Friday, November 9, 2007

Persimmons and Peak Oil


Its Persimmon Season!!

I have to say, I think Persimmons are in my top three rotating all-time favorite fruits.
(The others...? Figs and Durian)
This one is about 2 days away from being ready. I bought this one on 14th St, but I bought a few smaller ones down in Chinatown. The lady said that everyone she knows eats them when they are still crisp, but if you wait until they are dark orange and soft, they are simply the best. This one Im going to enjoy by itself, then after that I'm going to blend one with avocado and see how it combines. Should be great.

They vary in price from $1 to $1.50 for non-organic, and $2-$4 for organic. So far Ive just been buying the conventional ones. I don't know how they compare nutritionally and how many massive doses of spray they get each season, but they are always pretty tasty...Im thinking about getting a couple for planting next summer, but I would have to place them in a greenhouse in the winter if they were going to survive. The climate is ever-changing though, and the people that make the colored "zone" agricultural charts have already had to change the map twice to reflect the changes in global warming. They say that NY will have the climate of Washington D.C. in just another decade or so.

...

Despite the great impact global warming will have, I think our most pressing concerning the idea of keeping civilization up and running is peak oil.
What THIS VIDEO as well for more info.

Especially for those living in the suburban areas of the U.S., there are big problems that are going to be faced. Check out James Howard Kunstler speak about this topic from the annual TED festival held in Silicon Valley every year.

I would say that we should be thinking of ways to live with less energy instead of trying to develop alternatives to keep business going as usual. The Earth simply can't continue to take this growth. We need to live smart and lightly. Im going to put in two wind power turbines, and maybe a couple of solar panels. I'm not going to need much because I want the whole system to pretty much support some highly-efficient lightbulbs and our laptops. I might not even put a refrigerator in there. If so, it would be a little college-sized energy-star version. I would just hand wash whatever small amount of clothes I would be wearing, and hang them out to dry. Kitchen appliances my take up alot...maybe vita-mix once a week?

I just read Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" at a time when I was really ripe for something like that to come along my way. I just want the simple, self-sufficient life full of clean air, water, and food. I don't want the fancy cars or the mansions...they can have all that, because its just too much worry and too much money to maintain.

Courtesy: Colorado Yurt (I LIKE THESE!)

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things
which he can afford to let alone."

from the chapter "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" in Walden

Am I crazy? Does this all make any sense to you? Wouldn't you prefer to live in a cute and smart little cottage with your loved ones and be surrounded by grape vines and berry bushes and fruit trees? Wouldn't it be nice to step out of the rat-race and not have a million things to take care of by the end of the week?

I've lived in major cities, and I think I've got all I needed from them. I want to go back and reconnect. Im tempted to take a break from modeling asap and just focus on writing and getting ready for the springtime. I could stay in Asia longer too, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. We just have to follow our dreams and not be bound by the desires of a stable paycheck. Hell, I havent had a stable paycheck for years really, and it gets a little tense. Its not fun cutting deep into savings. Id want to work on the Minnesota project and then spend some time out on the west coast. Ive been to California, but never lived there. And I would love to spend time in Oregon with my good friend D.L. who lives out there. Life is to be lived! Sitting around in the cold NYC weather is just not doing it for me anymore.


Check these little cottages out...sent to my by my good friend Miin!
We can do this people! Green & sustainable living done with style! Why isnt every rich person creating little eco-villages with these things?

Peace everyone! Have a great weekend!!!

Anthony

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