Living Green
Saving the Planet is the biggest challenge to ever face Humanity but what can we do about it?
We are NOT Powerless! We have the knowledge, skills & technology to prevent catastrophic Climate Change- BUT the last generation that can do so. It is up to us to decide whether we have a future or not.
The modern lifestyle for most relies totally upon the commercial infrastructure where people have to work for tokens which are then exchanged for goods in order to live. For example food travels thousands of miles, goes through many processes and eventually lands in the shops covered in plastic that later ends up in landfill. You have no idea where the food has come from or even what is in it. We are likely to spend more time picking a good mechanic then we would pick a good supplier of food. What happens if and when the corporate infrastructure fails? Well this can be seen all around the World where countries fail to meet the basic needs of humanity. You may be lucky in that you live somewhere that currently has the money to provide more than what you need but what about the unlucky ones and what happens if your luck runs out? Being independent of the system has to be a viable solution not only at a local, individual level but as a model for existing on this planet.
It is an irrefutable fact that we have caused Climate Change and this is the biggest emergency to ever face this planet since we became a part of it. I do not know if we can restore the balance but I do know that if we do not try it would be a sad end to life.
The Governments are not helping and their wars are not my wars, their policies are not mine and their actions are not in the interests of the planet or even humanity but instead to fulfil their own wants. The governments are the oil, weapons & chemical industries. Don’t be fooled into believing they are not commercially part of these because they are some of the biggest shareholders in the scourge of society. War, pollution and disease are big business so why do we entrust our independence to such rogues? Because they have lead many of us to believe that dependence upon their system is the only way to exist. This just isn’t true. Consumerism is a sham and technology invents something we do not need and then it is up to the marketers to convince us that we need it in order to create a market. We buy so much shit, throw it away and buy more shit to replace the shit we realised we didn’t need. When I left the UK I tried to sell the contents of my house as I couldn’t afford to transport it. The stuff wasn’t great but it was ok and it all worked but I couldn’t even give it away. People just wanted to get new stuff on their credit cards.
Take for example the financial system; it is just numbers on a computer screen and billions get wiped off and people suffer as a result. How can this be because it is just numbers on a computer? Ridiculous! Those with money have and those without have not. The financial systems are already crumbling and I believe that is because they are no longer required unless of course we wish to continue in a World where dominance and power are seen as still being needed? In a World where there is enough for everyone why is it still that some have and some have not? My views may be radical but they are based on clear sensible logic and there really is a better way to live. I hope for a World where there are no borders, no money, where communities work together and we live in harmony with the planet. The Enlightened Age is coming and it is only because of our recent past that we now have an understanding of what that actually means. We know what we do not want and we have the power to change it and that means YOU.
Are we really that lost as a society that we cannot live in harmony with each other and use everything we have rather than create more shit?
Is there a better way to live? Most definitely ‘Yes’ is my answer. Ask anybody if they believe we are living in the best way possible for what we now know and they should answer with a resounding ‘No’. “But what can we do about it; the problems are so much bigger than anything I can do?” I can answer that quite simply.
The Human Race has shaped this planet into what it is today so we can re-shape it to be exactly what it should be, A Paradise on Earth.
We are the generation that can change things and without us doing exactly that their will be very little left for our descendants. Is the life purpose for many of us merely to work until 65 in jobs we find unfulfilling, to have children and then die? That sounds like a waist of life to me and all rather depressing. We have a chance of being the hero’s rather than villains and believe it or not we can change things.
So how do we do it? Well for me it was about buying a small ranch and doing my best to make it pay for itself and I am starting my journey. I was in the Rat Race and faced the same future as many of you but I have made a change and there is no going back. Think outside of the box and ignite your imaginations. Here are some general ideas and principles of life for the individual, community and planet. Some may initially see these things as impossible but like I said before:
The Human Race has shaped this planet into what it is today so we can re-shape it to be exactly what it should be, A Paradise on Earth.
The Individual:
As an individual you make choices everyday even if you feel that you are in fact just reacting to life around you. You choose what to buy, your mode of transport, who you vote for, you even decide if and when you want children. This choice is key because you can choose to live a better life which in turn offers better opportunities to your descendants. The commercial World would rather you chose their shit and remain captive.
So does this mean that you need money to be green? No certainly not. Think of it this way…. Today you are living in the system and today you decide to go to the supermarket to buy your potatoes. You now have a means of growing your own potatoes not just for today but forever if you look after them right. All you really need is a plant pot and some soil. You have become independent for potatoes. Now apply this model to as much as you can and you begin to become responsible for yourself and independent. There are also the benefits of knowing where your food came from, satisfactions of growing it, free food (apart from effort), helping the planet and more importantly setting examples to those around you. There is much happiness to be found in taking care of you & your family. We existed in communities before and we can do it again. How many of you know your neighbours by name and help each other out when in need? The City dwellers answer is likely to be “not many and not often”. This has been one of the saddest loses in recent times and has added to the individualist view of every man for themselves as we cram as many people as possible into unsustainable Cities. How nice would it be to have a community where everyone helped each other out? It is only convenient to follow the system if in fact you are part of it. By breaking free you become you own master rather than a slave.
So as an individual you can change and by doing so you help the critical mass grow so that we influence the future of the planet in a positive way. Here are some ideas.
- Create your own produce or buy locally
- Recycling is good but it is better not to create the waste in the first place
- Stay away from the large supermarkets
- Grow as much as you can yourself
- Try to travel less by being situated close to likeminded people, family or communities
- Move away from the Cities
- If you can move to somewhere where you have some land even if it is just a garden
- Support alternative energy initiatives
- Work with like minded people
- Go on as many Green demonstrations as possible. Governments only change when its people march en mass
- Make the most of your natural resources
- Read, Research, Learn, Implement, Review and Teach others
- Encourage others to do the same and lead by example
- Be happy and look after your health, spirit & your surroundings
If you can set up a small farm and look for others who can work with you in creating a community then do it. Maybe start by having a chat with your family and friends and see who may be interested in starting a new life of harmony where you are in control of your own destiny. Hopefully you will have a good mix of skills and personalities that could all benefit from working together? If not there are communities that you can join and be part of. There is a wealth of information on the internet and more and more people are waking up and realising that there is a life that is worth living out there.
It isn’t just about saving the planet it is about being physically, spiritually and consciously connected to your environment and feeling the deep joy and happiness that brings. We are part of this Universe not external to it.
Everything is possible!
Eco-Villages or Communities
This isn’t a new idea, far from it, and these exist now. Have a look on the net and you will see some really quite glorious places like Findhorn in Scotland. You can join a community or start your own. Starting your own obviously has a cost as you need land and accommodation but as there are more of you it becomes more viable. Hopefully you will have a mix of skills or at least a willingness to learn new skills. For example you may have a builder, mechanic, teacher, nurse or you may just have no skills but a little bit of faith and willingness to learn. Both ways it is workable and I am on the ‘Eager Learner has to do it to survive’ pile. If you had 4 families who all had their own homes currently you could pool resources and comfortably afford a small farm somewhere that could produce enough for not only the families but with excess for trade. It is hard work but it is rewarding and it is ‘real’. If you do not have enough to set up in this country look abroad or maybe plan to do it in the next 5 years perhaps.
So what do you need to think about?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Decide on whom you want to be part of your community or which community you are interested in being part of. They will need to be people you trust and get along with and they need to share your ideals and values.
- Find the right place. It must be viable as a working farm and should have its own water supply and natural resources wherever possible. It will need to be able to sustain a varied crop as well as animals and of course yourselves.
- What can you do the manual way and what technology and machinery will you need? How will you power machinery if you have to have it?
- What about power, lighting & heating?
- If you plan to trade excess produce who is your market?
- Do your research.
- Ensure you think about a governance model so that you can ensure you have a means of making agreements & decisions.
- Check on the building regulations. Worthy of note that eco-friendly villages are getting more sympathy from council planners nowadays.
- Decide which animals to keep. Goats are much better than cows and are more economical to look after and give greater returns. Chickens & rabbits are also a good choice. Maybe you want to go vegetarian; even better. If choosing livestock go for quality as this will pay for itself in the long run.
- Think about everything you buy and or use and maximise it. There shouldn’t be any waste; everything has a use.
- Think about transport. One vehicle for everyone? Maybe no vehicle at all and if you are in a community you may find there is less need to travel so animal drawn carriages become a viable option.
- Think about how people used to live 100yrs ago and then add some of our technology and you have a pretty nice set up.
Everything is possible!
The Planet
So if we move to being independent and we teach others sooner or later it becomes the norm where we all live in harmony with our surroundings. If there were no countries or borders, no money, no government, no pollution then we would probably find we are living in Heaven on Earth. Sound crazy?
The Human Race has shaped this planet into what it is today so we can re-shape it to be exactly what it should be, A Paradise on Earth.
We would find that the crowded places become less so and people would naturally migrate to places that suite their needs. It would make no difference if you lived in Africa because everyone is equal and the technology exists whereby even the most arid landscapes can become green and support life.
Individual action is the force behind change. This is your planet and your time to take over from those that would see it wither and die.
We will keep you updated with our journey to self sufficiency and hope we can offer help to those wanting to do the same.
Thank you for reading.