Sustainable Living and the World Economy

[Oola]

I was having a think yesterday - what, if in an idyllic world, everybody lived fairly sustainably? What effect do you think it would have on the world's economy?

In this instance I'm talking mostly about everyone growing their own basic veggies, consuming less, using less energy and more sustainable sources (wind, solar etc). If people drove less and used more public transport, used less packaging and if they were going to buy, it would be common place to source locally.

Would communities thrive? Would big business struggle? Would that mean people who were employed by big businesses struggle to find work, or would local employment be more prolific? Would the poor remain poor and the rich become less rich? Or would the rich-poor divide lessen into a world of lower and upper middle classes? Who would profit the most?

I would be really interested to hear people's thoughts on this, as I can't quite work it out for myself.

[Ivy]

Oola the trouble is where would people living in cities like myself grow their veg? I have a garden that is in the shade most of the day either from a lovely old apple tree or the neighbouring houses. Heavy soil and slug armies make it impossible to grow food where I live I have tried for the last 18 years and against better knowledge I put some broad beans into the earth because I was told they grow everywhere. I didn't succeed to harvest more than 10 strawberries and a mini,mini,mini pumpkin last year. My family would have died in a famine already. Wish me luck for the beans. I don't think society would work that way any more these days.

[Crocus]

I think communities will perhaps thrive, because they can barter their goods. Big business there will have to be, but they might struggle. If one could perhaps "re-design" the world, start over so to speak, it might work, because then the whole outlook will be different.

[Healing Hands]

It would be a lovely world if we could live like that Oola, I have often wondered what it would be like living somewhere very remote like off the Shetland Isles and then just live off the land, I would love to do it.

Unfortunately though in this realistic world it could not happen. As Crocus said we would have to re-design the world and start again.

[Oola]

Hi all, thanks for your thoughts.

Ivy, I guess that's what allotments are for really - I know from Monty Don's latest BBC offering 'Around the World in 80 Gardens' many Cubans in Alamar, Havana have tackled this problem successfully with special city gardens. Monty reckons it's a model for the rest of the world. Funnily enough, it has attracted most interest from younger people who want to work there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY&feature=related

The whole Havana clip is here.

[Ivy]

O yes we have the so called "Schrebergarten" here as well but city authorities believe they are excellent building areas and do not renew leases. They were actually invented in the 20ies in order to help the working class to feed their children fresh produce. But now with the growing cities they are doomed to vanish and most of them are used as flower and display gardens rather than what they were actually intended for and often the soil is still infested with DDT from times when gardeners were careless about what they used as pest control

[Healing Hands]

I am needing a bigger allotment mine is now almost full and I am having to put things into my garden. At our allotments there are still quite a lot of the older generation and they seem to hang onto their plots forever, but one or two plots came up and there are a few younger people working the allotments which is so nice and they are getting their children involved.

[sunflower]

I think it would be great if everyone could be self sufficient in just one or two things. I know that when we think of self sufficiency, we tend to think of edibles, like, veg, herbs, fruit and eggs. However, already, there are people self sufficient in greeting cards, as they make their own. also, many people make knitted garments, never having to buy ready made ones. It's all very complex though. For example, buying local produce. It sounds wonderful and I certainly try to do this. However, what about developing countries who rely on people to buy their produce to make a living? Should we not have some responsibility for them....seeing as we have encouraged developing countries to send food here?

[keepersdaughter]

Hello Oola, I've been thinking a lot about this subject for many reasons. The world is really topsy turvey right now and matters seem to be getting a little worse each day. Communities and families breaking down, the economy on the toilet seat, etc. etc. Just yesterday I was at the supermarket and went to buy some red peppers. An individual, average sized pepper cost three dollars!. That's about a pound fifty/two pounds sterling. I came home and scraped the seeds out, I'm going to have a go at growing some on my deck (will post on gardening because I have questions). Anyway, I digress.
That, for me anyway, would be a wonderful lifestyle. Though not everyone is motivated enough to stick their hands in the dirt and take on that lifestyle. A shame, because I think at one time everyone did in one way or another, and many people don't know or are not in touch with nature and the world around them. My daughter showed me last night some photographs one of her professors had posted about the horrendous amount of 'stuff' that is consumed and thrown away and wasted each day. I wish I could figure out how to post it. It really shocked me. I have also been wondering about population growth too. Are there just getting to be too many people on earth for the planet to sustain the population?. The world is becoming ever smaller and I think people are slowly, finally beginning to wake up. Maybe we should re-examine what best each country has to offer and work on how best to concentrate on those individual resources. I saw on the news last night that there are severe food shortages in Haiti and people starving. Forests and farmland in South America being denuded to make way to grow corn for ethanol. Yet I read somewhere about the problems growing vast amounts of corn creates - I can't quite recall it now, see if I can find it. This is such a huge subject, no easy answers. And I'm rambling again. But I just wanted to mention I book I've just almost finished. It was mentioned on CL site. The Magic Apple Tree A Country Year by Susan Hill. It's very well written, takes you through the year of tending her garden, cooking, her local community, all the things you mention in your post. An enjoyable read. Eleanor, I saw some Miss Read books in my local library. When I get through a couple of the stack beside my bed, I'm going to start on the Miss Read ones.

[Crocus]

To me earth is seriously talking back, reacting to what us humans are doing to it. I think humans have managed to literally turn earth inside out if you look at all the mining that goes on, be it oil, diamonds, gold, name it. Natural forests are being destroyed for development. Someone once said that we didn't inherit earth, we are borrowing it from our children and grandchildren!

[Ivy]

On the other hand German government encourages people to have more children because we are dying out.