(Joan wrote)
>One of the ways we promote more ecological living is to form eco-villages,
>or eco-communities, or other ecological life-styles that involve a small
>group of people purchasing land and water rights and learning, re-learning
>to live simply and completely off the land.
Yes, except there is less concern, generally ,with complete
self-sufficiency, and more concern with fitting into the larger community.
>Here's my question/concern: Who are the people who do this? White,
>middle-class, well-educated people? (I fit this description, by the way)
>What about the people who live in cities, or in towns who cannot afford
>land, who have no habitable land around them? What happens to them when
>there is an energy crunch and the eco-village people are doing just fine?
>What happens when there isn't enough water in town?
>
I think this is a valid criticism. But we have to start somewhere. We
need to develop the patterns for ecologically sound and socially fair
living. There are many groups building ecovillages in cities. There are
groups that are putting the same principles to work in the suburbs. We are
developing ways of life that are more effecient (more with less) and so i
think these patterns have a lot to promise poor people and existing
villages in "third world" countries.
Also, i think that there is a good chance that the next few decades
are going to see massive relocation of people because of climate change and
environmental disaster. I see the ecovillage movement as developing tools
that we can use to cope with this catastrophe.
>My husband and I have debated for years about buying land - we live in
>mid-Michigan (prime farmland with lots of available water), but we question
>the ethics of it...
>
>I'm NOT passing judgement! I'm asking for discussion.
>
>Joan
I think "going it alone" as a homestead is much harder ( on some levels)
than finding a community. The ethics of community generally feel better
than homesteading too. Check around the WWW for ecovillage leads and see
what you come up with. I think maybe ecovillages are more involved with
the world and with their local communities than most folks imagine. We are
stronger together.
You don't seem judgemental. Those are articulate and intelligent comments.
Will
