[interdoc-y2k 328] Sink or swim? or Can a Bagelhole be a Life Preserver?

[Bagelhole1@aol.com]

I have come to think that an understanding of human
and social psychology is the #1 requirement of formulating really effective 
responses - not
better understanding of ecology etc (other people here may think: "of course 
- what
else?!"; what I mean is - the more I observe, the more I see that human 
psychoses are
all-pervasive and at the root of most problems).

- thomas beale
>>

Yes, but what causes humans to be psychotic, insane, irrational, 
cold-hearted, and dysfunctional? The competitive structure of the society we 
live in is the obvious answer. Indigenous people (undisturbed by modern 
culture) tend to show a greater degree if community ability. Communion, 
trust, and compassion the missing ingredients of our world are what is 
usually big in theirs. Societies based on genuine community tend to be much 
more mentally healthy and less dysfunctional than ours.

So how do we change the competitive/killer paradigm of our "deathkulture". 
Only one way, that I can see; by creating models of what we want, i.e. 
self-sustainable, autonomous, non-sovereign, mutually co-operative small 
communities/neighborhoods.

 This is not a luddite vision. Y2k teaches us that hi-tech is not bad, its 
just extremely vulnerable. I love hi-tech and low-tech. For hi-tech to be 
responsible, it needs low-tech as the foundation for our infrastructure. If 
we had a strong low-tech infrastructure (i.e. individual or neighborhood food 
production (aquaponics), non-reliance on fossil fuels, water catchment and 
purification, composting toilets, solar passive heating and water heating, 
etc.) the inhabitants of the planet would not be so vulnerable.

 The analogy is the hi-tech Titanic and the low-tech rowboats needed to 
protect the riders of the ship (oops, not enough lifeboats). After an entire 
century, as much as we have advanced technologically, it is obvious, we still 
haven't learned this cautionary lesson. 

At my home in Bayview/ Hunters Pt in San Francisco, we are trying to make 
ourselves a model of low-tech sustainability, such that others are welcome to 
copy.
Currently, the aquaponics system (fishfarm integrated synergistically with 
greenhouse) that we have built largely from found scrap is almost completed. 
Utilizing 2 liter plastic pop bottles in a vertical structure we will have 
720 vegetable sites in a 22'x7'x7' greenhouse, and over 500 fish living in an 
eco-environment, that runs almost automatically with a solar pump. Soon we 
will have photos up under the "Projects" section.

We are interested also in growing the "food for the new millenium" insects 
and worms. Popular elsewhere. The time is ripe for confronting our prissy 
conditioning, where eating meat is not considered gross, but insects are. 
Just remember, meateaters are just one step away from cannibalism. I am a 
vegetarian, but I am giving it up to eat fish and insects.

Then if y2k should cause infrastructure ruptures, there would be no need for 
major concern, as there is now among those who realize that the possibility 
of major infrastructure ruptures is not too remote to ignore, as is also true 
from other disasters (weather, disease, eco-breakdown, natural disasters, 
nuclear disasters, toxic disasters,etc.)

This is why I have an almost messianic zeal to see the world become as 
self-sustainable as quickly as possible. I have a website (non-commercial) 
focusing on low-tech sustainable ideas/methods explicitly for this purpose. 
http://bagelhole.org .Please check it out, it is being fixed up every day and 
is on its way to becoming truly effective.
                                                            Kind Regards,
                                                            Tom O (bagelhole1)
                                                            San Francisco