I love it! The aesthetics and the content. I think I have a new goal t obuild an offgrid in England. I struggle with the potential cost of it, but I think it can be achieved.
It can be a lifetime goal Alexander, but the journey makes it worth it. Many people take a decade plus to truly build resilience with their food systems, energy systems, shelter, etc.
I'm glad you see the value and enjoy my writing. England is a great place to leverage rocket mass heaters, thermal mass heating, and grow big gardens :)
While I really like what y'all are up to in the labs, I think you've severely oversimplified people in need of assistance by calling them "helpless ward[s] of the state" And, while what you propose sounds really lovely, it also underestimates the complexity of society and the complex interrelatedness that already exists -- e.g., where are you getting the precious metals for the solar panels in those illustrations? Right now much of that is mined by children, young mothers, and other vulnerable people who are harmed, mamed, and often killed in this line of work, work they take to survive -- and who are also descendants of the people exploited for the economic gains that created the economic conditions that make them vulnerable today while affording people like you (and me) travel in cool airplanes.
Finally, I'm troubled by the statement "247 years of American freedom" -- freedom for whom? Not people of color, women, indigenous people, people who didn't own land. You bring up the land-owning, food-growing ideals of Thomas Jefferson, a man who did not farm but owned more than 600 people over his lifetime who did the farming, cooking, cleaning, and more for him. Not to mention every inch of "American" soil is stolen. Every inch of this continent was already inhabited when settlers arrived to farm it, often removing evidence of indigenous people (like burial mounds) in order to do so.
Your ideas and opinions are valid, and I appreciated reading this to get a better idea of what you're doing and what Acorn Land Labs stands for. But your limited viewpoint is well on display here, along with inexperience systems thinking at scale and with the importance of specialized work within society (which is how we got those solar panels and the biogas tools to begin with). I know this is a harsh criticism, but the future requires this kind of hard work, too. And I think you are capable of incorporating what I've stated above into the vision at Acorn Land Labs.
I meant to address specialization! I’m a software engineer by training. Everything else is self taught. I fully believe in the benefits of specializing, just as I do believe in the core benefits of an ethical form of capitalism. Today we hyper specialize in a hyper capitalist economy. Both extreme methods are to our detriment and the detriment of countless others. Hyper specialized people are helpless when they become obsolete. Hyper capitalist economies are brutal, wasteful and often just evil.
Rather than working in Silicon Valley or a Wall Street investment bank, I’ve chosen to earn far less, live more simply and ethically, and try to point people towards sustainable self sufficiency. It’s the right thing to do. I’m hoping to find encouraging, like minded folks along the way :)
We might be more on the same page than you realize. It’s impossible to fully express every thought and supporting concept in just one article... However, Stay tuned! I’ll keep writing and endeavoring to add more clarity and background as we go.
The only way for good change to occur is for those people with new ideas to start working, sharing and building in good faith. It’s hard to create something good and new, while it is very easy to criticize it from afar.
The only viewpoint I can properly represent or share is my own, it’s not my place to speak from anybody else’s shoes as I only fill my own. Flying on planes is something folks should avoid more, I certainly do. And solar panels are not a cure all, just one of many technologies to be used sparingly :)
My intent is good, my daily habits known to only myself, I try to keep learning and educating myself as we all should, and I am working towards a hopeful future. Constructive criticism is always welcome, perhaps harsh criticism should be reserved for the Banks and Big Companies entrapping the unfortunate and voiceless people in the mines. I think we’re seeking the same good future, the key is working together in a positive manner.
On a final note, “freedom” is used in a relative sense. Many, many people have never been free here, or anywhere, and are not free today. America has aspired to freedom (often not always) and often fallen far short.
The goal is for the words to get people thinking :) Thanks for chiming in
I love it! The aesthetics and the content. I think I have a new goal t obuild an offgrid in England. I struggle with the potential cost of it, but I think it can be achieved.
It can be a lifetime goal Alexander, but the journey makes it worth it. Many people take a decade plus to truly build resilience with their food systems, energy systems, shelter, etc.
I'm glad you see the value and enjoy my writing. England is a great place to leverage rocket mass heaters, thermal mass heating, and grow big gardens :)
I really enjoyed reading this! Great motivation to work harder towards a more sustainable future! Nice work💪
Thanks Ben! That's the goal :)
While I really like what y'all are up to in the labs, I think you've severely oversimplified people in need of assistance by calling them "helpless ward[s] of the state" And, while what you propose sounds really lovely, it also underestimates the complexity of society and the complex interrelatedness that already exists -- e.g., where are you getting the precious metals for the solar panels in those illustrations? Right now much of that is mined by children, young mothers, and other vulnerable people who are harmed, mamed, and often killed in this line of work, work they take to survive -- and who are also descendants of the people exploited for the economic gains that created the economic conditions that make them vulnerable today while affording people like you (and me) travel in cool airplanes.
Finally, I'm troubled by the statement "247 years of American freedom" -- freedom for whom? Not people of color, women, indigenous people, people who didn't own land. You bring up the land-owning, food-growing ideals of Thomas Jefferson, a man who did not farm but owned more than 600 people over his lifetime who did the farming, cooking, cleaning, and more for him. Not to mention every inch of "American" soil is stolen. Every inch of this continent was already inhabited when settlers arrived to farm it, often removing evidence of indigenous people (like burial mounds) in order to do so.
Your ideas and opinions are valid, and I appreciated reading this to get a better idea of what you're doing and what Acorn Land Labs stands for. But your limited viewpoint is well on display here, along with inexperience systems thinking at scale and with the importance of specialized work within society (which is how we got those solar panels and the biogas tools to begin with). I know this is a harsh criticism, but the future requires this kind of hard work, too. And I think you are capable of incorporating what I've stated above into the vision at Acorn Land Labs.
I meant to address specialization! I’m a software engineer by training. Everything else is self taught. I fully believe in the benefits of specializing, just as I do believe in the core benefits of an ethical form of capitalism. Today we hyper specialize in a hyper capitalist economy. Both extreme methods are to our detriment and the detriment of countless others. Hyper specialized people are helpless when they become obsolete. Hyper capitalist economies are brutal, wasteful and often just evil.
Rather than working in Silicon Valley or a Wall Street investment bank, I’ve chosen to earn far less, live more simply and ethically, and try to point people towards sustainable self sufficiency. It’s the right thing to do. I’m hoping to find encouraging, like minded folks along the way :)
We might be more on the same page than you realize. It’s impossible to fully express every thought and supporting concept in just one article... However, Stay tuned! I’ll keep writing and endeavoring to add more clarity and background as we go.
The only way for good change to occur is for those people with new ideas to start working, sharing and building in good faith. It’s hard to create something good and new, while it is very easy to criticize it from afar.
The only viewpoint I can properly represent or share is my own, it’s not my place to speak from anybody else’s shoes as I only fill my own. Flying on planes is something folks should avoid more, I certainly do. And solar panels are not a cure all, just one of many technologies to be used sparingly :)
My intent is good, my daily habits known to only myself, I try to keep learning and educating myself as we all should, and I am working towards a hopeful future. Constructive criticism is always welcome, perhaps harsh criticism should be reserved for the Banks and Big Companies entrapping the unfortunate and voiceless people in the mines. I think we’re seeking the same good future, the key is working together in a positive manner.
On a final note, “freedom” is used in a relative sense. Many, many people have never been free here, or anywhere, and are not free today. America has aspired to freedom (often not always) and often fallen far short.
The goal is for the words to get people thinking :) Thanks for chiming in