About

About:
This blog is primarily about the logistics of sustainability. I want to be completely self-sufficient and sustainable. I am not currently. In this blog I explore the specifics of what I think I need and how to go about getting it. It will include discussions on self sufficiency in food, shelter, leisure and money (for taxes). I am also a philosopher, so we may find some of that here and there.

Navigation:
Each logistical topic will have at least three posts. Those posts will be in these categories:
Summary - listed on the home page, each post will contain a brief synopsis of my studies in the area, including the most important factors and my conclusion.
Thoughts - my cogitations on the topic after I have all the data together, where I compute my conclusions
Data - the collection of information, mathematical processing and sources that I use as a starting point for my thoughts and as a foundation for my conclusions

Topics:
Click here for a list of post topics

Philosophy:
First, a definition of self-sufficiency and sustainability for disambiguation:

Sustainable - within a defined area, any act that can be repeated indefinitely without creating circumstances that would lead to a change of behavior.

  • Slash-and-burn agriculture is a sustainable practice if it does not outpace the time required for a complete recovery between visits. 
  • Oil consumption at current rates outpaces oil production by the planet, and is therefore unsustainable.

Self-sufficiency - within an environment, any case in which a person is making or finding everything he/she needs (food, shelter, tools, etc.) in such a way that the practices can be repeated indefinitely without external input. Alternatively, any case in which a group of people who trust each other are collectively making a living in such a way that it can be repeated indefinitely without external inputs.

  • Iron or steel tools can be a part of a self-sufficient life if the user or users community know how to find iron, smelt, purify, cast or forge it into the desired shape (and have done so).
  • Stone buildings are not a part of a self-sufficient life if the user or users community do not know how to find, shape and construct structures with stone.
  • Plastic will probably never be a part of a self-sufficient lifestyle because it is unlikely that a small community could acquire oil and technology sufficient to make the plastic with only primitive tools on hand.
General philosophy - Man has three primary purposes. The first is communion, both with God and with the church. The second is community and involves engaging with the wider world. The third is stewardship of the land upon which we rely for sustenance. These purposes should guide all decisions and be pursued in this order. As my best friend once said, I like to play the long game, by which I mean I act with the knowledge that one day I will not be remembered, nor will my children, nor anyone from my time period. Yet what I do plays as role in that future. I like the world, earning food from it, and enjoying its complexity. For my part, I will preserve that to be enjoyed by those who come after me. I also think that in all things we ought to seek perfection. We are the stewards of this earth and it is ours to protect.