Comments on: Some Ways to Plan for the Future http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/ Matt Wiebe's blog about faith and life. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:34:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Matt http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Matt Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:03:44 +0000 http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/#comment-596 Hey Colin I can't imagine that it would be very appealing at all. Bless you in the struggle, this ain't easy stuff. Hey Colin

I can’t imagine that it would be very appealing at all. Bless you in the struggle, this ain’t easy stuff.

]]> By: Colin http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-591 Colin Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:04:42 +0000 http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/#comment-591 Thanks Matt and Jac, Although the reality doesn't appeal to me very much, I appreciate your insights and practical outlook. Thanks Matt and Jac,

Although the reality doesn’t appeal to me very much, I appreciate your insights and practical outlook.

]]> By: Jac http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-574 Jac Mon, 12 Feb 2007 03:48:10 +0000 http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/#comment-574 Yeah Colin, I kind of know what you mean. Kunstler tells us how it's going to be after the peak, but there's a gap in this current period just before peak oil where our economy is still relatively stable. (for now). So I guess we have to infer some things and take what action we can. I suppose this could mean avoid making bad decisions. Like, if you are planning on buying a house, it would be a bad investment to purchase a single-family suburban mansion far away from the city centre. (very costly to heat, very costly to commute). These people should perhaps look into buying a smaller rowhouse/townhouse in an urban neighborhood. (easier to heat because of two shared walls and often there's grocery stores/transit stops/etc within a very short walk.) I also suspect there are some skills that I should develop. Gardening and canning for one, as food costs will be very high. Yeah Colin, I kind of know what you mean. Kunstler tells us how it’s going to be after the peak, but there’s a gap in this current period just before peak oil where our economy is still relatively stable. (for now).
So I guess we have to infer some things and take what action we can. I suppose this could mean avoid making bad decisions. Like, if you are planning on buying a house, it would be a bad investment to purchase a single-family suburban mansion far away from the city centre. (very costly to heat, very costly to commute). These people should perhaps look into buying a smaller rowhouse/townhouse in an urban neighborhood. (easier to heat because of two shared walls and often there’s grocery stores/transit stops/etc within a very short walk.)
I also suspect there are some skills that I should develop. Gardening and canning for one, as food costs will be very high.

]]> By: Matt http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-572 Matt Sun, 11 Feb 2007 03:16:25 +0000 http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/#comment-572 Far from an unpardonable sin to process through things carefully and deliberately! Kunstler certainly draws some hard lines, but he is right that those lines may be forced upon us whether we like it or not. Frankly, I do not think that big box stores have a future. Their existence depends on a complex network of transportation from a myriad of sources that only works as long as we have cheap, readily available oil. That will cease at some point. And of course, this must impact your current vocation. This is going to be tough. Basically, what he's trying to say is that we would be wise to start investing our time, energy and ingenuity into those ways of living that will be forced on us in the future. Smaller scale everything: economy, transportation, agriculture, etc. Kyoto tries to address the harm we are doing to our environment, but it does not say anything to unsustainable ways of living. Far from an unpardonable sin to process through things carefully and deliberately!

Kunstler certainly draws some hard lines, but he is right that those lines may be forced upon us whether we like it or not.

Frankly, I do not think that big box stores have a future. Their existence depends on a complex network of transportation from a myriad of sources that only works as long as we have cheap, readily available oil. That will cease at some point. And of course, this must impact your current vocation. This is going to be tough.

Basically, what he’s trying to say is that we would be wise to start investing our time, energy and ingenuity into those ways of living that will be forced on us in the future. Smaller scale everything: economy, transportation, agriculture, etc.

Kyoto tries to address the harm we are doing to our environment, but it does not say anything to unsustainable ways of living.

]]> By: Colin http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-570 Colin Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:09:53 +0000 http://mattwiebe.com/2007/02/some-ways-to-plan-for-the-future/#comment-570 I'd like to blame it on the medications I am coming off of, but it has taken a bit of time for me to think through this post by reading and re-reading it (over the past few days). I hope that this isn't the unpardonable sin, but my confession is that I am a Christian who happens to manage a big box retail outlet for a living (although I have been off work for over a year now). I must say that I do wonder at the apparent "start-again-from-scratch," options that Jim Kuntsler offers. His practical answers seem to speak more about what we will inevitably be forced to live with in the future, than what we can tangibly do about it now. Are things really that dire? Don't get me wrong, I concur with a lot of his basic analysis, and I know this will frustrate him, but I would agree with his critics who would find him lacking in providing tangible and practical means of addressing the situation. In Canada would this mean that the Kyoto protocol should be underscored and acted upon? Personally it makes me wonder about my vocation. . . . You've definitely got me thinking. I’d like to blame it on the medications I am coming off of, but it has taken a bit of time for me to think through this post by reading and re-reading it (over the past few days). I hope that this isn’t the unpardonable sin, but my confession is that I am a Christian who happens to manage a big box retail outlet for a living (although I have been off work for over a year now).

I must say that I do wonder at the apparent “start-again-from-scratch,” options that Jim Kuntsler offers. His practical answers seem to speak more about what we will inevitably be forced to live with in the future, than what we can tangibly do about it now. Are things really that dire?

Don’t get me wrong, I concur with a lot of his basic analysis, and I know this will frustrate him, but I would agree with his critics who would find him lacking in providing tangible and practical means of addressing the situation.

In Canada would this mean that the Kyoto protocol should be underscored and acted upon? Personally it makes me wonder about my vocation… . You’ve definitely got me thinking.

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