learning to fix things is the mending of the relationship we have with our possessions.

No Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

The view from the top looks rather grim.

Environment News Service (ENS) recently reported on an international study, which was led by researchers from Oregon State University, that showed major declines of large carnivores around the world. The population decreases go hand in hand with habitat losses.

Thinking about the possible extinction of these species, many of which are charismatic in their ability to capture human interest in the environment, is disheartening enough on its own. However, the bigger picture tells an even bleaker story. As the ENS article notes, these top predators are critical to the ecosystems they inhabit. Losing them would have wide impacts.

A large carnivore may be a formidable sight, but not seeing them at all would be infinitely more frightening.

An Idea Forged in Fire

Only you can stop thinking about forest fires in the old way.

Smokey Bear famously encouraged us to prevent forest fires. We took the slogan to heart, but perhaps we overdid it. While it's true that we need to take care not to start them, the idea that all wildfires are completely negative for the environment needs revision.

Recent scientific research, including this study by Oregon State University, has shown that wildfires are yet another important life force in ecosystems. Among other things, fire helps contain invasive species and functions as a starter for new life processes. This means that total fire suppression prevents the natural cycle from playing out.

We had the best of intentions in preventing forest fires, but this idea about the key environmental role of such fires needs to ... well ... catch fire.