(no subject)
I suppose some of the experiences I have had working and living in different parts of the country have had an influence on my organizational leanings. Working at various farms gave me a peek into how our food sources function, it made me realize how unsustainable most of our agricultural practices are and how poor the quality of most food really is. I also realized the power of working for a shared goal with other people (it's amazingly wasteful that so many jobs involve as much competition with your co-workers as cooperation, what a waste of energy!). I worked an average of 70 hours per week in a garden and helped grow enough fruit and vegetables for 60 families. I made about between $3 and $4 per hour and lived in a tent with no running water, bathroom, or electricity for 5 months. It made me think about the difference between need and luxury, it made me think about how much I take for granted. It also made me think about the hold that government/big business (it seems strange these days to distinguish between the two) has on the public by controlling our food supply. It is also very sobering to realize that the industry of agriculture is almost entirely based on petroleum (low gas prices... could it be a tactic of incumbents to keep from falling on their congressional seats...?(seats=asses(heh heh)). Oil is used to run nearly all the huge machines used in commercial scale farming, oil is used to import food into the country on planes and then it is distributed by trucks, hell, even most commercial fertilizers and pesticides are petroleum based. Oil is at or near its' peak production, and as the supply shrinks and price grows this cost will directly translate to the price of all goods including food. I wonder if the companies we work for will have the capital to increase our wages to compensate, especially if their operating costs have drastically increased? Oil also feels disturbingly close to blood on american hands these days... Anyway, I wonder sometimes if we could live better and more stable lives if the economies our money moved in were smaller, if more of what we ate and consumed came from somewhere more local, somewhere run with a bit more conscience and foresight What if instead of working for money to purchase goods from corporations, goods that are produced in the cheapest possible way, what if we worked together to provide ourselves with the things we actually need? I am not talking about a return to the dark ages, there are enough resources to live comfortable technologically enhanced lives, but we need to use our technology more responsibly. Imagine being able to sustain your own life, imagine the work you do actually sustaining the lives of others. It seems possible that if we could work together on a community level to provide our basic needs we could all work a bit less, and be less dependent on/supportive of self serving powers that are squeezing people dry and leaving them behind.