Well, have returned from speaking at a conference. Everyone was from the area where it was held except me really- I had to drive over the mountain to get there(brought eggs to sell there- paid for the gas!). As I drove(few cars on the road) I thought about how I could have done this without a car- no way could I bike it-although I did see one person attempting it. Walking would take a long time. Our world would be so much smaller without cars or other fueled vehicles.

Anway- noticed quite a few freshly tilled garden plots out on front "lawns". Also many open fields of green grass with those expensive board fences for horses. I could grow so much good food there...... Will these places start employing people to farm it as "sharecroppers" or do we return to the days of the lords and the serfs?

The conference was good- and timely. It was to discuss eating local, growing food locally, local distribution and marketing of food plus local energy. I have been fascinated by some old data I laid my hands on that showed how much we used to grow here-and how varied were the crops. so I spoke of this. I hope something good comes of this conference- they are trying. This was planned well in advance of all the recent price increases and shortages.

The hard part of all of this is that we have to reinvent how we operate while energy is in ever decreasing supply- while people are scared and angry. It would have been so much better to have done all of this while we still had lots of fuel. But of course the problem with that is no one believes a storm is coming until the sky grows dark... As Jim Kunstler says- "we'll just keep doing what we're doing until we can't do it anymore." So that's been our operating strategy I guess. It worked for a while anyway.....

I have been trying to figure out what I would do if I can't get to the city to teach this Fall. I have no idea how expensive gas will be then or even how much I can lay my hands on-or how regularly. And will the bus be running? I still have to get to the bus- 20 miles away. If I can't make it to any of my paying jobs- what would it be like to try to really homestead here? The place is paid for but there's still expenses- property tax, phone/internet, the car. Oh yes, the car. Given that I figured it cost about 5 grand last year to operate- I guess I could aquire a horse and feed it for less than that. I could go to town by horse- take my produce to market that way.... who knows-something to consider I guess. Not going to act on it right away.

BTW-an interesting phenomenon is arising I think. What do the people who can afford gas do now? I ran across several people today at the conference who alluded to the fact that although they can certainly afford gas at the current prices- and even way higher- they are gettting uncomfortable with the idea of filling up at a gas station and driving their SUV's around. They worry that they are going to really tick off other people- the masses- who will react in rage to the fact that they can no longer afford to drive. Even though the rich have always lived differently- large fancy homes for instance, most people seemed ok with the idea that some people are rich and live like that- or perhaps aspired to live like that some day themselves. But what of all the formerly middle-class- or even formerly lower-class- but who had a car and a job, etc. How will the masses react when all this is gone? Will they strike out at anyone still able to drive?  This could get interesting.

Tags: world without oil
Current Mood: contemplative

Well, have returned from speaking at a conference. Everyone was from the area where it was held except me really- I had to drive over the mountain to get there(brought eggs to sell there- paid for the gas!). As I drove(few cars on the road) I thought about how I could have done this without a car- no way could I bike it-although I did see one person attempting it. Walking would take a long time. Our world would be so much smaller without cars or other fueled vehicles.

Anway- noticed quite a few freshly tilled garden plots out on front "lawns". Also many open fields of green grass with those expensive board fences for horses. I could grow so much good food there...... Will these places start employing people to farm it as "sharecroppers" or do we return to the days of the lords and the serfs?

The conference was good- and timely. It was to discuss eating local, growing food locally, local distribution and marketing of food plus local energy. I have been fascinated by some old data I laid my hands on that showed how much we used to grow here-and how varied were the crops. so I spoke of this. I hope something good comes of this conference- they are trying. This was planned well in advance of all the recent price increases and shortages.

The hard part of all of this is that we have to reinvent how we operate while energy is in ever decreasing supply- while people are scared and angry. It would have been so much better to have done all of this while we still had lots of fuel. But of course the problem with that is no one believes a storm is coming until the sky grows dark... As Jim Kunstler says- "we'll just keep doing what we're doing until we can't do it anymore." So that's been our operating strategy I guess. It worked for a while anway.....

I have been trying to figure out what I would do if I can't get to the city to teach this Fall. I have no idea how expensive gas will be then or even how much I can lay my hands on-or how regularly. And will the bus be running? I still have to get to the bus- 20 miles away. If I can't make it to any of my paying jobs- what would it be like to try to really homestead here? The place is paid for but there's still expenses- property tax, phone/internet, the car. Oh yes, the car. Given that I figured it cost about 5 grand last year to operate- I guess I could aquire a horse and feed it for less than that. I could go to town by horse- take my produce to market that way.... who knows-something to consider I guess. Not going to act on it right away.

BTW-an interesting phenomenon is arising I think. What do the people who can afford gas do now? I ran across several people today at the conference who alluded to the fact that although they can certainly afford gas at the current prices- and even way higher- they are gettting uncomfortable with the idea of filling up at a gas station and driving their SUV's around. They worry that they are going to really tick off other people- the masses- who will react in rage to the fact that they can no longer afford to drive. Even though the rich have always lived differently- large fancy homes for instance, most people seemed ok with the idea that some people are rich and live like that- or perhaps aspired to live like that some day themselves. But what of all the formerly middle-class- or even formerly lower-class- but who had a car and a job, etc. How will the masses react when all this is gone? Will they strike out at anyone still able to drive?  This could get interesting.

Tags: world without oil
Current Mood: contemplative