Guest post from Buzzy! Thanks, Buzzy!
For HP readers who loved Omnivore’s Dilemma, get ready to take your enlightenment to the next level! I just finished reading “Depletion and Abundance” by Sharon Astyk, and not since Omnivore’s has my worldview shifted so dramatically.
Astyk starts with the forces of Peak Oil and Climate Change, and clearly explains why we are heading for a drastically different low-energy lifestyle. She delves into many associated topics, like over-population, water shortages, food insecurity, unemployment, etc. But, this is NOT a Doom And Gloom book, far from it.
She asks three fundamental questions:
- What is your fair share of the world’s resources?
- What can you do now to help postpone the “long emergency”?
- What can you do now to plan for your family’s success during the “long emergency”?
From there she paints a colorful picture of what low-energy lives can look like. Why we need to go back to the concept of Victory Gardens, and why we need to go forward towards a more considered and fair use of resources.
It’s hard to do justice to all the eye-opening ideas she introduces over a huge range of topics, so I will just close and urge you to go read it. Now. Seriously, nothing you have planned for today is as important as getting a copy of this book. My plan for today? Starting seeds.
Special thanks to my cousin T (who championed local food at least 15 years before the rest of us caught on!) for the book recommendation!
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Very good intro to an interesting book which I will definitely purchase. Loved the Omnivore’s Dilemma, so am sure to find this one I can’t put down.