Monday 10 September 2012

Re: {PBJFlorida} The End of Growth, The Start of Community

Miguel,
Thank you so much for spotting this and forwarding to all of us.

This need for preparation is what our local education system, our local governments, our local faith-based communities, our local business communities, etc. should be addressing.  

As we focus our attention on the national prize fight, we allow ourselves to be distracted from the real work to be done. 

jim



On Sep 10, 2012, at 8:35 PM, Michael Rodriguez <fireryphoenix@hotmail.com> wrote:

I agree Jim. 2020/2030 tops.

Miguel 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 10, 2012, at 8:15 PM, jim belcher <jimbelcher350@me.com> wrote:

I agree Penny that friendships can give us a sense of community -- a feeling of belonging. This is important.

I think what  Heinberg and Hedges (and others) are talking about is preparing lots of large (2,000 to 5,000 each) neighborhoods to be self-sufficient and resilient to the coming chaotic forces of economic, social and environmental collapse.   Food, healthcare, water, currency, governance, education, child care, elder care, shelter, energy, communication, etc.

For this we need all the collaboration and collective creativity and collective action we can muster. Advanced preparation is imperative.

And how long do we have to get ready? Some say not long -- 2020 / 2030 are no longer considered radical estimates.  Are we at the starting line yet?  This is monumental. 



On Sep 10, 2012, at 3:58 PM, Penny Villegas <pennyvillegas31@gmail.com> wrote:

This article confirms what Jim has been saying.
But I think many of us are already community. Aren't friendship and common interests community? It requires one more step, perhaps a tragedy. I was at a funeral this past weekend; His death was not a tragedy but a natural end to a long life, but it brought us who had not seen each other for years together to comfort each other, to feed each other.
It's not a commune or ashram but it is community. 
Penny, hopeful... 

On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 2:36 PM, Michael Rodriguez <fireryphoenix@hotmail.com> wrote:
This is what Jim Belcher has been saying all along. Chris Hedges's article, found in the link below, is sad, but should be read by us. For what he states in the concluding paragraphs is the very reason why PBJFlorida exists.
 
Excerpt:
 

Heinberg says this is our fate. The quality of our lives will depend on the quality of our communities. If communal structures are strong we will be able to endure. If they are weak we will succumb to the bleakness. It is important that these structures be set in place before the onset of the crisis, he says. This means starting to "know your neighbors." It means setting up food banks and farmers' markets. It means establishing a local currency, carpooling, creating clothing exchanges, establishing cooperative housing, growing gardens, raising chickens and buying local. It is the matrix of neighbors, family and friends, Heinberg says, that will provide "our refuge and our opportunity to build anew."

 

"The inevitable decline in resources to support societal complexity will generate a centrifugal force," Heinberg said. "It will break up existing economic and governmental power structures. It will unleash a battle for diminishing resources. This battle will see conflicts erupt between nations and within nations. Localism will soon be our fate. It will also be our strategy for survival. Learning practical skills, becoming more self-sufficient, forming bonds of trust with our neighbors will determine the quality of our lives and the lives of our children."

 

http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/growth_is_the_problem_20120910/

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