Comments on: The Power of Community Premieres in Totnes. http://transitionculture.org/2006/05/26/the-power-of-community-premieres-in-totnes/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:27:01 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: derbytas http://transitionculture.org/2006/05/26/the-power-of-community-premieres-in-totnes/comment-page-1/#comment-1023 derbytas Mon, 29 May 2006 00:56:35 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=347#comment-1023 When you have a benevolent dictator it is possible to make decisions like Cuba (Castro) has done but under the Oligarchy we have (both in Britain and here in Australia) you cannot get the land reforms in place because that are needed for this to occur .The decision makers (those that give the information to the majority of the population) have too much to lose In my opinion we need to form into small groups who are dedicated to a co-operative system (rather than the competitive system we have in place) so that we can work outside of the system, as much as we are able. The move Castro made when he imported one million bicycles from China helped quite a bit as an alternative to the oil use for transportation Castro's friendship with Chavez (Venezuala) is having an effect on the American dream too When you have a benevolent dictator it is possible to make decisions like Cuba (Castro) has done but under the Oligarchy we have (both in Britain and here in Australia) you cannot get the land reforms in place because that are needed for this to occur .The decision makers (those that give the information to the majority of the population) have too much to lose
In my opinion we need to form into small groups who are dedicated to a co-operative system (rather than the competitive system we have in place) so that we can work outside of the system, as much as we are able.
The move Castro made when he imported one million bicycles from China helped quite a bit as an alternative to the oil use for transportation
Castro’s friendship with Chavez (Venezuala) is having an effect on the American dream too

]]> By: ken http://transitionculture.org/2006/05/26/the-power-of-community-premieres-in-totnes/comment-page-1/#comment-1009 ken Fri, 26 May 2006 16:09:03 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=347#comment-1009 It's important to note that Cuba started at a relatively low oil consumption rate and decreased it. Their only real concern was farming, since transportation and infrastructure had been ravaged by embargos for sometime. It's kind of ironic, actually, that the sanctions against Cuba may have strengthened it to survive a global fuel shortage, while the US is left rather vulnerable. Over here in the colonies, it's hard to get people to accept the idea that maybe we have something to learn from Cuba. It’s important to note that Cuba started at a relatively low oil consumption rate and decreased it. Their only real concern was farming, since transportation and infrastructure had been ravaged by embargos for sometime. It’s kind of ironic, actually, that the sanctions against Cuba may have strengthened it to survive a global fuel shortage, while the US is left rather vulnerable.

Over here in the colonies, it’s hard to get people to accept the idea that maybe we have something to learn from Cuba.

]]> By: Cuban Patriot http://transitionculture.org/2006/05/26/the-power-of-community-premieres-in-totnes/comment-page-1/#comment-995 Cuban Patriot Fri, 26 May 2006 12:55:06 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=347#comment-995 Do you realize that the vast majority of the Cubans are cooking with wood fired stoves; lighting their houses with candles; and they have no air-conditioning and only get electricity four hours a day so that they can keep their refrigerators cold enough so their foods won't spoil? Do you realize that the vast majority of the Cubans are cooking with wood fired stoves; lighting their houses with candles; and they have no air-conditioning and only get electricity four hours a day so that they can keep their refrigerators cold enough so their foods won’t spoil?

]]> By: Keith http://transitionculture.org/2006/05/26/the-power-of-community-premieres-in-totnes/comment-page-1/#comment-994 Keith Fri, 26 May 2006 08:44:31 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=347#comment-994 Sounds engaging and useful Rob, thanks for the tip. And also perhaps links up with the Fuelling the Future dvds, which I just watched - another excellent piece of 'empowering response to peak energy issues'. Cuba impresses for various reasons in this way, especially the swift re-establishment of relocalised, effective, organic agriculture at appropriate scales. I think their per capita yields are now up to 90% of the pre-Special Period levels, but with just a tiny fraction of the energy inputs. That's highly relevant - and dependent not so much on the centralist government structure's command economy model, as on the creativity, dynamism, focus and freed up decision making of communities at their own levels. How important (as we and others stupidly lurch towards the nuclear precipice) was the Cuban decision to use the remaining dribbles of oil they did have access to, as a primary fuel for electricity generation? Sounds engaging and useful Rob, thanks for the tip. And also perhaps links up with the Fuelling the Future dvds, which I just watched – another excellent piece of ‘empowering response to peak energy issues’.

Cuba impresses for various reasons in this way, especially the swift re-establishment of relocalised, effective, organic agriculture at appropriate scales. I think their per capita yields are now up to 90% of the pre-Special Period levels, but with just a tiny fraction of the energy inputs. That’s highly relevant – and dependent not so much on the centralist government structure’s command economy model, as on the creativity, dynamism, focus and freed up decision making of communities at their own levels.

How important (as we and others stupidly lurch towards the nuclear precipice) was the Cuban decision to use the remaining dribbles of oil they did have access to, as a primary fuel for electricity generation?

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