Food for thought- if we are heading for a food crisis related to peak Oil, how getting on your bike and asking your local MP to do so, can help.
Ask your local politicians if they own a bicycle? If so, do they ever use it?
Ask the next government to tax bank bonuses 100% and reinvest the billions of pounds in buying bicycles for students and the long term unemployed; Einstein would have approved of this.
Until huge inequalities are addressed by our politicians (pay gaps between bankers' bonuses and tax payers' average salaries are tackled) many people will have little faith in their elected representatives' ability to govern responsibly or for the good of the majority of the population.
Ask the politicians what their policies will be on peak Oil and how they propose to plan for the long term shortage that oil and other fuels will bring?
What would you and your friends like to see happen? Ask for this when they ask for your vote.
What exactly are all the main parties' manifestos on Peak Oil? No one knows...
What are their timescales? No one has any...
China is buying up huge tracts of land reserves in Africa and other parts of the world. This is to ensure that it will have food in the future. What is the UK and US investing in for the long term? No one knows...We suspect that nothing is being done about food reserves/land acquisition. Why not?
China is investing in high speed rail links.. Not so the UK or the US. Why not? It is clear that oil supplies are going to peak in 10-20 years and then we will be reliant on rail and communal transport, or the country will grind to a halt.
China is putting in place long term sustainability policies right now. What are we doing in the UK?...No one knows...
In 10 years time, we will not be able to make up the lost ground on our misplaced investments (nor recoup the lost benefits.) We only have enough food in the supermarkets for 5 days if Peak Oil happens and we run out of oil. Essential food and other resources that we can no longer import will have to be bought locally. So, what can we start doing about this? Build local resilience, local food supply chains now. We should make a start.
Some other things that you might be able to help with. Small is beautiful. Try to consider your own position in this scenario.
Downsize on car numbers and size- 3 is too many.(2 is also too many.)Do you really need a 4 wheel drive if you live in the suburb of a town. Really? If you don't live on a farm you do not need it.
If you live in a city consider using public transport.
Share lifts and rationalise journeys where possible.
If you can be flexible, look at adjusting your life style. You will be freer and healthier as well as having more money to spend on enjoyable things (that cost less and bring quality of life)
At least down size your car(s) next time you have a chance to.( You will also be creating less air/dust pollution as well as using up less fuel!)
Buy/share a bike,walk, take the train/ tram/bus..even occasionally.
Car sharing/car pools. If you haven't got one locally, perhaps look at setting one up?
This will all save you money.
You can also join a local Transition Towns group. Look at some on the web. Chichester, Lewes, Stroud and Brixton all have them. We have set one up in Wadhurst recently. Celebrate local food, local diversity and activities that build your local community and make it what it is.
They are about raising awareness of Peak Oil and building resilience locally.
Consider your lifestyle choices.
Take the train/boat once in a while.
Recycle.
Grow your own food- it not only tastes better it also works out cheaper than buying it.
Buy local food and services as much as you can. This should work out cheaper, as food will have travelled less far. It will encourage local markets to expand, building links in your local community- more resilience.
Services – using local staff who travel less far to work saves everyone time and resources.= Better value for money.
Feeling reluctant? Can't see the need to change? Why should you do anything at all?
If you take a look at our landvision blog on Climate change (Sept 2009) and the flooding one (Dec 2009) you will understand where the climate is heading (El Nino effect and other changes) and try to begin to take steps now to redress the balance. Its about buying time for our children to act when they need to.
Look into installing solar panels, rainwater harvesting, insulation. Each year if you invest in these alternative energies and conservation measures, as fuel prices rise, you will be glad that you did. Ask local politicians on funding for these changes- we need encouragement to start these changes now.
Set up local meetings, to raise awareness about peak oil; increased understanding will bring solutions and a better world. Green Drinks anyone?
Discuss Peak Oil and other global issues/ or the latest news. They are not going to disappear; better to face them and find solutions now, rather than wait for the impact later. It will also help to give our children more time and their children more opportunity to do things if we start now.
If your job allows it (not all jobs do) maybe you could home work for part of the week and try to cut down on your working week. It cuts out the commute and is green, as well as saving you more time that would have been spent on travel;increased quality of life is worth a lot in money terms.
Just remember, you do have a choice..and a responsibility. Everyone does.
Some solutions are simpler than they might first seem...They just require a shift in awareness and increased understanding. Lets get everyone back on their bikes, including politicians.
Einstein said that whenever he saw someone riding a bicycle, he felt that there was hope left for humanity.
Email us with any comments or queries;
charmaine@landvision.co.uk
or visit www.landvision.co.uk
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