"At first, he kept his apartment and a few changes of clothes. But gradually and methodically, Greenfield embraced asceticism and dedicated himself to it full-time."

"He let go of his possessions, as well as his connections to the government and commercial society. He has no phone, car, driver’s license, passport, health insurance, property, bank accounts or credit cards. He wears biodegradable clothing and has not paid taxes or taken pharmaceuticals for more than a decade. He lives under the poverty level, and said he has no romantic or sexual attachments. He brushes his teeth with a twig.... He likens his practices to those of wandering sadhus, holy men who take vows of poverty and celibacy to pursue spiritual freedom in India....  In June, he offended a group of women in California who had picked him up in a car to look for mushrooms. He was expecting just one person, he told them curtly, announcing that he did not like surprises, recalled a woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she is part of a tight-knit foraging community where Greenfield is revered. The difference between the mild-mannered online persona — an amalgam of Henry David Thoreau and the Dude — and the aggravated guy in the back seat was upsetting, she said."

From "He Wants to Be One With Nature. But He Can’t Quit Instagram. Once, Robin Greenfield aspired to wealth. Now, he has no home and eats from the earth. He chronicles it all on social media, but does the persona match the man?" (NYT).

I blogged about Greenfield a couple weeks ago, here, but there's different material in this NYT article and more skepticism about the man. 

Also, here's the list of 100 things Greenfield came up with back in 2020 — positive changes he wanted to make in his life — to "live free of lies and corruption." Much of it is what you might predict from a radical environmentalist, so let me — a connoisseur of travel critique — focus on the part about travel:

-Explore the lands nearby you and enjoy trips in your region.

-Go on long cycling and hiking trips rather than traveling via fossil fuel powered transport.

–Minimize flying. Take trains and buses when possible.

-When you do fly, offset the carbon using the Gold Standard of carbon offsets and consider 3x (or even 10x) offsetting your carbon.

–Stay with people and not chain hotels. If using a hotel choose local sustainably run options. Find local hosts via websites like couchsurfing.com.

-Immerse with the community and avoid tourist traps and consumeristic holidays.

–Pass on the cruises. Cruise ships are one of the most destructive ways to travel.

You could be much more radical: Travel only by foot or bicycle. Camp out. Stay indoors only if you make a friend who willingly offers you a place to sleep.

I'm also interested in the critique of pet-keeping, and he's got something to say about that as well:

-If having a pet doesn’t serve your best interest (or their best interest) then do not get a pet, or if you have a pet already do not get another pet after the one you have passes.

-If having pets, adopt and don’t support unnecessary animal breeding.

-Treat your pet like an animal, not an accessory. They don’t need all the plastic toys and accessories.

-Compost, bury, or put your pet waste in a biogas system and don’t put it into the landfill. (Composting dog or cat poop must be done separately from your compost for your food garden) Also, use repurposed paper to pick up poop rather than plastic bags.

That list implicitly makes the argument for the more radical position: No pets!