Changing the system

Posted as a comment on a LinkedIn blog today, titled "Empowering Rural Communities" (slightly edited):



Bati Energy, this topic is very timely and, I think, represents a vital part of the re-thinking that must be done to move us forward as cultures and people-- let alone as energy consumers.

I agree that the bureaucratic model of taxes and services must be radically altered-- probably scrapped. This change may take generations to achieve, as the same gov't model has been adopted by all developed nations and is thoroughly entrenched.

I agree wholeheartedly with Laura that timebanks will be a great tool in any viable alternative economic model. You might look into the Transition Initiative movement out of the UK. Rob Hopkins started it only a few years ago and already it is taking off worldwide-- with Transition Towns and Hubs springing up across the globe. That seems proof the time is ripe for alternative organizational models to take flight. Essentially, Transition is about preparing for Peak Oil and Global Climate Change by re-localizing economic activity and (ultimately) instigating workable, local Energy Descent Action Plans. But it's not a "hunker down / survivalist" movement; it's about creating a BETTER future than the present that we have under Cheap Oil's reign.

In India, however, the problems are different from in America: there, I would say, it's a lack of sufficient services and their equitable distribution; the traditional corruption of the political system (and the holdover social stratification of Indian society) makes the simple act of redistribution a severe challenge. In America, though we certainly have a corrupt political system and we're heading rapidly into a crisis of dangerously inequitable distribution of wealth, we have, overall, an excess of energy, and a deeply-rooted apathy and ignorance that our consumer culture has engendered over several postwar generations. Most Americans don't have a clue about where their energy comes from, nor the true cost of the energy they use, nor what constitutes efficiency in any of the appliances or systems they use daily. Here, we need education to end ignorance and apathy; in India, perhaps grassroots organization of the sort that Ghandi so brilliantly encouraged will be the prime tool.

In all cases, I think the change must come from the grassroots rather than from the top of entrenched bureaucratic systems, bloated by their own vested interests--- namely, Big Oil, King Coal, armies of Congressional lobbyists, and a financial system designed by and for the biggest accumulators of wealth.

Local organization and local economics will be the drivers of change in the near future. See more at BALLE and Transition Network.

Frack the world

In preparation for the implementation of anticipated regulations over domestic hydrofracking, U.S. companies are preparing to share their joyful technique with an energy-hungry world. See this Slate article.

My guess is that they'll make some tidy profits here first, using their army of lobbyists to stall regulatory legislation long enough to extract monstrous profits, while doing extensive environmental damage.

Thanks, Tess, for the link.

What is wrong with this picture?

In a word, everything.

For me, this image symbolizes humankind's tragic disconnection from the world which gave rise to us.


Credit & Copyright: ThyssenKrupp Technologies, SwapMeetDave

Taken from the APOD site, 24 October, 2010.

Water, water, everywhere...

... but how soon until there aren't enough drops to drink?

Admit it: you take water for granted.

You never think about where you water comes from, unless the tap is running brown and rusty or tastes funny. And even then, you think more about the inconvenience than the source, purity, embodied energy, treatment, cost, transportation, waste, or disposal of the stuff. The most precious stuff on Earth besides air, and we treat it with a shrug and a Ho-hum.

What's wrong with this picture?

In a world where the majority of people (not to mention other animals and plants) have limited or unreliable access to clean drinking water, it's like a landscape painting hung upside-down. In a word, it's disturbing.

Fortunately, news media coverage about water-related issues is increasing, and the fog most people inhabit regarding this most precious-- and dwindling-- resource is beginning to dissipate. Educate yourself about water and water issues. You can start at the Blog Action Day website, where hundreds or thousands of bloggers are posting information and links about water issues.

As to direction actions you can take to save water (assuming you're someone, as described above, who has no present worries about where their water comes from):

- Turn off taps when not in use (e.g., when brushing teeth, washing dishes, washing the car, etc.)
- Install a low-flow showerhead (low-flow standard is now 1.5 gallons/minute)
- Install an on-off valve on your showerhead (most of the water I save in the shower I save this way)
- Wash dishes by hand, in cold water, in a small tub in the sink (I know the general wisdom is that dishwashers save water, but the manufacturers (and those duped by them) base that claim on a comparison against doing dishes by hand with the water running; so duh, of course the machine saves water!)
- Install a low-flow toilet (my apartment has an old 3-5 gallon model that is a poor flusher anyway; imagine what I could save if the landlord would split the cost of a new low-flow model with me!)
- Xeriscape your property, or at least get rid of grass in favor of hardy, water-sipping native plants
- Install a rain barrel (or two) (This thrifty option has been taking Columbus by storm lately; in fact, the city subsidized rain barrels for at least one test neighborhood, in order to measure the effect of this sort of water catchment on stormwater runoff-- so I understood, anyway)
- Catch your shower or tub warm-up water for use on houseplants and for pets or the toilet tank
- DON'T BUY BOTTLED WATER (The reasons are many, and include saving municipal sources from corporate profiteering and overdraft, reducing the use of plastic (i.e. petrochemical) bottles, reducing litter (the bottles again), and reducing pollution (transportation of bottled water is carbon-intensive).

That's for starters. I'm sure there are many more ideas out there for you to take hold of. Good luck on your journey to save our most wonderful and vital resource other than air!

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Blog Action Day is Friday (10/15)

This year's Blog Action Day subject is Water.

Sign the petition to support the U.N.'s effort to make clean, safe water available to all who need it (that's everyone!).

Change.org|Start Petition

Bartender-- make it a double

Though published in July (I just learned about it), this Colin Beavan OpEd piece is spot on.

Don't pass the buck. Take action yourself. Now.

The reclamation of Motor Town

It's easy to write off Detroit as the poster child city for post-industrial urban blight and decay. But look closer. Not everyone has written off the beleaguered behemoth. Urban farming and community-based food and agricultural outfits may be the key to solving this urban devastation, here and elsewhere.

Read the Grist article here.