The Future and The Woods (a.k.a. The Village)
I'm watching the film "The Village" and it brings to mind the question that has been weighing on my mind regarding how we can prepare ourselves for an economic collapse.
My concern stems from the inevitability of peak oil and all of the consequences and results that will follow. I'm concerned that it is possible... likely... and perhaps, sure... that there will be a major and long lasting problem with the food distribution system, and that food will not arrive at stores... or that people will not have enough money to buy the food.
This concern is magnified when I think of what is going on in Haiti, which just experienced a huge earthquake and is now in very, very critical condition. Food and security are the two huge issues there, and they very well may be the same two issues here in the not too distant future.
My question has been, how can a community ensure that it has enough food after the food distribution system breaks down... due to inflation, hyperinflation, deflation, a lack of money, a problem with gasoline prices or supply... or some other impact that makes food scarce.
Is it possible to encourage a community to grow enough food, and to store enough food each year, to be able to take care of its own needs?
I'm concerned that perhaps this would be very unlikely without a major event that preceded the shortage by a year, or tow, or more.
Another question is if we can create a currency, a local currency, that will allow us to continue trading... even if the national currency fails.
I've thought about this, and am not sure how to make it work. It seems that any alternate currency used in a region that was not self-sustaining would be quite vulnerable to collapsing itself, or from disappearing from circulation all together.
I've wondered if it would take something like "The Village", an isolated community that does not trade with the rest of the economic system, a small isolated economic system, such as an intentional community or perhaps an ecovillage, or some other area that ends up dropping out of the economic system, and then is able to create its own small economy... which would have to be based on its ability to remain secure and to provide for its own food needs.
The Village movie, which I personally feel was underrated by the critics, brings up many of the issues that would be faced... will be faced... as we move into the unknown future.
My concern stems from the inevitability of peak oil and all of the consequences and results that will follow. I'm concerned that it is possible... likely... and perhaps, sure... that there will be a major and long lasting problem with the food distribution system, and that food will not arrive at stores... or that people will not have enough money to buy the food.
This concern is magnified when I think of what is going on in Haiti, which just experienced a huge earthquake and is now in very, very critical condition. Food and security are the two huge issues there, and they very well may be the same two issues here in the not too distant future.
My question has been, how can a community ensure that it has enough food after the food distribution system breaks down... due to inflation, hyperinflation, deflation, a lack of money, a problem with gasoline prices or supply... or some other impact that makes food scarce.
Is it possible to encourage a community to grow enough food, and to store enough food each year, to be able to take care of its own needs?
I'm concerned that perhaps this would be very unlikely without a major event that preceded the shortage by a year, or tow, or more.
Another question is if we can create a currency, a local currency, that will allow us to continue trading... even if the national currency fails.
I've thought about this, and am not sure how to make it work. It seems that any alternate currency used in a region that was not self-sustaining would be quite vulnerable to collapsing itself, or from disappearing from circulation all together.
I've wondered if it would take something like "The Village", an isolated community that does not trade with the rest of the economic system, a small isolated economic system, such as an intentional community or perhaps an ecovillage, or some other area that ends up dropping out of the economic system, and then is able to create its own small economy... which would have to be based on its ability to remain secure and to provide for its own food needs.
The Village movie, which I personally feel was underrated by the critics, brings up many of the issues that would be faced... will be faced... as we move into the unknown future.