Comments on: ‘Natural Born Survivors’, from today’s Guardian http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Thu, 24 May 2012 06:51:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Daren Chua http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/comment-page-1/#comment-57317 Daren Chua Mon, 05 May 2008 00:12:02 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/#comment-57317 <p>Great to know that you manage to put this online. The crisis will never ends and our income will stays stagnant. Anyway it's great to listen to what others has to say.</p> <a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1280120/how_to_save_70c_per_gallon_on_gas/" rel="nofollow">Do you know how to save 70c per gallon on gas?</a> Great to know that you manage to put this online. The crisis will never ends and our income will stays stagnant. Anyway it’s great to listen to what others has to say.

Do you know how to save 70c per gallon on gas?

]]> By: nika http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/comment-page-1/#comment-57301 nika Sat, 03 May 2008 18:15:54 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/#comment-57301 <p>well written and glad to see it is getting broad coverage.</p> <p>Its not hard to vacillate through the various stages of denial and concern after one takes the red pill.</p> <p>Our practical response has been phased.</p> <p>When I got married and decided it was time for babies, we built a house far from Boston, far above historical flood stages, on 16 acres of land - built our house on old new england plans and heat with wood, using less oil than ever only to heat water on demand. We are shooting for full food independence this year, some 11 years after moving here.</p> <p>I do not consider this a bolt hole .. we are not that far from any sort of hungry mob. So its for this reason that it can get a bit depressing to think about a mad max future where all our hard work on food and energy independence could be swept away by violence.</p> <p>Its what we have, its what we CAN do. Our neighbors? They help when you have a problem, no asking needed. We all do not talk much but when we get 3 or 4 foot snow storms, there is help nearby. This is New England and this ethic runs deep for people who are from here. This would not be the case in Boston or it's surrounding burbs or any other city in the US (world?).</p> <p>My biggest issue is wrapping my mind around the need to be a part of a larger sufficiency community - it really runs counter to my "live and let live" hermit orientation. I have no problem working hard to help others. I do have an intense dislike for political drama and wasted time on bull like that.. I wonder if that will leave us at a great disadvantage. Will it matter if we can live like the pioneers (growing our own food, living without gas/electricity etc, using our own animals for farming) if we cant be left alone to do it?</p> <p>You can see a bit of what we do at http://www.humblegarden.com</p> well written and glad to see it is getting broad coverage.

Its not hard to vacillate through the various stages of denial and concern after one takes the red pill.

Our practical response has been phased.

When I got married and decided it was time for babies, we built a house far from Boston, far above historical flood stages, on 16 acres of land – built our house on old new england plans and heat with wood, using less oil than ever only to heat water on demand. We are shooting for full food independence this year, some 11 years after moving here.

I do not consider this a bolt hole .. we are not that far from any sort of hungry mob. So its for this reason that it can get a bit depressing to think about a mad max future where all our hard work on food and energy independence could be swept away by violence.

Its what we have, its what we CAN do. Our neighbors? They help when you have a problem, no asking needed. We all do not talk much but when we get 3 or 4 foot snow storms, there is help nearby. This is New England and this ethic runs deep for people who are from here. This would not be the case in Boston or it’s surrounding burbs or any other city in the US (world?).

My biggest issue is wrapping my mind around the need to be a part of a larger sufficiency community – it really runs counter to my “live and let live” hermit orientation. I have no problem working hard to help others. I do have an intense dislike for political drama and wasted time on bull like that.. I wonder if that will leave us at a great disadvantage. Will it matter if we can live like the pioneers (growing our own food, living without gas/electricity etc, using our own animals for farming) if we cant be left alone to do it?

You can see a bit of what we do at http://www.humblegarden.com

]]> By: Lee http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/comment-page-1/#comment-57292 Lee Fri, 02 May 2008 16:38:27 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/#comment-57292 <p>Living in a rented flat in a city where every avaiable square metre of land is likely to be earmarked for yet more exclusively unaffordable flats at any moment, I have to say I am more than a little bit bothered. If I were to try and grow food in the communal garden I don't think anyone would even nick it, just kick it around the place and make a mess. Shows the culture of people today. I am personally hoping the credit crunch bites yet further and house prices fall a little more than the miserly 1% that has been announced by the UK's 2 biggest mortgage lenders, Nationwide and Halifax. That way I might (just might) be able to afford to get my own house, make it secure and fill it with all the sustainable culture ideas that I have bristling in my head that I am currently unable to do anything about. I have a lot of knowledge, repectable practical skill and an eye for solving problems. Probably the fact that I feel so defeated in my flat shows the lack of sustainability in the general lifestyle of the British nation.</p> Living in a rented flat in a city where every avaiable square metre of land is likely to be earmarked for yet more exclusively unaffordable flats at any moment, I have to say I am more than a little bit bothered.
If I were to try and grow food in the communal garden I don’t think anyone would even nick it, just kick it around the place and make a mess. Shows the culture of people today.
I am personally hoping the credit crunch bites yet further and house prices fall a little more than the miserly 1% that has been announced by the UK’s 2 biggest mortgage lenders, Nationwide and Halifax. That way I might (just might) be able to afford to get my own house, make it secure and fill it with all the sustainable culture ideas that I have bristling in my head that I am currently unable to do anything about. I have a lot of knowledge, repectable practical skill and an eye for solving problems. Probably the fact that I feel so defeated in my flat shows the lack of sustainability in the general lifestyle of the British nation.

]]> By: James Butler http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/comment-page-1/#comment-57291 James Butler Fri, 02 May 2008 09:22:47 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2008/05/02/natural-born-survivors-from-todays-guardian/#comment-57291 <p>Good article. I've been thinking long and hard about bolt holes.</p> <p>Up until last summer, I had lived in the wilds of County Kerry, Ireland, for 4 years. It made me think about heading for the countryside and how it might not be such a good idea.</p> <p>Safety in numbers. In Kerry I felt exposed. The locals were not that friendly unless there was a chance they could make money from you. In times of need I don't think they would be offering services, just taking whatever the rich "blow-ins" had.</p> <p>I'm not rich. I'm just careful with what I have made. I haven't worked full-time for 6 years but that is because I don't want to be part of the corporate system I was in before.</p> <p>Small towns best. In town you are just another face in the crowd. Just like being in a herd of Wildebeest. Safety in numbers with just the odd straggler being picked off now and again.</p> <p>I'm back in my home town deciding where next to take myself. I have considered a canal boat but that has sitting duck written all over it too.</p> <p>In my home town I don't have an accent that stands out. Everyone in my street knows of me. And I bet when times get tough we will all be far more willing to help out and communicate more with each other. I can see fences literally coming down so more sunlight reaches our garden plots.</p> <p>Abroad you have language and accent problems to make you stand out. The same in the countryside where you are "not local". Best to decamp from large cities and move to a small town.</p> <p>James.</p> <p>The Good Life - http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com</p> Good article. I’ve been thinking long and hard about bolt holes.

Up until last summer, I had lived in the wilds of County Kerry, Ireland, for 4 years. It made me think about heading for the countryside and how it might not be such a good idea.

Safety in numbers. In Kerry I felt exposed. The locals were not that friendly unless there was a chance they could make money from you. In times of need I don’t think they would be offering services, just taking whatever the rich “blow-ins” had.

I’m not rich. I’m just careful with what I have made. I haven’t worked full-time for 6 years but that is because I don’t want to be part of the corporate system I was in before.

Small towns best. In town you are just another face in the crowd. Just like being in a herd of Wildebeest. Safety in numbers with just the odd straggler being picked off now and again.

I’m back in my home town deciding where next to take myself. I have considered a canal boat but that has sitting duck written all over it too.

In my home town I don’t have an accent that stands out. Everyone in my street knows of me. And I bet when times get tough we will all be far more willing to help out and communicate more with each other. I can see fences literally coming down so more sunlight reaches our garden plots.

Abroad you have language and accent problems to make you stand out. The same in the countryside where you are “not local”. Best to decamp from large cities and move to a small town.

James.

The Good Life – http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com

]]>