“Green”, AKA “environmentally friendly” seems to be all the rage these days. There is something about driving a Prius and buying organic groceries that makes people feel good about themselves. But really, how much are we actually saving the environment?  Or are we still part of the overall problem of un-sustainable consumerism?  We probably still live in an urban sprawl, drive on congested freeways, and our cars plus all other electronics are still made in some dirty factory in a foreign country that abuses it’s workforce.  Or so the stereotype goes.

Even if we manage to significantly reduce our footprint on the planet, we may still be enslaved to consumerism.  We have our cell phone bills, car payments, rent / mortgage, etc…   The bottom line is that our planet is being used up, and our lives, while comfy at times, still seem to be fraught with stress and pressure as the American working class.  But before we get into an ecological debate about Prius-driving tree-huggers versus Escalade-driving bank executives, I would like to get to the point of this article and present to you a gallery of images made by Eric Valli.

Whatever you might believe about our society, I think you will find these images intriguing and beautiful.  They are a powerful, effective documentation of a way of life that renders human beings and mother nature as true equals.  Eric Valli follows these people as they live “off the grid” in America.  Click HERE to view the collection.

Until next time,
=Matt=