You live in the US. Land of the individual. A little less individuality, and a
lot more coming together of the neighbourhood community you live in will help.
Talk to your neighbours and educate them to the possible disruptions you will
all face. Half will laugh at you. No imagination, and an inability to even think
that anything but the status quo will occur. Focus on the other half. There are
some very good web sites that can help you in planning. Contact me if you want
them.
Understand that the problem we face is mainly a breakdown in the supply chains
that we take for granted. But never underestimate the resiliency and creativity
of the human animal, if they are not in a panic. Utilize this always. This is an
opportunity to rewrite the way things are done in our society. I just wish we
could do it with less aggravation.
This is my argument with people in the sustainable ag movement who ignore y2k.
Sustainable agriculture is not mainstream, because the mainstream does not
embrace it. Poor packaging, and dulled reception. But this crisis we are moving
towards, is an opportunity, if we have the vision and energy to make the
packaging more attractive. The reception will certainly be sharpened.
To those you talk to who think the y2k problem is not much of one, well there is
little you can do. We here in North America have led very comfortable lives, it
takes some energy, or a crisis amidst us, to get the mainstream to question the
basic premises of the life around them.
Gary Elliott
Kate Smith wrote:
> Hello Saneteers,
>
> I've been trying to keep up on what's being written on the Y2K topic.
> Thanks to who ever sent the link to the Scientific American site which
> contains a mighty fine piece on Y2K. I am at a different computer or I'd
> send the link out again.
>
> Vulnerability. This is exactly what I feel. I live a few miles from center
> city Philadelphia in a house with a yard the size of a desktop. Even though
> I am an active supporter of urban agriculture, it is hard to see the Philly
> Farms! movement coming to the scale of even feeding 2% of our millions here.
> Grant we can all grow a bit of our food this summer, a few tomato plants,
> some herbs. But how will this really help me in the month of January if the
> food system can not deliver the massive stream of food that this city
> consumes everyday? How will this help our many residents that have little
> interaction with the food system other than to stop at the Wawa or Super
> Fresh for a tv dinner and chips.
>
> I have already had repeated dreams of food riots. Though I am still hopeful
> that all the $$$ and effort people are pouring into the various components
> of the problem will minimize the disruptions. The electricity issue has me
> most worried. The consulting firm where I work in New Jersey has a team of
> energy consultants whose primary clients are electric utilities. I hear
> them talk and it isn't good news. No one knows what happens to the U.S.
> grid if big pieces all go out at once.
>
> So those of you who are wonderfully and safely situated on a piece of
> mother earth that will shelter you and provide you with food, have some
> compassion for us urban dwellers and the challenges of developing a local
> food system.
>
> And I for one would appreciate any information posts on this issue so I can
> keep up, collect ideas, and try to keep this fear at bay.
>
> Kate Smith, East Falls, Philadelphia
>
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