Fri 13 Feb 2009
Poll: Why Do/Don’t You Simplify/Prepare in the face of Peak Oil/Global Warming?
Posted by brooklinemama under Freeze Yer Buns , Recent Riot Posts , food (growing, cooking, preserving) , future worries , garden , reduce reuse recycle[2] Comments
{This is a second attempt at this poll. I deleted the first one: the polling service wasn’t working properly. My apologies to those who already voted; please vote again.}
I am curious about how my readers think about Peak Oil / Global Warming. Do you think the threat is real? What do we hope/fear for the future?
And coupled to that: What are our appropriate responses? Should we simplify/reduce, rebuild our sustainability/resilience, work on our skill set for a depleted world? Start growing our own food? Or not?
Please click. If you can’t find your reason, let me/us know and I can add the alternative, or you can type it into the poll yourself (in that case, please keep it short). You can choose any or all answers that apply.
For those of you reading this on the Riot site: you’ll have to come on over to the blog to vote.
Good luck!
February 16th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
We have just made simplifying our lives what we aim for as a matter of principle. We drive less, buy less, recycle more, and feel better about how we live.
We are currently contemplating adding solar panels to our home. Our neighbor is building his house “off grid” right now and he is giving us all kinds of great ideas.
We also are thinking about converting a car to electric from gasoline as a school project for the boys.
Great poll.
Barb
November 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
You asked me, about a million years ago, what I thought of this poll. I’m now getting around to telling you:
I think it would be interesting to offer multiple answer options, because I found myself agreeing with each of the statements. I simplify because it is right, it helps me get used to what’s coming, it might make a difference, and I really don’t know if it will save the day, but I do it anyway. Force-choice might give you some clue about what people would rate as MOST important, but I’m not sure that really matters. It is interesting to me that you can both do it in case it helps, and maybe not even believe (a great deal) that it will. Like being atheistic and agnostic both, I suppose (“I don’t believe in G-d, but I don’t think anyone can know for sure…”)
I also think it would be interesting to learn how close to some notion of “ideal” they’ve personally reached in simplifying. For example, I find my life incredibly complicated, and far from what I would call “simple.” In fact, some things I’ve done have actually made my life MORE complicated, because they involve time and forethought (wood burning stove, storing food, keeping domestic livestock, putting up food for the winter, etc.) It is an onion: the more you peel, you keep finding another layer. When you reach the final layer, SURPRISE! Your life is over. I’m also interested in the evolution of people’s life changes (I don’t call it “lifestyle”) and how this change shifted attitudes, and how shifting attitudes have caused life changes. Anyway, thanks for a thought-provoking poll, and sorry it took me so long to respond…
Kathy