How to live Off-Grid

harmless_little_f***

'How to Live Off-Grid' by Nick Rosen

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Live-Off-grid-Journeys-Outside/dp/0385611277

I bought this yesterday and it has changed my life. I'm not an expert so excuse me if this sounds a bit sketchy.

Nick Rosen begins by describing how countless national 'grid' systems - all kinds of energy systems (electricity, water, gas, petrol) for example - were at one time built upon lies and misinformation by corporations who began them. It was argued by these corporations that these 'grids' were public services 'for the people'. We were told that we need them, when in fact, many people were arguing at the time that our existing systems were working absolutely fine and had been for centuries. But their arguments were silenced. We were told these systems were built for 'us', when in fact their inception was fuelled by corporate greed - the desire to build billion-pound/dollar business and make it the public's only option. Even the supposedly neutral motorway system was built to aid the growth of these grids - the supermarket system for example, in itself a 'grid' system.

To cut a long story short, this has meant that all over the world, people and their livelihoods are being exploited and our environment is being destroyed.

Nick Rosen tours around Britain and visits people who have chosen to live 'off grid' - avoiding dependency on 'the grid', and in turn making their environment a better place to live. They have - as much as they can - stopped taking from their environment, and are giving something back to it.

Although at this stage of my life, it's a major impracticality to go off-grid entirely, this book has made me want to do a hell of a lot of things very differently. Hats off to you Nick Rosen.

dunkman

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

'How to Live Off-Grid' by Nick Rosen

I bought this yesterday and it has changed my life. I'm not an expert so excuse me if this sounds a bit sketchy.

Nick Rosen begins by describing how countless international 'grid' systems - all kinds of energy systems (electricity, water, gas, petrol) for example - were at one time built upon lies and misinformation by corporations who began them. It was argued by these corporations that these 'grids' were public services 'for the people'. We were told that we need them, when in fact, many people were arguing at the time that our existing systems were working absolutely fine and had been for centuries. But their arguments were silenced. We were told these systems were built for 'us', when in fact their inception was fuelled by corporate greed - the desire to build billion-pound/dollar business and make it the public's only option. Even the supposedly neutral motorway system was built to aid the growth of these grids - the supermarket system for example, in itself a 'grid' system.

To cut a long story short, this has meant that all over the world, people and their livelihoods are being exploited and our environment is being destroyed.

Nick Rosen tours around Britain and visits people who have chosen to live 'off grid' - avoiding dependency on 'the grid', and in turn making their environment a better place to live. They have - as much as they can - stopped taking from their environment, and are giving something back to it.

Although at this stage of my life, it's a major impracticality to go off-grid entirely, this book has made me want to do a hell of a lot of things very differently. Hats off to you Nick Rosen.

did he get the book printed by a printing press that runs on electricity and uses oil based ink on paper that was made from cut down trees? Is the book available from all good supermarkets and book stockists?

hmmmmmmmm

harmless_little_f***

dunkman wrote:

did he get the book printed by a printing press that runs on electricity and uses oil based ink on paper that was made from cut down trees? Is the book available from all good supermarkets and book stockists?

hmmmmmmmm

Very good point m'lad... the irony is that you often have to use the system to get people off it.

KosmicJelli

You can get almost completely off the grid or change your lifestyle to get as close as possible... i know people whom do it and fairly close myself!!!!

Urban Hiker

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Very good point m'lad... the irony is that you often have to use the system to get people off it.

Like TV programs airing reports about why you shouldn't watch tv. I love seeing people on tv telling us to turn it off. I'm easily amused, so it makes me laugh.

Back to the book: I'm a city girl, but every so often I enjoy daydreaming about how I could live an off-grid life.

I'll add this book to my amazon wishlist as a 'book I need to read' reminder.

Thanks, harmless.

fanch75

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

'How to Live Off-Grid' by Nick Rosen

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Live-Off-grid-Journeys-Outside/dp/0385611277

I bought this yesterday and it has changed my life.

How so, exactly? What are you going to do different from this book you bought & read yesterday?

harmless_little_f***

fanch75 wrote:

How so, exactly? What are you going to do different from this book you bought & read yesterday?

You want a definitive list of all the things I'm looking into doing differently?

harmless_little_f***

KosmicJelli wrote:

You can get almost completely off the grid or change your lifestyle to get as close as possible... i know people whom do it and fairly close myself!!!!

I'd love to hear about your experiences if you wanted to share.

fanch75

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

You want a definitive list of all the things I'm looking into doing differently?

That's not really necessary. The gist would probably satisfy my curiousity.

harmless_little_f***

fanch75 wrote:

That's not really necessary. The gist would probably satisfy my curiousity.

OK. I'm inspired to look into the following questions:

* How many products are available fair-trade (clothes, particularly) and is it possible to buy *everything* fair trade? Methinks, probably.

* Can I use as little artificial heating as possible? In fact, can I avoid having to use it completely? It would mean buying lots of jumpers/sweaters and maybe a few hot water bottles.

* Can I learn to grow a whole bunch of fruit and vegetables? I'm sure as hell gonna try. And when I can't, I'm going to try to buy organic and fair trade wherever possible.

* Can I totally avoid all clothing and fast food chains which exploit people's ignorance and damage the environment? Of course I can.

* Can I stop needlessly buying shit? For example, the book which inspired all of this? I hope it'll be the last book I buy. I can use the library, and when I want new fiction, I can write my own. Do I need to buy music? No, I can learn to play my own music - and then there's the internet.

I'll add to/take away from this checklist as and when I've properly researched the viability of these things. I am also interested in the concept of creating a private bore-hole for water in your own home, rather than using a corporate water company. Apparently you need no planning permission to do so and it's relatively inexpensive. Maybe someone else can throw some light on that.

dunkman

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

OK. I'm inspired to look into the following questions:

* How many products are available fair-trade (clothes, particularly) and is it possible to buy *everything* fair trade? Methinks, probably.

* Can I use as little artificial heating as possible? In fact, can I avoid having to use it completely? It would mean buying lots of jumpers/sweaters and maybe a few hot water bottles.

* Can I learn to grow a whole bunch of fruit and vegetables? I'm sure as hell gonna try. And when I can't, I'm going to try to buy organic and fair trade wherever possible.

* Can I totally avoid all clothing and fast food chains which exploit people's ignorance and damage the environment? Of course I can.

* Can I stop needlessly buying shit? For example, the book which inspired all of this? I hope it'll be the last book I buy. I can use the library, and when I want new fiction, I can write my own. Do I need to buy music? No, I can learn to play my own music - and then there's the internet.

I'll add to/take away from this checklist as and when I've properly researched the viability of these things. I am also interested in the concept of creating a private bore-hole for water in your own home, rather than using a corporate water company. Apparently you need no planning permission to do so and it's relatively inexpensive. Maybe someone else can throw some light on that.

i give it 10-14 days max.

harmless_little_f***

dunkman wrote:

i give it 10-14 days max.

Oh come on, at least give me three or four months to find out if I can grow a chilli pepper.

fanch75

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

I bought this yesterday and it has changed my life.

Nick Rosen begins by describing how countless national 'grid' systems - all kinds of energy systems (electricity, water, gas, petrol) for example - were at one time built upon lies and misinformation by corporations who began them.

To cut a long story short, this has meant that all over the world, people and their livelihoods are being exploited and our environment is being destroyed.

Can I totally avoid all clothing and fast food chains which exploit people's ignorance and damage the environment? Of course I can.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/82-hating-corporations/

Stuff White People Like

#82 Hating Corporations
March 5, 2008 by clander

One of the more popular white person activities of the past fifteen years is attempting to educate others on the evils of multi-national corporations. White people love nothing more than explaining to you how Wal*Mart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Halliburton are destroying the Earth’s culture and resources.

While the growth of multi-national corporations can be attributed to a number of complex social, economic and political factors, many white people prefer to take the word of two trusted sources: No Logo and AdBusters.

Published in 2000, No Logo has been responsible for more white person “enlightenment” than any book since the burning of the library at Alexandria. By reading this one magic book, white people are able to get a full grasp on the evils of multi-national corporations and then regurgitate it to friends and family.

Advanced white people will supplement No Logo with a subscription to AdBusters, where they will learn how to subvert corporate culture and return it to the masses. Specifically, this means taking ads and redoing them to give a negative message about a product. Apparently the belief is that when other people see this ad, they will be hit with an epiphany that their entire existence has been a Matrix-style manufactured universe.

If you plan to engage in lengthy conversations or get high with white people it is recommended that you read No Logo or one issue of AdBusters. Failing that, it is acceptable to buy a copy to leave on your coffee table. When white people see it, they will recognize you as someone who can see through the advertising and has a proper perspective on life.

When engaging in a conversation about corporate evils it is important to NEVER, EVER mention Apple Computers, Target or Ikea in the same breath as the companies mentioned earlier. White people prefer to hate corporations that don’t make stuff that they like.

Following these simple steps can help you gain the trust and respect of white people in a relatively short period of time.

harmless_little_f***

fanch75 wrote:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/82-hating-corporations/

Stuff White People Like

#82 Hating Corporations
March 5, 2008 by clander

One of the more popular white person activities of the past fifteen years is attempting to educate others on the evils of multi-national corporations. White people love nothing more than explaining to you how Wal*Mart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Halliburton are destroying the Earth’s culture and resources.

While the growth of multi-national corporations can be attributed to a number of complex social, economic and political factors, many white people prefer to take the word of two trusted sources: No Logo and AdBusters.

Published in 2000, No Logo has been responsible for more white person “enlightenment” than any book since the burning of the library at Alexandria. By reading this one magic book, white people are able to get a full grasp on the evils of multi-national corporations and then regurgitate it to friends and family.

Advanced white people will supplement No Logo with a subscription to AdBusters, where they will learn how to subvert corporate culture and return it to the masses. Specifically, this means taking ads and redoing them to give a negative message about a product. Apparently the belief is that when other people see this ad, they will be hit with an epiphany that their entire existence has been a Matrix-style manufactured universe.

If you plan to engage in lengthy conversations or get high with white people it is recommended that you read No Logo or one issue of AdBusters. Failing that, it is acceptable to buy a copy to leave on your coffee table. When white people see it, they will recognize you as someone who can see through the advertising and has a proper perspective on life.

When engaging in a conversation about corporate evils it is important to NEVER, EVER mention Apple Computers, Target or Ikea in the same breath as the companies mentioned earlier. White people prefer to hate corporations that don’t make stuff that they like.

Following these simple steps can help you gain the trust and respect of white people in a relatively short period of time.

I don't get it. This article has not made any attempt at debunking anything that No Logo (which I haven't read) said, and it certainly hasn't sought to prove that these corporations are not based on exploitation and greed.. If it has any other purpose than to laugh about an apparent fault with white people (wanting to contribute to looking after our planet), then I'd like to know what it is..

And please, if you have any evidence against any of the stuff I read in How to Live Off-Grid, I'd be very interested in debating with you. I am, admittedly, new at this stuff.

dunkman

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Oh come on, at least give me three or four months to find out if I can grow a chilli pepper.

think about it though

you cant use national grid electricty to power up your Sony Viao laptop that uses the Microsoft software to run.... so no internet... if you're not going to buy cd's or books and use the internet to listen to music then the internet quite literally uses the grid.

it seems like too much of a hassle to me... why spend 16 weeks growing 300 carrots that all need plucked from the ground at the same time? what do you eat for the next 4 weeks... carrots? suppose at least when you throw up after trying to get drunk on your own home brew it will explain the myriad of carrots plastered to your face whilst you lie crying in your hemp pyjamas about how wooden cars are the shit

polaris

good luck ... not as hard as it sounds!

urbanhippie

dunkman wrote:

think about it though

you cant use national grid electricty to power up your Sony Viao laptop that uses the Microsoft software to run.... so no internet... if you're not going to buy cd's or books and use the internet to listen to music then the internet quite literally uses the grid.

it seems like too much of a hassle to me... why spend 16 weeks growing 300 carrots that all need plucked from the ground at the same time? what do you eat for the next 4 weeks... carrots? suppose at least when you throw up after trying to get drunk on your own home brew it will explain the myriad of carrots plastered to your face whilst you lie crying in your hemp pyjamas about how wooden cars are the shit

Who says Hemp underwear isn't sexy?

http://www.smartplanet.com/news/fashion/10000190/new-cheeky-lingerie-from-enamore.htm

harmless_little_f***

dunkman wrote:

think about it though

you cant use national grid electricty to power up your Sony Viao laptop that uses the Microsoft software to run.... so no internet... if you're not going to buy cd's or books and use the internet to listen to music then the internet quite literally uses the grid.

it seems like too much of a hassle to me... why spend 16 weeks growing 300 carrots that all need plucked from the ground at the same time? what do you eat for the next 4 weeks... carrots? suppose at least when you throw up after trying to get drunk on your own home brew it will explain the myriad of carrots plastered to your face whilst you lie crying in your hemp pyjamas about how wooden cars are the shit

The internet allows me to communicate with my friends and earn some money.. which I will soon be doing self-employed.

Of course I'll be using supermarkets, but when I go there I *hope* I'll be able to find organic and fresh products as much as possible.

I'm quite clearly not treating it as an all or nothing thing. You can call that 'picking and choosing' but the fact is, I can't practically do the whole lot. But I am looking at how much I can do realistically. The fact is, if everyone in our country/the world did just a tiny bit of this stuff each, we'd be making quite an impact.. no?

butterfly1

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Of course I'll be using supermarkets, but when I go there I *hope* I'll be able to find organic and fresh products as much as possible.

I'm quite clearly not treating it as an all or nothing thing... you can call that 'picking and choosing' but the fact is, I can't practically do the whole lot. But I am looking at how much I can do realistically. The fact is, if everyone in our country/the world did just a tiny bit of this stuff each, we'd be making quite an impact.. no?

There you go--its not about decrying modern civilization and trying to do the impossible--its about awareness and consderation to do what we can. Thats a better ticket.

harmless_little_f***

urbanhippie wrote:

Who says Hemp underwear isn't sexy?

http://www.smartplanet.com/news/fashion/10000190/new-cheeky-lingerie-from-enamore.htm

:eek:

Chazz

dunkman wrote:

suppose at least when you throw up after trying to get drunk on your own home brew it will explain the myriad of carrots plastered to your face whilst you lie crying in your hemp pyjamas about how wooden cars are the shit

man your posts are funny