We Love Jay Shafer

Jay Shafer is a Live-Small visionary and founder of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (check out their blog also). Since 1997 he has been living in houses that measure under 100 square feet.

Mr. Shafer is exactly the type of person we need leading the Live Small movement. He even took his tiny home on a cross-country tour this past summer (pictured above).

Please watch the video below to see him giving a tour of his 89 sq. ft. home.

America Finally Following in Japan's Footsteps

Project Live Small supporters will be surprised to learn what came in at number ten on Popular Mechanics' Top 10 Gadgets of 2008: a sink/toilet!

As one sharp reader commented on the Popular Mechanics website, "The Caroma [Profile Smart Dual Flush] toilet is not a new gadget. Similar designs have existed for years, just not in the US." 

Indeed. More than a month ago, we listed the sink/toilet as one of the ten ways the Japanese are already living small, and the sink/toilet existed in Japan long before 2008. It is, however, finally making its way to America thanks to Caroma, an Australian sanitary ware and plumbing firm. And for that we should all be grateful.

Staggering Statistic of the Day

Over the past century, world water withdrawals have increased almost twice as fast as the world's population. (Tomorrow's Markets, World Resources Institute, p. 37)

We at CSL firmly believe that Project Live Small can effectively combat both the water withdrawals and the overpopulation problem now plaguing our planet.

Water is perhaps out most precious resource, and when no human measures taller than four feet, we will have much more of it. Smaller people will drink less water and also use less water while cleaning smaller dishes and washing loads of smaller laundry. Furthermore, overpopulation problems will decline as smaller people build smaller homes, drive smaller vehicles, and generally take up less space on the planet.

Remote Control Car Out-Performs Mini-Cooper

Some small living skeptics believe switching to an energy efficient car means sacrificing performance and power behind the wheel. Recently, however, a young fellow named Andy Moore effectively laid to rest such claims when he pit his remote control car against a BMW Mini Cooper. Despite its exponentially smaller size and its electric (as opposed to gas) power source, the tiny HBI-Nitro3 left the full-sized Mini Cooper in the dust:



With the economy in turmoil, electric and hybrid-electric vehicles are finally getting the attention they deserve, but we still have a long way to go. The automobile of the future will, of course, still be much larger than the HBI-Nitro3, but it will also be much smaller than the Mini Cooper, since it will be designed for people who are less than four feet tall. 

With smaller size comes greater fuel economy, and we at CSL are eagerly anticipating what the major automakers have in store for us.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989): A Live-Small Manifesto

The 80s were good to Rick Moranis. He was happily married, and had hits with such films as Ghost Busters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Space Balls (1987), Ghost Busters 2 (1989), and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). The 1990s, however, were a different story. In 1991 Moranis' wife succumbed to liver cancer, and in 1992 he decided to reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in the box-office flop Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. From there things didn't get any better. In 1997 Moranis again reprised his role as Wayne Szalinski--this time in the straight-to-video Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. The final nail in the coffin? Perhaps.

Although the second and third installments of the Honey trilogy certainly mark the violent downward trajectory of Moranis' film career, the first deserves more careful attention. If there's a lesson to be learned from such a delightful family film as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids--and we at CSL believe there is--it's that living small, though sometimes alienating, is the most economically responsible way of life. For proof, one must look no further than the scene in which the kids stumble upon a cookie in the yard, or the scene in which Nick Szalinski finds himself floating in his father's bowl of Cheerios. Their reduced height makes the food appear immense, more than a single tiny person could eat in a lifetime.

To be sure, the height reduction featured in the film is extreme and entirely unrealistic, but the central message is clear: reduced height means less food, which in turn means less money and less waste.

Mini Ship-in-a-Bottle

Ever wish you could reduce your carbon footprint while at the same time satiating both your desire to live small and your love of all things maritime? Now you can!

First, replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Second, peruse the video below to learn how to turn those old bulbs into mini ships-in-bottles. Keep at it, and you'll be well on your way to recreating famous fleets and naval battles throughout history. Whatever your fancy--the Spanish Armada, or perhaps the Battle of Naupactus--the only limit is your imagination. (And, of course, the number of old light bulbs you possess.)

The Right Angle, An Excellent Space Saver

Anyone who owns a refrigerator understands how much space goes to waste with cylindrical and otherwise rounded containers consuming precious shelf space. We at CSL are happy to present two practical solutions to this age-old dilemma.

First: square watermelons. Even in the company of such space wasters as cylindrical bottles and bowl-shaped containers, the oval watermelon stands out as the refrigerator's most vicious offender. Thankfully, the Citrullus lanatus no longer poses a problem: the square watermelon is now a reality. Pioneered by forward-thinking Japanese scientists and grown in glass containers, square watermelons are quickly replacing their inconveniently rotund brethren as the most delicious and refreshing summertime treat. Make sure to check your local produce vendor, or visit this site to learn how to grow your own.

Second: square milk jugs. Though traditional one-gallon milk jugs were never as bad as oval watermelons in regards to refrigerator space, storing milk just became easier with Sam's Club's introduction of the square, case-less milk jug. So pay a visit to your local Sam's Club and pick up a couple jugs today.

Smaller is Smarter

Gas guzzling SUVs might finally be a thing of the past.

Most Americans desire more than they actually need, especially in regards to automobiles. But with the economy failing and gas prices fluctuating wildly, some are finally coming to their senses and fixing their eyes on smaller, more efficient modes of transport, like the smart fortwo (pictured above). Though decreasing our dependency on oil and cutting down on the toxic pollutants our cars emit remains one area to which we must direct more attention, smaller cars are an excellent start.

Additionally, smaller cars save precious garage and parking space. (Just steal a glance at the picture below.) And with a smaller car, you can forget about your friends asking you to help them move.

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Happy Turkey Game-Hen Day

This Thanksgiving, forget the twenty-pound bird and pick up an under-two-pounder: the Cornish Game Hen, which is small and energy efficient.

Despite its name, the Cornish Game Hen is not a game bird, but a chicken. More specifically, it is a cross of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds, and the USDA requires that each Game Hen weigh no more than two pounds when ready to cook.

Furthermore, producing chicken meat is more efficient than producing any other meat. According to a 1997 Cornell University study, "chicken meat production consumes energy in a 4:1 ratio to protein output.... Other ratios range from 13:1 for turkey meat and 14:1 for milk protein to 17:1 for pork and 26:1 for eggs." While turkey meat is far more efficient than beef and lamb (54:1 and 50:1 respectively), chicken meat stands out as the most efficient by a landslide.

Here are two delicious Game-Hen recipes from Bon Appetit magazine, courtesy of Epicurious:

Cornbread-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Corn Maque Choux

Cornish Game Hen with Double-Cranberry and Thyme Sauce

Have a safe and happy holiday!

NBC's Brian Williams and Chris Jansen on Living Small

10 Ways the Japanese Live Small

The Japanese far surpass the rest of the world in the "smaller is better" movement. Here are the top 10 ways many Japanese are already living small.

10. Tiny houses. In Tokyo, houses like the one to the right are filled with high tech devices and are helping the overpopulation issues that are especially problematic in Japan.

9. The sink/toilet. The small, multifunctional sink-slash-toilet is a sink and toilet in one! This is an excellent space saver that will cut down on water usage and fit in even the tiniest of homes.

8. Smaller appliances. Small homes need small appliances, which also consume less electricity.

7. 1.5 inch LCD TVs. This tiny TV is made for dollhouses, but why should that stop people from enjoying them as well? The toy company that produces them certainly has the right idea.

6. Good things in small packages. Many products are now made in miniature to save space.

5. The comfort of home...in a capsule. Now you can rent out one of these cozy nooks to stay the night. An amazing space saver.

4. Sub-compact cars. A Suzuki is easy on the wallet and the environment.

3. The Antquarium. Move over mutts. This easy ant aquarium is low maintenance and would make a perfect stocking-stuffer for the live-small pet lovers on your list.

2. Smaller food portions. They'll help you save room in the cupboard and in the waist.

1. Big fears. Just as small is good, big is bad. Think Godzilla.

Now it's time for the rest of the world to follow the example of the Japanese.
Small steps can have big results.

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Project Live Small's Mission

Most people today are not taking the steps necessary to preserve our world for future generations. By continuing on our current path we are creating a legacy of a declining economy and are carelessly wasting precious resources.

The Coalition for Selfless Living (CSL) envisions a world with abundant resources, a strong economy, and without overpopulation.

The mission of Live Small is to achieve CSL's goal of curtailing the imminent decline of our environment by genetically engineering the world's population to consist solely of little people. With smaller people we can have a smaller environmental impact and a positive influence on the global economy.

Live Small advocates research for isolating growth genes so that we can eventually engineer future generations to reach an average height of four feet.

A small difference can make a huge impact.