Fix Something Without Fuzz

Not everything needs a sticker, a hashtag, or a sermon. Some improvements are best done silently, with no audience and no drama.

Take energy use: new lamps get 80% more efficient. So what happens? Houses get brigter, gardens lit up all night like Christmas trees. The saving is eaten by new wants. So much for progress - at least if laps are wired up to the net.

Same with big slogans about degrowth. Nice moral theatre for comfortable Western kids, but not much help if you actually want a stable system that works for everyone. It’s easy to skip breakfast if a snack platter awaits you.

Fix something without fuzz means: tweak what works, cut waste quietly, design so the benefit sticks, and resist the urge to brag. Add value while cutting costs (monetary and energy). Don’t make people think they lost something. Neither give them a vehicle to brag.

Better wiring beats preaching. Quiet gain beats loud sacrifice. The point is not to look good. The point is to get better, without noise.