Grow Your Own

One of my favorite web sites is the Low Technology Institute, which focuses on low tech solutions to housing, clothing, food, etc., with less or no fossil fuels.

Back in March, they posted a description of their vision: A Low Tech New Deal (far far better than the Green New Deal!) — a plan for how we might transition to better ways of living on this planet here in the United States and in other developed nations.

One of the issues with living low impact is that most, almost all, of our food is completely dependent on fossil fuels for fertilizer, processing, transportation, and so on.

So, the LTI is running an experiment in 2020 based on a simulation of the collapse of the fossil fuel industry. They will spend the year transitioning to growing and preserving as much of their own food as possible.

You can follow along with this “Grow Your Own” experiment on their blog.

Part 1: What if Fossil Fuels Disappeared?

Part 2: When Fossil Fuels Fail

Part 3: Rules for the Experiment

It is people like this who are figuring out solutions to low impact living, we will be turning to in the future in desperation as climate change and ecocide impacts get more and more catastrophic. I am so grateful to LTI and other similar groups who are actively working towards low impact, fossil fuel independent living now.

Photo by Christian Joudrey.