'Petro Razor' slicing away at old habits and systems
My report today is about the suburbs. They really started making them in America when cars became common and of course gasoline was inexpensive in those days. Now that energy is expensive again, the suburbs are not looking good as a place to live. You are too far out and you have a big home to heat and take care of all by yourself.
I have been spending some time with the older brother of one of my friends. He talks about the 'Petro Razor' except that 'Petro' is not the word he uses. The Petro Razor is trying to shave us clean. But nobody knows how to use it right, so it keeps cutting us instead. Anyway, the Petro Razor is shaving off the surburbs, partly because suburbs are inefficient and partly because no one knows how to save them.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
In Ecology studies we learned that efficiency is a basic survival trait of any organism, if you are efficient at gathering food your species will thrive, if you are inefficient you will die. As my mom has reported with very excessive drama, I am trying to understand how we have come to depend on such an inefficient system and why we continue to depend on it even as it is failing us again and again.
I do not think we should stop using energy. I would like very much if they would make the last two Harry Potter movies and I could see them in a theater. That is one example of what I would like to have in MY future. I do wish we would stop wasting energy, though.
It's like with jobs. The Petro Razor has just cut off the idea that you go in to work. Now people only go in when they HAVE to. That's one thing the Petro Razor got right, because it's more EFFICIENT.
FOOD
The food situation is very dire, because there is a big corn shortfall, and Des tells me that corn is like the oil of American food.
Also, a lot of people planted gardens and they used the materials from the home supply store such as fertilizer. But a lot of these people basicly did not know what they were doing and so they did not get much food out of it. There will be much less fertilizer next year, so people need to use it more efficiently (theres that word again). Most of it will go to farmers.
I heard that the federal government is going to start an education program for home gardeners. But that will be next year. This year, you have what you have. BTW, there was a report that says that oil supplies will fall even more next year - 8% less than this year. So maybe there was a peak. And we may have to slow down.
PULLOUT OF IRAQ
The latest I heard is that 50,000 troops will be home before Christmas. That would be a wonderful treat for their families.
THE ECONOMY
The news here is everywhere bad, like dominoes falling and they haven't stopped falling yet. My mom has a poll so if you haven't filled it out yet, do so puh-leeeze.
USING THE RAZOR
Now this made me laugh, by ceegee. This is using the Petrol Raxor to make your life better!
GRACESMOM
Grace and G-mom are some of my most favorite people in the world. G-mom asked us to look around for the most fragile thing around us and I guess a lot of people are doing what she asked. Around here there were a lot of people who were just getting by and they are basicly not making it. A lot of kids in school didn't come back in the fall.
FAITH
I was glad to read this. It made me want to find out more about the Quakers.
PICTURES
We need more pictures. Pictures say a lot and MsGeek set up a place for us all to put them. And videos too. I am trying to get more of my pictures together to put them there.
So as Des says SPEAK UP, and tell us about what's goin' on in your blogs, emails, videos and phone calls.
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