Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
These days, spiritual understandings of “simple living” go to great lengths to evade discussions of finance, thus perpetuating an environment where “living simply” requires “spending amply.”
However, when we look at the global economy from the point of view of a long-term decline in global net oil exports, it seems very likely that, to paraphrase a famous quote, what can’t be funded and maintained won’t be funded and maintained; and that the funding and maintenance problem will probably continue to become most apparent in the short term in American suburbia and exurbia.
-International Conference on Global Land Grabbing
-Coalition Government ‘must step up to the plate on sustainable food’
-Subsidies and the “True Cost of Food”
-Kenyans fear Dakatcha Woodlands biofuel expansion
-Who feeds Bristol? Towards a resilient food plan
-Huber warns EU president of glyphosate danger to livestock and plant
If, a century ago, the keenest talking heads of the age (who would that have been, I wonder: Chesterton, Shaw, Belloc, Jo Chamberlain?) had battled it out amongst themselves about the future of infrastructure and energy, what would that debate have looked like?
For large parts of eastern Japan that were not directly hit by the tsunami on 11 March 2011, including the nation’s capital, the current state of affairs feels very much like a dry-run for peak oil. This is not to belittle the tragic loss of life and the dire situation facing many survivors left without homes and livelihoods. Rather, the aim here is to reflect upon the post-disaster events and compare them with those normally associated with the worst-case scenarios for peak oil.
And so, the answer to the perennially annoying question “How do I invest my money for it to survive financial, political and commercial collapse?” is this: “There is no answer to your question. Try asking a different question, to which there might be an answer.”
In 2004 I was an idealistic young college graduate who hoped to change the world. I was convinced that the prospect of declining worldwide oil production loomed, and that people must heed my calls for energy conservation and radically-relocalized living. The world didn’t seem to change, but to my surprise, something else did—my hometown.
Here is the Spring collection of permaculture tips and tricks from the Southern Oregon Permaculture Institute, enjoy.
– Why ‘Plan B’ often works out badly
– Why Were We Unprepared for Japan?
– Japan’s ‘black swan’: Scientists ponder the unparalleled dangers of unlikely disasters
– Calculating calamity: Japan’s nuclear accident and the “antifragile” alternative
– The Atlantic on Transition Towns
– Bill McKibben: Natural Disasters?
– Cheap Motels and a Hot Plate: Speak Out, Fight Back!
There are some items of clothing that we could not survive without. Living in the 150 mile wardrobe has made me keenly aware of how my garments are essential for my survival. Beyond fashion, clothes are my shelter….More often than not, (this winter especially), there is one pair of pants that make their way onto my body, day after day “Golden Pants”, as they have lovingly been nicknamed. Their creation took place some time back, and since that time I have worn them to the point of living in them. Their creator and designer is Berkeley scientist, Thara Srinivasan.
The peak oil (and related climate change and economic crisis) movements are not just about preaching to the converted. They’re about reaching out to all people, however uninitiated, to build awareness for a larger cultural buy in on what’s necessary to change the way we live and do business. I created Lindsay’s List to focus on what role women have to play in conservation and a values-based lifestyle shift, one small step at a time.
