What We Can Do

There's a lot of gloom & doom going around these days, much of this uncomfortable feeling coming from changes we all can see. The most direct thing most of us are feeling today is the economy.


So what can we do about it? So many of us who see the problem for what it is look at it like a huge monster, and we are individually too weak to fight it.


Well, I'm here to give you GOOD NEWS.


We ARE strong enough. You don't have to change the world. Just change the little neighborhood near you.


Here are some things we can do:


-) Plant a garden. Rather than spending time, money, water, and gasoline mowing and grooming your lawn, start to grow your own food. Either way, it doesn't take much effort.

Perhaps start a business of maintaining gardens the same way there are businesses which go around fertilizing, trimming, and mowing lawns?


-) Set up farmer's markets. Local grown food keeps the money and productivity local, which helps your hometown economy.


-) Barter. We can set up small markets where people who create items we need can be sold to the market, you get a receipt for it, then you spend that receipt in the market for someone else's goods. This makes it easy for people to stay employed, even when there is no money to go around.


-) Set up a still. If you have ever heard of "moonshine" you know what this is. Only I don't mean to drink it... I mean for fuel. A small section of a farm can be set aside to grow plants which can be converted to ethanol. What this does is let you make your own fuel on-site to keep your farm running, no matter what might happen with fuel prices or diminishing supply.


-) Get energy independently. Solar panels are wonderful and quiet but can cost a lot. Another alternative is a wind turbine. Once you can generate your own electricity, global economics of the energy industry can go to hell in a handbasket, and you remain immune. Never paying another electricity bill helps, too.


-) Reconnect with your family, friends, and neighbors. Whether its in church, or just a barbecue where everyone on your block/street is invited, it's important for us as Americans (or anywhere else you live) to remember that we are all in the same boat together, and if we don't have each other to count on, then we really are alone. Nonsense. Collectively our strength and reliance on our brothers & sisters to get through this together is enough to weather any coming storm.


-) Remember that fighting evil sucks energy. Rather than trying to confront evil with the threat of retribution or greater evil, just pull out the rug from under it. Undermine evil's plans by doing good in places where evil isn't looking. Rather than fighting your enemy, help your friends. Instead of spending political energy on a corrupt system, start to build a local, trustworthy, honest, reliable, and accountable system on your own. It doesn't have to be "official" or "on the books". Just do what your heart tells you, follow your intuition, and let that little voice speak out that lets you know what is right.


-) Work on increasing your gas mileage. There are kits out there that can increase your gas-burning efficiency. Or get a more fuel-efficient car. A more permanent solution would be to convert your car to electric. Batteries + motor = a car you can run on your wall socket. If you have wind or solar power, you get your "gasoline" for free!


-) Set up community currencies. These keep local economies going and help the tax man stay out of your business.



All comments are appreciated. Please discuss :-) Also, if you have any additions I would love to see them posted here.


Peace.

[edit on 24-5-2008 by ianr5741]

I suggest we pull our tailsocks up tight and get ready for the ride. Every indicator globally, nationally, and individually we are not in the 80's anymore Dorothy.

Two questions:

1) How do you set up a wind turbine? I live on a hill where we get a LOT of wind, so I figure that's an awesome idea.

2) How do you set up a community currency?

Unfortunately, I live in an area where people keep to themselves a lot. I actually liked that when I moved here in 2000, but I see the drawbacks in this situation. I'm a "keep to myself" person, too, so it's difficult for me to initiate these community ideals.

reply to post by scarlett1125



They are available commercially.

You can even build them. If you know just a little about electricity and how to use general garage tools, you can build one over a couple weekends.


As far as community currencies go, you just have to be a person who can get the attention of the community, and sell them on the idea of agreeing to trade services, labor, and materials with each other. The "currency" is their agreement. You can write it down in a logbook, print it on paper, or if you really trust each other, shake hands.


Google "ithaca hours" for more information on how a city in New York has successfully used a community currency for years.


Here are a couple links on wind turbines:

This one will power a small tv, computer, radio. Homemade less than $100.
www.mdpub.com...


These can power anything, depending on how large you scale up the design:
www.otherpower.com...


If the going gets rough and you need a way to make clean water, here's an idea I came across to get pure water from filth:

Get a kiddie swimming pool... you know, those shallow little blue plastic or inflatable ones.

Pour a few inches of water into it.

Put a bucket or pan in the middle.

Cover and secure the pool with a plastic sheet. The stuff you use to protect your floor from splashes when you paint walls or ceilings is the kind of thing to look for.

In the middle of the plastic sheet covering the pool, place a small object like a rock to give the plastic a slope downward from the edges toward the center of the pool.

Place the whole thing out in the sun.

Water will evaporate from the pool and collect as condensation on the plastic sheet above it. Because of the slope of the plastic sheet, it will run downward toward the middle and drip into the bucket. The water you put in the pool itself can be so dirty it will look like mud, but what collects in the bucket is 100% pure, distilled, bacteria-free water.

Requires no energy (just sunlight) and the parts are under $25. Can make enough drinking water per day for up to 5 people.


Where there's a will, there's a way!

[edit on 24-5-2008 by ianr5741]

Starred and flagged. Great points from start to finish, especially the one about confronting evil with good. Hats off to you.

TheRedneck

What we can do is create more self sustaining communities. Society is controlled by a Monetary System. Few people that aren't controlled by a monetary system are truely free.

All of the problems we have in our society today are effects of greater events. We need to look at what is causing the problems, and then we do something about that.