Exploring the Lifestyle Implications of a ‘Great Disruption’

[featherstick]

There's another huge gap in the article that he slightly acknowledges but doesn't elaborate on. A Great Disruption will mean an economic disruption liable to put a lot of people out of work. Those people mostly have mortgages to pay. They won't be able to pay them and they'll lose their homes. I love the vision of guitar-playing, patched-clothing-wearing, slightly whiffy communities sharing tools and looking after each other in order to ensure that everyone has a crack at the "secure but biophysically minimal material standard of living", but I think a lot of people will lose their livelihoods and homes, and therefore the basic security that comes with them. We are well situated in a nice street with nice neighbours who are interested in growing food, lend each other tools and time, look out for each others' kids. We live on a river, we have a garden and an allotment, we use about 1/3 of the average gas and electricity consumption of a similar house and family. But we have a mortgage and so we need to earn a certain amount each month to pay it. Being a local "jack of all trades" and reducing consumption may cover it, but I doubt it. To be fair, the author didn't set out to write about the economic implications of a Great Disruption, but I can't help feeling that the cooperative, locally-based, mutually supportive post-Disruption scenario he so greatly enjoys will be reserved for the happy few without large mortgages and with some access to land.

[emordnilap]

if it it helps to move some people in the right direction, it's a start.

Rather than be critical, I agree with the above. The more people talk and learn about such stuff now, the more likely his hopes for a prepared descent will be fulfilled.