Kim Smith

I am really bummed that I broke my right hand two months ago and continue to have challenge healing.  I am grateful to have a kind Physical Therapist who has offered a lot of exercises to solve the muscles and soft tissue.  I look forward to typing again without pain..

I am really anxious about how we will reorganize our recycling systems with the new Chinese policies.  US industries will need to retool in our to use our recyclables as resources to reenter the production stream.

Gratitude is essential in grounding our life and spirits in a space of abundance.  While there are negative experiences, in dark times, my body and energy feel lighter when I pay attention to what is going well in my life.  One source of encouragement always comes from recognizing that good people are doing good work in the world!

Traveling is one of my most challenging carbon footprint costs, as I travel a lot for my work. Ironically, it is frequently for sustainability conferences.  I try to compare my footprint to my handprint.  If the trip has a greater benefit from meeting face-to-face than remotely and I can buy carbon off-sets then I am able to justify the trip.  Otherwise, I do my best to plan webinars and on-line meetings to cut down on trips.  
One more complication is that my partner was transferred to Hawaii, so this has added a couple of flights onto our life now. I am striving to at least combine trips, with open jaw flights, via Honolulu now, so I can cut down on some roundtrips to Portland.