bio-fuel & American grown food...... Why can't we learn to be self sufficient We are throwing all away?

Question

Mennonite's and the Amish live with out Gas and they have plenty of food, they depend on them selves, We have a country full farmers and we buy our food and our gas from over seas. when we could depend on our selves and grow our own food and make our own bio fuel and could make enough to supply all are needs and make our country cleaner healthier and self sufficient, so why aren't we doing it?

Answer 1

Cuba, Peak Oil and Permaculture

You can, America can, if they needed to be. Have a look at Cuba it is THE inspirational model for sustainable living.

The collapse of trade relations with the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, and the tightening of the US blockade in early 1990s ceated a major economic crisis in Cuba known as the Special Period. Cuba lost half their oil overnight, lost 80% inport and export markets, food was scarce; people started to starve. They had a food crisis; they were unable to import food, farm chemicals nor use machinery to grow food by conventional means. Cuba HAD to become self sufficient and sustainable. Sustainable agriculture meant Permaculture style: organic farming, urban gardens and allotments, smaller farms, animal traction and biological means of pest control and fertilisation.

Government could not act quickly enough so gave the power back to the communities as people were starving. They made changes in land tenure, promoted agricultural education and training, and technological changes. Individuals and communities used Permaculture principles as the new model of food production using ecological pest management, intercropping, animal traction, organic soil management and the integration of crops and livestock. Without Oil they now live sustainably, supported by organic agriculture, urban gardens, renewable energy sources and they even transformed their transportation systems. There are approx 2.2 million people in Havana and 85% of all food comes from within the city grown on plots, roofs and in community spaces.

Cubans had no choice but to drastically reduce their energy consumption. However, there have been substantial benefits in Health due to improved diet and an increase in exercise from bike riding/walking/gardening. They have had to develop networks so community is strengthened and many say they have a much better quality of life than ever before. Their new values of cooperation, conservation and curtailment have enriched their lives. Cuba has a lot to show the world with how to deal with energy adversity. The Peak Oil crisis will effect us all, will mean a major change in all of our lives, so Cuba is a fantastic model for the rest of the world.

Of course you can always use Permaculture techniques yourself to become self sufficient in fuel and food even if it is not done by everyone in your country. As you say there are a lot of benefits from being as auto efficient as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7i6roVB5MI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsnuTb4V9Qo
http://globalpublicmedia.com/articles/657
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cohousing/cuba/hab9606/hab9606.htm
http://www.cosg.supanet.com/greencuba.html
http://www.cosg.org.uk/book-review1.htm
http://www.thepeakist.com/the-power-of-community-how-cuba-survived-peak-oil/#more-156
http://permaculture.org.au/?p=116
http://www.cityfarmer.org/NunezUA.html
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cohousing/cuba/hab9606/hab9606.htm
http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-cuba-survived-peak-oil.html
http://www.newint.org/features/2007/07/01/international

Answer 2

The answer to your question is primarily a political one but also an economic one. Self -reliance historically has been a trait of Americans and the American culture, not just segments of our society like the Mennonites and Amish. But advances in technology, as you know, have made it possible to move far beyond that style of living and the vast majority of humans, not only Americans, wish to live with all that technology can prvide - like these emails we are trading - which requires huge amounts of energy that can be produced least expensively by using oil and its derivatives. Also using bio-fuel drives up the cost of corn and the production of corn but provides (and will provide) for only a small percentage of the country's energy needs. Similarly with wind and solar power. There is already a vast amount of research and dollars being poured into these alternatives but the yields are very small. The politics of this question provide seemingly unlimited opportunities for those who wish to misuse or misconstrue the facts to lead many astray in order to garner votes and gain or retain power.
Much more needs to be said to fully answer your question but I hope this is at least a beginning.

Answer 3

Unfortunatly scientists and engineers have to leave the "politics" to the politicians.
Therefore engineering and science in America is almost purely democracitcally driven leaving the actual influence engineers and scientists have on society to be very little.
Ask yourself:
Why does everyone drive inefficent cars?
Why do houses get built with no solar orientation or insulation?
Who was telling the politicians about global warming 30 years ago?
Why are urban districts designed for cars when playgrounds and parks for children take up less than 5% of the city?
Who orders nuclear disaster / scientific disaster cover ups? The politicians are to blame for meddling in science and engineering too much in fields they have no qualification in whatsover, let alone the rest of the general population.
At the moment Australia is 4-6 weeks away from an election and we have two opposing parties both end to end on nuclear power.
UNFORTUNATLY AUSTRALIA has had its general population put up to the choice of having to make the engineering and scientific informed choices on nuclear power in Australia or not, issue.
Which of coarse means that once again, science and engineering is driven by politics instead of the other way around which is the way it should be.
I feel sorry for the Australians who think nuclear energy is in our interests...... I REALLY DO....

Answer 4

Sounds like you'd like to live with the Amish. Why not try it for a while and see how you like it before suggesting we all do the same. Being self sufficient would include drilling for our own oil but the environmentalists won't let us.

I like modern progress and I like watching TV and using the computer and being able to get food at the store instead of having to grow it in my back yard or kill my own pigs or raise my own chickens for eggs.

Note that the cleanest societies are the most prosperous because once all other needs are taken care of, it becomes easier to clean up after ourselves. Going backwards would create much more pollution. Is it any surprise that the poorest third world countries are the most polluted?

Answer 5

Sure, we could do it, but you certainly wouldn't be tapping out this question on your computer.

You'd most likely be in bed since it's after dark and these groups shun electricity and all things technological. Of course, you'd certainly be tired after a hard day at home dealing with 7-10 children (need lots o' kids to keep the agrarian lifestyle going). No work for girls - hubby's the head of the household and wifey must tend to the chores.

Sounds great, huh? But I guess it would all be for Gaia, so you could suck it up.

Answer 6

We buy very little food from over seas. And if you want to live like the Amish, nobody is stopping you. Go and do it!