A question of survival
Bill McKibben is not an easy man to pigeonhole. His publicity materials say "Bill is a futurist, philsopher, environmental activist, professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, an advocate and strategist for sustainable local economies, and author of a dozen books on subjects from climate change to the politics of the global economy."
That’s a mouthful in anyone’s lexicon, but his message is simple: We had better find a better say to sustain ourselves because we can’t last long as a society if we continue to depend on oil from the Middle East or big box store items from China.
The key for survival, he says, is developing a sustainable economy that uses food we grow for ourselves, materials provided locally and energy from renewable resources like the sun.
He delivered that message Tuesday to a capacity crowd at the Floyd Country Store. The event — sponsored by Sustain Floyd — is part of the expanding sustainability movement in the area.
Jeff and I looked quizzically at each to other at that gaff, Colleen – we’re sure he meant $3,000.
Later that evening, at the Community Foundation Annual meeting in Blacksburg, Bill kept referring to his visit to Floyd that morning – it was obvious he was impressed. He made a point of saying our next big challenge is keeping out the hoardes of folks who will want to move here to have a part of what is right now our little secret…
Chris
I believe he said the cost of transporting from China went from 3 dollars to 18,000 dollars with the increase in as prices last summer. I wrote it down but questioned such a jump so played back the tape I made and that’s what he said. Looks like you took some good notes too, Jeff. It was a pleasure to have him here in Floyd.
Thanks Chris. I’ve come to the same conclusion after talking to others, that Mckibben mispoke on the $3 quote, and your words further verify that. I just posted an entry on him as well with links to a few youtube videos of the event and a link back here. http://www.looseleafnotes.com/notes/2009/05/i_heart_bill_mckibben.html
Exogenous shock- a term used by economists to describe the phenomenon we are experiencing. $4 gasoline changed our cost of mobility; reversed the exodus of industry to cheap labor, as the cost of transporting went from $3k/container to $18k/container.
Transport of people and foods have similarity, have you ever eaten a jet-lagged tomato? Farmers Markets are the fastest growing sector of the US food system. A shopper has 10x the conversations at market than at a Wal-mart (the largest food chain). Each conversation is an education opportunity.
The farmers market is not something chic and new, actually civilization has been frequenting markets for over 10,000 years, and 80% of the world still does.
350.org is named for the concentration of CO2 that is the tipping point for global warming. Currently our atmosphere holds 387ppm, and it is growing at ~2ppm/yr.
Idealogs that have been marinating in Rush Limbaugh, may continue to deny Global Warming. It is pointless debating a fact of physics. In a short time climate change will be an irrefutable fact. Meanwhile arid regions have become dryer, humid areas wetter. Two hundred-year floods in one month will change anyone’s perspective.
One of the failures of the 50 year experiment in US housing has been phenomenon of starter castles with dual master bedrooms. The economic and social results are clearly visible, loss of skills: couples that can not tolerate each other.
Non-material needs can not be met by material consumption.
Some of the best farmland is now 1/2 acre lots. Sub-D and urban lots create farming and gardening opportunity, where the crop can be food rather than lawns.
Our economy has been built for growth and speed, now is the time to build in for resiliency. Work on appreciation for local practices; food, music, farming, industry. Sometimes immigrants are needed to focus on positives.
The elders were once valued for having witnessed events and holding the world model; present media has elevated the youth culture. We can not all be 30-somethings in Nowhere, California.
The music business has been based on selling music shipped in hard to open plastic boxes, the end of this era will not be the end of music as some in the “industry” would have you to believe. Live music and festivals are fastest growing sector, wherein people consume music in the company of our neighbors.
The energy business is changing as people realize that energy does not come from the wall. Exxon made more profit last year than any firm in the history of money. The dinosaur industries control the rate of policy change by the influence of old money, that is money that has already been made. Vermonters have had a disproportionate loss of life due to the contribution of soldiers to the war in Iraq. This will probably continue as long as parts of our economy are located under someone else’s sand.
Germany (check it’s latitude) is the largest solar electricity producer in the world. As a result of policy encouraging this production.
Cap and trade is the introduction of the idea that we have to introduce limits on the release of CO2, we have to support the recognition of limits.
Bill McKibben is an author from a county in Vermont, population 15k, and a town of 500. How similar is that to Floyd. His first book was the End of Nature, last, Deep Economy, he has been a prolific writer, see National Geographic, New Yorker etc…..
Don’t try to be Robinson Crose. People need dependency to survive. Even animal do.