Response to Here's MY leaflet..any others?

In 3-6 months, many, many people will be aware of the dangerous potential of y2k. It might almost be appropriate for panic. I don't see anything that will be in place by then that will be a real contingency for the worst-case scenerio. However, if this list of cheap, simple, funky ways and ideas for self-sustainability both for the indiv. and the neighborhood were developed by then, there would probably be many, many people willing to make the effort to implement them in the short time remaining and panic would be alleviated. I am not a tehnical person, I can't learn all the ways in time, the ideas must come from the handy people, not me. So. . . . . Do you think this plan is worthy to mobilize around? Gentle people, I hope you find these ideas worthy of supporting: First of all, I would like to assume that you are up on y2k. But, if you are like many progressives, you may be asleep at the wheel on this one, I hope not. In any case, please be so kind as to indulge me for a moment, for I have found much on the web which supports the premise that can be found on the state of California y2k web site, that there is the possibility for infrastructure breakdown (i.e. no electricity, etc. for an indefinite period) and hence contingency should be implemented with this in mind. With this possibility in mind I would like to assert that the best, the most comfortable contingency that I can imagine would be self-sustainable, self-reliant, neighborhoods globally and locally before 2000. This is the funky, cheap, simple type of self-sustainability, not the deep ecology or the bio-regionalism, or anything that would take years to implement. This is a comprehensive self sustainability that would be more fitting for contingency for infrastructure rupture such as y2k presents. Something that could be done before 2000. It is a daunting challenge, but who is to say its impossible. The stakes are so high, with the possibility of martial law/chaos on one side, and the other possibility. . . Imagine, if you would, the worst-case scenario does occur and we in our wisdom had the foresight and the diligence and the creativity to implement self-sustainable neighborhoods comprehensively and globally in time. The safety net would be available for everyone and everyone would experience the liberating and healing effect of community based on mutual co-operation and after a month or who knows how long of living this way, without money, the people of the world would see the absurdity of ever returning to the former way of injustice, waste, destruction, exploitation, and corruption that we have all had to endure and which has so degraded and compromised everyone's existence. Thus the world would be transformed in one fell swoop, possibly. Its just a possibility, of course. But is it not worth mobilizing all those who could help in creating an ever-improving list of ideas that are cheap and simple for sustainability? Would your organization be interested in playing an instrumental role in getting this ball rolling? This once in a millennium opportunity is very fleeting, there is only 13 months left. There is a certain urgency, if we are not to miss this and head into y2k with little but an ever deepening sense of panic. If for some reason you don't agree, please let me know why. Yours in hopeful collaboration, Tom 415-824-4214 bagelhole1@aol.com websites: www.y2knet.com www.artrans.com/msg/toc.htm www.co-intelligence.org www.year2000.com www.milesresearch.com/ywk/ywk-links.htm Vertical gardening: Make a column out of chickenwire and tarpaper or cardboard about 3 1/2 feet high, 142diameter. Hold a 42 diameter pipe in center and fill with sand and stones (for watering), fill the rest of the area with good soil. Cut 32 slits around the outside thru the wire and paper in a spiral pattern. Insert seedlings in slits (40-60). Can be used on sidewalks, balconies, roofs. Sizes are arbitrary. 4 or 5 should feed a family plenty of vegetables, plant about 2 weeks apart to keep a steady harvest. Local gov9ts. should be asked to bring grains from the silos across America where they often rot every year and store them in accessible places for neighborhoods in your city. Now the food produce problem is solved.12/21/98

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