Collapse now and avoid the rush

hodson2k9 · Post by **hodson2k9** » 10 Jun 2012, 16:25

What about hooking up with another family, cohousing and the like, maybe start a CSA?

Not only do i live in social housing but i also live off the state

. As i said all i can do is hope for the best.

What is CSA?

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 10 Jun 2012, 16:40

Catweazle wrote:I advocate adjusting your lifestyle now, while you still have choices. Some people will not do it, they will carry on, hoping things will get back to normal. For them, the future looks difficult.

That applies to many perhaps, I just hope things don't get back to normal. The system needs a change as the resources will reduce.

Others will be pioneers, leaving their past behind and building sustainable futures initially for their families but long-term for everyone.

Usually that means young or well heeled. Not everyone can be a pioneer, especially in the UK, there's no space left.

The third type, who I have little sympathy with, are aware of the coming problems but are either too idle or too nihilist to change their lives.

That's uncharitable. It may be near impossible for them to make big changes. If they are carrying on with BAU because they refuse to see the problems, that's another matter.

Lord Beria3 · Post by **Lord Beria3** » 10 Jun 2012, 16:47

As Greer himself says in the blog, it is wholly unrealistic to expect everybody to go of to Scotland and live of the land.

So to expect everybody to completely change their lifestyle is wrong.

However, everybody can rethink and look at ways of reducing their energy 'footprint' and reduce their costs with the long-term aim of becoming more resilient and sustainable.

peaceful_life · Post by **peaceful_life** » 10 Jun 2012, 23:36

hodson2k9 wrote:

What about hooking up with another family, cohousing and the like, maybe start a CSA?
Not only do i live in social housing but i also live off the state . As i said all i can do is hope for the best.

What is CSA?

Community supported agriculture, bit like market garden allotment on steroids (no GMO pun intended) ;-0)

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 11 Jun 2012, 06:54

hodson2k9 wrote:

What about hooking up with another family, cohousing and the like, maybe start a CSA?
Not only do i live in social housing but i also live off the state . As i said all i can do is hope for the best.

What is CSA?

Not by choice, I hope

hodson2k9 · Post by **hodson2k9** » 11 Jun 2012, 09:17

ziggy12345 wrote:
Not by choice, I hope

Obviously not!!

Do you really think, knowing what i do, that i would choice to live off the state knowing full well that the state won't be able to support me and my family in the very near future.

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 11 Jun 2012, 21:27

hodson2k9 wrote:
ziggy12345 wrote:
Not by choice, I hope
Obviously not!!

Do you really think, knowing what i do, that i would choice to live off the state knowing full well that the state won't be able to support me and my family in the very near future.

Don't despair, if you do all is lost!

I've been digging about for a couple of days now and realised I can do a lot more than I thought and I've got a LOT more options than I thought. If I really work at it I can be in a pretty good position in about eighteen months. That's without getting my allotment this time around

but I'm No1 on the runway for the next one

For example, I've been out of work since 24th December except for three weeks which ended last week. There's no work for lorry drivers around here but I've found a company down south who are short and will find accommodation. It's a PITA but provides a base to build on. I'm waiting for the details from them. This short term pain for long term gain is a very common theme on this board. It will also be a dry run for when TSHTF properly.

Bottom line...not everybody will want, or be able to, live in a hobbit hole on a smallholding. Find the future you'd like and start working out how to get there.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 11 Jun 2012, 22:30

SleeperService wrote: Find the future you'd like and start working out how to get there.

In a nutshell.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 12 Jun 2012, 09:52

Catweazle wrote:
SleeperService wrote: Find the future you'd like and start working out how to get there.
In a nutshell.

Oh, and start 10 years ago...

hodson2k9 · Post by **hodson2k9** » 12 Jun 2012, 10:25

SleeperService wrote: Find the future you'd like and start working out how to get there.

The only future I'd like is to ensure the survival of my children. Unfortunately i don't have the skills, knowledge or money to ensure that, and i doubt there's enough time left for me to learn the required information.

At the moment im just trying to find work. Apart from the odd temp work (through agencies) i am having no luck. I was considering going back to college (part time) to learn something that will be useful through the coming crisis but i doubt there's enough time left to even finish a course.

What course's would people recommend me looking into?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 12 Jun 2012, 10:42

hodson2k9 wrote:I was considering going back to college (part time) to learn something that will be useful through the coming crisis but i doubt there's enough time left to even finish a course.

You old doomer you!

hodson2k9 wrote:What course's would people recommend me looking into?

It depends upon your current skills and what's available. I just learnt how to weld, for instance (you don't need a course for that, just someone to give you lessons) but I would like to learn more about electrickery - DC/solar/wind particularly - which might take a fair bit more time...if there was a course around.

Fixing machinery is a useful skill; foraging for food is another. Alcoholic beverage making is really useful. Just about any building skill will be handy.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 12 Jun 2012, 11:14

hodson2k9 wrote:The only future I'd like is to ensure the survival of my children. Unfortunately i don't have the skills, knowledge or money to ensure that, and i doubt there's enough time left for me to learn the required information.

Sometimes looking into the future can be daunting, start by looking at the floor, say to yourself "I'm right here, right now, I'm alive and I can move in any direction".

You are motivated, you will survive, probably doing something you haven't yet thought about. There are several books available on the "Forgotten Skills" theme, they might be worth your time. Above all, stay positive and remember that sometimes even a wrong step is better than no step at all - don't let stress paralyse you.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 15 Jun 2012, 21:17

So, Greer's idea is that we all start our own personal collapse, basically from where we are now. And we've established through this thread that this will present different challenges to different people.

At the same time, we have the politicians (of all colours) continuing to push the mantra of economic growth, and scoring points off each other in the process. (It was listening to Ed Balls today that made me think of this).

Now, imagine how it would be if the politicians accepted and acknowledged Greer's viewpoint, and decided to pursue a policy of assisting us all in our personal collapse endeavours, going WITH the flow rather than AGAINST it.

So, my question is; "What one policy could the Government adopt that would allow the citizens of the UK to manage their personal collapses effectively?"

mobbsey · Post by **mobbsey** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:18

hodson2k9 wrote:The only future I'd like is to ensure the survival of my children. Unfortunately i don't have the skills, knowledge or money to ensure that, and i doubt there's enough time left for me to learn the required information.

Just go camping regularly with the family. Start in the Summer, and then slowly spread your outings towards the Winter. Likewise, you might start by eating food heated from tins, and then work your way towards cooking from raw ingredients over a small fire. Then bring some of those skills home -- e.g. turning the heating down and wearing some extra layers.

Handling the crises of depletion is a bit like camping... but at home!

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 16 Jun 2012, 09:43

@mobbsey

That's a superb idea and so simple to do. Brilliant

@tarrel

Revise the planning laws to make it easier to build efficent structures. Aspects of the French system are very good in this respect.