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Food and Water
Food
You don't have to read much in the peak oil area to hear the statistic that
food travels on average 1500 miles to reach your dinner plate. We don't know
where this statistic came from, and therefore don't know that it's accurate, but
it makes intuitive sense. We do know that, unless you're an unusual person
indeed, your food is much more worldly and well-traveled than you are. In the
years to come, cheap energy will no longer be available to ship food across the
globe, so most of our food will come from much closer to home.
You can begin preparing now:
- You can begin eating lower on the food chain (more vegetables, fruits, and
nuts, and less meat, cheese, and dairy). In the future, the former will be more
available than the latter and will require considerably less energy to
produce.
- This sounds contradictory, but we would all do well to become more
omnivorous. If you wouldn't be caught dead eating canned soup, get over it. If
you can't stand sea food, dabble in it anyway. In the years to come, we will
all need to become more flexible. We will need calories, and we won't always
be able to control how we get them.
- You can support farmers in your area by shopping at a local farmer's
market or signing up for community supported agriculture
- You can learn to can fresh foods when they're available so you can enjoy
them later in the year.
- You can learn to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Water
Even those who are doing an excellent job predicting the difficulties we will
have with our food supply are underestimating the challenges we will face
getting clean, safe, drinking water. The problem is nearly universal but not
uniform. In some regions, it is already acute and well-known. In others, the
water table is dropping dangerously, but most are still unaware. And in a lucky
few pockets, there's still a relatively generous water supply.
Here are some things you can do now to improve your water security:
- Plant only native vegetation that doesn't need any additional watering. it
hurts to say this, but if you need to water it to keep it alive, it probably
needs to die.
- Consider capturing the rainwater that
falls on your house or apartment. Right now it's probably just running off.
You can use the captured water for washing and limited irrigation. If you're
careful and prudent, you can also drink it.
- Get to know your water supply. Most of us don't have any idea where our
water comes from. Go find out, and tell your friends.
- If you have a voice in such things (and you do even when you think you
don't), advocate for low-flush toilets and
waterless urinals where you work, live, learn, play, and worship.
- Develop a new respect for clean water. Understand how precious it is.
If you're one of those fortunate enough to be building a house new, you can
design it to trap rainwater.
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