What is Enough to Be Happy?

Gwen and I are committed to living a life aligned with our deepest values. Have you ever asked yourself what your non-negotiable values are? The ones that guide your most fulfilling decisions? For us, this exploration has led to some new and meaningful changes in our lifestyle.

Our Deepest Values

Gwen's Values:

Love and kindness for all human beings, fostering unity and understanding. Gwen also deeply values helping people live healthier and happier lives by changing their lifestyles in ways that promote well-being, such as adopting whole-food, plant-based eating.

Scott's Values:

Common-sense approaches to systemic issues like poverty, climate change, and wellness. Our company inspires and equips community leaders to assess outdated systems that manage poverty and replace them with new ones that are accountable to reducing poverty (The Poverty Solution) to replace outdated management systems with proactive solutions.

Together, we're forging a middle path and sharing our lives with others. While I occasionally lean toward passionate rants about the urgency of issues like climate change, Gwen reminds me to "be the change" without coercion or conflict—a principle that serves us well.

Carbon Footprint: How We're Reducing It

Did you know that 99% of all species on Earth are now extinct? We know that human beings may be clever and resilient enough to avoid extinction for a host of reasons, but at what cost to the quality of life on Earth? Our choices today determine whether future generations will inherit a thriving planet or one of diminished resources and opportunity

Climate change and the impact of human activity on the planet’s life-supporting biosystems have unfortunately become politicized in the U.S. and elsewhere. As a result, millions of Americans have been convinced by arguments against taking aggressive action on climate change or cooperating with the global community. However, frameworks like the Paris Accord offer a responsible and effective way to address these challenges. Below, we outline three common arguments against taking action, along with clear responses to each:

1. Economic Cost:

Argument: Aggressive climate measures and the Paris Accord commitments will harm the U.S. economy, leading to job losses and increased energy costs.

Rebuttal: Transitioning to clean energy creates new industries and jobs in renewable energy, which are growing faster than traditional fossil fuel sectors. The long-term costs of inaction, including disaster recovery and healthcare expenses from pollution, far outweigh the short-term investments in clean energy.

2. Limited Global Impact:

Argument: Even if the U.S. reduces emissions, other countries like China and India continue to pollute, so the overall global impact will be minimal.

Rebuttal: The U.S., as one of the largest historical emitters, has a moral and leadership responsibility to set an example. U.S. action can drive global innovation and encourage other nations to follow suit through diplomacy, trade incentives, and competitive technology exports.

3. National Sovereignty:

Argument: The Paris Accord undermines U.S. sovereignty by allowing international bodies to dictate national policies.

Rebuttal: The Paris Accord is non-binding and allows nations to set their own goals, preserving sovereignty. Participating ensures the U.S. has a seat at the table to shape global climate policies that benefit both the environment and U.S. interests.

While global leaders continue to find their way, what can the average US citizen do in the meantime? We can be the change we want to see happen. Here’s how we’re taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint while still enjoying a meaningful, connected life. While our situation differs from some due to our demographics and resources, there are millions of Americans who are able to make changes like we have.

We put our lifestyle choices into chat gbt to see what are footprint currently is and what we could do to reduce it to the Paris Accord goal of 4 tons per person per year. We’ve embraced these changes as a way to model the life we want to see for the planet. While the global average carbon footprint is 4 tons per person per year, Americans average 16 tons. By making intentional choices, we aim to bring our combined footprint closer to 4 tons per person while inspiring others to do the same.

Changes to Our Lifestyle

1. National Sovereignty:

We sold one of our two cars and now use a Prius for essential trips only and are planning to reduce mileage by at least 25% in the coming year. If we both need to be in different places at the same time, we use Uber or Lyft. This has only happened once since we sold the car three months ago.

2. Eliminating Domestic Flights:

We've committed to domestic air travel only for occasional family visits (one to her family and one to mine) and necessary business (about 2-3 trips per year), drastically reducing this source of emissions.

3. Using Carbon Offsets:

For these flights, we plan to use carbon offsets. These programs allow us to invest in projects that remove or reduce CO₂ emissions elsewhere, such as reforestation or renewable energy initiatives. Offsets typically cost between $10–$50 per ton of CO₂, depending on the program. For example, a domestic round-trip flight emitting 1 ton of CO₂ could be offset for as little as $10 through a reputable program.

4. Adopting Whole-Food, Plant-Based Eating:

Gwen has been following this lifestyle for years, and I’m transitioning fully to it to keep food-related emissions low while improving health and well-being. Shifting from meat to plant based reduces Co2 from an average 6 tons to 1-2 tons per year.

5. Living in a Solar-Powered Home:

Our 1,500 sq. ft. home is solar-powered, covering about 80% of our usage. We are exploring ways to reduce our usage so that the solar panels cover more of our needs.

Making Sustainability a Way of Life

Living sustainably isn’t just about sacrifice—it’s about finding joy and purpose in alignment with your values. How much is enough to be happy? Often, far less than we think.