Comments on: O Brave New World, Where Are You? http://amateurearthling.org/2009/06/08/o-brave-new-world-where-are-you/ We're all in this together. Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:45:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michelle W http://amateurearthling.org/2009/06/08/o-brave-new-world-where-are-you/#comment-95 Michelle W Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:48:25 +0000 http://amateurearthling.org/?p=1217#comment-95 The world is too big for me to think and plan for it all, or, at least it will take more than a few stolen minutes (hours?) at work to do so! I think in Alaska this is one possibility - ridiculous fossil fuel prices lead to continued boom economy, especially for engineers, geologists, oil companies for a handful of years. Some prosper in services, some see an eroding standard of life as necessities become more and more expensive. Some relocation of people in the state around resources - esp. developed geothermal resources where industry and population can take advantage of more stable energy prices. Meanwhile, those with long term view form loose groups exchanging information, work etc on establishing permaculture/ecologically designed farms/residences/etc (among the many unsustainable new farms and infrastructure). An increasing share of food is grown locally as the wheat belt comes to us, as fruit growing knowledge matures in the state, at centralized potato storage and root cellars multiply. As the fossil fuel age dwindles, hopefully with the help of economic barriers to carbon, the population also dwindles, perhaps precipitously, as folks move back down south. Population clusters around sources of renewable energy - hydo, already tapped geothermal, wind. These are more prevalent and appropriate to the small populations than nuclear, which is thankfully ignored here. A lot of infrastructure on melting permafrost will likely be abandoned. Population centers will be a reasonable size - a few tens of thousands of people at most. Local economies will still involve the Alaskan mainstays of timber, fishing (hopefully something still lives in the oceans), etc. Permaculture farms of potatoes, grains, chickens, veggies, orchards will be prevalent near population centers. Connectivity of people across distance will probably be mainly by boat, perhaps rail? Farms will catch and impound water in sufficient quantities, nutrients and other resources will be locally recycled. Nature will readily recover from direct human abuse, as it was never high here in most places, but will be adapting to an inevitably warmer climate for some time. Sadly, I think the reality for native groups may be a relocated culture, as old ways become unreliable in a rapidly changing and adapting arctic. Groups move to where the energy resources are, and adapt as well, retaining skills to gain many resources from the land and prospering, many people joining the population centers and helping people learn to live more local lives. Music, story-telling, outdoor recreation thrive and make rich the lives of the people who continually feel even more attached to their beautiful home. A real culture with luxurious weight grows as people become more stable and rooted and dependent on their surroundings instead of the barge from Seattle once again. Although distances preclude large amounts of travel outside of Alaska, for most, resources are spared for electronic communication, and people remain in communication with the world. Neighborhoods put resources into building libraries that act as public spaces for residents to spend most of their free time in. These libraries are architecturally beautiful, well designed, require low energy inputs for physical comfort and serve as cultural and learning centers with books, internet, free lectures and music, kitchens and feasts, indoor play areas for kids etc. Most people continue to live in old era, or not as comfortable homes due to the lack of resources for individual houses, but these homes serve as a place to sleep under a warm blanket, or live and work in when the weather is mild, letting resources more efficiently go to keeping the community libraries comfortable during the winter days and evenings. Not as inspired or creative, perhaps, as Zane's but a direction I could want to go! The world is too big for me to think and plan for it all, or, at least it will take more than a few stolen minutes (hours?) at work to do so!
I think in Alaska this is one possibility – ridiculous fossil fuel prices lead to continued boom economy, especially for engineers, geologists, oil companies for a handful of years. Some prosper in services, some see an eroding standard of life as necessities become more and more expensive. Some relocation of people in the state around resources – esp. developed geothermal resources where industry and population can take advantage of more stable energy prices. Meanwhile, those with long term view form loose groups exchanging information, work etc on establishing permaculture/ecologically designed farms/residences/etc (among the many unsustainable new farms and infrastructure). An increasing share of food is grown locally as the wheat belt comes to us, as fruit growing knowledge matures in the state, at centralized potato storage and root cellars multiply. As the fossil fuel age dwindles, hopefully with the help of economic barriers to carbon, the population also dwindles, perhaps precipitously, as folks move back down south. Population clusters around sources of renewable energy – hydo, already tapped geothermal, wind. These are more prevalent and appropriate to the small populations than nuclear, which is thankfully ignored here. A lot of infrastructure on melting permafrost will likely be abandoned. Population centers will be a reasonable size – a few tens of thousands of people at most. Local economies will still involve the Alaskan mainstays of timber, fishing (hopefully something still lives in the oceans), etc. Permaculture farms of potatoes, grains, chickens, veggies, orchards will be prevalent near population centers. Connectivity of people across distance will probably be mainly by boat, perhaps rail? Farms will catch and impound water in sufficient quantities, nutrients and other resources will be locally recycled. Nature will readily recover from direct human abuse, as it was never high here in most places, but will be adapting to an inevitably warmer climate for some time. Sadly, I think the reality for native groups may be a relocated culture, as old ways become unreliable in a rapidly changing and adapting arctic. Groups move to where the energy resources are, and adapt as well, retaining skills to gain many resources from the land and prospering, many people joining the population centers and helping people learn to live more local lives. Music, story-telling, outdoor recreation thrive and make rich the lives of the people who continually feel even more attached to their beautiful home. A real culture with luxurious weight grows as people become more stable and rooted and dependent on their surroundings instead of the barge from Seattle once again. Although distances preclude large amounts of travel outside of Alaska, for most, resources are spared for electronic communication, and people remain in communication with the world. Neighborhoods put resources into building libraries that act as public spaces for residents to spend most of their free time in. These libraries are architecturally beautiful, well designed, require low energy inputs for physical comfort and serve as cultural and learning centers with books, internet, free lectures and music, kitchens and feasts, indoor play areas for kids etc. Most people continue to live in old era, or not as comfortable homes due to the lack of resources for individual houses, but these homes serve as a place to sleep under a warm blanket, or live and work in when the weather is mild, letting resources more efficiently go to keeping the community libraries comfortable during the winter days and evenings.

Not as inspired or creative, perhaps, as Zane’s but a direction I could want to go!

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