tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post4118520664036138611..comments2024-03-16T09:24:45.474+01:00Comments on 22 Billion Energy Slaves: Living with lessJason Heppenstallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-30099517171126565402012-05-24T16:32:46.450+02:002012-05-24T16:32:46.450+02:00Such comments/tone/reactions are par for the cours...Such comments/tone/reactions are par for the course and part of the reason I quit blogging. Check out the Wheaton Eco scale (applies to everything when it comes to understanding other people's reactions).Early Retirement Extremehttp://earlyretirementextreme.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-55428792224787689592012-05-23T13:46:05.444+02:002012-05-23T13:46:05.444+02:00Yes, and at least astrologers could appreciate the...Yes, and at least astrologers could appreciate the fact that some things in life are unpredictable!Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-6945615933455271842012-05-23T13:44:07.684+02:002012-05-23T13:44:07.684+02:00I'd be very into the idea of buying a cheap ho...I'd be very into the idea of buying a cheap house on some cheap land. Of course, there are many things to consider. I have a colleague who was interested in buying a cheap house here in Copenhagen. I looked at the pictures and urged her to go for it - it seemed like it only needed minor repairs. Then, she told me WHY it was cheap: it was built on toxic land and you had to wear rubber gloves when gardening!<br /><br />So, if you do, make sure you check it out first.<br /><br />My theory is that it's best to insert yourself into a community and think about accommodation afterwards. Renting in the short term gives you a lot of flexibility. I'm anticipating some decent property price crashes - so it pays to be 'on the spot' so you can snap up whatever is available.<br /><br />Also, moving to a tightly-knit community could have its drawbacks too. You don't want to still be feeling like an outsider ten years down the line!Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-86359717743930388102012-05-22T14:52:30.723+02:002012-05-22T14:52:30.723+02:00And here's another one:
http://www.independen...And here's another one:<br /><br />http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/life-as-a-hermit-my-life-is-a-great-adventure-7771209.htmlJason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-14637573036641020972012-05-22T07:37:18.296+02:002012-05-22T07:37:18.296+02:00Hi Jason,
Thanks for the reply.
How do you feel ...Hi Jason,<br /><br />Thanks for the reply.<br /><br />How do you feel about buying a cheap house or land, ideally without getting into debt?<br /><br />One thing that worries me about a post-peak oil future is having to make rent payments when one's job might disappear. In the States, at least, they won't hesitate to turf you out if you don't pay your rent, and they won't care how bad the economy is. Look at all the people this has already happened to.<br /><br />The problem, of course, is saving any money in this economy (to purchase land or a house) and the fact that having a fixed abode ties you to a place that may become unsavory. <br /><br />Do you feel that renting in a tightly-knit community and becoming an active part of that community is the best option?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-57368630055997368312012-05-22T07:18:28.063+02:002012-05-22T07:18:28.063+02:00Medieval royal courts were advised by astrologers....Medieval royal courts were advised by astrologers. Today's governments are advised by economists.Gidon Gerbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-32791685662409260452012-05-22T01:19:04.506+02:002012-05-22T01:19:04.506+02:00I used to live in a townhouse in a Seattle suburb-...I used to live in a townhouse in a Seattle suburb--still urban, but a car was required. Our house was surrounded by the American style of apartment complexes: two- or three-story buildings of 8-12 apartments, surrounded by parking lots. <br /><br />On walks, I would pass their prominent dumpsters. Two were provided: a huge green dumpster for trash, and a smaller set of blue plastic wheelie carts for recyclables. Both were inches from each other and clearly labeled in English, Spanish, and some other languages as required by the city and county.<br /><br />Nobody bothered to recycle. On walks I couldn't stand to pass by and would fish out newspapers, cans, plastic laundry bottles, and loads of cardboard, filling the recycling in about 15 minutes work. Most horrible to me were Sundays, when somebody who delivered papers would dump off their excess. The trash dumpster would be two feet thick with brand new Sunday papers. I would jump in and throw them into the recycle bins.<br /><br />I was out of work for several months and would spend about an hour some mornings pulling recyclables out. It was endless work, and I only kept up with one or two dumpsters. The waste was absolutely staggering. <br /><br />On other occasions I picked up lamps and furniture that had been set out. There seems to be a common courtesy here to leave things others might use off to the side, in little protective piles. <br /><br />Derek<br />dex3703.wordpress.comDerekhttp://dex3703.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-5582048437000753222012-05-21T21:12:12.515+02:002012-05-21T21:12:12.515+02:00Hello Anon.
I will get around to writing about i...Hello Anon. <br /><br />I will get around to writing about it shortly, but I've actually been through a collapse-lite myself. It occurred when we lived in Spain and everything began to fall to pieces in 2008. It is still ongoing, of course, and it was quite enlightening to watch regular middle class folks gradually lose practically everything and end up living off boiled potatoes and rice.<br /><br />What I learned was that when the going gets tough: a) You soon find out who your friends are and b) People with the right mental attitude are far more inventive and resilient than you would have formerly supposed. Suddenly everyone seems to be full of good ideas (only a few of which make it to fruition) and as long as you make the effort to help out and join in, nobody will let you starve.<br /><br />I don't anticipate a 'fast collapse' - but probably a few horrible roller coaster years followed by a period of calm and a general realignment of perspectives at a lower level of material comfort. <br /><br />There's no point isolating yourself - that's probably the worst thing you can do (see my comment to Wolfgang above).Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-55982474402048995872012-05-21T20:58:20.977+02:002012-05-21T20:58:20.977+02:00Thanks Wolfgang. I was going to get around to the ...Thanks Wolfgang. I was going to get around to the idea of community and neighbourliness in next week's post!<br /><br />Anyone who thinks they can be a self sustaining 'rock' should go and visit the more Mafia scarred places in Sicily. There, between villages, you won't encounter a single (literally - single) dwelling. Anyone foolish enough to think they could go it alone tended to find themselves occupying a deep fissure on top of some lonely crag or other. True strength lay in living within a small community.<br /><br />That's one thing that worries me about my current situation. Here in Copenhagen society is very atomised and we don't really have friends or people we can rely on. Hell, I only spoke to our next door neighbour for the first time last week - after four years (when she complained about my lovely vegetables)! Feels like skating on very thin ice ...Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-65749243629527617342012-05-21T20:47:02.040+02:002012-05-21T20:47:02.040+02:00Gidon, unfortunately most economists are one trick...Gidon, unfortunately most economists are one trick ponies. As long as it involves consuming more and keeping the growth wheel turning then people will continue to listen to them.<br /><br />Fortunately there are other people who are more deserving of our attention, such as E.F.Schumacher, and anyone else who has taken his ideas and updated them (like Tim Jackson, John Michael Greer et al.).Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-91729989932230401212012-05-21T17:47:04.422+02:002012-05-21T17:47:04.422+02:00Hi Jason,
Great post this week.
It's very ra...Hi Jason,<br /><br />Great post this week.<br /><br />It's very rare to hear of someone who actually practices what they preach. In fact, I suspect that most peak oil-aware folks, including quite a few who blog on the topic, merely talk about the issue but never take any real action.<br /><br />However, I do have a question for you. This is also something I want to ask Mr. Greer, whose blog I know you read. My question is this: Do you think that the actions you are taking now will help in the event of a rapid collapse? I mean, does in matter if, say, one has gotten rid of one's car and moved to a small town within walking distance of the supermarket. What happens when the shelves of that supermarket are bare? <br /><br />I guess it all comes down to how fast the collapse happens (or if it happens at all). Do you see your present way of life as useful practice for privation? Or, does it also serve another purpose as we head into the era of scarce oil?<br /><br />I ask only because I find myself wondering what is the best path to take. Orlov always says it's a mistake to bug out too soon or even start preparing too soon. But, I do wonder - as all peak oil-aware people must - what happens if the collapse is sudden. So, I find myself vacillating between paralysis and wanting to go buy a small plot of land very far from the crowds and start living like an 19th-century farmer. <br /><br />Your thoughts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-61099742658688358772012-05-21T16:58:32.047+02:002012-05-21T16:58:32.047+02:00"All this was a very circuitous and long-wind..."All this was a very circuitous and long-winded lead-in to what I promised to talk about this week, namely, how to prepare for the coming energy crunch and all the associated chaos."<br />Good post, Jason. Scavenging and doing with less are good survival skills, both of which I practice. I would also like to add relationship building to the mix. Unless you are entirely self-sufficient, and who in a city can be, it helps to have people whom you trust and who trust you that you can count on for services and barter. Some of it can be fairly simple such as old-fashioned neighborliness, of helping others out, bringing them food when they are sick, helping with repairs, lending them tools, taking care of their pets or children when they need to be away, watering their plants and so on. They in turn can do things for you. And it helps to have these relationships established while times are still good, when most people could as easily buy the services that you are willing to offer for free.<br />A friend of mine tells the story of an aunt who was able to get food during WWII in France only because she knew the neighborhood grocer who would only sell to people he knew from before the times of scarcity. After the war, when looking for a place to live, she would make sure that it was within walking distance of a privately owned grocery store where she could get to know the owner. This was her food security strategy.Wolfgang Brinckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08314364206955412017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-46805650619956068572012-05-21T15:17:05.115+02:002012-05-21T15:17:05.115+02:00Retail therapy for individuals is crazy enough. Bu...Retail therapy for individuals is crazy enough. But the insanity gets worse when economists seriously suggest that all of Germany needs a retail therapy - if only Germans saved less and spent more, the world economy would recover. Apparently it does not really matter what they buy, as long as they spend. As just one of many examples, see the recent article "Germany should follow in the footsteps of China" (http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/8000).Gidon Gerbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-49273880686466560302012-05-21T08:31:20.227+02:002012-05-21T08:31:20.227+02:00Ed - when I first read what you wrote about Walmar...Ed - when I first read what you wrote about Walmart I thought you were being ironic. Having re-read it I can't say I agree with you. It might seem 'cheap' to you, but that's only because of all the hidden costs. I've never actually set eyes on a Walmart, but from what others say, they can't exactly be described as an organisation that is helping us move to a less painful future. Better, in my opinion, to spend extra money on quality stuff that you really need and try to get it locally. That way you'll be lending a lifeline to people and small businesses who will be your providers when the big boxes are no longer a viable business proposition.<br /><br />My point about getting stuff from the dump has been seized upon on a couple of other blogs - not in a good way. When I moved to Copenhagen I moved into an apartment that was totally empty. Instead of maxing my credit card out on new items of furniture, as is the norm, I took some perfectly good items from the waste stream - thus preventing them from becoming air pollution.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-1662738082539202202012-05-20T22:29:06.067+02:002012-05-20T22:29:06.067+02:00This is an excellent post and I like the idea of p...This is an excellent post and I like the idea of practical suggestions on the lines of "peak oil for lazy people", especially as I am lazy myself. I agree with most of the suggestions, particularly about food and clothes, and the "house swapping" idea for vacations I think is excellent and hope to adopt it.<br /><br />I feel qualified to comment, as today I got into a car and drove to Walmart, where I bought $100 of stuff, which I paid for using a credit card. I then went back to my hotel, ate a $14 brunch in the hotel restaurant, and then will get back into my car and drive again to a Walgreens, to pick up a stick of butter, which for some reason I couldn't find in the Walmart, and buy gas. If I plan the rest of my day carefully, I could turn the entire day into an example of "how not to live in an era of peak oil."<br /><br />Of course, I am in this place, where you need a car to run a simple errand at the pharmacy, on business and the firm is paying for the hotel, rental car, and gas. Most of what I bought at Walmart was enough food to last a week -there is a fridge and microwave in my room- so I don't have to go to any more restaurants. I selected carefully so most of what I can't consume this week can return with me (its a domestic flight so I should be able to take a few canned goods in my baggage). I allowed myself the brunch because it was a buffet, so the $14 bought lunch and dinner, with a fruit later on if I got hungry. The other items were some materials for a project I hope to generate some income off of later, three trinkets/ gifts for my wife amounting to $10, and some toiletries. I can get these things there than in the city where I normally live, which doesn't have a Walmart. I combined the trip to the store with going to church, which is really the main way to get some contact with non-family non-close friends in this place. So I suppose there is a point in adapting your strategies to the situation you are in.<br /><br />One thing I actually disagree with is about throwing things away. A commentator on the Marginal Revolution blog pointed out yesterday that the industrialization of China has effectively doubled the world's industrial capacity. This means right now, anything that comes out of a factory is dirt cheap, to the point where getting a new whatever is going to be often cheaper than getting the parts to repair the old one you have. The Walmarts actually make a sort of sense not only as a central distribution point for these ridiculously cheap items (and everyone at the store I went to was obviously quite poor), but in areas where you need a car for any transport, its good to have a central store where you make one trip and load up on everything you need for a month. The cheapness of goods means that if you live in a small apartment, which makes excellent sense for conservation of housing and energy costs, you won't need that many items to "fill it". It may be self defeating go get everything from the junkyard, the costs of getting the item back from the junkyard might be more than getting a new item in the store for most people.<br /><br />In the future, rising oil prices will probably shut down Walmart's distribution system and hence its entire distribution model. At the moment, though accumulating things just isn't a problem (actually also food) if you are poor. In the U.S., what tends to get people is the cost of housing, education, transport, and medical care. We seem to be in a phase of the crisis marked most by bubble and rent extraction, and right now the biggest problem is probably whether to do without and how to do without some previously desirable asset that is now priced out of reach due to a bubble.Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-57636271481150849592012-05-20T22:08:05.643+02:002012-05-20T22:08:05.643+02:00Hi Jacob - you're welcome. Actually it was you...Hi Jacob - you're welcome. Actually it was your mention that led me to your blog, if you see what I mean. I agree that the speed of collapse probably won't be as dramatic as many imagine, but saying that I think it'll be a bumpy ride and I don't want to get caught up in a liquidity freeze.<br /><br />Interesting to note that I just read a few comments about my post, posted on other websites. The general tone seems to be a sneery 'who does he think he is?' kind of attitude. Apparently I dress in rags and feed my kids slops from a bucket! I'll wager that you've fielded a few of those comments in your time ;-)<br /><br />BTW - I'm about half way through your book. A very good read. Just don't tell me what happens at the end.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-16501584460946008362012-05-20T21:12:27.711+02:002012-05-20T21:12:27.711+02:00Hey, thanks for the mention. I actually found this...Hey, thanks for the mention. I actually found this blog from your articles on redherring which a friend of mine (also effectively an expat Dane---as am I) pointed me towards. Small world! ERE was actually started as a "hook" for peak oil preparation (but it's generally intended to have several different goals and benefits). I was a peaknik around 2001-2004; had a website, wrote [part of] a book. To prepare for the inevitable, I adopted a more resilient low [energy and money] cost lifestyle while still having a regular income; then found myself having saved enough money to be financially independent in short order. The resilience works (so far). The financial crisis has turned out to be a non-event. As a result I'm less worried than I used to be about the speed of the collapse. It'll be slow enough for many people to adapt (most just prefer to react rather than act) and, more importantly, it's possible to live a good live with far less resources, most of which can (so far) be achieved simply by reducing waste. The next step is dealing with the World3 (Club of Rome) predictions, but being ahead of the curve and flexible is a big advantage.Early Retirement Extremehttp://earlyretirementextreme.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-73929772866204221812012-05-20T20:21:57.363+02:002012-05-20T20:21:57.363+02:00Jeffrey, you chose your own path. Congratulations!...Jeffrey, you chose your own path. Congratulations!<br /><br />I remember walking around some back streets in Chennai once, and seeing all these people working and living in shacks no larger than a walk-in wardrobe. I thought then how superfluous much of the stuff we take for granted is and always compare how much I have to how little I know most other people have (materially).<br /><br />BTW I'm reminded of a book called Phra Farang that I once picked up in Bangkok. It's an autobiography of some guy from London who became a renunciant in Thailand. I think it was self-published. Maybe you've heard of it? I found it quite inspiring.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-48086060354270839592012-05-20T20:16:14.962+02:002012-05-20T20:16:14.962+02:00William - I don't think I'll ever get to t...William - I don't think I'll ever get to the bottom of the modern Danish psyche. The only thing I can say is that I occasionally meet old folks carting away items that have been trashed, and they feel the same way as me. 'Disgust' is a word I heard one old lady use (and not in relation to me this time!)Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-70278866336715137332012-05-20T20:13:12.966+02:002012-05-20T20:13:12.966+02:00Makes me shiver too. I get pangs of guilt when I c...Makes me shiver too. I get pangs of guilt when I can't 'rescue it all' - but have just learned to let go. Whatever will be will be.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-6743979294518006892012-05-20T18:43:54.554+02:002012-05-20T18:43:54.554+02:00Jason,
The more I think about them burning it all...Jason,<br /><br />The more I think about them burning it all, the more I shiver.William Hunter Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03659156353754825272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-47515848149939724722012-05-20T16:52:54.605+02:002012-05-20T16:52:54.605+02:00Looking at that picture, and your description of t...Looking at that picture, and your description of the items in your flat, it would seem Danes are even more egregious throwaway consumers than my fellow Americans. If there was a pile like that anywhere around Minneapolis, there would be hordes of people waiting for the garbage to be thrown out. <br /><br />Thanks for the description of your lifestyle. I agree, the less I consume, the more meaningful my life becomes. <br /><br />www.offthegridmpls.blogspot.comWilliam Hunter Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03659156353754825272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584699251999622098.post-18143174619673277112012-05-20T14:49:02.588+02:002012-05-20T14:49:02.588+02:00Excellent ideas for living with less on less.
I&#...Excellent ideas for living with less on less.<br /><br />I'm 26 year old and unlike all of my peers back home I went wandering instead of settling down for a career, which of course leads to buying a house and getting snookered as you said. I decided in my teenage years on living a stoic lifestyle, free from constraints and shackling commitments. It has paid off.<br /><br />I studied for free in Japan (MA degree) and have been between there, India, Nepal, China and Taiwan over the last seven years. Despite coming from a lower working class background where air travel is an inconceivable luxury, I've always had the resources to spare for flights because all my living expenses are pretty minimal. I'd take a boat, but that isn't feasible (yet). Even working minimum wage back home this is all possible provided someone lives stoic and has no children.<br /><br />As a borderline renunciate of sorts I often have had the good luxury of living in temples for free, too. The monk's life appeals to me, though I haven't gone that far because it hasn't felt entirely right just yet.<br /><br />I discovered that ridding myself of many luxuries (particularly time and money draining relationships) I suddenly had the resources and time to go abroad both as a student and pilgrim. I had the most educating experiences staying in quite spartan chambers in temples in India. In a Buddhist context the stoic lifestyle is actually made easy because you can rely on the good charity of the community.<br /><br />Places like this:<br /><br />http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQdz7KN8g0c/TZ25YFWC86I/AAAAAAAAAN8/M4xXXcAGvRw/s1600/DSC05346.JPG<br /><br />I know this isn't feasible for everything, but I agree with you that times will get thinner as the years roll on, but if you're already living on a shoestring budget and have the psychological stamina to convert hardship into mental training, then the whole process will be rewarding, perhaps even liberating.<br /><br />Ironically there is much to be obtained and -attained- by casting off non-essentials.Jeffrey Kotykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11466850119342584826noreply@blogger.com