energyindependence

Today, the Biden administration is pausing decisions on building new liquefied natural gas export plants. But energy production in the United States is roaring, which poses a political conundrum for both parties. We’ll explain why. Plus, the latest on the back and forth over a bipartisan border deal and why the House isn’t playing ball. Later, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Johnson fires warning shot at Senate border talks” from Politico
• “Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll over $83 million in defamation damages, jury rules” from NBC News
• “Opinion The secret both parties want to keep about US energy” from The Washington Post
• “White House takes closer look at impact of LNG exports” from Marketplace
• “Live sports streaming racks up subscriptions” from Marketplace
• “Can’t sleep? Mattresses, masks and supplements say they can help.” from Marketplace
• “Why you’ll have a hard time buying the “most American fruit”’ from Marketplace
• “Billions of cicadas are set to appear in a rare ‘double brood emergence,’ scientists say” from CNN
• “Is the Vibecession Finally Coming to an End?” from The New York Times

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Many dream of leaving the city and all its tethers and obligations and creating a simpler, more independent life farther from the mainstream population and entirely off the grid. But how do you go from that daydream to making such a move a reality?

My guest walks us through the process today. His name is Gary Collins, he made the leap himself and now lives off the grid in Northeast Washington, and he's the author of several books on off grid living as well as simplifying your life. We begin our conversation today with why Gary decided to leave his conventional, urban, 9-5 existence to find a freer lifestyle, and how he defines being off the grid. We then get into why Gary thinks you should make the move to living off the grid in a series of steps, the first of which is to simplify your existing life in three main ways. Gary then makes the case for why living in a RV should be the next step in your journey, before discussing the process of finding land for your off grid home, and the factors to consider in picking a locale. From there we get into how those who live off the grid take care of water, sewage, power, and internet, how they construct the house itself, and what to know about the start-up costs involved. We end our conversation with a discussion of getting off the grid in a more metaphorical way by quitting social media, and why Gary thinks you should pull the plug on those platforms, even if you're an entrepreneur.

Get the show notes at aom.is/offgrid.