Time to beat myself up
Moderator: Peak Moderation
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- Posts: 6595
- Joined: 07 Jan 2011, 22:14
- Location: New England ,Chelsea Vermont
My daily list would be much like the other 9 to 5ers amongst us, except my 6 mile each way commute consumes about 0.1KWh of electricity. (Since going hybrid, I save more on the food bill than I spend on electricity).
My food intake is largely over processed and over packaged, but it is vegetarian.
The improvement in energy efficiency of consumer electronics means that my consumption of electricity remains static to falling, even as the embeded energy for the imported rubbish grows exponentially.
On the plus side I have finally located some horse hair to mix in with the lime plaster so that I can patch up around the front door after the kids slammed it too many times and shattered the render.
My food intake is largely over processed and over packaged, but it is vegetarian.
The improvement in energy efficiency of consumer electronics means that my consumption of electricity remains static to falling, even as the embeded energy for the imported rubbish grows exponentially.
On the plus side I have finally located some horse hair to mix in with the lime plaster so that I can patch up around the front door after the kids slammed it too many times and shattered the render.
I was heartened to read that it wasn't just me
And thank you for the comment regarding 'thinking' about it... yes, it is constantly on my mind - sometimes the repetitive and wasteful nature of everything seems absurd. You know, when you think "There MUST be a better way".
And I'm not just talking about just myself - I'm talking about society as a whole. It seems as though we are all (or a lot of us) in a trap.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences.
And thank you for the comment regarding 'thinking' about it... yes, it is constantly on my mind - sometimes the repetitive and wasteful nature of everything seems absurd. You know, when you think "There MUST be a better way".
And I'm not just talking about just myself - I'm talking about society as a whole. It seems as though we are all (or a lot of us) in a trap.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences.
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- Posts: 6595
- Joined: 07 Jan 2011, 22:14
- Location: New England ,Chelsea Vermont
Glad to share. I think most of us can see the problem but have chosen to carry on for as long as the current situation pays the bills or produces a profit for our families. No point in living in a bunker and eating road kill while the majority eats steak and lean cuisine The trick will come when we go to the market and our debit card won't work or the shelves are empty. That will not be a good day for many or us.maudibe wrote:I was heartened to read that it wasn't just me
And thank you for the comment regarding 'thinking' about it... yes, it is constantly on my mind - sometimes the repetitive and wasteful nature of everything seems absurd. You know, when you think "There MUST be a better way".
And I'm not just talking about just myself - I'm talking about society as a whole. It seems as though we are all (or a lot of us) in a trap.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences.
A few preparation drills are in order. Have you ever raised a food crop and consumed it? Many today have not. How about catching a fish,cleaning and frying it and setting it on the table? Or a cow, deer, pig or sheep? And then there is all that grain the Vegans plan to eat. How many of them have taken some from seed to table?
We Will adjust when the time comes but some will do a lot more whining then others.
I haven't taken the time to keep a diary of my everyday consumption, it would hardly be vastly different from many others. My tea , bananas and such like are imported but the potatoes , onions , fruit and what ever are from the garden. My water is gas heated although there is a solar water heater in the system.
Work wise I have wondered a bit more as to how my impact has varied. For thirty years I worked in the building industry , almost all of those years in restoration of historical buildings as opposed to erecting ugly boxes on green belt. I would normally drive the six miles to work , sometimes use my bike or get a lift with someone else but public transport was out as we started early. After those six miles I would then use company transport , normally a van or twelve seater minibus , to travel up to a hundred miles further. Anything less than thirty we jokingly refered to as local .
However, that all came to an end when that firm closed down. I'm now self employed and work much closer to home , rarely more than ten miles away. Directly I am using more fuels as I'm driving around fifty miles a week more and also use petrol in mowers and the like whereas previously my consumption was indirect in that it was ''someone elses '' fuel.
Most of the people I previously worked with are also self employed working through agencies and they are required to make their own way to sites so the net result is perhaps three or four vehicals rather than one making the same journey.
Work wise I have wondered a bit more as to how my impact has varied. For thirty years I worked in the building industry , almost all of those years in restoration of historical buildings as opposed to erecting ugly boxes on green belt. I would normally drive the six miles to work , sometimes use my bike or get a lift with someone else but public transport was out as we started early. After those six miles I would then use company transport , normally a van or twelve seater minibus , to travel up to a hundred miles further. Anything less than thirty we jokingly refered to as local .
However, that all came to an end when that firm closed down. I'm now self employed and work much closer to home , rarely more than ten miles away. Directly I am using more fuels as I'm driving around fifty miles a week more and also use petrol in mowers and the like whereas previously my consumption was indirect in that it was ''someone elses '' fuel.
Most of the people I previously worked with are also self employed working through agencies and they are required to make their own way to sites so the net result is perhaps three or four vehicals rather than one making the same journey.