[Greenbuilding] if we had to cut all our firewood by hand...

[Bob Waldrop]

If I had to choose between a freezer and a refrigerator, I would certainly choose the freezer.  With the freezer, I could not only preserve food, but I could also make ice which could be used to substitute for the refrigerator for short-term food safety, which is the primary purpose of the refrigerator.

But I think this is a worthy project.  (I say as I type my email on a computer powered by grid electricity “although I pay extra for wind generation support” from a utility that generally relies on coal and natural gas.)

Bob Waldrop, Okie City

From: Reuben Deumling 
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2011 2:46 PM
To: Greenbuilding 
Subject: [Greenbuilding] if we had to cut all our firewood by hand...

... we would insulate our houses *much, much, much* better.

If we had to generate electricity to power our refrigerator with a pedal generator...

... we would have smaller and better insulated refrigerators, or perhaps none at all.

If we had to grow the rapeseed and press it into oil and make biodiesel out of it to drive anywhere....

... we would probably bike instead. 

If we did not have the energy slaves (fossil fuels) doing all this work for us all the time we would work harder, waste less, be more likely to live within our means, and rediscover a whole lot about how our systems of provisioning fit together, what makes them go. Sounds kind of back-to-the-land-ey, doesn't it? But what if we really had to all do it this time?

I'm trying to map out and then figure out how to phase out my direct reliance on fossil fuels one category at a time (indirect I hope to get to eventually). It is exhausting just cataloging it all. Has anyone else here tried something like this? It seems like a lifetime project. Perhaps it will become mine.

Reuben



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