The following came from comments in the 'Conserver vs Consumer' article. Special thanks to Not the Mama for his question. It struck me as being important enough to share with a wider range of readers as an article...Jon L. Picard
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The Malthus dilemma. Unfortunately, the hard reality i see in the not too distant future for much of humanity is die off from population overshoot.
Die off doesn't even really describe whats coming. This overshoot was caused by an influx of energy from a finite source - oil. This energy source is rapidly being depleted and becoming more and more expensive. As it becomes an energy sink - it will simply become too expensive for commercial usage.
Altho - i do see the gov't 'nationalizing' it for 'securtiy'& 'defense' reasons - maybe within the next 10 years.
You can read more on what i call The Coming Conflagaration here.
Is all lost? Not at all...
"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst."
As for the massive influx of people that are consuming - let's not forget that they are all also Producers.
In Consumer economics, the fact that people produce goods and services is never really recognized - rather - they are thought of just another interchangable resource. A very faulty view if ever there was one.
Also - Consumer economics does not value community - and as energy flows are reduced - we find that Consumer economics doesn't value democracy either (just ask all those people in China)...
Conserver economics values community and democracy. Without them, it just can not exist except as a mere shadow of it's full potential.
Conserver economics is not based on finite resources. This makes it fundementally different from Consumerism.
Conserver economics uses renewable energy sources - but those sources are lower in energy potential from oil - thus the need for higher efficiency in energy flow and recognizing peak cycles to harness it.
Last, Conserver economics recognizes the producer and the consumer are one and the same instead of being artificially divided.We are already seeing the birth pangs of Prosumer Economic Networks around the world.
These economic networks are local - the market signals they send out reflect the local reality of energy and resources. And - they are designed for sustainability from the outset.
Perhaps the best way to sum up the perspective of Conserver Economics is this:
1)Knowledge is global
2)Industry is regional
3)Agriculture is local
4)Renewalbe energy is the capstone.
Looking at consumerism one more time-
No Oil - No Global Economy
No Oil - No Industrial Infrastrucutre in the US (both technology AND agriculture)
No Oil - No transportation to get the food to the people
No Oil - None of the myriad products that are manufactured from it's derivitives. (I'm guessing about a 75% penetration)
No Oil - No Consumerism.
We are in a transition period - let's make it as painless as possible converting to a Conserver Economic System. When the oil becomes too expensive and eventually runs out - no worrys.
The best place to start down the Conserver path?
Right in ones own home....
Friday, October 13, 2006
Welcome to Conserver Core
This page explains the features of this blog and how to use them.
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A small introduction about myself. When you subscribe to The Conserver Reporter, you'll receive an email that directs you to the About Me page.
Archive
The archive is organized two ways. You can look at articles by date. You can also search articles by topic.
Conserver Blogs
This is a list of links to other bloggers that are involved in creating a sustainable world. I highly recommend taking a look at them.
Conserver Sites
This list of links are to websites that provide core knowledge. I look at them as a Knowledge Base that we can all learn something from to build a better world.
Conserver Poll
These polls give you a chance to vote on a subject. Once you vote, you can click to view the stats. You can only vote once in any given poll.
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Comments
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You will receive an email to verify your subscription. In the email, you click on the link to the About Me section. This confirms your subscription.
After that, you'll receive a welcome email. The Conserver Reporter is sent out once a month. It's usually sent around the 15th.
Survey
Please complete the Visitor Survey. When you click 'Submit', then you will be redirected to the 'Conserver vs. Consumer' article. At the end of each month, i will post the stats on the blog.
Thank you for participating.
Counter
This is the third counter i have tried and it works like a charm. If you have a web page or a website, I highly recommend it!
About Me
A small introduction about myself. When you subscribe to The Conserver Reporter, you'll receive an email that directs you to the About Me page.
Archive
The archive is organized two ways. You can look at articles by date. You can also search articles by topic.
Conserver Blogs
This is a list of links to other bloggers that are involved in creating a sustainable world. I highly recommend taking a look at them.
Conserver Sites
This list of links are to websites that provide core knowledge. I look at them as a Knowledge Base that we can all learn something from to build a better world.
Conserver Poll
These polls give you a chance to vote on a subject. Once you vote, you can click to view the stats. You can only vote once in any given poll.
Tell a Friend
You can share this blog by easily emailing your friends about it. This is done two ways:
1) Click on the 'Tell a Friend' icon. This allows you to send an email to 5 friends at one time.
2) At the bottom of each article, there is an envelope icon with an arrow on it. Clicking on it allows you to send an email to only one friend.
Comments
At the bottom of each article is a comment link. When you click on it, a new window will open. You can post your ideas, questions, and opinions here. I read every comment and reply to almost everyone.
Subscribe
This box is the sign up for The Conserver Reporter newsletter. It's free.
You will receive an email to verify your subscription. In the email, you click on the link to the About Me section. This confirms your subscription.
After that, you'll receive a welcome email. The Conserver Reporter is sent out once a month. It's usually sent around the 15th.
Survey
Please complete the Visitor Survey. When you click 'Submit', then you will be redirected to the 'Conserver vs. Consumer' article. At the end of each month, i will post the stats on the blog.
Thank you for participating.
Counter
This is the third counter i have tried and it works like a charm. If you have a web page or a website, I highly recommend it!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
One Square Foot at a Time
How many of us garden?
Out of 80 million households in the United States, only 22% have vegetable gardens. That is about 17.5 million households. That doesn't sound so bad.
According to the National Garden Association, it's been declining for the last five years.
Out of 80 million households in the United States, only 22% have vegetable gardens. That is about 17.5 million households. That doesn't sound so bad.
According to the National Garden Association, it's been declining for the last five years.
On top of this, most Americans spend only about 1% of their annual income on gardening. It doesn't matter the size of the annual income. Large or small – only 1% is spent on gardening.
That isn't good news.
It's bad news. Most of our food travels an average of 1,500 miles to get on our kitchen plates. Just how many gallons of gas is that? See the point I'm driving home?
We complain about the increasing costs of energy. Then we don't make the necessary changes to stop these increases. Or completely do away with it's cost.
We know that oil prices will continue to increase. In turn, increasing the cost of everything else. But we can grow our own food. We can grow it very affordably.
It's time to bring back the Victory Garden.
These new Victory Gardens are an important part of America's agriculture backbone. Goodbye to the 1,500 mile ride and it's costs.
You can't get much more local than your own backyard.
If your a beginner at gardening, then start small.
If your a beginner at gardening, then start small.
If you've been at it for years as a master gardener – then mentor someone.
You'll have the necessary skills to feed yourself. Feed you're family from your garden.
We can do this...one square foot at a time.
You'll have the necessary skills to feed yourself. Feed you're family from your garden.
We can do this...one square foot at a time.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Twelve Volts for Today
We don't think much about electricity. Flip a switch or push a button and you have power. Power for the lights, the kitchen, and the entertainment center.
What happens when the power goes out?
In 2003, there was a was a massive blackout in the northeast United States. It was an inconvenience. People threw out spoiled food from their refrigerators and freezers. The gas pumps didn't work. Autos were used only when needed.
E.R.s became packed. Even hospitals started to shut down because they had no electricity in order to service the sick.
About two weeks later, the power came back on. Life was good again. For awhile...
The interval between blackouts and brownouts has increased since that time. In many areas, these power blackouts last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Amazingly, we haven't really been paying any attention to this.
The power grid continues to degrade. Attempts to fix it have apparently resulted in temporary shore ups instead of long term solutions.
It's time to start seriously thinking of other sources for electricity.
The most readily available, and most common, alternative to the grid is a twelve volt system. The recreational market for boats and campers offer us a reasonable solution to the blackout problem. It turns out there are a lot of twelve volt gizmo's to provide the creature comforts. Everything from coffee makers to televisions.
It's true that some d.i.y. maintenance is involved. You'll have to check and take care of a battery bank.
But look at the benefits! You could lower or even eliminate your electric bill. When the grid goes down, you'll still have power for the lights and more. In a very real way, you'll become more secure and free from worry.
What happens when the grid goes down...forever?
You'll have twelve volt power. Not just for today, but for all your tomorrows.
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In the first issue of The Conserver Reporter, I explain P.O.D. POWER – a twelve volt system for home use.
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Until then, here are some good starting places....
The 12-Volt Bible for Boats
What happens when the power goes out?
In 2003, there was a was a massive blackout in the northeast United States. It was an inconvenience. People threw out spoiled food from their refrigerators and freezers. The gas pumps didn't work. Autos were used only when needed.
E.R.s became packed. Even hospitals started to shut down because they had no electricity in order to service the sick.
About two weeks later, the power came back on. Life was good again. For awhile...
The interval between blackouts and brownouts has increased since that time. In many areas, these power blackouts last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Amazingly, we haven't really been paying any attention to this.
The power grid continues to degrade. Attempts to fix it have apparently resulted in temporary shore ups instead of long term solutions.
It's time to start seriously thinking of other sources for electricity.
The most readily available, and most common, alternative to the grid is a twelve volt system. The recreational market for boats and campers offer us a reasonable solution to the blackout problem. It turns out there are a lot of twelve volt gizmo's to provide the creature comforts. Everything from coffee makers to televisions.
It's true that some d.i.y. maintenance is involved. You'll have to check and take care of a battery bank.
But look at the benefits! You could lower or even eliminate your electric bill. When the grid goes down, you'll still have power for the lights and more. In a very real way, you'll become more secure and free from worry.
What happens when the grid goes down...forever?
You'll have twelve volt power. Not just for today, but for all your tomorrows.
--
In the first issue of The Conserver Reporter, I explain P.O.D. POWER – a twelve volt system for home use.
--
Until then, here are some good starting places....
The 12-Volt Bible for Boats
RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement
And last, some necessary 12 volt appliances:
http://www.skingco.com/c-4-cooking-and-kitchen.aspx
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