Oct 01 2009
Can We Get Back to a Truly Local Society?
We currently live in a society and so integrated that I am wondering if we could actually go back to a true local society that could survive without outside resources. The main reason that makes me skeptical about a truly local society is “Energy”.
When I talk about energy, I am not just talking about Electricity. I am also talking about fuels to run vehicles and machinery, and to heat homes and businesses. Yes, some, if not much, of this can be produced locally, but could it be enough to adequately and reliably serve the needs of any sizable population.
If there were a sufficient amount of natural resources like coal, oil, and/or natural gas, I guess the needed infrastructure could be created to utilize those resources. But not all areas have those resources in any appreciable quantities.
That means that alternative resources have to be found. Yes, wind and solar can be used, but they can be unreliable at best. If there were a way to store the produced electricity for any appreciable amount of time then maybe they could be a more viable option.
Biofuels are an option for fuels, however, at the present time, utilizes resources that are best left for their intended uses. Saying that, there are a myriad of technologies being developed that will allow biofuels to be created from waste material, weed trees, and even algae that will produce better yields and varieties than what is currently produced from feedstock like corn and soybeans. However, theses are either years away or are proprietary at the present time. This means we would have to wait or rely on others for the technologies.
Now one can say that do we really need these types of energies to survive? The answer is no, but are people willing to go back that far in time (even though it is really only about a century since much of this has been available to the populace). In most cases, I would say it would be a resounding NO.
In conclusion, if the natural resources were available, then I would say that, yes, there is a greater possibility of creating a truly local society. If there were not, I would say it would be hard, but not impossible, for those who are willing to go without.
There are other reasons that it would be hard to “go local”, but those are easier to overcome and subjects for future entries.
