| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/9/2006 11:06:01 PM | As a person who is aware and concerned about the impact of Peak Oil, I wonder if there are others who are interested in finding sustainable living for the times ahead. Go ahead and call me a tree-huggin Canadian Gal if you want. I'm proud of it. But seriously, I was trying to Google ways to meet like-minded people and any forums or testimonials turned out to be from couples who ventured off together to do this. Do many others see this as a possibility for their future?
If anyone else wonders about such things I would love to see what others have to say!
(As opposed to generaly...personaly, right now I have commitments with children that require me to remain where I am, yet I know that in the future, a safe retreat is a good idea. Somewhere that is also a haven from the currently busy life we all have: somewhere to go by the lake and fish in the breeze while the gentle waves rock the boat...hmmmm nice...LOL)
PS Peak Oil is serious stuff my friends! If you havn't heard of it yet please Google it. Im no doomsday fanatic, but hey even economists are admitting we have a problem | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/9/2006 11:50:51 PM | Because it is boring, and unless it has something to do with sex, or dating people don't respond look at the posts in sex threads and other threads, can't have anything of substance on here for god sakes. It is not happy or interesting enough to most people. Sex sells!!!!
I agree with you by the way!! We are all screwed because people don't care. | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 7/8/2007 10:17:11 PM | urban homesteading.. I get a visual of feeding chickens, cleaning barns and digging around in the dirt tending to gardens that grow veggies.
ugh......
I would have to commit a crime and go to a federal prison to get away from all that hard dirty work !!!
no way jose !
give me chickens already slaughtered and COOKED ( rotesserie)... a nice garden with flowers and temperature control at 70 degrees year round in my place. If I want more... I will go to the beach and PLAY... not work my life away. | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 7/8/2007 10:37:37 PM | I do my best to conserve, my type of car is important to me, i have 2 cars and a motorcycle but nothing over a 1.8l engine, so everything i have gets at least 30mpg. I didnt even realize that there was a peak coming soo fast, saying by 2037? that is nuts. If the decline is really that drastic i believe we might see some VERY interesting times, maybe the end of the world! Ill be ready though, as long as i have a cooler of cold beer and a chair Seriously though people do care, hopefully one day i will make enough money to install solar panels on the roof of my house (gotta buy the house first though) | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 8/12/2007 11:54:28 AM | | I am most definitely interested in living the 'off-grid' lifestyle. Totally self-sufficient and ready to survive without any of the so-called 'modern necessities' sounds like a great way to live. I've been doing research on this and actually came upon this thread by typing 'off grid' into the forums search box, hoping that I would find a few like-minded people here to at least discuss the many options for living off grid and free. | |
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OLEO
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Joined: 5/19/2007
Msg: 14 | |
| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 8/12/2007 7:40:11 PM | It's ideaistic, the truth is called "roughing it", its survival of the fittest, not for me. I'm not sure exactly what you mean, it's sound more like you're talking about a holiday at some lakeshore place.
Others mention the "earth ship" thing, I think these are somewhat of a modern day "roughing it" that still relys on modern technology to build and maintain to some degree. Yes it would be nice to have a place like that.
I don't think many humans would survive under "survival of the fittest" conditions.
Check out the Huderites, they have it worked out pretty good, but they are a commune based living.
Cheers | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 8/12/2007 7:56:32 PM | I am very interested in the idea, though my reasons for wanting to get off the grid may be a little different.
While I personally believe that people thinking anything we do could have more than the most passing affect on a planet that's been here for billions of years is the worst kind of arrogance, and that the whole "global warming" debate is about as useless as two fleas arguing over who owns the dog they live on, the idea of living off the grid is still appealing.
In my case though, it's about independence. I don't want to have to rely on a unionized, strike-prone, politically micro-managed utility company which can double my rates at any time, even in an attempt to cover their own incompetence and mismanagement, as recently happened in the city where I live.
If I can get my water from a well on my own property, generate my own electricity, and heat my home without reliance on gas or oil, that's one more step toward freedom from the powers that be. That alone is worth the effort and expense. | |
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OLEO
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Joined: 5/19/2007
Msg: 16 | |
| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 8/12/2007 8:24:42 PM | As for "peak oil", I've heard but I don't know if it's true, that oil wells from decades ago that were thought to be dryed up, are full with oil again. If you think about how oil rises to the surface in your chille, the earth could be somewhat like that and there may be vast quantities of oil way below where they can drill too that is still moving its way up to refill these wells. I don't know but its interesting.
I think it's more of a OPEC controlled thing, rising or falling prices are not necessarily indicative of fundamentals in supply, but of insiders trading futures contracts. If you were a member of OPEC I think it would be easy to take advantage of commodities trading in oil. You decide to increase output so you sell short, or decrease output buy long.
The wealthy and powerfull speculators are the ones who really control the price through the commodities market. Just to trade one contract "trading unit" 1000 barrells (@$71/bl $71,000 worth) of light sweet crude require a margin (deposit) of about $4000, which should be about 10% of your equity in a trading account. So you would need about $40,000 of that you can afford to lose to cover your butt. Every one cent move is $10. When you understand how these markets really work it puts a whole new perspective on things. | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/25/2009 9:43:48 AM | OK. I have read most of this discaussion and I DO live off the grid, have for about 15 years outside Flagstaff. At this point it would be hard to go back. One becomes aware of things after a time away from the city, such as the fact that every town is an assault on your senses. BUY this, buy that, smell my food, buy my junk, Sale, sale sale.
Most of us live so far from reality and are totally disconnected from nature and life itself. Ask yourself, if the stars changed, would you notice? Where does water come from? Where does it go?
It is good to see so much interest out there. Did you know that by installing solar panels in town, you do not have to "bank" your power in batteries and can save a bundle on the start up costs of living green. You do not have to connect to the electric nipple even in town, in fact, it could be easier to do it as you would be so close to everything. As for me, I was paid to take away all my solar power system. How's THAT for free power!
There are challenges to overcome here, but at least my challenges are not fighting traffic or putting up with crap from my boss and or co-workers. When you are away from the tons of stimulus, you turn inside out, and find truth and beauty, and can see beyound the BS. that is marketed to us all on every level.
One man's opinion.
Oh by the way, any girls want to learn more about off the grid living? Tired of bills and rent and so on? Look me up.
Off the grid does not mean living with less, it means living more. You really can run all of your gadgets for free.
Robert | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/25/2009 9:47:30 AM | I grew up pretty off-the-grid (back-up generator power, 210' tall CB tower with 1500w spotlights on it that lit up the front 1/4 of our property alog with a battery of 1500W stadium lights in the front-yard placed at 100' intervals along out road,a well, tap directly off of a natural-gas pipeline that we payed the company directly for, etc.), and once I have the money to do it, I am going OFF the grid. Not because I am sure that society will collapse, but because I like self-sufficiency, nature, and my privacy. I also love sports cars and sushi, so I may not live off the grid 100% of the time, but more like a "retreat" type setup where I go for some peace.
A solar panel setup backed up with a windmill and a well are the beginnings of my plan. It will also be in a rather hard to access area. I grew up with an uncle who never truly came back from 'Nam and he imparted TONNES of knowledge during all those camping trips out in the middle of nowhere. Meh, I just enjoy independance and "living off the land". If society ever DID collapse, I suppose I have a leg up on most, but I think that is a VERY poor reason to live off the grid. Reason being, if society never DID collapse, what a waste if that's the only reason you did it. If you enjoy it, then go for it, and if society DOES collapse, well, yay for you, you were prepaired. Two different mindsets.
Alaska is a place I HEAVILY consider. It does hurt my solar-panel plan somewhat though, but I just like the thought of Alaska a lot. Wages up there are insanely awesome in my field as well. Benefit. | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/25/2009 4:42:30 PM | No. The grid works quite well. It's powered by many more things than just oil.
As for finding some pristine lake somewhere away from society, the Eagles summed it up in The Last Resort.
Most economist say freshwater depletion is far more imminent than oil. There are alternatives to oil, but nothing else to drink or irrigate with but freshwater. | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/25/2009 6:01:49 PM | Most of my friends who went off grid are back on (though they're really bi -- double wired). I'm partway there, and don't know if I'll ever make it all the way or not. Built my own own house on my own land when I was fifty five (with a lot of help from my friends, lol!). It's on stilts (telephone poles) above the flood plane, 12" thick walls, three kinds of heat (electric/propane/wood). Have oil lamps for back up, and a big pantry. Lots of wild onsite edibles, and am mapping herbals. I have the possibility for a water ram, and am still looking into that. (Never going to do wind: me and heights don't get along.) After 9/11, my place became the meetup location for my kids who live in DC. . . .
Two places to look for other back to the earthers: www.greensingles.com and the personal ads in Mother Earth News.
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/25/2009 7:09:27 PM | I do not have a clue what Peak Oil is and your post is a bit unclear, very vague
BUT
I believe in getting off the grid so strongly that I have the full and complete knowledge of how to do it. I can professionally design a home/compound for it and WILL have the situation someday. Choosing the correct place for it is of even more importance. You are wasting your time and money investment to just do it any ole place.
It is my personal opinion that for anyone to continue living as 99% do, dependent on everything and anything other than themselves is the most irresponsible way to live there is. How could people be so dependent and think it is okay and sleep at night living in a life out of their own control?
SS | |
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| Any singles interested in eventualy getting off the grid? Are there lots of us?....
Posted: 10/26/2009 5:56:02 AM | I've been off-grid for nealy 6 years now and downshifted considerably since. I do believe in antropogenic contributions to CO2 buildup, that humans can drain aquifers, deplete mineral deposits, create huge dead zones where our rivers pour into the seas, devour more fish and wildlife than can procreate, leave continental sized plastic dumps in the ocean, obscure the stars with light and other pollution, and poison their food, air and water to the point of harm to everyone. Even if the global warming deniers are comfy in that pot being brought to a boil, there is adequate evidence that we DO impact our life support system negatively.
Sometimes the evidence hits too close to home with a child's leukemia, a favorite stream posted for no fishing or swimming, oily crud in your well water, asthma attacks from being in the "pristine air" of the Smokey Mountains, e-coli from your peanut butter, boulders crashing into one's home from mountains being blown off for coal, or a giant coal ash tsunami rolling into your yard or river. These are just a few of the things that friends of mine have dealt with in the past year alone. These are tangible evidence that what we are doing is not sustainable or healthy for us or the rest of the planet's creatures.
I was compelled to go off grid after visiting the coal fields and meeting the people whose communities were being destroyed, their lives threatened with violence for trying to defend themselves, and the general terrorism that goes with large corporations taking control of state government. We get around 60% of our electricity from coal. There is no such thing as clean coal, so the least I could do was quit supporting that endeavor as much as individually possible in our interdependent culture.
I still have work to do on food sustainability, but recent viewings of Food Inc., King Corn, and The Real Dirt on Farmer John, have compelled me to focus more on that aspect of growing actual healthy food, and supporting local decentralized production as much as possible. If you are still not moved to make some changes after watching Food Inc., perhaps the preservatives have taken their toll.
I applaud those who do wish to take on a bit of personal responsibility in living a more ethical, self-reliant and sustainable life. Now is a great time to buy panels. They are half the price they were a year ago, thanks to the global recession. I practiced while still gridded with a few panels, the charge controller, inverter and some great off-spec batteries that I got cheap. Snow, ice and wind power outages no longer affected me. I used a $20 watt meter to replace power intensive devices with low watt, high performance alternatives. The so-called "payback time" for solar power investment does not take into account maximizing nega-watts, conversion to efficiency and conservation techniques that require far less juice for the same quality of life. Northern Europeans use half the per capita juice that Americans do, with the same or higher quality of life.
It's hard to be perfect in going greenish, but incremental small steps do make a difference in the lives of others down the mountain, down stream and down wind, as well as those down generations. | |
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