For twenty-five years, Tom Bender has been one of the visionary thinkers at the forefront of the sustainability movement. In 1971, Bender quietly published a study, "Living Lightly", which showed how the U.S. could reduce energy use by a phenomenal 90% while simultaneously improving quality of life. "The piece spread like wildfire across the country in dog-eared xerox copies. People thought I was crazy," says Tom, "but it got us really looking at what we could do. Now we're well on the way to accomplishing that goal, which some people belatedly acknowledge as conservative."
In 1981, Tom received a top award, in the California Affordable Housing Competition, for another startling study. This time he outlined means to reduce housing costs by an equally unbelievable 75-90%. His study showed in eye-opening detail how increased durability, energy conservation, and financing efficiency could interact to create momentous savings. In 1993, he did it again, receiving one of nine top awards given worldwide in the Sustainable Community Solutions international competition sponsored by the International Union of Architects and the American Institute of Architects, for an even more sweeping and detailed framework for moving our society to sustainable operation.
Over the years, Tom has been a valued critic and source of new directions to the Office of Technology Assessment for the U.S. Congress, the Governor's Office of California and Oregon, and numerous private and public groups. His voice has been heard as co-editor of Rain: Journal of Appropriate Technology; author of RAINBOOK and ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PRIMER; with articles published in IN CONTEXT, Manas, Utne Reader, Fine Homebuilding, The Sun, Radical Software, and other publications.
Now much of Tom's work in progress has moved to looking at another part of the equation. "It's not accidental," he says, "that our gravest social ills, ranging from drugs and alcoholism to crime and child abuse, arise from diseases of the spirit, damaged self-esteem, and lack of mutual respect. There is no way we can resolve these problems without making the leap into acknowledging our spiritual illnesses and dealing first with them." He is working on demonstrating, in simple things that we all can do, how to reintroduce love, empathy, and respect into our actions, and rebuild that vital taproot of well-being in both ourselves and our surroundings.
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