Wacko eccentric? You should try doing this whilst working at an investment bank in the city! It's got nothing to do with what I think I am - eveyone else thinks and tells me that I'm a nutter.
Mind you it hasn't stopped me getting 8 of them to watch "End of Surburbia" (often with their partners) and a seperate 4 reading a variety of Peak Oil books.
My experiences
Moderator: Peak Moderation
That sounds like a challenge!
I've always been a bit 'hippified', listening to psychedelic and folk music etc, so it's a bit easier for people to shove me into that particular 'box'.
My other half is very practical, so I am lucky there. I think she is reserving judgement on the situation, but she grew up in a home with a solid fuel fire and not much money, so she is pretty used to the 'basics' - which is what PO is all about, I suppose!
Speaking of music, I am still looking for a 'green' festival to go to. Maybe we peakniks should have our own music festival, powered with renewable energy! Whatever happened to the REAL hippies from the 60's/'70's - you know, the ones who were into this stuff, and not just into getting off their t!ts . . . ? I've heard of a few things 'round and about, but nothing really RADICAL . . . !
I've always been a bit 'hippified', listening to psychedelic and folk music etc, so it's a bit easier for people to shove me into that particular 'box'.
My other half is very practical, so I am lucky there. I think she is reserving judgement on the situation, but she grew up in a home with a solid fuel fire and not much money, so she is pretty used to the 'basics' - which is what PO is all about, I suppose!
Speaking of music, I am still looking for a 'green' festival to go to. Maybe we peakniks should have our own music festival, powered with renewable energy! Whatever happened to the REAL hippies from the 60's/'70's - you know, the ones who were into this stuff, and not just into getting off their t!ts . . . ? I've heard of a few things 'round and about, but nothing really RADICAL . . . !
Andy Hunt
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
Eternal Sunshine wrote: I wouldn't want to worry you with the truth.
Have you been to the "Big Green Gathering"? It's on every year around August.
I've heard they use Pedal Generators to keep (some of) the PA going, and there's always a queue of willing participants!
I've heard they use Pedal Generators to keep (some of) the PA going, and there's always a queue of willing participants!
Olduvai Theory (Updated) (Reviewed)
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
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tattercoats
- Posts: 433
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Wiltshire
- Contact:
What a delightful thread! Alice, you've inspired and encouraged us all. Count me in on popping in for a virtual cuppa too - and as for 'hold this bit' or 'stir that', that's how I run my house too.
You put me to shame... no, hang on, we only moved houes two and a half months ago, must remember everything takes time. Progress is made. Water butts ordered, firewood got, local connections made.
Alice, you're doing everything I plan to: can I be you when I grow up?
impressed, and grateful to you for sharing with us,
Tattercoats
You put me to shame... no, hang on, we only moved houes two and a half months ago, must remember everything takes time. Progress is made. Water butts ordered, firewood got, local connections made.
Alice, you're doing everything I plan to: can I be you when I grow up?
impressed, and grateful to you for sharing with us,
Tattercoats
Green, political and narrative songs - contemporary folk from an award-winning songwriter and performer. Now booking 2011. Talis Kimberley ~ www.talis.net ~ also Bandcamp, FB etc...
Yeah it is a good thread, great to see that people are already changing their lifestyles and enjoying it! Congratulations to those that have done so.
I'm on my 2nd (final) year of a graphic design degree, and I'm going to complete the course. I plan to work for 2 years in London so I can emigrate with the rest of my family. In fact, thinking about it, the thing about PO that gets to me the most is the way the industry I love to work in is going have to drastically downscale. I don't care about plane flights, cars, cheap goods...I'm just annoyed that I'm going to have to retrain in something I won't enjoy as much. I also have no idea what field to learn about
I'm on my 2nd (final) year of a graphic design degree, and I'm going to complete the course. I plan to work for 2 years in London so I can emigrate with the rest of my family. In fact, thinking about it, the thing about PO that gets to me the most is the way the industry I love to work in is going have to drastically downscale. I don't care about plane flights, cars, cheap goods...I'm just annoyed that I'm going to have to retrain in something I won't enjoy as much. I also have no idea what field to learn about
As an ex-stressed out teacher I feel qualified to give the following adviceI also have no idea what field to learn about.
a) Do something that interests you
b) Do several things, you'll never get bored
c) Don't get stuck in one thing, I decided to become a teacher when I was 23, I gave it up at 32 because I had to lie to my tutor group of 15 year olds with 'you have to study to get qualifications to get a decent job'. It's all rubbish, just do what you WANT to do, the rest will happen, but make sure you have a plan. Life is what dreams are made of.
d) Perhaps an agricultural field ?
Terrible careers lesson over.
True, so true. One step per day soon adds up. Well done on that progress. Don't forget to sit down with a homebrew now and then and feel smug, you deserve it. Got one here now, cheers!everything takes time
I'm a role model nowcan I be you when I grow up?
Oh please! Well, thank you for the compliment, but please keep in mind I tend to act like I'm about 7, when in fact I'm 35. I don't intend to grow up, what's so great about being an adult anyway?
Er, I have a partial answer to this. Some of them went off to live in Wales and do their own thing, and then most of them - like my parents - became consumers and turned into a different version of their own parents. My mother informs me on a regular basis that she rebelled against what her parents wanted her to do, which to an extent is true, but then when I ask her why she doesn't save money by getting cloth hankies instead of paper ones, her reply was "Because you have to iron those", when I looked puzzled she added "Well, that's what your gran does". Rebelled, my a**e!Whatever happened to the REAL hippies from the 60's/'70's - you know, the ones who were into this stuff, and not just into getting off their t!ts . . . ?
Well, anyone is welcome round for a cuppa, virtual or real.
I would like to say a huge thanks for the way this has been received and for showing me that I really am on the right route, and that there are people out there who are thinking like me. It's nice to know I'm not completely nuts.
Just one last question. Can anyone explain why I keep whistling the theme tune to The Great Escape? I really have no idea why, but it keeps appearing in my head!
Please may I ask some possibily awkward questions, I'm so good at those.JLefrere wrote:YI plan to work for 2 years in London so I can emigrate with the rest of my family.(
1) Why emigrate? What's so bad about the UK? Or is it a family thing?
2) Where to? Is it really better than here (I readily accept that absolutely anywhere is better than Milton Keynes)?
3) What if TSHTF before the 2 years are up? What's the plan B?
4) You do have a plan B right?
5) Whadda ya mean do I have a spare room?
Isn?t it the sane people who believe oil lasts forever and infinite growth is a good thing and the government will fix any problems for us?newmac wrote:Wacko eccentric? ... eveyone else thinks and tells me that I'm a nutter.
If so, I hope I?m a nutter too.
The only future we have is the one we make!
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
Technocracy:
http://en.technocracynet.eu
http://www.lulu.com/technocracy
http://www.technocracy.tk/
Hahaaliwood wrote:Please may I ask some possibily awkward questions, I'm so good at those.JLefrere wrote:YI plan to work for 2 years in London so I can emigrate with the rest of my family.(
1) Why emigrate? What's so bad about the UK? Or is it a family thing?
2) Where to? Is it really better than here (I readily accept that absolutely anywhere is better than Milton Keynes)?
3) What if TSHTF before the 2 years are up? What's the plan B?
4) You do have a plan B right?
5) Whadda ya mean do I have a spare room?
1) Yes it is a family thing, my parents are dead set on emigrating, and of course want the rest of us too. I've never liked the UK (although I prefer Milton Keynes to where I study (London!). The outer villages in MK are great, not so sure about some of the central/southern areas.
Anyway, PO aside I'm not a fan of the UK because (in no particular order):
- Half the towns are just generally knackered
- Overcrowded
- Completely inefficient infrastructure
- Dull natural landscape/geography/weather
- Mostly awful and ignorant people (down south at least)
- A lot of rightwing attitudes
- Euroscepticism: WHY?
- 90% of UK graphic design is in London
- Whatever statistic you want, we usually have the highest/lowest/worst in Europe or the world, e.g. $4.7 trillion debt...
- Terrible food (but unlike Chirac I actually enjoyed Finnish food
)2) It's a popular choice for peakniks: we're thinking about NZ. We're taking a visit next summer, and I'm trying to arrange a work placement there with a global company I worked with this summer in London. I will have to see for myself but I'm quite sure it will be much better for us than Britain. BC in Canada was another option, but should you be worried about trouble with the neighbours? Or your supposedly valuable unconventional oil?
3, 4 and 5) Well, if TSHTF sooner than I expect, then a quick hop over the channel to northern France would be our best bet (we have some family over there). I think France will be in a much better position than Britain in the future.
I think my opinion is to do with my background; my family is very un-British, I'm second generation and grew up in a town that's probably more American than British. I've also never had a cup of tea in my life
Update - 2007
So where have the past 18 months gone? What's our situation now then?
We still have the cat, who being self reliant occasionally catches her own food. The garden is really not happening and needs too. We have made progress thanks to the fact that trees when planted will grow. As for root crops, well, I'm not my great grandfather who apparently was a real whizz with anything agricultural. This is an area that needs serious work with this in mind I have cut back on the number of varieties I want to grow and am going to tackleone or two things per year until I have them figured.
Water - we have now upgraded to three 55 gallon butts and one 400 gallon one, we did run out during last years drought, but we lasted a good two weeks before we called it quits.
Clothing - this is something I can do, I am currently producing all of our knitwear, mainly thanks to two knitting machines (one free from Freecycle, the other two quid off our local market), I am also knitting socks (I love knitting socks). I am also taking on items such as trousers, shirts and t-shirtsand am about to start experiments in underwear!
Energy - We now have a regular supply of wooden fruit and veg boxes from our local grocers as this saves them paying for taking it down the tip. We are still based in our rooms 'above the shop' and we are steadily buying tools and improving our skills.
The house renovation is going slowly, but it is improving.
Around me, I now see more people cycling, more people taking energy more seriously and more people installing block paving - can't win em all eh?
So where have the past 18 months gone? What's our situation now then?
We still have the cat, who being self reliant occasionally catches her own food. The garden is really not happening and needs too. We have made progress thanks to the fact that trees when planted will grow. As for root crops, well, I'm not my great grandfather who apparently was a real whizz with anything agricultural. This is an area that needs serious work with this in mind I have cut back on the number of varieties I want to grow and am going to tackleone or two things per year until I have them figured.
Water - we have now upgraded to three 55 gallon butts and one 400 gallon one, we did run out during last years drought, but we lasted a good two weeks before we called it quits.
Clothing - this is something I can do, I am currently producing all of our knitwear, mainly thanks to two knitting machines (one free from Freecycle, the other two quid off our local market), I am also knitting socks (I love knitting socks). I am also taking on items such as trousers, shirts and t-shirtsand am about to start experiments in underwear!
Energy - We now have a regular supply of wooden fruit and veg boxes from our local grocers as this saves them paying for taking it down the tip. We are still based in our rooms 'above the shop' and we are steadily buying tools and improving our skills.
The house renovation is going slowly, but it is improving.
Around me, I now see more people cycling, more people taking energy more seriously and more people installing block paving - can't win em all eh?
He, he,
Was going to post something about how many people had joined PS forum since you first started this thread when lo and behold it turns out you wrote your first post before the beginning of time (according to membership - think that must have been when the board crashed).
Anyway, noticable that all except the emigrant still post as regulars.
Nice to have friends.
Was going to post something about how many people had joined PS forum since you first started this thread when lo and behold it turns out you wrote your first post before the beginning of time (according to membership - think that must have been when the board crashed).
Anyway, noticable that all except the emigrant still post as regulars.
Nice to have friends.
Energy in - rubbish out
It's quite bizarre reading all our old, wide-eyed and innocently enthusiastic posts!
How time has ground us down into the sorry state in which we now find ourselves . . .
How time has ground us down into the sorry state in which we now find ourselves . . .
Andy Hunt
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
Eternal Sunshine wrote: I wouldn't want to worry you with the truth.
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Kentucky Fried Panda
- Posts: 1743
- Joined: 06 Apr 2007, 13:50
- Location: NW Engerland
Erm, is that a serious question? 
Sorry,that isn't meant to be sarcastic. Possibly you don't know, and as far as I know, no other person from this board lives in my street so I'll explain. As I said in the orignal post I have bags of garden, so does almost everyone else in my street, they also have cars, usually one but in a few cases two. Almost everyone has a drive, the average drive used to take up approx 1/3 of the front garden space. When we get rain, it doesn't tend to mess about, so there used to be bags of garden to soak it all up.
You can see where this is going right?
Due to the poor state of repair (I'm on a council estate where many houses have been bought and the others have been neglected by the council), many drives have started to be replaced. Sadly, instead of just replacing the area already taken up by the drive many people are choosing to pave over the entire front garden area or dramatically reduce the amount of garden they have. As a result the runoff is considerably increased affecting others within the town.
So, what's wrong with blockpaving? Well nothing I suppose you can't blame the paving, but the ignorance of those having it installed beggars belief. I understand that Glasgow in particular has a considerable problam in this area.
Sorry,that isn't meant to be sarcastic. Possibly you don't know, and as far as I know, no other person from this board lives in my street so I'll explain. As I said in the orignal post I have bags of garden, so does almost everyone else in my street, they also have cars, usually one but in a few cases two. Almost everyone has a drive, the average drive used to take up approx 1/3 of the front garden space. When we get rain, it doesn't tend to mess about, so there used to be bags of garden to soak it all up.
You can see where this is going right?
Due to the poor state of repair (I'm on a council estate where many houses have been bought and the others have been neglected by the council), many drives have started to be replaced. Sadly, instead of just replacing the area already taken up by the drive many people are choosing to pave over the entire front garden area or dramatically reduce the amount of garden they have. As a result the runoff is considerably increased affecting others within the town.
So, what's wrong with blockpaving? Well nothing I suppose you can't blame the paving, but the ignorance of those having it installed beggars belief. I understand that Glasgow in particular has a considerable problam in this area.