Developing a self-sufficient community to meet the challenges of sustainability

8/12/2019 Developing a self-sufficient community to meet the challenges of sustainability

1/76

Developing a self-sufficientcommunity to meet the

challenges of sustainability

Dr Simon Michaux

July 2013


2/76

Summary

1. The problems, once networked often have the same signatures and

outcomes

In response, most of the solutions were the same, across the board

So now we can get on with the applying solutions as opposed to focusing on the

problem(s)

2. Who will do this?

3. How all this could be done

A list of tasks and developments were distilled from the outcomes

4. A model for a broad brush event based timeline was developed

A series of probable events on the ground


3/76

The problems have very similarsolutions


4/76

The Glass Rod Experiment

Glass Rod 1: normal glass surface with cracks (normal checks andbalances)

Glass Rod 2: cracks removed (checks and balances removed)

Surface cracks removed by etching

in hydrofluoric acid, leaving

shallow depressions

(Magnification: 500x)

Cracks on ordinary glass Surface

(Magnification: 500x)


5/76

A System with conventional checks and

balances in place

1.2 kg at failure

Failure happens at a comparatively low stress. The damage is much

less. It is even possible to reassemble the broken bits and resurrect

the original system

Glass Rod 1


6/76

A System with conventional checks and

balances removed

22.0 kg at failure

Failure happens at a much higher stress. The damage is complete.

There is no possibility of reassembling the broken bits. The original

system is permanently destroyed.

Glass Rod 2


7/76

We take our modern world for granted. If its too cold, we just turn up the thermostat.

If its too hot, we turn on the air conditioner. If we run short of milk we think nothing of

driving our car to the supermarket to buy more. Dinner can be on the table in minutes

with our microwave. We dress in the latest fashions, laundered by the newest

superpower detergent in our five-cycle automatic washer. And merely flicking a

switch lights up the room, lets us listen to a concert in stereo, or brings the eveningnews live, in colour, from half way around the world. Its really quite a convenient life.

It may not always be so.

Spigarelli, J. The Crisis Preparedness Handbook (1984)

So not only have we become fragile and inflexible, but complacent as well


8/76

Questionable Status

Quo Leadership

PopulationOvershoot

Unsustainable & inappropriate

civilisation profile

Just in Time Supply

Grid Crash

Geopolitical

VolatilityClimate/Earth Changes

Finance/Economic

MeltdownPeak Oil/ Gas/Coal

Civil

Unrest

Questionable

shadow leadership

Fundamental

root causes

In practical terms, what do we plan for to be resilient against, once these changes are permanent

On the ground consequences

No petroleum products

Rolling shortages of

food/groceries

Large scale natural

disasters

Breakdown of civil utilities

No

money

Breakdown of

law & order

Severe legal restrictions

In terms of problem solving, what are we facing?


9/76

Too many people for the

carrying capacity of the local

and global environment

In a society that is hopelessly

dependent on nonrenewable finite natural

resources

Where how they use those

resources is extraordinarily

wasteful and inappropriate


10/76

Past causes of fundamental society collapse

Deforestation and habitat destruction

Soil problems (salinity, erosion, soil fertility losses)

Exploitation of marginal lands

Inappropriate water management

Overhunting & overfishing of natural biosystems

Effects of introduced species on native species

Climate change

That societies understanding of the true nature of the problems it faces

The response of that society to those problems

What is our response to

the current problems?

Problems we

face in

addition

Increased per capita impact of people

Large scale industrial pollution & cumulative build-up of toxic

chemicals in the environment

Energy shortages and natural resource depletion

Full utilization of Earths photosynthesis capacity overpopulation


11/76

Evolution of Society Through a Crash

New System

Balanced, Low

energy, Low tech,

Sustainable

Now

Unbalanced, High

energy, High tech,

Unsustainable

Transition

High risk,

Class warfare,

Necessity only

Time

?Balanced,

High tech,

Sustainable

Full Recovery

200 years

from now?


12/76

Government profile

Utterly dependant utilities and institutions to function Finance, credit transfer, monetary exchange

Petroleum products, JIT supply grid and utilities to do physical work

Dependant on existing infrastructure and paradigms

Modus Operandistructured in context of reliable communications grid andease of transport over long distances

Has a mandate to respond to emergencies

Does not have the resources to deal with large scale problems over a wide

region and will be eventually overwhelmed Will problem solve in a triage fashion according to old paradigm

Will think in terms of Continuity of Government (COG) for its own survival

Will go missing for periods and will struggle to prevent being overwhelmed


13/76

Corporate sector profile Conventional corporate sector is utterly dependant utilities

and institutions to function

Finance, credit transfer, monetary exchange

Petroleum products, JIT supply grid and utilities to do physical function

Fragile system that is unforgiving to volatility

Each corp operates in isolation, depending on the above to simply work

Dependant on a market to make a profit from

Is unable to act proactively as any solution will usually mean

the end of its own paradigm

Conventional problem solving is usually brutal self interest

followed by fragmentation and ends in irrelevance

Will be too preoccupied with their own survival to help the people on the ground

Will not be able to function to serve their purpose


14/76

So who will respond effectively?

Government will be too overwhelmed to be useful

Corporate sector wont be able to function effectively

The people on the ground have the flexibility and capability to respond,

once they had changed their thinking

The work required for self sufficiency is too much for most individuals oreven a single family household to be completely self sufficient

A community of 30-40 households can respond and could be resilientenough to meet these issues

We the people at the grassroots level.

As it was always going to be so, it comes down to us.


15/76

So what do we do?

Who are

we?

What kind of world do

we want to live in

Certain behaviours

have got to go


16/76

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things

Ordinary people will surprise us all.

Government and corporation business probably will not.

Who are you?Im an

Engineer


17/76

The most difficult but significant task in front of us is a revolution in perception

and a restructuring of social responsibility


18/76

Why what we think matters

Energy flows where attention goes

What do we focus our efforts on?

Obsessing over the problem wont actually fix it

There is a lot of work to do, we had best get on with it

The in the world that is coming, the educated will merely be the learned.

Completely unprepared for what is required. Learners will carry the day.

Thus it doesnt necessarily matter what you are now, rather what you might do

Having lots of useful stuff is great but pales into insignificance compared to what is

between your ears, in your heart and in your hands

Flexibility in your ability to respond effectively in all things is King!

We have the power and authority to create a new life

and change the world around us


19/76

So lets start the process of problem solving

A civilisation changing and society-wide shift from our current paradigm

Change from a world-view based on short-range consumerist whim to one

in which we take intelligently stock of what is necessary

It will require us to shift in our attitudes, assumptions and values

A shift from maintaining individual households to thinking in terms of the

community based village as the fundamental unit of society

We will have to evolve past some of our unproductive habits like

consumerism and materialism

This will bring about a re-valuing and re-prioritising of goods and services,summed up as the difference between

what something costs and what it is worth

what we want and what we need

what we can or must do without


20/76

Map out your current life in all its forms

given what you understand What is it you do, where, how and why?

What do you currently consider necessary and what is a luxury?

What are the major aspects of your life and how do they work?

What are your non-negotiable costs?

Rent & mortgage

Rates

Pharmaceutical costs like medication

What role does transport play in all this?

Dependants?

Children

PetsNow start the process of restructuring all this

against a backdrop of the perceived problems


21/76

Understand the nature of the period of

coming transition What sort of things you would need to see before you could say the

transition has passed and society can return to its normal rhythm

Understand how society may change and where you would fit in

Take each issue identified and game theory what might happen

based on historical examples (e.g. Cuba 1990 Soviet Union collapsed, oil supply cut)

Place yourself and your family into that situation

Map known events and known timelines to develop possible solutions

For each historical case study, understand what you would have had todo to maintain the survival of your family, if you were actually there


22/76

Financial meltdown

and freezing of all forms of money

Hyperinflation

Money becomes worthless

Utilities crash & government withdraws services

Economy disintegrates

Most goods unavailable

No

petroleum

products

No

money

Rolling

shortages of

food/groceries

Breakdown

of law &

order

Severe

legal

restrictions

Breakdown

of civil

utilities

Zimbabwe 2008 and Germany 1923 (No eftpos and no cash issued)

Be socially flexible know who to depend on

Self sufficient at the household property

Low profile problem solving

Growing your own food

Collect your own drinking water

Manage your own sewerage sanitisation

Barter based trade

Reduce energy needs to bare minimum

Dispose of rubbish carefully

Manage your own health needs

Transport needs cut to bare minimum

Education of children self managed


23/76

Break down and degradation of society

No

petroleum

products

No

money

Rolling

shortages of

food/groceries

Breakdown

of law &

order

Severe

legal

restrictions

Breakdown

of civil

utilities

Rationing & curfews

Breakdown of utilities

Government withdrawal of services

Economy disintegrates & most goods unavailable

Food riots & civil unrest







Barter based trade


Dispose of rubbish carefully Manage your own health needs



Argentina 2001 (degradation of all utilities and civil services of government)


24/76

Peak Oil/Gas/Coal

Nopetroleum

products

Nomoney

Rollingshortages of

food/groceries

Breakdownof law &

order

Breakdownof civil

utilities

Cuba 1990 (Soviet Union collapsed, oil supply cut)



Assist in society transformation




Barter based trade






Petroleum products severely rationed

Money became worthless as average wage dropped to $1:50 a week

Utilities crashed and had to fundamentally reinvent themselves

Conventional economy disintegrates and had to be completely restructured

Most manufactured goods unavailable new manufacturing sector had to be locally developed

Effective leadership

from government


25/76

Climate changes/Earth changes

Ash covered all flora and fauna and madewater very acidic

Food crops destroyed

Crete subject to a series of large scalenatural disasters

Minoan civilisation started to break apart(theory)

Rolling

shortages of

food/groceries

Large scale

natural

disasters

Breakdown

of civil

utilities

Breakdown

of law &

order

Eruption of Mt Thera in Crete 1450 BCE,

Gulf of Mexico oil spill 2010 (environmental breakdown of all bio systems)



Spend time and serious resources replenishinglocal environment land stewardship

Be prepared to use unconventional

methods to grow/gather food

In the past people have simply moved toa more friendly location


26/76

Political instability & geopolitical volatility

Rationing, curfews & social upheaval

Radical changes to what is legal

Movement and consumption heavily controlled

Economy disintegrates & most goods unavailable

Nopetroleum

products

Nomoney

Rollingshortages of

food/groceries

Breakdownof law &

order

Severelegal

restrictions

Breakdownof civil

utilities







Barter based trade

Reduce energy needs to bare minimum Dispose of rubbish carefully




Poland 1938-1942 and Germany 1935 to 1945(war torn society and police state profile)


27/76

Population overshoot in a finite system

Resource wars and social upheaval

Severe shortages of food and raw materials of all kinds

Problem solving to little too late

Population drop from 15 000 to 3 000 in 1000 CE to 1772 CE

Easter Island (resource depletion with no way out of a finite system)

Nopetroleum

products

No

money

Rollingshortages of

food/groceries

Breakdownof law &

order

Severelegal

restrictions

Breakdownof civil

utilities

Large scalenatural

disasters







Scarcity and resource wars lead to an

inevitable outcome, where no one wins

Forming community is not possible in a

toxic social environment

Problems in a finite system have to be

faced not ignored


28/76

Solutions in common Be socially flexible know who to depend on


Assist in society transformation





Barter based trade






Spend time and serious resources replenishing local environment

land stewardship

What happens when these

changes become permanent?

New systems will be

developed to meet these

needs through

unconventional means


29/76

Understand that there are two scales of thinking

that happen simultaneously

1. The self sufficient household property

How might your current household transform to become resilient to change and

volatility in the coming world?

2. The community need that brings these households together

How your family might retrain into a useful job in this environment and interact with

the community around it in a way that is perceived to be needed?

Think of these in short, medium and long term scales


30/76


31/76

Practical solutions in various areas of

development


32/76

Food Stores The is a need for storages of supplies, especially food, to buffer against

variability in supply

If there was a fuel disruption event (a high probability actually considering ourreliance on Middle East crude processed in Singapore) then there would befood shortages within weeks

Resilience the capacity to withstand shocks is very much about buffers inthe system and storage of food/fuel/water is a very important part of that

Most households only have one week of food in the cupboard

Ideally, one year of food supply stored under CO2 at home

3-6 months of long life food on a rationing basis

Buy yourself a learning curve

Australia Liquid Fuel Security: A Report for NMRA Motoring and Services (Feb 2013)

Australias estimated stockholdings at point of use


33/76

Electricity Power

Existing system is very fragile and vulnerable in its current form

Dependant on delicate parts manufactured far from here

Delicate electronics need pure sine wave power

(computers/Digital TVs)

Rolling blackouts/brownouts and power spikes will be the norm As things get more difficult, government will not be able to maintain the

grid to the same standard it does now

Probable contraction of power grid around major cities and services will

be withdrawn from regional areas

Most electrical equipment is not made to last and will quickly degrade

Standalone power systems are now required

What power is for needs to be completely reassessed


34/76

Solar electricity generation

We need to develop the capability to make solar panels & batteries locally

System requires a battery bank of sufficient amp-hour capacity to handle both input and

output loads Pb/acid batteries are 99.9% recyclable


35/76

Wind generated electricity


36/76

Biogas electricity generation

Manure from livestock can get very

smelly! Converting it to electricity couldbe a way of managing that smell.


37/76

Hybrid power systems

Generator

Windmill

Solar Panel Array

Power Charge

Control Box

System Monitor

Deep Cycle Battery

Bank

Inverter Fuse

DC Circuit

Breakers

Inverter with

Sinusoidal Output

AC Circuit Breakers

DC Load DevicesAC 240V Power

Draw Devices


38/76

Washing MachineBucket & Wringer

Electric Car (golf car)

Communications

Battery Radio

Computer

Land Line Telephone

Fireplace Heating

Diesel Generator

Solar Panel

Deep Cycle Batteries

Pure Sine Inverter

Windmill

Solar hot water

LED lights

Lighting

Gas & Oil Lanterns

Candles

General Stores

90 days food

10 days

drinking water

Vitamins

Toiletries

Petrol/Diesel

Fire wood

Bottled Gas

Medication

Heritage Seeds

Fertilizer

workshop disposables(nails & screws)

Library

Sewerage SystemSeptic or

Grey Water System

Compost Toilet

TransportHorse(s)

Bicycle

Diesel Vehicle

Good Walking Shoes

Refrigerator

Kalgoorlie Fridge

Rubbish

Recycling

Incinerator

Gas BBQ

Household Cooking

Wood Stove Range

Open Fire Hearth

Growing Food

Chicken Run

Vegetable garden

Compost Heap

A Milking Cow

Household: Ideal Capabilities

Hand Tools

Workshop

Conventional Power

Tools

Power Generation

Hand PumpWater Tank

Water Filtration Unit


39/76

How do we socially interact in this new environment?

No easy answers our current models are not up to it

We live in linked social-ecological systems

These are nested complex adaptive systems with emergent properties andfeedbacks that can change system behaviours

so we need some understanding of dynamic systems

No matter how well individuals adapt, we will need means of coming togethercollectively to address Universal Harms in the Universal Interest

i.e. mechanisms for agreeing on governance principles and priorities

Requires adaptive management

agile adjustments based on emerging circumstances not assumptions and projections oflinear trends (i.e. current attitudes)

If we dont want to descend into chaos, we need to think about this and get it right

Co-designing new system/s of social governance Neil Davidson et al


40/76

Form a Community

Attended to by people in

the community, to be

used by the community

A series of local village

councils, each

representing a

geographic area small

enough for people to

walk to meetings

Who?

What tools and

community assets

will be used?

Who benefits from

the outcome?

Where it will

be done?

Who will do it?

What needs to

be done?

Mandate

Mapping what is where

in the community

Maintaining

communication hubs

Community scale food

and product crops

Management of appropriate

land stewardship in

community environment

Building and construction

of community assets

Dispute resolution

Interaction and trade with

surrounding communities

Tasks


41/76

The Village Community

cropslivestock

livestock livestock

crops

crops

crops

Meeting Hall

Storage sheds

Storage sheds

crops

crops

crops

Tasked vacant

land

Work sheds

This is a basic idea. Perhaps you could refit it to suit your local area?


42/76

The Network of Communities

Beef & Leather

Products Dairy Products

Fruit & VegetablesMetal Casting

& Fabrication

Hospital

Textiles


43/76

Food Production

Required to be completely organic in method No petroleum based herbicides/pesticides/fertilisers

Land stewardship very important

Balance between fruit & vegetables vs. livestock

Allowing soil/land to recover effectively & sustainably

Managing seasons with planting calendars critical Seed saving needs to be done in a way that does not impact the rest of the

crops

Based on soil health

Mineral balance

Humus levels

Micro-organism content

Nutrition will be more important than ever before

Food preservation, canning and meat smoking will be important

The key to a communities health is the quality of its food source


44/76

Attended to by peopleliving on the property

Appropriate land

stewardship

Chickens, Ducks & Geese

Chicken Poo

Dairy Cow

Grazing land

livestock poo

Vegetable Garden

Green Waste

Recyclable

Food Scraps

Equipment to

preserve crops

Storage of

preserved crops

Date tracking &

stock rotation

Fruit Trees

Green WasteCompost Heap

Worm Farm

Companion planting

TreeTrimmin

g

MakingFertilizer

Appropriate planting

cycles

Soil Health & Testing

Sustainable recovery

Grey water system Septic tank reed bedWater tank Irrigation system Water pumping system

Water Management

Herb Garden

Natural

medicine

Household scale fruit and vegetable production


45/76

Making dairy products

Secondary food products(cooking oil etc)

Community scale

storage & distribution

Administered by people in the community, to be used by the community

Date tracking &

stock rotation

Tracking of seasons

Community herb crops

on vacant landMilking cattle on

vacant land

Community vegetable

crops on vacant land

Fruit & nut trees on

vacant land

Bee keeping

Large scale compost

fertilizer

Long termsoil health

TreeTrimming

Food processing,

preservation & canning

Community scale food crops

Attended to by

people in the

community, to be used

by the community

Appropriate landstewardship

Community scale fruit and vegetable production

Grey water systemsWater tanks Irrigation systems Water pumping systems

Water Management


46/76

Attended to by people in the community,to be used by the community

Community scale running of livestock

Community scale

livestock on vacant land

Beef & Dairy Cattle

Sheep Goats Pigs

Containment of Billy

Goat/ Bull/Boar/Ram

Herd improvement

& breeding

Veterinarian support

Meat smoking and curing

Blood & bone fertilizer

Abattoir and butcher

Leather hides

Paddock rotation

Appropriate Land Stewardship

Prevention of over grazingNoxious weed control

Manure management

Seasonal cycles

Long term soil health &

pasture quality

Fencing (electric?)

Infrastructure

Feed & gear sheds

Containment yards

Stables

Water troughs

Multiple paddocks

Administered by people in

the community, to be used

by the community

Community scale storage &distribution


47/76

Cooking food without electricity

A non-trivial problem to set up in the modern home.

Refit your fireplace?

Move kitchen to your garage?


48/76

The refrigerator that doesnt need power

Take two earthen pots, both being the same shape butdifferent sizes

Put one within the other

Fill the space between the two pots with sand

Pour water into the same cavity to make the sand wet

Place food items into the inner pot, and cover with a lidor damp cloth

Keep the pot-in-pot refrigerator in a dry, well-ventilatedspace the laws of thermodynamics does the rest. As the moisture in the

sand evaporates, it draws heat away from the inner pot, coolingits contents. The only maintenance required is the addition ofmore water, around twice a day


49/76

Drinking water

Collection of tank water or refit a swimming pool

A community understanding of our water as a crucial resource water safety, economy and management issues

Alternative ways of pumping water that do not depend on electricity ordiesel

Methods of making contaminated water safe in an emergency Filtration of drinking water via (non-electric) carbon or charcoal filters

Distillation

Pressure cook it at 1200C for 20min to sterilise = no viable micro-biotics or viruses

Installation of gravity-feed water tanks on stands, hand pump or tap outleton tanks

Development of local resources and expertise for maintaining and testingrainwater and groundwater systems for water quality

Grey water recycling systems for the rest of the property


50/76

Manual water pumping

When there is no electricity


51/76

The return of the windmill water pump

Pump bore water without electricity


52/76


53/76

Distilling water

Useful for managing sanitation


54/76

Sewerage sanitisation

Understanding of the safe management of human waste

Local expertise and resources to maintain and repair

Old fashioned septic tanks

Composting toilets

Linked to stand alone power generators like solar panels or alternativeforms of human waste management during water or power shortages

Development of methods of making spare parts from locally sourcedmaterials and / or design modification

Introduction of biogas power systems to manage human compost andanimal manure

Local manufacture of soap for hygiene

Alternative to toilet paper developed


55/76

Sewerage systems


56/76

Transport

A shift of attitude and practice from reliance on private motor cars towardsgreater use of walking and cycling

Group sharing of all running vehicles

Access to good quality shoes suitable for lots of walking in less than optimal

conditions Form a network, for people, equipment, food products and anything else

that needs transporting

Horses, with the goods, facilities and knowledge to care for and work them(farriers, vets, harness makers / repairers and the like)

Development of a biodiesel manufacturing plant as a (tradeable?) resourcemanaged by the community

To run 3-4 trucks and tractors


57/76

A return of the horse culture

Manufacture of

horse shoes

Blacksmith

Appropriate land

stewardship

Herd improvement &

breeding

Management of the

seasons (overgrazing)

Property

management

Infrastructure like

stables and feed sheds

Horse care Farrier

Horse Dentist

Veterinarian

Nutrition

Daily grooming

& health care

Containment of

Stallion

Appropriate

infrastructureHorse drawn

vehicle

manufacture

Harness & leather

work (saddles)

Horse specific tool

manufacture

Support

build repair

Appropriate

infrastructure

Plows

etc..


58/76


59/76

Medical health care

Medical procedures developed in post transition world

Development of medical centres into mini-hospitals

Local training of more nurses/midwives/doctors/etc.

Local manufacture of medical supplies

Bandages

Disinfectant

Medical equipment manufacture & maintenance reinvented

Sterilization of tools and bandages without electricity

Integration of natural health medicine with conventional medicine

Growing a herb garden for medicinal purposes and home grown

manufacture of pharmaceuticals


60/76

Natural medicine

Preventative in nature, able to be managed locally


61/76

Trade and goods exchange

Barter and trade of all goods needs to become part of our culture

Form a market place for people to come together

Encourage and support the development of local business that contributes

to the sustainability of the region Phase out of business practices that detract from the sustainability of the

community

Establish trade with other communities based on locally produced goods

To do this we would seek to become an export based economy, where allof our needs are met locally

Develop a transport network between communities based on trade

The social institution of money may well have to be reinvented


62/76

Castelen & The Green Shed

Organic farm, no herbicides or chemical fertiliser

A training centre to teach people how to grow food

The Green Shed was set up as a market place where small growers could sell their wares


63/76

Monetary exchange

What does money really do and who for?

Revise and restructure the concept of debt

Revise and restructure the concept of ownership The individual vs. the community

what you see is what you get Get off fiat electronic currency as a medium of exchange

Have practical logistical support to engage local business with: Barter in some form (a LETS scheme)

The purchase large scale goods (like real estate) with gold or silver bullion

Existing Federally issued fiat currency

Whatever the Australian Federal Government recommends as a

replacement for the existing Australian fiat currency dollar

Have the authority for local community to make a legally accepted

choice with regard to which of the above options is exercised


64/76

What will our future technology manufacture

profile look like? Rare examples of early twenty-first century technology

Hybrid constructions from recycled parts used innovatively

1930s (pre transistor) technology (what we can manufacture

from obsolete equipment around us)

1880s base level technology (what we can create from scratch

from the surrounding environment)

We are well past the point where this will be

smooth, easy or even polite


65/76

Steam Technology

Solar Power

Wind power

Biogas

Energy Source

Water wheel

Blacksmith

Woodwork

Metal Casting

Pottery

Rubber Casting

Wood Turning

Glass Blowing

Leather Work

Skill Set

Basket weaving

Textiles and rope

Manufacture of

useful devices fit

for purpose

Raw materials to provide

energy to run (gas,

charcoal or coal)

Forge & bellows

Blast furnace

Pottery Kiln

Glass Kiln

Electrical power

Supporting

TechnologyMetal

Wood

Recycle and Recover

Nails, bolts,

washers and

screwsPlastic

Rubber

Electrical/

Mechanical

parts

GlassLeather

Metal feed stock

Tree felling &

timber dressing

Clay feedstock

Animal hide

Shredded rubber

Feed Raw Materials

Bamboo, Hemp

& Plant

Ground glass

Milling Machine

Metal Lathe

Metal Machining

Workshop

Hydraulic Press

Welding

Power tools


66/76

Blacksmith metal work

How do you fabricate

metal without electricity?


67/76

Water wheel mechanical power

Used to power larger scale engineering


68/76

Steam technology

Used to power larger scale

engineering
http://lrd.buffalohair-jage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/300px-Steam_engine_in_action.gifhttp://lrd.buffalohair-jage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/300px-Steam_engine_in_action.gif


69/76


70/76

Approximate event based time line

Phase 1Warning Signs

Ch t i d b b i l ttit d


71/76

Characterized by: a business as normalattitude

Issues like peak oil, climate change and problems with fiat currencies

are discussed in alternative news streams only (large scale mainstream

officialdom deny such things exist)

Phase 2 System Strain

Characterized by: many large scale events of disruption on every front,

each is seen as separately dealt with

Multiple fundamental system hubs break down and are hastily patched

together with stop gap measures

Phase 3 Systemic Breakdown At the boundary between Phase 2 and 3, the system hubs break down

permanently

Characterized as: one in which many goods are hugely expensive or

largely unavailable

Basic society functions simply dont work in spite of best efforts of

government and corporations

The longer it takes for society to face these problems, the more serious and far reaching the consequences. Covering up and

papering overof these problems all but guarantees them blowing up at a later date, but with a steeper time frame to the

worst case scenario. Governmental and corporate covering up these serious issues makes a hard fast crash into systemic

failure more likely.

F d P d ti W t C ll ti W t S W t S lid H lth EHousing & Property


72/76

Public Awareness Public Awareness Public awareness of the

need for self sufficient

management of solids

rubbish and what useful

methods of recycling

garbage in the home

Public Awareness

Establish knowledge to

grow fruit and vegetables

organically

Canning and preserving

food of all kinds

Composting and generate

fertiliser

Establish the first

community garden

Chicken coops (with a

rooster)

As many water tanks

as possible have stand

alone powered pumps

or manual pumps,

preferably both

Have several

tradespeople develop

the method of

repairing and

maintaining water tank

systems with parts

made in the local area

Build community

warehouse(s) for food

storage

Compost fertiliser system

functional and stable

Local area self sufficient

in:

I. fruit and vegetable

production

II. dairy products &

eggs

III . beef production at

a sustainable level

Establish a market place

where people can sell

their produce

Established seed swapping

practice and a seed saversnetwork in the local area

Establish fruit tree

orchards in public spaces

Establishment of a

number of dairy cows in

the local area

Several community

water bores in place

and working, all with

stand alone powergeneration and manual

pumps

Protocol to completely

maintain and repair

water tanks using parts

manufactured

developed, and shown

to be hygienically safe

Establish multiple

community recycling

centres in the local area.

Each centre would processthat garbage into

something useful, or into

something that can be put

in landfill where it will

quickly biodegrade in a

locally sustainable fashion

Prepared storage sheds in

place to store useful

recycled products

Establish a wrecking yard

to house broken

equipment (fridges, cars,

etc) that can be used for

parts in manufacture of

other things.

Start thinking about how

Have a system

fundamentally

overhauled using parts

manufactured locally,and shown to run

safely for an allocated

period of time

Have all systems with

stand alone power

generation (solar or

wind)

Public Awareness

Community

workshops or small

scale consultations

in how to develop

houses/properties

Start working bees

for resilient

projects

All properties on

the area are self

sufficient to this

degree

More than 50% of

properties on the

mountain are self

sufficient to stated

degree

Start working bees

for resilient

projects with

greater urgency

Public awareness of:

the need for self

sufficient management

of our health needs

link between health

and nutrition in our

diet

benefits of

preventative health

measures

Training and support

of a midwife to assist

with childbirth

Community herbal

garden for medicinalpurposes

Network of health

practitioners and

facilities

Develop the medical

centres locally to be

able to handle the

more serious medicalneeds

Manufacture the

disposable products

used in medicine

Support for the

ambulance/fire

Develop procedure to

make:

I. Biodiesel

II. Manufacture a

windmill

III. Batteries

IV. Solar panels

V. Water turbines

for power

generation

VI. Biogas

Stand alone power

generation source(s)

for several community

facilities

Biodiesel manufacture

established and

sustainably supplying

fuel for community use

Get the right trades

people with local

sewerage system

expertise working to

develop methods for

making/modifyingspare parts with locally

sourced materials and

machinery

Develop the use of

several kinds of

systems to manage

human sewerage

safely

Educate as many

people as possible with

regard to the

importance of power

and energy to our

society and the current

systems vulnerability

to peak oil, gas andpeak coal

Reassess what power

is really needed for

Food Production Water Collection Waste Sewerage Waste Solids Health Energyg p y

Development

Pha

se1

Phase2

Phase3

Transport CommunicationEducation and Business and

FinanceManufacturing Community


73/76

Public Awareness

Support and nurture

existing community

groups

Conduct an awareness

raising campaign

concerning the need to

reskill for greater local

resilience

Public Awareness

Planning for what would

be required to transition

between a nation

state/global economy and

a local self sufficient small

town economy

Public Awareness

Encourage the purchase of

good shoes & bicycles

Develop skills handling

and riding horses

Development of a

community based

information resource

hubs at the local

library and at any

community gardenmarkets

Develop ability to breed

and break in horses

Biodiesel manufactureestablished

Network of non fossil fuel

freight transport

throughout local area

Develop skills to make

horse harness gear

(leather work)

Develop horse and cart

skills

Farrier and horse shoeing

(black smith)

Shoe making

(leather work)

Learn to make biodiesel

Phase out dependency

on mobile phone

network.

Establish local

expertise in HF/UHF

ham radio operation to

communicate with

other communities

Develop means of

transport of postal

items that are not

dependent on fossil

fuels

Develop a vibrant local

economy that services all

the basic needs of the

local area

Establish trade with other

communities based on

locally produced goods

Encourage and support

the development of local

business that contributes

to the sustainability of the

local region

Encourage the phasing out

of business practices that

detract from the

sustainability of the local

region

Have people using the

skills in various crafts

learned in the reskilling

process.

Have the products of

their labours being

used by parts of the

community on the

mountain

Establish formal school

training for children in

a post peak world

Public Awareness

Development of

And support of

community

activities/groups

Encourage linksbetween existing

community groups

Use community

groups to

determine the best

places forcommunity based

assets

Use community

groups to

determine the

schedule of these

tasks

Have an idea

who/what/where

you community

looks like

Start to get existingcommunity groups

to coordinate some

of these tasks

Start to develop a

fast word of mouth

communication

network

Public Awareness

Planning for what

would be required to

transition between a

Federally issued fiat

currency to a hard

asset (gold/silver)backed currency

Development and

implement a LETS

scheme

Encourage individual

people to personallypurchase gold and

silver bullion

Practical logistical

support to engage

local business with:

I. A LETS scheme

II. The purchase

goods with gold

or silver bullion

III. Existing

Federally issued

fiat currency

IV. Replacement

for the existing

Australian dollar

Encourage the re-

skilling of local people

into useful crafts that

were prevalent in

1880-1945

Encourage those

people to acquire or

make/buy the

necessary tools to

apply their craft

Build metal foundry

blast furnace

Develop the use ofsteam technology to

power larger

machinery

Establish a chemistry

laboratory to make

useful items from raw

materials

Establish a skills

register. Establish a

library of useful books

that contain useful self

sufficiency information

Run community based

workshops (reskilling)

Start to think about

how formal schooling

for children would

work in a post peak

oil world

Public Awareness

Develop a Skills

register (who can do

what?)

Map existing resources

in the local area

Transport CommunicationRe-Skilling the Economy

Financeg

and Repair

y

Coordination

Pha

se1

Phase2

Phase3


74/76

Growing Food

Chicken Run

Vegetable garden

Land line

Telephone

Washing Bucket

(different to water

tank bucket)

Gas BBQ

(full gas bottle)

Bucket & Rope

(boil water for

drinking)

Camping Portable

Toilet

Kalgoorlie Fridge

Consider developing

alternatives

The Household:

resilience to change

Candles

Lanterns

[oil or gas]

Good Walking

Shoes

Bicycle

Water Tank with

Pump

Power generation inrolling blackouts

60 days food

5 days drinking

water

Toiletries &

Sanitation

Centralized

sewerage

Petrol Car or

Public Transport

Food for 1 pay

cycle (10 days)

Computer/

Tablet

Mobile

Telephone

Sewerage

System

Washing

Machine

Household

Cooking

Lighting

General Stores Refrigerator

Medication

TransportCommunications

Buying Food

Drinking water

Centralized water

supply

Mains power

electric stove

Mains power

electric refrigerator

Supermarket/

Pharmacist

Mains power

supply


75/76

The world we live in now is backwards

and out of balance. We need to make anew one anyway.


76/76

The problem

is not the problem.

The problem is your

attitude to the problem.

Do you understand?

Captain Jack Sparrow

(some time ago)

Documents

Developing a self-sufficient community to meet the challenges of sustainability