Once upon a time mankind roamed the earth in nomadic tribes. Hunter-gatherers had simple homes, hand-honed tools, and a miraculous propensity for survival through adaptation. That which was taken from the earth was generally returned to the earth with very little adaptation.
Of course nice things like refrigerators and cars and computers didn't exist, all of which now do, and which have permanently altered the natural substances of earth through chemical processes, as well as our lives. The benefit of these changes means that we live somewhat stable lives, detached from the primal need for the basics of life, except for nations with endemic poverty of course and that we have reached a point in life where we can create museums and theaters and universities.
I can't claim that our adaptation from survival to innovation is all bad, in fact I consider central air one of the wonders of the world. I can, however, point out that there is an opportunity cost for all choices. As we become more and more "advanced" we loose something too, and we drive our world closer and closer to the point of our own eviction.
I happen to like my comfortable life, and I have to believe that we are capable of creating a comfortable life that is less taxing on the environment. After all, people have prospered on earth without electricity for thousands of years. As we've become more dependent on modern infrastructure we've somewhat forgotten that we can live pretty well without many of the toys we've become accustomed to.
My task, over the next 8 months, is to return to a different way of thinking. No, I'm not going completely off the grid, I'm not starting my own biosphere or commune, and I'm not giving up coffee or sugar. I'm simply going to figure out how to store food through the winter.
Why?
Well, for a few reasons:
1) If it doesn't grow near me in winter it's taking energy to get whatever it is I'm buying from wherever it came from.
2) If it did grow near me in winter, either a) I could be growing it myself or b) it's benefiting from a hothouse, which uses energy.
3) I can get far closer to an understanding of the fragility of life if I stop relying on a system of food delivery that is poorly designed and likely to break.
4) I will come out of the experience more educated on the basics of preservation than I would have been otherwise and I will be able to pass along what I've learned.
I'm aware that I'll still have an energy footprint. I will be using a freezer, a stove for canning, an electric dehydrator, glass jars and freezer bags, all of which are fueled by, or made from oil. I'll also purchase some foods or other items from places far away. Some things may come as far away as from China. That distance will be available due to our use of oil. I will, of course, attempt to keep everything as low tech and local as possible, but I intend to make the most of the oil that I'm using.
I should also point out that I have no hope of actually succeeding in preserving myself through a whole season on my first attempt. Likewise there are some things that I will continue to buy throughout the experiment (my husband would likely shrivel and die without a supply of milk throughout the winter) and we tend to enjoy a few meals out a month. But the goal is educational in nature, and I hope that the next few months will help me better understand a simpler life.
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