The Choice is Ours

As predicited, humanity reached Peak Oil production in December 2005. At the same time, it is now clear that the fossil fuel we have already burned has affected our atmosphere and created a climate crisis. What this means is that worldwide production of oil will never be greater than is was in 2005. Therefore, the world economy can no longer grow and even if it could, the choice to burn other fossil fuels as we have been will only create further climate crisis.

Think about this. All that our current culture depends upon is about to change. In fact, over time, we cannot sustain our current lifestyles.

All by itself, reaching Peak Oil is a profound event. We in the U.S. may not feel the effects immediately because our government is willing to take energy and resources from others by force and is unwilling to level with us about the fact that our very lifestyles are unsustainable. However, an even more significant event is yet to come: the consequence of dumping eons and eons of stored carbon into the atmosphere. Global warming is here. It is real. And it affects all of us.

The good news: (1) We know how to solve this problem (2) This planet has faced great crises before and has overcome them through creativity and will. and (3) Most of the more significant actions to solve this one are PERSONAL and LOCAL

In the days and months ahead, I will write about what I am doing personally and what I believe our local communities and groups need to do to prepare themselves. We need to have a plan. The sooner we begin the better. We have little time to lose.

I have already begun working on my personal plan. A summary:

(1) Drive less. Ideally, we can avoid auto trips and/or live in such a way that we do not have to use a car every day in order to eat, shop and work. There are two options I considered: live in a walk-able city with a thriving local merchants or live in a rural area with locally grown food and town centers for gathering, trading, and shopping. I chose the latter because I also require rural beauty to sustain me spirtually.

(2) Reduce Energy Use. Personally, I am evaluating how I use energy and either eliminating energy use, or finding sustainable substitutes. This is a tough one, no matter what it involves tradeoffs and/or cash.

(3) Support Local Economy. Personally, I begin by growing my own food and shopping locally. This is a lot of work and I am hoping to find others who will join me in this effort. Farmers markets and community supported gardens would help here.

(4) Live Locally. Over time, find a local vocation--one that requires little or no travel (except perhaps to local markets). build community, take care of those in our midst.

(5) Simplify. There are two ways to create wealth--make more or desire less. A good economy doesn't have to be all about buying more new stuff to store in mini-storage units and ultimately landfill. Really! I am a recovering consumer. Buy used, re-use, barter and trade.

Fortunately, Lake County is beautiful, rural and has potential for the necessities of food and water and solar energy as well as potential for a thriving local community that can be bonded to place. In a sense, Lake County already has less distance to fall, it has not been overrun with sprawling development (yet) and has historic community centers.

As for the communities, the plan will need to include not buying into the corporate box stores, with all their cheap plastic stuff, as well as avoiding out-of-area markets and sprawl. Our local communities must further develop their town centers, creating core communities that are alive and thriving. We must create and discover local markets, particularly for our food, perhaps sponsoring local farmers markets and community supported agriculture. Local communities must look at securing local energy (bio-diesel, solar) and water sources, developing local economy --trading and barter systems, and most importantly, preserving our natural resources and beauty. We must not allow these to be sacrificed and stolen by the desperate outside interests, especially as the economy inevitably begins its descent. We must not sell our soul on false promises.

Both individuals and communities need to ask ourselves: How will we invest our wealth (what little we have) now, for a time when we are not awash in easy and inexpensive energy? That time is nearly upon us.

I see the decades ahead as difficult, yet in some strange way hopeful, too. To become more bonded to place, to community, and to become more more local, is our way forward.

How will this all turn out? Will we value beauty and quality of life more than our consumptive lifestyles? In practical terms, this means living with smaller homes and less stuff, but on a spiritual level it is a conflict between possesions(money) and life itself. The choice is ours.