Collapse -This is not a dress rehearsal

A beautiful Sunday morning in my pre-collapse world.  The only murmurings of our future state are in my head, breakfast is being served, and few interesting articles of note pop up on my morning screen.   I am always looking for news or data that would refute my premise, but quite frankly, I rarely find any that are based on real metrics or experience.  What I do run across this morning is confirmation of what I already suspected regarding our climate dilemma: 

http://tinyurl.com/bd7u4b

One area of comfort for me has been the readings in paleoclimatology with its reassurance that the universe is functioning perfectly and the planet is just seeking balance.  This balance will be achieved at the cost of the humans, but thats just the way it goes.  Payback is a bitch. 

So, okay, no shock here, just more confirmation.  I then stumble across a wonderful speech by my new hero Dimitry Orlov, a man whose humour and insight I find to be a pragmatic light as we move forward in the gathering gloom.  His experience and insight into the Collapse of the Soviet Empire, and most importantly his pragamtic advice on what to expect are a reality check for us all.  He resonates and informs me on my project here, this attempt to take all the policy, science, energy broad strokes and turn them into realizable personal daily actions of preparation and change.  He gives me a lens to focus this activity, and allows me to see the consequences that I should be preparing for.   Granted, I delineated these for myself back in 2005:  food, water, shelter, electricity.   The task I have set for myself is HOW to provide these with minimal inputs from the failing industrial and political and financial systems around me. Thats the experiment here, to answer the question of how do you live with sustainable natural inputs in a suburban setting.  

To date, my house is much more energy efficient in terms of heating and cooling, having been retrofitted with new windows, roof insulation etc etc.   I acquire tools and material on a regular basis, and half of my yard is now garden.   But in fact, I need a few more years, and in fact, that is probably all I have to secure the foundations of what I feel I need in place to surf the wave of the social and climate changes coming my way.

Here in Southern California, it becomes evident that drought will force us all to a more disciplined water management. This year, my focus is on water and gardens.  I intend to learn and implement the skills necessary to provide and manage the water for gardens, and to  continue the expansion of my food growing capacity here on this corner. Permaculture the surrounds, and learn, learn , learn about the low water techniques for gardening.  Maybe even re-read Dune.

Dimitry Orlov's speech resonated with everything I am attempting here.   When people speak from deep experience ( a la Matt "learn to grow food" Simmons)  I tend to listen.   Orlovs "Social Collapse Best Practices" is well worth the candle :

http://energybulletin.net/node/48082

Peace, drip,  and compost

Thom