Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

LOCAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN THE NEW ECONOMY
http://ssis.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/D108.LocalSS.html

And more food for thought on related subjects at
http://ssis.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/

This is intended to show that highly self-sufficient, small scale local 
economies could function using mostly local resources, with a very low 
footprint. Almost all we need for a high quality of life could easily be 
produced close to where we live with little impact on non-renewable 
resources. NB. It can?t be done unless much simpler lifestyles are accepted.  
The Simpler Way is assumed here, e.g., because people would need to work for 
money only two days a week they will have much time to contribute to 
voluntary working bees, aged care, committees, concerts, etc., reducing the 
need for commercial services and professionals.  (See The Alternative 
society.)

Bold type indicates the major sources. The indentations indicate where things 
could come from, i.e.,
Neighbourhood/suburb/town
Region; e.g., to 10 km away.
National or international economy

FOOD

Nearly all from home gardens, community gardens, local small farms, edible 
landscape via organic/Permaculture ways. Including fish, nuts, herbs, honey, 
some grains, poultry, dairy, rabbits.   Mostly hand tools, a little machinery 
on small farms (ethanol powered tractors).  Most transport only very short 
distances by wheelbarrow, bicycle trailer, horse and cart and normal small 
trucks.  Heavy dependence on perennial and tree crops.  Very little 
ploughing, some by horse.  A relatively few large animals for milk and meat. 
No artificial fertilizers or pesticides.  Total recycling of nutrients and 
water, and mulching.  Reduced irrigation due to heavy use of tree crops and 
perennials. Intense planting of commons on public space. Seed saving and 
nurseries. Small local dairies and some grain fields.  ?orn and tree crops 
(chestnut, oak?) contribute to flour sources.

Some food from the region. Coordination of research into the      best 
varieties and ways for the bioregion (mostly involving volunteers.)  Trial of 
plants from all around the world to find those that will thrive in local 
conditions.  Fibres and grains.  Small regional dairies, fish farms, 
orchards, nut groves, grain fields.

Very little from far outside the region, possibly some grain or dairy 
produce. No agribusiness.

HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION

Very few large constructions would be needed, e.g., bridges, freeways, 
tunnels, high rise buildings, airports.  Small buildings meet most needs, 
mostly constructed from earth.

Almost all building from local earth, timber, stone, and tiles from local 
wood-fired kilns.   Community working bees.  Houses small, low ceilings, 
solar passive design, many earth floors and (sod) roofs.  Most people enjoy 
building their own houses extremely cheaply.  Materials recycled.

Local small factories, foundries etc. supply glass, bolts etc.  Some paint 
from local oils, milk, dyes, pigments, etc. Regional ceramic tile and pipe 
works, using wood-fired kilns.  Tiles eventually replace all iron roofing.

 Corrugated iron for roofing in the short term; angle iron, bolts, etc., from 
national steelworks. Cement. PVC piping. Chemicals. Aluminium. Few heavy 
steel items.

CLOTHING

Emphasis on simplicity, durability, frugality, repairing, recycling. Ideally 
there would be little or no interest in a fashion industry. Plenty of scope 
for dress making etc. via small local firms and creative hobbies.

Much made at home, sewing, knitting, sandals, slippers, weaving, shade hats, 
as hobby production.  Much repair, wearing out of old clothes. Neighbourhood 
production of some wool, flax, leather. Much craft production.

Small local firms. Cloth factories. needles, thread. Work shoes, boots mass 
produced. Much craft production.  Much use of leather (not plastic or vinyl.)

No need for any  importation from overseas factories.

FURNITURE

Simple, durable, repairable, mostly from local wood, rushes, cane, bamboo, 
wool, leather.

 Some home-made and repaired.

Local small firms.  Local timber etc.  Mostly hand tools but a little 
machinery.  Much craft production

A small amount of e.g., paint, fasteners, fibres, machinery would come from 
outside the region. No importation of furniture.

MANUFACTURED ITEMS.

Some via home craft and hobby production; candles, baskets, sandals, 
slippers, knitting, furniture, cupboards, heating systems (e.g., ducting from 
solar heating panels.)  Use of tools and machinery at the neighbourhood 
workshop.

Small factories and foundries, hinges, bolts, tools, cutlery, pots, pans.  
Appliances; fridges, stoves heaters mostly from small regional factories. 
Basic electrical equipment.  Water pumps. Small windmill towers, pumps and 
generators. Local pottery, kilns, forge.  Local production of some paints, 
from local oils etc. Mass production  of boots and shoes.

Pipes, corrugated iron, solar panels, small windmills, some tools. ?from some 
mass production factories. Little or no need for imports.

MATERIALS

Mostly from local sources.  Earth for building. Timber, water, bamboo, reeds 
and rushes, leather, feathers, pigments. Plant sources of chemicals and 
medicines, oils and dyes. Fertilizer (from recycled nutrients.)  Milk and 
oils(fish, plant)  for paints

Plate glass. Some plastics.

Small quantities of steel, plastics, chemicals, aluminium, copper, from 
national mines, steel works, plantations, etc. mostly for hardware outlets 
serving local workshops and firms.

WATER

Mostly locally collected; rainwater tanks, small dams  Intensive recycling.  
Use of tree crops and Permaculture ways cuts demand. Local wind, etc. pumps. 
Little need to supply  large quantities to industry or agriculture.

Regional small dams.

Some supply from distant large dams

ENERGY

Much-reduced demand due to simpler lifestyles, localised economies, and 
elimination of many products and industries.  Little need for domestic 
heating, transport, packaging, travel, tourism etc.  Very little transport of 
goods or materials.  Little travel to work other than on bicycle.

Solar passive architecture. Much use of wood, biogas, wind and PV, small dam 
storage and micro-hydro.  Some use of Koolgardie safes (cooled by dripping 
water), cool rooms.  Local fresh food cuts need for storage, refrigeration, 
packaging and transport.  Some use of candles plus reflectors for lighting.  
Little need for cars in a highly localised economy.  Much use of bicycles. 
Domestic solar space and water heating, PV, and small windmills.  
Neighbourhood level publc windmills and solar systems.

Regional travel much reduced; much travel by bicycle, horse, bus, train  
Small amounts of ethanol from local biomass. Larger scale regional wind farms 
and PV and solar thermal plant. Micro hydro provides some electricity storage 
capacity.

Some use of distant sources of energy via national grid, wind farms, biomass 
plantations, solar power stations, big hydro storage. Very little 
international travel, trade, transport. Very few large constructions.  Much 
less long distance travel, mostly byt train and bus.  Little need for 
aircraft.

COMPUTERS, INFORMATION ETC

Much reduced need for these, but there could be extensive use, especially for 
coordinating research and sharing information on sustainable ways.  Systems 
mostly simple.

Local service centres. Far less production means far fewer offices and less 
office equipment, e.g., printers and photocopiers.

Computer production located at a few big national centres, maybe overseas.  
Computers might be among the few things traded internationally.

R AND  D.

Much carried out locally, especially into bioregional conditions, best plant 
varieties, and into the social systems most suitable for the area and its 
challenges etc.  Much sharing of information and results of experiments.  
Focus on monitoring ecological impacts and quality of life indices. Ordinary 
people work on the trials, collect data, plant varieties.

Regional assistance centres, and information distribution, e.g., run 
workshops and courses..  Larger public R and D centres focused on the needs 
of the bioregion.

Some large scale high tech R and D via public institutions, e.g., medicine, 
renewable energy, organic agriculture.  National public funding.  Links to 
international information sources and trials.

EDUCATION

Education will be radically transformed.  It will not about competing for 
credentials to get a good job.  Central among the goals will be capacity to 
make a valuable contribution as a citizen in the new communities.

Much informal learning in the home and via community activities, e.g., 
through attending meetings and contributing to working bees.  Progress of 
each individual monitored and guided via committees and some professional 
teachers, but probably no need for ?schools?.  Education not geared to 
competitive selection for careers. The neighbourhood multi-skilled handyman 
will be important, able to make and fix most things.  All will understand the 
importance of practical and social skills, of careful research and thinking, 
of good decision making if the local community is to function well. Some 
trade and professional training, certificates.  Much emphasis on creative 
activities, and on Education for its own sake (as distinct from mere 
training.) All will have much time, so literature, science, astronomy etc 
societies will thrive.

Some set formal courses, e.g., in basic alternative technologies, and normal 
trades and professions.

Universities might be more or less as they are now, although focused on the 
new priorities.  The top national concern would not be research or the 
training of professionals – it would be to facilitate development of a 
thoughtful, critical, well-informed caring and active citizenry, because this 
is what security and quality of life will depend on, not high-tech skills, 
international competitiveness or GDP.

HEALTH

Much-reduced demand for curative health services.

Healthy lifestyle, more labour-intensive, and good diet. None live in 
poverty. No unemployment. All have a livelihood and worthwhile contribution. 
Strong community.  People have lots of purposes and interests. Therefore 
little stress, breakdown, depression, mental illness, drug abuse or 
alcoholism.  GPs etc. at suburban level.

Small hospitals in the region.  Health education and promotion systems; e.g., 
surveying problems and needs, quality of life.

Some big research and teaching hospitals might be centralised. Research on 
quality of life feeds into health promotion activities.

ENTERTAINMENT and LEISURE

Much within the household and neighbourhood, from non-commercial sources.  
Committees organise events, games, especially the Saturday night banquet and 
concert.  Many local musicians, playwrights, dancers, comedians, drawing on 
skills within ordinary people.  Courses, talks and visiting speakers. Study 
groups; science, literature writing, poetry. Many artists and craftspeople 
around all the time, eager to teach. Their works enrich public space.  All 
enjoy creating things, especially gardens.  A beautiful, leisure-rich 
landscape; many farms, firms, ponds, animals, forests ?many projects, working 
bees, arts and craft activities..  A committee to make sure kids have plenty 
to do.   Many community festivals, celebrations, rituals. (Remember that most 
people will only need to work two days a week for money.)

Regional arts and crafts societies, sports/games centres.  Few professional 
artists needed; abundant highly skilled amateurs. (De-emphasis of competitive 
sport.)

Almost no entertainment industry; few professionals, celebrities. Little or 
no interest in  stadium-level or spectator sport, international entertainment 
industry with mega-buck programs and artists, TV, Hollywood movies, celebrity 
concerts, industrial/global music industry, etc?. because there are abundant 
local sources of entertainment, excellent amateur artists, free performances, 
etc.

AGED CARE

Old people remain active in the local community, living at home, cared for 
informally by community mostly, and contributing.  Many people around to 
care, informally.   Guaranteed income and security, therefore little need for 
financial industry, fund managers, etc.  Therefore little need for aged care 
institutions, ?homes?, industry.  Small-scale institutions for the very old 
located within the neighbourhood and suburb, largely run by voluntary 
committees working bees.

POLICE  LAW, LAWYERS, COURTS, PRISONS.

Very little need for these; crime, disputes and conflict unlikely, so local 
policemen have wider functions, including ?village elder? mediation role.

MEDIA

 Mainly use of radio; not much TV or newspapers.  Few if any printed 
magazines. (Net provides information of this kind.)

Neighbourhood and suburban radio, mostly run by volunteers. Focus on local 
production of news and events and discussion of issues. Local staff, 
especially volunteers and community working bee contributions.  TV 
unimportant; not used for entertainment much; mostly for special educational 
purposes.

Regional radio stations, run by some professionals but mainly by volunteers.

National and international news, issues, backgrounders?via public 
institutions such as the Auystralian Broadcasting Commission.

THUS DRAMATIC REDUCTION OF THE ECONOMY.

There would be very little if any need for the following industries;

Fashion, advertising, gambling, travel, tourism, sports cars, private 
swimming pools, gold mining, precious metals, jewellery, security (locks, 
alarms, and encription etc.), garbage or  sewage or waste treatment/disposal, 
demolition, cranes, bulldozers, excavation?or military equipment.

There would be  much-reduced industries for,

Finance, spectator sport, florists, production of cars, trucks, ships, 
aircraft, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, speedboats, entertainment, branding 
and logos, industrial photography, car repair and trading, industrial and 
office cleaning.

            N.B. Obviously the present economy cannot survive such changes; 
it is in trouble unless the volume of production and work is constantly 
increased.  The new economy organises only sufficient productive effort to 
meet needs for a high quality of life for all.  (See The New Economy.)