by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Frugality and austerity do not have to be a bad thing; they can, in fact, be good for us and the environment.
While the governments keep harping on about us needing to spend, spend, spend to keep the economy going and growing, frugality and austerity at home and in the office, at work, are the right thing for the future, regardless.
Consumption is more dangerous to the Planet as is any growth in population, though still I advocate the “stop at two” idea.
The Great Recession, which has in no way gone away as yet and which could still dip again, should get us all to cut back on our consumption but, in the main, that has not happened, as yet, as people still spend and spend and consume as if there be no tomorrow, and most of that on credit.
With government measures coming into force to reduce the national budget deficit the economy could go south once more and we then really need to take austerity measures and apply frugality.
Why not start it before it becomes something we are being forced to do?
This is indeed the age of austerity and cutting back and making do and mending, reusing and upcycling instead of going to the shops and buying, and walking and cycling instead of driving, will be good for us, our pocketbooks and the Planet, Mother Earth.
But will we do it and get used to it before we are going to be forced to do it by circumstances beyond our control?
I'd rather transition into everything slowly, though in this case I have arrived already to a great extent, than to have to rush it or have to get used too it when I have no other choice.
The choice is yours to make before the choice no longer is yours.
The coming end of the oil age, no doubt, will push us into this way more and more and we will be forced to look at different ways of personal transportation with gasoline getting dearer and dearer and the same will be true for consumer goods for, once the oil is getting more expensive then also consumer goods coming from abroad, and other things, will go up in price.
Grow your own, at least some of it, making do and mending and reusing and upcycling will become the norm, in addition to use getting about in a healthier way.
© 2010
To learn more about Peak Oil and what a society post Oil Age might look like get and read the book “The End of Oil”. You can obtain the book via http://the-end-of-oil.blogspot.com/
