Conserver Core

Casualty of Consumerism

2006-10-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

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....

Welcome to Conserver Core

2006-10-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

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One Square Foot at a Time

2006-10-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

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.

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 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.

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1591862027:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com.

Twelve Volts for Today

2006-10-02T19:31:00.000-05:00

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

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

Conserver vs. Consumer

2006-09-24T17:55:00.000-05:00

Consumer:
1.A person or thing that consumes.
2.Economics. A person or organization that uses a commodity or service.
3.Ecology. An organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.
[Origin: 1375-1425 for earlier sense “squanderer”]
- From dictionary.com : http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/consumer

We are all consumers in the United States. The only way for the economy to grow is to continually increase consumption. This is known as 'growth'. We have all been taught that 'growth' is good.

If your not increasing consumption, then your not helping the economy. If your not helping the economy, then you must be a parasite.

This isn't just what most of us believe, it is how many of us live. And it is insane. We should take a closer look at the origin of the word. The earlier meaning was squanderer. In America today, consumer is equivalent to squanderer.

A good analogy to consumer economics is a disease known as cancer. With cancer, the body's regenerative genes receive a false signal. This false signal causes some cells to grow exponentially. This growth occurs at the expense of healthy cells, wiping them out.

The body feeds on itself. This can not continue indefinitely. If this growth isn't stopped or corrected in time, then the body ceases to function. Self destruction is assured. Death results.

With the consumer economy, economists put out a false signal that 'growth' must be continually increased. It is assumed that resources are infinite and energy is unlimited. And 'growth' must be maintained at all costs, even as the regenerative ability of natural capital is being damaged and destroyed.

Consumer transformation of the planets limited resources is now laying waste to the very biosphere itself. The consumer system feeds on itself, ensuring its own self destruction. The squanderer is king.

Since it isn't being corrected, consumerism continues to overshoot the capacity of natural capital. The system will continue to degrade. Eventually, it will cease to function. In more ways than one, death results. The squanderer is a fool.

Conserver and consumer economics are both capitalist systems. And both recognize the classical economic contribution of Adam Smith. There is a huge difference in perspective between the two.

The Conserver recognizes that the 'invisible hand' isn't invisible. Conserver economics did not freeze Smith's insight as the 'end-all, be-all' answer.

Scientific knowledge has increased since that time. And one of the most important discoveries in science is the laws of thermodynamics. To a Conserver, the second law of thermodynamics is the 'invisible hand'.

Bluntly, the second law states that many processes are not reversible. As an example:

You crack an egg.
You scramble an egg.
Then, you fry it in a pan.

You can't unfry it, unscramble it, and put it back in it's shell. It's irreversible.

Conservers apply the second law to natural capital. It is recognized that resources are finite and that energy is limited. Conservers know that natural capital is regenerative. It is not linear – It is cyclical.

This regenerative capability can be and has been damaged by man. Resulting in a degradation of the entire system. As overshooting its capacity continues, returns from natural capital will continue to decrease at a faster and faster rate. A tipping point will be reached where the system no longer functions.

Conserver Economics is about recognizing the regenerative patterns of natural capital, finding the best pathways to utilize it, and eliminating practices that damage it.

In a nutshell, it is about Stewardship.

You can start a Conserver Life here:

How to Survive without a Salary: Learning to Live the Conserver Lifestyle