Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Off-Grid Home Stories Wanted

livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Liz" <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Off-Grid Home Stories Wanted
  • Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:21:14 -0500

Seeing that and Harvey's similar post, I wonder what sort of people in
general can manage going offgrid. Any move takes some money doesn't it.
Alternative energy setups cost big bucks, and all up front. It occurs to
me that most folks strapped for cash in this economy can't make such a move
even if they know how and they're willing to go for it.


My focus has been to eliminate the need for electricity. But that takes
money too, unfortunately. A manual well pump instead of the electric one,
wood stoves for heating and cooking, the components of the rainwater
collection system, etc. Most of all, it takes knowledge. If you give people
alternate sources of electricity, they can go on, to some extent at least,
with life as it is now. But living without electricity takes a whole
different set of skills, and the willingness to do some things in a
completely different way. The advantage to it is that you aren't dependent
on advanced technology. Buy a set of replacement leathers for your hand
pump, and it will probably outlive you.

We're on the way to being electricity-free here, but so far the only thing
I've been able to completely eliminate was the electric hot water heater
(because it broke, and my housemate, who owns the property, agreed that we
didn't have to replace it). This year, I'll complete the shade panels, and I
hope to eliminate use of the air conditioner as much as possible (as much as
my housemate will agree to, in other words). I also have a wood stove for
heating, which is still only half installed (can't get the right chimney
piece from the manufacturer), and I've got half the county watching out for
a used wood cookstove for me. I can buy the components for pumping water and
store them until they're needed. But we're not talking about pocket change,
and I'm very grateful to have the money to do these things. I have a lot of
sympathy for people who look at me helplessly and say, "But I just can't." I
remember what it was like when my kids were little and we lived from
paycheck to paycheck.

So as much as I'd like to see more articles and books about living off-grid,
I also suspect most people aren't going to do it willingly.

Liz
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page