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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: mdnagel@verizon.net
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Off-Grid Home Stories Wanted
  • Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:25:38 -0600 (CST)

This is a perfect example of why it cannot work.

Sure, not enough proper oversight was given, but that's always the case: it's all built in to operate this way; loop holes are the real means for distribution of monies.  If the systems had worked (I've studied solar hot water heating, taken classes) then we might think that all was fine and dandy.  But... it's really still about transferring money from the less wealthy to those with more, all under the pretense that we're "green!"  I've got liberal friends who want to believe all of this; and when you really dig it's because they expect something out of all of it.  I tell them to think about the fact that 2/3rds of the world's population lives on $3/day or less; this usually puts them in "tilt" mode and they lash back at me as though I'm a doomer or I'm not really supporting "green" ways.

First and foremost, and if anyone says any different- run, conservation!  But this really never does become THE starting point because it doesn't put money into the pockets of the wealthy!

If things weren't subsidized then we'd more readily understand the real costs.  Subsidies are really only the means to continue a practice that's not sustainable.

We have to do things ourselves, amongst ourselves, and quit expecting government to do it for us.  The best thing that we can do is to set the example and educate those who care to be educated (who come to us, rather than trying to, as so many of my liberal friends do, tell everyone that they've got to change).

Although a tad bit political, I believe that this article shines a light on how to proper empower ourselves:

We Don't Need Them
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Nov05/Carpenter1102.htm


-Mark Nagel
Everett, WA


Jan 25, 2009 03:57:58 PM, livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
I think we are all doing a tunnel vision thing here. We cannot deal with this issue on just a down on the farm economic standpoint, or "what's in it for me?' or all government is bad and we live in a vacuum. We cannot absolve ourselves of the problem that humanity, all of us together, is destroying the world just because we are low income. We all must make sacrifices, big ones, the biggest being our cherished political and social beliefs.
Paul and others are right. Subsidies are poison. A few decades ago, NM implemented subsidies on residential solar installations that made solar virtually free. All the charlatans immediately moved in and sold lots of solar heating panel systems, most of which went on Rio Rancho roofs. These utilized water. Helloooo!!!, it freezes all winter long in Rio Rancho. These systems have all been dismantled and have gone to the dump, except those homeowners who managed to sell them to unsuspecting people. The solar industry got a bad name which destroyed it and it is just starting to come out of it. The problem wasn't the subsidies, it was no oversight, standards, or control and it ended up being a free for all. Not only government, but citizens, must take on watchdog (with real teeth) roles to ensure against government intrusion and abuse, and industry showing bad behavior. I think we have learned our lessons and perhaps we can now do it better. As far as not taking any money from the government, well, most farmers in NM irrigate with surface water and most are members of an acequia association or conservancy district. (By the way, acequia associations are governments too, and I will argue they aren't evil.) Almost all of these must take government or private NGO loans or grants to keep up their systems as most members are low income and cannot afford these necessary improvements. Without them, our local small scale agriculture would go away.
Everytime you use grid electricity, you are burning coal or other fossil fuels that create CO2 and methane. Everytime you flick that switch, you are contributing to the complete destruction of all life. If we are to claim we have values and morals and are living good, sustainable lives, then we must do everything possible to not commit the real evil.
Lynn Montgomery
 
"Anyone who believes in infinite growth in a
finite world is either mad or an economist"
 
            -Kenneth Boulding-
 
              



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