Matte Resist - How and Why: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sustainable Living

Its sad, but disclaimers have to be made. Without them I put myself and Microcosm at risk if people attempt to follow my example and end up harming themselves. The book is about doing it yourself, but I have to tell you that this book is full of stories about what has worked for me. The content of this book is not guaranteed to be factual, scientifically valid, healthy or safe. The reader assumes full responsibility for action taken as a result of any article in this book. Neither Matte Resist or Microcosm Publishing are responsible for the contents therein, the actions of readers in response to the articles contained in this book, or any consequences that may occur as a result of these actions.

Matte Resist 2009

Im divided over the issue of copyright. On one side, Id like to see information freely distributed. However, after spending a year and a half putting this book together, I would prefer that nobody steal my material to sell it as their own. So, please ask permission before using any of the material in this book.

I can be contacted at:

Bicycle Lane Industries

P.O. Box 582345

Minneapolis, MN 55458

www.bicyclelaneindustries.com

THANX

When I first made zines, we put a thanks section in every issue. Many of these were pretty silly, like thanks to Jell-O, which we consumed in mass quantities. It now feels weird to have a real thanks section, but some people deserve credit for helping me finish this book. First off, thanks to my wife, Rachel, and my kids, Jed and Esther, for putting up with what seemed like a never-ending parade of projects for the last year and a half and which, at times, superseded projects they would have preferred to do instead. Thanks to my Mom, Dad, and Rachael for helping with editing. Thanks to Esther, Jed, and Rachael for taking photographs. If I had drawn everything, it would have taken me half a decade to finish this book. Thanks to those who were willing to share their knowledge. If certain folks hadnt been there to answer questions when I was getting stuck, some of these projects might have never happened. And thanks again to my Dad, who taught me to do it myself when I was a kid.

I dream of a better world where every move isnt ordained by government, big business, and money. To me, DIY culture is about grabbing a little piece of that dream. Every little thing I do myself is a step towards doing the big things myself.

Every bike ride puts me a little closer to throwing off the shackles of the automotive and petroleum industries. Every tomato I eat out of my own garden plows the way to a future where all food is grown with respect for creation and for the person who will eventually eat that food. Everything I can wrest from the hands of business and do myself distances me from a system in which the majority are exploited to benefit the few.

This book wont thrust you into self-sufficiency. You probably wont break free of the stranglehold that the government has on your freedoms. But perhaps itll inspire you to take some of that back. From the time I became involved in DIY culture, my main goal has been to inspire.

I hope to inspire people to dream of a better world, and that those dreams will take root and sprout into actions. I hope that youll be inspired to climb out of that cage, and onto a bicycle or your own two feet and enjoy the warmth of the sun, the chill of night air, and the smell of things that grow. I hope that by teaching you what I know, you will teach others.

Im not interested in having people make perfect imitations of my projects; Im interested in inspiring people to try new things. I know this is tough, because I struggle with the same thing. When I get started on a project this voice in my head tries to tell me that I dont know what Im doing, dont have any experience or skill, and that theres no way Im going to finish it.

Yet here I am with an entire book full of projects that Ive completed. So when you get that same voice in your head, dont believe that nonsense. A guy who was working on my car once told me that you might as well jump in and give it a try, because the worst thing thats going to happen is that its not going to work. What have you got to lose?

If youre buying all your food at the grocery store, what have you got to lose by planting a garden? If you dont get any veggies, you buy your food at the store like youve always done.

So if you succeed its all gain. You dont have to bring your car to the mechanic, you can eat fresh tomatoes out of your garden, you can transport yourself with the power of your two strong legs!

This book didnt turn out quite like I expected. Some of my projects took longer than I thought, and sometimes I ran into unexpected obstacles, like seasonal depression, and troubles with the local government. Other projects are nearing completion to be printed in my next book or zine.

This book has a heavy lean toward a couple of my favorite pastimes, building and riding bicycles, and gardening. Theres also a lot of stuff about instrument building because its something that I found that I really enjoy, and thought that you might too.

I hope that this book inspires you to try something new, and to pass along that knowledge to someone else. Id love to see your own DIY zines. If you do one, please send it my way, I love that stuff! Good luck with all your future projects!

- Matte Resist

There are so many reasons for riding a bike! Most people who pick up this kind of book probably already ride for transportation. But we all need reminders of why we do what we do, and thats what this section is about!

THE CASE AGAINST CARS

In many places, bicycling is the best alternative to driving a car.

There are numerous problems with relying on automobiles and pollution is only one of them. But its the one many people are most concerned with and with good cause. Gasoline and diesel engines emit almost half the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides that result from all fossil fuel combustion worldwide.