

Re: NOT just farming

On Wed, 22 Jan 1997 Wilcox_D@hccs.cc.tx.us wrote:

> The only way forward is to bring the farms to the people
> and their waste containing those minerals BACK to the farm
> and the easiest way to do this is to live in FARM-like villages.
> April--
> Your theory is NOT crazy...it is our current system of food production that is
> insane.  
> I have read about and discussed the theory and good sense behind such a
> concept, but where is it actually being done?  Are there successful models in
> existence or are we all just dreaming?  
> Victoria Albright
Not only does the farm/village have to recycle the minerals to be 
sustainable, it also has to use less energy than it produces (or equal 
energy input and output).  There are many factors to consider when 
evaluating energy consumption versus production.  As a general rule of 
thumb food, shelter, clothing, furniture, etc. will be ecologically 
sustainable (if they are produced from materials that are a short 
distance form where they will be used.  A back to the land approach, if 
this is the case is there any hope for the mega cities.  Would the shift 
to organic farming from fossil fuel powered (and pesticide) farming 
reduce the energy input enough to make the current agricultural system, 
and mega cities sustainable.    Also by using locally produced foods and 
materials the use of fossil fuel's is reduced, in turn reducing the 
amount of greenhouse gasses put into the atmosphere.  Local methane 
generation maybe a good way to produce power, it is very similar to 
natural gas and can be gathered from decaying organic matter, even from 
land fills, which are being covered and the methane is collected, I 
recently read a news paper article about a high-school in Maryland 
Heights MO that is heating with this method, they were able to put in 
their pipeline from a nearby landfill through a grant form the Department 
of Natural Resources.  I also saw on T.V. a small town in Iowa that did 
this and is creating income by selling power to the power company!  I 
really think that small villages are a great idea and should be 
emphasized for future development, but we also have to work with what 
we've got as these two examples show.