Met with a human rights activist from Columbia, South America. He is currently in the U.S. to raise awareness (behind the scenes) about the plight of the poor living deep in the forests of his country. According to this activist, through an intricate (and quite violent) web of multi-naitonal companies, factions of the Columbian government, and para-military groups clandestinely linked to the government, these villagers are being regularly terrorized (including many killings) in order to force them off their land. Land they have lived on for generations. The reason they are being forced out, is the multi-national companies want wholesale access to the forest’s natural resources, said the activist, who requested anonymity. The reason he requested anonymity is because a fellow Columbian activist, who had been vocally standing up for the rights of the villagers, was recently found murdered. Note: We’ll buy the cheap lumber from Home Depot without giving it another thought. Yet somewhere in a forest far from here, people are being terrorized so we can maintain our excessive U.S. lifestyle and the people behind the multi-national companies (and the governments they manipulate) — can make as much money as possible. One of the answers: As an example, forgoe the new home additons (new wooden flooring, new furniture…) in America, England, France… to reduce the demand for lumber, then take the savings and funnel it into a humanitarian aid agency to help the people in the forest villages of Columbia (Peru, Mexico…) become, and stay, sustainable. I mean most of us (in the “First World”) are already ‘overly sustainable,’ so to speak, in comparison to most of the rest of the world. An addendum… Several years ago I researched a development outside of St. George, Utah called: Kayente. This was a development of single story homes that were built with ‘low profiles.’ That is, the ceilings (as an example) were only about 10 ft. high — to conserve building material and enhance “view corridors” toward the western cliffs nearby. What’s more, lower ceilings means there is less air to heat, cool.