During my next 28 years I’ll spend a pile of money to live or survive and I think I’ll feel the pinch as my dad and his parents did during the great depression. [Chicken coops, penned rabbits and gardens are in my thoughts].
[Rabbit pen; "My next workshop project?": photo link]
Why so serious before Christmas?
As I said earlier, while we had access to about a century’s worth of cheap oil and natural gas, our Plan A was to burn them as quickly as possible with little regard for tomorrow.
We don’t readily discuss Plan B at any level (political, educational, coffee shop confessional), how to live or survive during The New Age of Austerity, the age of costly oil.
In my opinion, however, as disposable income contracts under pressure of high fuel, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, communication and recreational costs, serious discussions will begin in earnest, especially around tables where family and friends meet.
***
Why are governments and businesses slow to come to the table?
Shouldn’t they be informing citizens and consumers more fully about future changes related to expensive fuels?
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5 comments:
Of course they should be doing that. But you don't really imagine that they will?
So you're planning on 87? And interesting choice of numbers. I'm going for 80 myself, but sooner would be fine. I'll be 77 in March. don't know if I can really afford to live to be 80 at the rate we're going.
Well now, if they did that...then they couldn't continue to line their pockets with all the filthy money for turning a blind eye, now could they?
I'm afraid we're on our own
I think they think that those of us who can vote (I'm not allowed to here) wouldn't vote for a government that talked about these kinds of issues. Because then we'd be voting for higher taxes, more restrictions on things we may want to buy etc etc. I also think that on our own, we can only do so much and that the government will have to pass legislation to, um, guide us? Except that'll be unpopular to many many people. It's a difficult conundrum.
Laws could be passed such as turning store lights off at night, paying less tax for smaller cars and raising taxes for large engines, putting taxes on things like clothes dryers, putting more money into public transport and do on.
hi bobbie,
there is a story re picking 87. the short version; i worked for 32 yrs, and retired at age 53; so, i want 32 years of pension plus two years of gravy (as we call it at our house).
my wife wonders if i deserve gravy. good question.
cheers,
gord h.
hi sheila and jessica;
very good comments, kind of the long and short of it.
i was speaking with my friend the member of parliament recently and he is a big believe in change, by way of good laws.
he spoke of laws that combine restrictions and incentives; e.g. rather than give the car industry billions, set the money aside for consumers who purchase a small, environmentally friendly car.
would more people turn away from SUVs [as one example] if they would receive a $10,000 rebate on a Zenn [electric 'zero emission, no noise' car] or certified hybrid with gas mileage in the 50-plus miles per gallon range?
more to think about.
cheers,
gord h.
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