Doing for Ourselves

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Once upon a time the idea of self sufficiency seemed pretty straightforward. You relied on other people as little as possible, did as much as you could for yourself.

Nowadays, we know much more about how we each contribute to what has become a climate crisis. But we've come to rely so much on everything we want coming to us from somewhere else, whenever we want it, that it's hard to decide what our day-to-day lives should look like.

How will I manage water use during the summer? Should I grow my own vegetables? Should I use air conditioning? Who should I ask about solar panels for my house? Is it worth getting my washing machine fixed? What about plastic? Is knitting just a useless old-lady thing? Should I feed wild birds? Is it okay to travel overseas? Where does everything I use come from? How much can I do without? How much should I actually do for myself?

In this book, stories and reflections from one long life are used to explore questions like these. You'll find plenty of suggestions, though no clear answers-because, of course, each of us has to find our own.

However, there's no doubt about the overriding importance for us humans, in this period of the world's history, of community-and of communities, both plant and animal, and the urgency of exploring our role in them.