permaculture

["Gaden@ziplip.com" <Gaden@ziplip.com>]

Anne Schwarz said: "The problem is, where do those people go?  There are so 
many densly populated places that are not self sustainable."

Sure, the maximal productivity (sustainability) of a given region is 
certainly a significant factor. I think there is a more fundamental (and more 
immediate) consideration. 

Wastefulness. Sounds silly perhaps but most people today lack the ability to 
frugal with their existing resources. Frugality doesn't mean to live 'poorly' 
but simply within one's means. Maximising the use of available resources and 
redirecting excess to others (or storage). 

Take whatever resource you like. Most people waste them all. For example, I 
know so many people who won't touch something like fruit grown in their home 
yard (suburban) because the fruit might not be perfectly shaped, unblemished, 
and neon bright waxy colours. And yet they will pay expensive prices for 
'plastic' fruit from the hypermarket.

A couple of years ago, I met an elderly man who was complaining that his 
social security money had not come through on time. He was worried about not 
having enough for food. So I spent a couple of hours taking him on a tour 
around the neighbourhood parks & vacant lots. We found a basket full of 
different herbs, veggies, fruit growing wild (escapees).

We repeated the exercise over the next couple of weeks, attracting several 
other attendees as well. They were all amazed at how much was freely 
available. And food is only one example of many.

Yeah, perhaps people can move to new pastures. Perhaps new technology (and 
ancient techs.) may come on line. But the fear is that the wastefulness will 
continue and people will unnecessarily decimate to the limits of available 
resources. The problem isn't always availability of resources but how we use 
what we already have.


Gaiden