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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Globalism
  • Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:55:28 -0700


On Feb 23, 2008, at 7:43 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

Gene, all that global food is being moved about with oil. In fact almost all
of it is being grown with oil (and natural gas).

Yes, indeed. Our previous exchange went like this:

I have more citrus than I will consume before it rots. How shall we
solve the 2,000-mile transport energy issue?

You responded: Personally, of course, you won't. But it is a proper use of whatever
transportation we have to ship citrus in season to places where it is impossible to
grow. . . .

"It is a proper use of whatever transportation we have" translated to me as you not caring much about the oil.

Already I'm monitoring the
stories of food panic in remote places . . . .

As much as we wimpy, spoiled Americans complain about prices, we are as food gods compared to citizens of many other countries.

Homesteading barely
works for a very small number. It is impossible on a national scale.

It works for us small in number because of our very modest lifestyles. It
would make a very good discussion on this list to examine the notion that it is
impossible on a national scale.

I did the math years ago. Do a quick calculation on garden space and woodlot acreage required per person. Multiply by 303.5 million. Apply that number to the acreage within that part of the country with an adequate growing season.

But agribusiness as we know it will come to
an end with the end of cheap fossil fuel. If indeed homesteading, or something
very like it, is impossible, then that is the same thing as saying that
living will be impossible as well.

Living--as we know it--may well be unsustainable already. The primary issue is population. Logic says we must be fewer in number; emotion and religion dictate the opposite. Do you recall the discussion Lee led regarding how food production and population has been parallel throughout history? Population on Earth was relatively stable for centuries. Then agriculture flourished. That led to greater population. As oil runs out, food production will decrease. As food production decreases, there will be a concomitant decrease in population. Just as any country acre has a carrying capacity, the pattern is true throughout nature.

Take a deep breath and inspect your computer for country of manufacture.

That's an often used red herring. That is, if we were all localists or
regionalists, where would we get computers from?

Pick any manufactured product. We could all do with far less technology than we now use. That is not the issue. The issue is what people want, not just computers but giant TV screens, surround sound with wireless speakers, three vehicles, twenty pairs of shoes, closets full of seldom-worn clothing. What people want, politicians strive to provide. That's how they keep their jobs. One of the things I learned from reading Alan Greenspan's book is that presidents commonly ignore sound economic advice, but instead play to the voters.

Other than helping to resist Alzheimer's, it seems to me that it is of little use to even debate the issue of globalism. Every human animal wants all they can get with as little labor as possible to get it. Only in areas where religious beliefs dictate thusly is minimal consumerism held in high regard. Right now most of the world's people want to emulate our lifestyle. It is a wave that cannot be held back.






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