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

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Off-Grid Home Stories Wanted
  • Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:52:00 -0600


On Jan 25, 2009, at 6:25 PM, mdnagel@verizon.net wrote:
I fundamentally agree with you, Mark, but would like to parse a point.  Conservation can mean "doing without", but can also mean doing less, or using more efficiently.  Since humans, and especially Americans, don't like the concept of self-denial, I have found it much more effective to point out that my family haven't sacrificed ANYTHING to cut our energy consumption to half the TX average for the last 30 years.  I think this is one area where idealism means no progress at all.  No, government can't do it all, but government CAN act on our behalf, if only to quit aiding the enemies of our future.  Regardless of whatever we are doing personally, we have the opportunity and the obligation to insist that government act more in our collective best interests.

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

E. E. "Mitch"  Mitchamore










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