Despite my relative good fortune, I have always sensed that something was wrong with modern industrial society. Even before I would have known what a term like modern industrial society meant I could see that there was a sickness that seemed to be everywhere. I have always felt that something just isn't right.
So many things about the lifestyle we live in the western world are both unsustainable and unjust. The destruction we have wreaked upon the planet has, to date, been a mere dress rehearsal. With nations such as China and India coming online the slide will only gain in momentum. The addition of these two nations to the list of modern industrial powers will nearly triple the portion of the planet's population that lives under the umbrella of industrial capitalist consumerism.
I mention all of this not because I'm some communist or eco-terrorist. I state these simple facts because it is painfully obvious that this trend cannot continue unabated. We have already passed Peak Oil, the point where planetary oil production has reached its maximum level. With increased demand coming from India and China the rate of depletion of the remaining 50% of world oil reserves will far outstrip the rate at which the first 50% was consumed.
"What about green technologies?" you say.
I fear it may be too little too late. Over the course of the coming entries we will discuss this point and many more in greater detail.
I am a realistic optimist. That is to say I hope for the best but plan for the worst. Do I want this cushy lifestyle to go by the wayside? Do I want there to be chaos and civil unrest? Do I want there to be global turmoil and starvation? Of course not.
Do I think that it may happen? Do I think that maybe we woke up to the warning signs too late and that some people will live in denial until the lights go out? Yep.
I do all of the responsible things that I can think of, such as:
- Recycle everything that my locality will accept (cans, paper, cardboard, plastic, & glass)
- Compost
- Use only CF bulbs in my home
- Walk to work
- Drive compact sedans when I do drive
- Insulate my hot water heater
- Use low-flow shower heads
- Wash laundry only in cold water
- Eat a mainly vegetarian diet
- Replace appliances with energy efficient models
- Shop local and organic as absolutely much as possible
- Minimize money spent in the big box stores
There's more - that's all that immediately pops into mind. And believe me, I know there's more I could do (please respond with any suggestions!). The point is, despite the fact that I am not nearly as active in conservation as I could be I am pretty sure I do a whole hell of a lot more than most people.
Most Americans drive alone in their giant SUV to work, eat lunch at some restaurant that probably got its food shipped in from a long supply chain touching all corners of the globe, go home to a positively frigid home with the AC cranked, buy disposable everything from Wal-Mart (made in China with near-slave labor, no doubt), and then vote against every initiative that may help reverse climate change because it has a slight chance to impact their lifestyle.
The fact is that people are lazy by nature. Why change anything if the wolves aren't baying at your door? The problems is that the wolves are baying at your door. You just can't hear them because your TV is on too loudly.
Well I can hear them, people. I'm not a gun nut or militia freak. I'm just like you. I get up and go to work every day to make a better life for me and my family. I love my family just like you do. I have friends and hobbies. Despite my relative normalcy I am preparing for a general collapse of the system.
In future entries I'll talk a lot more about the details of my preparations, the things I see happening in the world that concern me, and as I learn them I will pass along survival tricks and tips to you. Please check out the Required Reading section on the right-hand side of the page if you want to get a decent list of material germaine to the subjects we'll discuss.
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1 comment:
One thing you can do is get rid of those CFC flourescent bulbs and go back to good old Edison filaments. Did you read the warning label on the box of CFCs? Don't ever break one in your house if you want to live in it.
Ever try packing ten sheets of plywood and several hundred pounds of tools to work on your back to a jobsite twenty or more miles away?Don't knock people who drive trucks and tell them they're anti-environment. (You didn't, but it's intimated in every enviro-harping blog.)Unless you live under a shelter of twigs and leaves.
And how does eating vegetables make the environment better?
How much do you save buying local as compared to what you'd spend in big box stores (not that it isn't a good idea)?
My point is, don't allow environmentalism take over your life: if you don't think people are causing evironmental problems the earth can't handle, you'd better do a thorough search on dinosaurs, volcanoes and earthquakes- and don't say people cause them- cuz one volcano spews more gasses 'bad' for the environment than all the US cities combined.
Of course, with Mubarack Hussein Obama getting ready to shut down the coal mines, we won't have to worry about America polluting with coal, will we- not compared to China.
Interesting post, by the way.
Remember- God's in control- people can't do anything on their own.
God bless,
Shy
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