Modern Victory Movement

www.timgamble.com

2011-08-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

Please check out my website www.timgamble.com for more information & updates.

Fall Gardening Tips

2011-08-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

August is here and though the heat may be blazing, Autumn is just around the corner. But that doesn't mean your gardening activities must come to a halt. Here are some tips to keep you busy over the next few months:

Grow a Fall Garden. In many places across the country, mid-August through mid-September is the time to plant your Fall Garden. Crops to consider for the Fall include lettuce, cabbage, kohlrabi, turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, kale, and radishes.
Plant Garlic Bulbs. September is the time to plant garlic bulbs for next year. Consider planting a couple of interesting varieties from the Seed Savers Exchange.

Harvest Apples. Many areas have u-pick apple orchards. A visit to one would make for a fun and useful way to spend a Saturday afternoon. You can also visit your local farmers' market or attend one of the many small town apple festivals that are typically held in September or early October.

Pick Nuts. September through November is the time to harvest pecans and black walnuts.

Plant Trees and Shrubs. Fall is the perfect time to plant most trees and shrubs, which means it is a great time to start your forest garden.

Start Composting and Improving Your Soil. See my earlier post on Improving Soil with videos and links to great resources on the topic.

Start Making Your Lasagna Garden. Now is a great time to mark off your lasagna-garden beds for next year, lay down the newspaper and use the falling leaves and yard waste in the layers.

Grow Indoor Herbs. Many herbs, such as chives, oregano, basil and rosemary, can be grown in pots indoors during the fall and winter.

Transplant Perennials. Fall is the best time to divide and transplant most perennials.

Order Seed Catalogs. Don't forget to request seed catalogs for next year from your favorite companies. You can spend the winter months thumbing through the catalogs and dreaming big dreams.

Privacy Statement and Important Notice

2011-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

This version of the Privacy Statement and Important Notice replaces all previous versions and is current and up-to-date as of August 1, 2011. (Both the Privacy Statement and Important Notice also appear at the bottom of every page of this website.)

PRIVACY STATEMENT

The Modern Victory Movement respects your privacy and does not secretly collect any personally identifiable information on visitors or subscribers.

This website offers email subscriptions via Google's FeedBurner. You can view their privacy statement by clicking here. This website does not lease, sell or rent subscribers' email information.

Prior to April 8, 2011, FeedBlitz managed the email subscriptions for this website, and you can view their privacy statement by clicking here. All information for previous email subscribers via FeedBlitz has been deleted and is no longer available to the owner of this website.

The Modern Victory Movement does contain interest-based advertising. However, all advertising is clearly labeled as such.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The owner/editor of this blog is not a financial, legal or medical professional. Nothing presented here should be taken as professional advice, but rather is meant as "food for thought" and a starting point for your further investigation.

If you do need professional advise, the Modern Victory Movement highly recommends that you seek the counsel of an appropriate licensed professional who is aware of your personal concerns and unique circumstances.

Efforts are made to ensure that all information presented on this blog is accurate and up-to-date as of the time of posting. However, it is up to you, the reader, to verify all information for yourself and to carefully consider its interpretation for, and usefulness in, your life.

Emergency Food Storage (Book Review)

2011-06-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of years, I've been reading every book I can get my hands on that may help me prepare for the very difficult times that lie ahead - survivalist handbooks, homesteading tomes, books offering everything from financial advice to old-time country skills. The book I am discussing in this review fits the category of a "prepping" guide, and is the best in that category that I have found to date.

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton is not a book detailing hard-core survival skills in the midst of a disaster or homesteading advice for surviving over a long-term economic crisis. Rather, it is a book about preparing ("prepping" as some would say) for temporary disruptions in the comforts of civilization.

What would you do if you could not buy any food at a restaurant or grocery store for a week or two? What if the seemingly endless supply of clean water from your local waterworks suddenly ceased for a few days? What if the local Wal-mart, Target and other big-box stores closed their doors? What if the Post Office, FedEx and UPS no longer delivered to your neighborhood? What if you had no gas for your car, and no one else did either, and you couldn't go to work, or shopping, or even to your doctor?

There are a hundred and one reasons why such a scenario might come to pass - from natural disasters to political & economic turmoil. Could you survive more than a day or two without all the comforts of civilization that we all take for granted? Peggy Layton's book will help you prepare for those difficult times.

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook covers preparing for short-term disasters, with detailed information and lists for everything from an emergency car kit, to a 72-hour emergency kit (aka "bug out" kit), to building stockpiles of food, water, medicine and other necessities. Included in the book is a section on ideas for apartment dwellers and others with little storage space.

But the book is more than just lists of things to buy. Also discussed are how to obtain, store, organize, rotate and use the items. There is a recipe section for what do do with all that long-term food storage, along with information on how to use powdered milk, how to cook whole wheat, tips for using rice and so forth.

The thing that impressed me the most with this book it that it is very detailed without being overly-complicated (most other prepping books I've seen are either too general, lacking needed details, or way too complicated, and boring, for the average person).

The only problem I have with the book is the Resource Guide near the end. Because the book was written back in 2002, many of the web addresses and even physical addresses for the various stores and companies are out of date.

Here is the Table of Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1: Preparing for short-term emergencies

Chapter 2: Storing water for emergency use

Chapter 3: Economics of long-term emergency storage

Chapter 4: Logistics of long-term emergency storage

Chapter 5: Building your stockpile of food & other necessities

Chapter 6: Obtaining food storage

Chapter 7: Implementing your food storage program

Chapter 8: Recipes using stored foods

Resource Guide

Index

Review: Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife

2011-06-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I purchased the Gerber Prodigy Survival Knife from Amazon.com (regular price $82, but I got it on sale). This is a survival/tactical knife based on the well-proven LMF II Infantry knife design (really, it is just a scaled down version of that design).

The Gerber Prodigy is full tang stainless steel with black oxide coating and an over-molded rubber (TacHide) handle. It features a partially serrated blade and a glass-breaker pommel tip with a hole that can be used to attach a lanyard. The total length of this knife is 9.75 inches and the blade length is 4.75 inches. It has a solid, beefy feel and should stand up well to heavy, rugged use, yet is compact enough for easy portability without weighing you down.

The Prodigy is extremely sharp out of the box, so be careful!

Included with the Gerber Prodigy is a hard sheath with a nylon belt loop and a leg strap. The sheath can also be worn on a vest and is MOLLE compatible. Materials used in the sheath were chosen to include noise dampening qualities. The Prodigy knife fits very securely within the sheath and there is no movement or rattling.

In my opinion, this is an excellent survival/tactical knife. I gave it five out of five stars on my Amazon.com review.

Review: Cold Steel Bushman Survival Knife

2011-06-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

I purchased the Cold Steel Bushman from Amazon.com (regular price $35, but I got it on sale for less) for a survival knife based on several reviews & demonstrations of it on You Tube. However, actually holding the knife in hand leaves me even more impressed than watching the videos. As a rural/backwoods fixed blade survival knife, I give the Bushman five out of five stars.

This is a knife that is big enough, sharp enough, rugged enough and versatile enough to tackle any outdoor survival use. If Tom Hanks' character had this knife on that deserted island, his life would have been so much easier.

The hallow-handled knife is actually forged from a single sheet of 2.5mm thick high carbon steel and is virtually indestructible. There are no seems or joints to wear out or break.

The overall length of the Bushman is just over 12 inches and the blade is seven inches long and quite sharp straight out of the box. It is a well balanced knife that can be used as a throwing knife (see some of the You Tube videos for a demonstration).

The hollow handle is designed to allow you to be able to either carry some survival items in the handle or to quickly convert the Bushman into a spear by inserting a limb or yard tool handle into it. You can "lock" the spear shaft in place by inserting a screw at the groove in the base of the handle. There is also a small hole near the top of the handle where a second screw can be inserted (or it can be used to affix a lanyard). Some of the You Tube videos demonstrate the conversion into and use of the Bushman as a spear.

The Cordura sheath is well-designed for this knife and has a fairly large external pocket that can be used to store a sharpener, fire starter and other small survival items. It has a simple loop to carry it on your belt.

I consider the Cold Steel Bushman to be an excellent survival knife, especially for the price (you can pay a lot more for survival knives of lesser quality). It is my main rural/backwoods survival knife.

I do have another knife I use as my main urban/suburban survival knife and will review it next.

Review: Military Tanto Knife, Fixed Blade

2011-06-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of reviews of prepping supplies and survival gear.

Review: Military Tanto Knife, Fixed Blade

Purchased from Amazon.com (click here for a direct link to the item)

Reason for purchase: I wanted an inexpensive back-up survival knife.

Having purchased several high quality knives recently, I am somewhat disappointed in this particular knife. The blade isn't very sharp out of the box. The cord used to wrap the handle is a very cheap, flimsy variety that likely won't hold up well to rugged use. And the sheath is quite ill-fitting (apparently it is a generic sheath rather than one designed for this particular knife). Not surprising considering the cost of this knife is under $10.

On the plus side, the knife is full tang stainless steel thick enough to have a bit of heft to it and a solid feel. The saw back serrations run a full 3.5 inches, giving a good sawing length (many similar knives have a much shorter saw length that can be difficult to work with). The sheath comes with a magnesium alloy fire starter, which could come in handy.

I plan to sharpen the blade and re-wrap the handle with paracord. Once that is done, this will be a good back-up hunting/survival knife to carry in my pack.

The price can't be beat for a back-up, but for your main knife you need to spend more for higher quality.

On Amazon, I gave this knife three out of five stars.

Future reviews will include a couple of the higher quality choices for your main survival knives.

Update...

2011-06-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Sorry I haven't been posting for several weeks. Some... lets call them "unplanned personal issues"... arose that I had to deal with. But those issues have been successful dealt with (mostly) and I will be resuming my internet activities. More on that in the near future.

I also want to quickly update everyone on a post I ran last September: ALERT - 6 to 9 months from hyperinflation & chaos. In that post I wrote about John Williams of Shadow Stats issuing a warning that we were six to nine months away from the start of hyperinflation and the collapse of the US dollar, as well as the economic and political chaos that will ensue.

Well, it has been nine months since John Williams made that prediction. Although the USA is experiencing high inflation (consider gas and food prices now compared to a year ago), we are not yet seeing the hyperinflation, dollar collapse and chaos of the like that John Williams was predicting. Could we be at the start of such events? Possibly, but only time will tell if Williams is correct.

I do believe that we are entering the second part of the double-dip recession that many have warned about. I also continue to believe that the worst is yet to come, most likely in my opinion sometime around 2014 to 2016. I do believe that "worst" could entail hyperinflation, a collapse of the dollar and economic and political chaos as never seen before in the USA. I continue to urge everyone to prepare for though times ahead, and to build as much self-reliance as possible.

Recently, I have been buying lots of prepping supplies and survival gear. I have begun posting reviews of some of these items on amazon.com (under TimGamble if you're looking for them) and will also post those reviews here beginning in the next few days. Incidentally, I am not an Amazon.com affiliate so I do not profit if you buy any of the items though Amazon.

Please continue to monitor this blog in the weeks to come. Thank you.

Improve your health, fitness and vitality

2011-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing with a look at each of the eight points of the Modern Victory Movement. Today is point number six, Improve your health, fitness and vitality.

6- Improve your health, fitness & vitality.

This is a list of basic rules to promote better health. Healthy living is a much more complex topic, of course, but this list makes a good starting point. Consult your doctor for the specifics of your situation.

Avoid smoking and/or abusing drugs or alcohol. This one should be obvious, but a lot of people fail to achieve this important step to improving their health.

Get between 7 & 9 hours of sleep per night. I know plenty of people who claim to get by on six hours of sleep a night or less. You might "get by" with less, but the research is overwhelming - adequate sleep is very important to good health.

Consume less meat, especially red meat. Red meat especially is full of saturated (unhealthy) fats, not to mention hormones, dyes and other undesirable stuff. You should only eat meat only a few times a week, and even then preferring fish or poultry, if you want to achieve maximum health. This is one of the cornerstones of the traditional Mediterranean diet, long known to be one of the healthiest diets possible. Please note: fat is an essential macro-nutrient for good health, and the suggestion to eliminate unhealthy fats is in no way a promotion of no-fat fad diets.

Eat 5+ servings of fruits & vegetables a day. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a cornerstone of a healthy diet, and you cannot eat too many. Try to eat a wide variety fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, tomatoes, carrots and the cruciferous veggies, which include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, radishes, horseradish, and various greens (turnip, mustard, kale, collard, etc). Legumes (beans, peas) should be eaten for their fiber, protein and other nutritional value.

Eat whole grains instead of refined grains. Many studies suggest that the high rate of consumption of refined, or white, flour, bread, pasta, cereals and rice are contributing to the current epidemics of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer. Switch to whole grains whenever possible.

Consume less sodium & refined sugar. Also contributing to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer is the high rate of sugar consumption in all its forms, especially high fructose corn syrup. Cut back drastically on the amount of sugar you consume, and when you do use sweeteners, prefer natural sources such as fruit & honey.

Be physically active everyday. Many experts recommend at least one hour of moderate exercise a day, at least five days a week. What is moderate exercise? It should be vigorous enough to cause you to break out in a slight sweat. Walking, swimming and bike riding are excellent, low impact, ways to exercise. Use common sense - if you are elderly, badly out-of-shape or suffer from serious health conditions, please get your doctor's advise before starting an exercise program.

Visit your doctor & dentist for regular check-ups. Find a doctor you like and are comfortable with, hopefully one who takes a holistic approach to your health care and believes as strongly in preventing disease as he or she does in curing disease. What constitutes "regular check-ups" depends on your age & health conditions and should be mutually decided on by you and your doctor.

Eliminate Debt and Build Savings

2011-03-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

Continuing with a look at each of the eight points of the Modern Victory Movement. Today is point number five, Eliminate Debt and Build Savings.

Eliminate Debt and Build Savings

We are facing difficult economic times. It will be especially difficult for the folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, in debt up to their eyeballs and with little or no savings. Debt – whether personal, business or government – is bad. It creates stress and makes one much more vulnerable to economic downturns.

In your personal life, work towards eliminating consumer debt – credit cards, car loans, payday loans, personal loans and installment plans. This will mean you have to put yourself on a budget and stick with it. It will probably mean putting off major purchases, avoiding impulse purchases and denying yourself luxury items. It may mean taking bag lunches to work. It may mean selling your car to get out of the loan. It may mean having a major yard sale to raise some money. It may even mean taking on a second job. It will take some sacrifice to eliminate debt in your life, but the benefits will be more than worth it.

Building some emergency savings will have to be done at the same time. Yard sales are a great way to bring in extra cash to do this. So is a second job in the evenings or on the weekends. Put the money somewhere safe, such as an insured CD or money market account in a stable bank or credit union (do your own homework or check with several companies that offer ratings on the soundness and safety of various financial institutions). Don’t worry about getting top interest. Safety and liquidity is your goal for your emergency savings, not growth.

Once your debt is paid off and you have accumulated some emergency savings, you can then turn your attention to savings for long-range goals such as the purchase of a car, a new home, children’s education, or retirement. Use common sense, avoid overly-risky investments and seek professional advice of someone you can trust.

No investment is perfectly safe. Cash savings are subject to losing value to inflation. Stocks and mutual funds are subject to the ups and downs of the market. Land is subject to property taxes and eminent domain. Converting all your money to gold & silver and burying it in the backyard is subject to thieves. There are no guarantees in life. The best you can do is use reason & common sense, to remain vigilant and to take responsibility for ensuring your own future.

The single most important thing you can do now to survive any future chaos is to start taking responsibility for your own life.

Gain knowledge. Learn skills. Take responsibility.

2011-03-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

Continuing with a look at each of the eight points of the Modern Victory Movement. Today is point number four, Gain Knowledge. Learn Skills. Take Responsibility.

Gain knowledge. Learn skills. Take responsibility.

In a world that will be experiencing an unknown amount of economic hardships and political chaos, we will not have the luxury to depend on "Good Times", the Government, our parents or society at large to help us have stable and successful lives. We are going to have to do that for ourselves. We will have to be self-reliant.

A major part of building self-reliance is gaining knowledge, learning skills and taking responsibility for your own life. The more you know, the more you are able to do and the more you are actually willing to do for yourself, the better off you will be.

In your personal life, learn how to manage your finances. Learn how to live on a budget. Develop the skills of a smart consumer. Learn how to raise and preserve some of your own food. Learn how to do the routine maintenance on your car. Learn the basics of home maintenance. Learn to sew. Learn how to eat healthy and how to take care of your health. Learn first aid & CPR. There is a multitude of everyday skills that you can learn in order to be more self-reliant.

Learn real history and economics, not the biased, PC stuff they feed you in public schools. (I will be posting suggested reading lists in the near future.)

On the job, the more knowledge and skills you have the less likely you are to be let go in “cost saving” efforts. And if you are let go, the more knowledge and skills you have the quicker you will be able to find new work. Don’t just limit yourself to the skills needed for your current job. Learn other skills as well. Learn bookkeeping/accounting. Develop computer skills. Learn a foreign language. Learn how to sell.

Take responsibility for your own life and success. Your company isn’t going to protect you. The government is going to take care of you. You family and friends have enough problems of their own.

Taking responsibility means doing what needs to be done, not just what is fun or what you want to do. Taking responsibility means not waiting around for others to do it for you. Taking responsibility means not assuming if you don’t do it then someone else will. Be proactive.

If you know your company is struggling, don’t wait for them to “downsize” you before you start looking for work. Get moving - polish up your résumé now, start networking and making contacts & inquires.

If your entire industry is struggling, don’t wait for it to implode. Start thinking about what new industry you might want to move to, and start learning the new skills you will need and making contacts in that industry.

Stay informed of current affairs. Pay attention to the news. For those looking to better understand the changes happening to our civilization, I would suggest reading two of my essays, Bread and Circuses and Chaostan, and the USA's Move To Socialism.

The single most important thing you can do now to survive any future chaos is to start taking responsibility for your own life.

Save money through energy and resource efficiency

2011-03-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Continuing with a look at each of the eight points of the Modern Victory Movement. Today is point number three - Save money through energy and resource efficiency.

Carbon taxes (aka: cap & trade), peak oil, political hostility towards traditional energy sources (oil, gas, coal, nuclear), a declining dollar, and high inflation caused by stupid fiscal policies are creating a perfect storm in which all forms of energy are going to get much, much more expensive over the next several years and beyond. The best way for most people to protect themselves from high energy inflation is to use less through the science of energy efficiency.

A couple of years ago, I went about making my family home of about 1,500 square feet more energy efficient. Some of the things done included:

Repairs to the shell of the home

Repairs to the insulation under the house

Replaced several old appliances with new, energy efficient models

Replaced old windows with new energy-efficient windows

Switched all indoor lights to CFLs*

Filled in gaps where pipes and wires come into the house (kitchen, bathrooms, utility room) with a can of spray foam insulation

Replaced regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads

The total cost of all this was about $6,800. Between the lower monthly energy bills and the tax credit for the new energy-efficient windows, the break even point on this investment was less than three years. How have your investments done over the last three years?

The really great thing is that electricity prices could literally double and my monthly power bill will still be lower than it was before. How is that for a hedge against higher energy taxes (cap-and-trade) and inflation?

I feel certain that most American homes, and businesses for that matter, could probably achieve similar energy savings by simply making their buildings more energy efficient.

Of course, wasteful actions (usually due to simple thoughtlessness) should be stopped as part of achieving energy efficiency. Again, this can be done without major changes in lifestyle or personal behavior:

Turn off lights when not in a room
Turn off radios, TVs and/or DVD players when not being used
Unplug battery chargers when not being used
Unplug unnecessary clocks, kitchen gadgets and so forth
Set thermostats lower in the winter (wear sweaters, throw an extra blanket on the bed)
Set thermostats higher in summer (electric fans can make you feel five degrees cooler)
Take quick showers (less hot water used = less energy used)

Remember, the more energy you save, the more money you save. Good luck, and good savings...

*Notes on CFLs

1- CFL bulbs have gotten a bad rap in recent years due to their mercury content. The fact is that modern CFLs contain less than 30% the mercury contained in the CFLs that first came on the market. Unbroken, CFLs pose no mercury danger. And it would take 125 broken CFLs to equal the amount of mercury contained in that old thermometer that is probably sitting in your bathroom cabinet.

2- CFLs are also controversial because many governments are mandating their use. I am a free market guy, therefore I am against laws mandating their use. In a free market system, people should have choice in products they purchase.

Raise & preserve some of your own food

2011-02-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

Continuing with a look at each of the eight points of the Modern Victory Movement. Today is point number two, raising and preserving some of your own food.

#2 - If possible, raise & preserve some of your own food (gardening, edible landscaping).

Raising and preserving your own food is the best means of protecting yourself and your family from the high food inflation we are currently experiencing, as well as any future food scarcity that may occur. From a simple veggie patch in the backyard to a fully integrated forest garden with free-roaming chickens for eggs and a couple of goats for milk, the more food each of us can raise, the better off the world will be. Urban farming in community gardens, on rooftops or in containers on balconies and windowsills is especially important.

An important part of growing our own food is improving the soil we garden in. This can be done by composting, vermiculture and wise-use. Healthy soils are one of the greatest stores of future value around. The more I read of history, the more obvious the extreme importance of healthy soils. Entire civilizations were built around healthy soils. And many were destroyed either by conquest of other peoples wanting their soils, or because they destroyed their own soils.

Not only raising our own food, but preserving it for future use is important. Canning, freezing, drying and other methods can be used to store the food we raise or buy from local farmers. Most of us will probably need to supplement the food we preserve from our gardens with food we buy from the stores.

For those who cannot grow any of their own food because of health limitations or whatever other reasons, consider joining a food co-op. A food co-op directory service can be found by clicking here.

Store food, water & other items as a hedge against economic chaos

2011-02-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't read my previous post introducing the new version of my Modern Victory Movement concept, you can read it by clicking here. I thought I would go into more detail about the eight main points of the Modern Victory Movement over the next eight days (taking one a day).

There are eight main points to MVM:

1- Store food, water & other items as a hedge against economic chaos.
2- If possible, raise & preserve some of your own food (gardening, edible landscaping).
3- Save money through energy & resource efficiency.
4- Gain knowledge. Learn skills. Take responsibility.
5- Eliminate debt and build savings.
6- Improve your health, fitness & vitality.
7- Improve your personal security.
8- Stand for limited government, individual freedom & economic prosperity.

Store food, water & other items as a hedge against economic chaos.

Massive debt. High unemployment. The falling dollar. Riots in Greece, Belgium and other Western nations. Revolutions in the Mid-East. Tightening oil supplies. $100 a barrel oil and rising. The USA's move towards socialism. Democratic lawmakers fleeing their states rather than deal with our problems.

There are plenty of reasons to fear that hyperinflation, economic chaos and even political turmoil could hit the USA at any moment. In fact, there is a long list of financial insiders, experts and pundits predicting just that - John Williams of www.shadowstats.com, commodities expert Jim Rogers, financial guru Peter Schiff, hedge fund manager Barton Biggs, business journalist Eric Bolling, and Glenn Beck among many others.

One way to prepare for hyperinflation and empty store shelves is to stock up now on what you'll need. You'll avoid the affects of hyperinflation (at least while your supplies hold out) and you will be spared any shortages that may occur. Food, water and medicine are the obvious choices to stockpile, but just about anything can be stocked up on.

Cleaning supplies, first aid supplies, clothing and shoes, as well as personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, razors, soap, shampoo, and deodorant are other good choices to stock up on. You might even want to get your next set of tires now instead of in an environment of hyperinflation and shortages.

Wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove can be stacked up in your backyard. Don't forget matches. Composted cow manure, bone meal, hummus and other soil amendments can be stored and used to improve your soil for future use. Most seeds have a shelf-life of 3 to 5 years (possibly longer if stored under the right conditions).

There is plenty of information on stocking up on food and other supplies throughout this blog. Be sure to browse the archives (in right hand column). Also, the Church of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) has been doing this for generations and are experts. Lots of LDS information can be found online via a simple Google search.

Note: I don't believe gasoline is a good commodity to store. In addition to being dangerous (fire and fumes), gasoline goes "flat" after about six months and begins to lose its potential energy output. In other words, you won't get the same mileage out of year-old gasoline that you would from gasoline that is only a few weeks old.

The Modern Victory Movement 2.0

2011-02-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

Worried about future economic and political chaos? Concerned about hyperinflation and the devaluing of the US dollar? Terrified over the massive debt we, and the world, are running up? Have you realized that the USA's lurch towards socialism endangers economic prosperity and the American Dream? Want to know how to protect yourself and your family from the tough times ahead? I have an idea:

The Modern Victory Movement 2.0

The Modern Victory Movement (MVM), is a concept loosely based on the WWI and WWII era victory gardens, war bonds and scrap metal drives. It is an encouragement for everyday folks to strive to be more self-reliant and to make better decisions in their lives in order to participate in our victory over the economic, political and energy-related problems challenging modern civilization.

MVM is based in a belief that people can do much to improve their lives even during the difficult times that are ahead. It is also based on the belief that being industrious and self-reliant are virtues. MVM encourages people to look first to providing for themselves and their families because they are the ones in the best position to do so and, by doing so, they will then be in a better position to generously help others when the need arises. It is also a matter of practicality - take responsibility for your own lives, because big brother isn't going to do it for you, at least not without exacting a heavy price.

It always amazes me to find that there are occasionally folks who misunderstand the concept of self-reliance. Self-reliance is not anti-social or selfish. It does not mean shutting yourself off from your friends or community. It certainly doesn't mean heading for the hills and hiding, heavily armed, in a secret compound until after some dread doomsday comes to pass.

If you have ever listened to a flight attendant give emergency instructions, you may have noticed that they tell parents travelling with a child to put the oxygen mask on themselves first, before putting one on their child. The airlines don't say that because they hate children. Instead, they say that because if a parent is to help their child, they must first be able to do so. A parent unconscious from the lack of oxygen will be of absolutely no help to their child.

Likewise, we will be of little help to our family, friends and neighbors if we are the ones in need of help ourselves. In fact, our own helplessness may make matters much worse for our community. Far from being selfish, building self-reliance may be one of the most generous things you can do.

Eight Points of the Modern Victory Movement

There are eight main points to MVM:

1- Store food, water & other items as a hedge against economic chaos.
2- If possible, raise & preserve some of your own food (gardening, edible landscaping).
3- Save money through energy & resource efficiency.
4- Gain knowledge. Learn skills. Take responsibility.
5- Eliminate debt and build savings.
6- Improve your health, fitness & vitality.
7- Improve your personal security.
8- Stand for limited government, individual freedom & economic prosperity.

This blog (which I am officially relaunching as version 2.0 with this post) is about these eight points, and will offer encouragement and information to help people incorporate them into their lives. Posts will be on a wide range of self-reliance topics including gardening, permaculture, preserving food, long-term food storage, forest gardening, edible landscaping, building healthy soils, conservation of energy and other resources, and a variety of so-called "country skills".

Occasional posts may also be made on personal finance, healthy living and personal security, but these will not be a major focus of the blog. (I will post much more on economics and personal finance on my main website www.timgamble.com.)

Important Update

2011-01-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

It is time for some important updates:

Little has changed since my last updates, which is unfortunate news. Neither the politicians in Washington nor the elites on Wall Street and in the Banking system are taking the economic situation seriously. Most distressing is that I have witnessed a number of "experts" deny that there are any real problems at all.

This leads me to believe that it is now virtually impossible for the USA to avoid future hyperinflation and continued high unemployment rates. The resulting squeeze on the middle class will likely lead to social unrest at some point.

When this will happen, and how bad things will get, is unknown to me. I continue to follow two lines of thought among economists and analysts I respect.

The first line of thought, represented by John Williams of Shadow Stats among others, is that hyperinflation and economic chaos is imminent - anytime within the next six months.

The second line of thought, represent by Jim Rogers and others, points to severe economic problems (much worse than what we've experienced so far) hitting the USA sometime in the 2014 to 2016 range.

Hopefully, the second line of reasoning will prove out, giving everyone more time to prepare. However, my fear is that we will be hit with very high inflation this year, particularly with food and energy. Then, the economic collapse, with the resulting political and social turmoil, will hit mid-decade.

This blog is tagged with the motto Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. I continue to hope, but personally am preparing with great intensity.

I want to take this moment to suggest, to strongly urge, that everyone redouble their efforts to prepare for a chaotic and dangerous future. Look back through the archives of this blog for many practical suggestions.

*******This blog has bee inactive for several months now. That will change now, as I will be making a series of posts giving some very direct advice and tips for preparing for the future. Look for the first of these posts this weekend.*******

Also, I have been and will continue to be very active on my website www.timgamble.com and you can find much information there, too. Please check it out, but be aware that I do talk much more about politics there than I do on this blog.

ALERT 2 - Evidence of short-term manipulation ahead of a collapse

2010-10-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

I just posted an extremely important essay on my other blog which expands on the points made in the previous alert I issued on this blog. In it, I point to evidence that the world's financial insiders and the ultra wealthy are manipulating markets to squeeze out short term profits ahead of a potential collapse, and turning that short term money into hard assets needed to survive. I urge everyone to take five minutes to read that essay.

Please continue to make your preparations for a very difficult future.

ALERT - 6 to 9 months from hyperinflation & chaos

2010-09-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, John Williams of Shadow Stats issued a warning that we are six to nine months away from the start of hyperinflation and the collapse of the US dollar, as well as the economic and political chaos that will ensue. This means that TSHTF sometime between March and May of next year.

I don't know that I completely agree with Williams, but I do have a lot of respect for him and the folks behind the Shadow Stats website. They use real economic data in their calculations, rather than the official government reports that have been tweaked to provide results that are less damaging to politicians & government bureaucrats.

However, I also listen to several other sources that have solid track records as analysts. Those sources are predicting that the worst of what is to come will hit us sometime between 2014 and 2016, and could last as long as twenty years.

So, we could have as long as five years or as little as six months to prepare for really difficult times ahead. Whichever time frame is correct, it behooves us all to speed up whatever preparations we are currently making.

You can read the full report by John Williams by clicking here.

For information on how to prepare, read the archives of this blog and my other blog, both of which contain lots of info on preparing for the future.

Important Information - please read

2010-07-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

First, and as always, I want to shout out a big THANK YOU to all my readers. In addition to the occasional passer-by that stumbles onto this MVM blog, there is a core group of about 30 - 35 people who have been regular and avid readers for the past couple of years. You guys rock! I really appreciate your support.

I am more convinced than ever that economic hard times, which will include very high energy inflation and energy taxes among other aspects, are coming soon. Not tomorrow, but within the next few years. (Many of the experts that I respect and that have solid track records as analysts are predicting that the worst of what is to come will hit us sometime between 2014 and 2016, and could last as long as twenty years.) In many countries, including the USA, this could also lead to political instability.

This is both bad news (things are going to get much, much worse) and good news (we still have some time to prepare for it, perhaps as much as another five or six years).

One question I often get regarding MVM is from city people who live in apartments, condos, townhouses and other arrangements where they do not have any land of their own. "What can I do? I can't plant a garden or raise chickens. So much about your modern victory movement is about homesteading and permaculture. I am not/can not do that. Any ideas for me?"

It is true that much of how I've presented MVM does revolve around aspects of homesteading and permaculture. And in a world where more than half the population lives in urban areas, I can see how that might seem a bit irrelevant to many folks.

But the real message of MVM isn't "plant a garden" or "raise chickens." It is "be self-reliant" and "take charge of your own life."

Times are going to get tough. No one is going to be able to take care of you - not your parents, not society, not the government. Other people are going to have their hands full taking care of themselves. If you want to survive and prosper, then you must take responsibility for yourself and your future.

Certainly homesteading and permaculture are tools that can help people achieve personal responsibility for much of their own lives. But they are not the only ways. For many folks, "prepping" might be a more appropriate way.

Prepping is just what it sounds like - getting prepared for what may come. It is the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared" given a modern twist.

Homesteaders and premaculturists have been prepping their own way for some time now - acquiring land, resources and skills to carry on by producing their own food, water, fuel, clothes and other necessities during and after any economic or political collapse.

But city preppers, apartment preppers, even many suburban preppers, lack the space for gardens, livestock, trees, ponds and other means of direct production. For them, prepping means getting their finances in order, reducing their expenses, paying off debt, and storing some wealth in gold, silver and/or barter goods.

Prepping means getting energy- and fuel-efficient. High energy inflation and high energy taxes will almost certainly be a part of the hard times ahead. Anything you can do to reduce your energy use will help insulate you from the future shock of energy costs.

Prepping means stockpiling food, water, clothes and other supplies against high inflation and future scarcity.

Prepping may also mean learning new job skills, do-it-yourself skills, and other skills useful for survival in an urban environment.

For some, prepping may revolve around down-sizing their lives, getting rid of stuff that ties them down, thereby creating needed mobility so that they can quickly move from dangerous situations or towards new opportunities.

And, sure, if you're lucky enough to have even a small plot of land, plant a small garden. Every little bit helps.

The modern victory movement, as I've talked about it on this blog, is the homesteading & permaculture version. I have recently unveiled a new version, the urban prepping version, on my other blog.

The new version of MVM has the same core: you must take responsibility for yourself and your future. It has many of the same points. All that is different is homesteading, gardening and permaculture are de-emphasized, and financial preparedness and acquiring supplies are brought to the forefront.

No two people, no two families, face the exact same set of circumstances and concerns, so each has to figure out for themselves the best path to take. For myself, I am switching my preparations away from homesteading and more towards urban prepping. There are a variety of reasons for this change, including a re-evaluation of potential future problems, some recent changes in my family circumstances, and my own personal preferences.

I will continue to post occasionally to this blog, but my attentions and efforts now are going into the other blog and urban prepping.

Click here to check out the new MVM - Urban Prepping.

Thanks again for reading, and best wishes,

Tim Gamble

Seven Ways NOT To Prepare

2010-07-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

The Modern Victory Movement is about teaching people how to survive during difficult times. For this essay, however, I thought it would be interesting to look at ways not to survive. So, here is a list of seven mistakes you can make to ensure that you will not fare well in the future. Which mistakes are you making?

1 - Do Nothing. It would be easy (for a time) to just go about your life as if there were no problems looming on the horizon, to just live your life as if there were no need to worry or to prepare. Those who do nothing to prepare for the future will have to depend on government to solve their problems. By then, government will be too broke, too corrupt, too ineffective and too uncaring to be of any real help. It is close to that point now.

2- Put All Your Money Into Gold and Silver. Gold, silver and other precious metals might be a good investment, but only after you have done all your other preparations. Get your finances in order, pay off debt, take some permaculture classes, take some home repair courses, buy hand tools and gardening tools, make your home energy efficient, accumulate at least a year's worth of food, water, medicine and other supplies, and plant some fruit and nut trees in your backyard. Then you can consider putting some of your excess wealth into gold and silver.

3- Put All Your Money Into Guns and Ammo. Nothing against having guns and ammo, but by themselves they are not much of a long-term survival strategy. You still need to do a lot of other preparations. Strive for balance.

4- Go/Stay In Debt. Find ways other than maxing out your credit cards to prepare. And if you are in debt, find ways to pay it off. Remember the axiom "The debtor is slave to the lender." Too much debt causes stress and bad decisions, yields some control of your life to others, and interferes in your ability to make needed preparations.

5- Lack of Knowledge, Skills and Experience. Books on gardening sell like hot-cakes, but how many are ever fully read? How many gun owners actually hunt or at least target practice? Reading books and taking classes can help you build knowledge. But do you have the skills and experience to put that knowledge to use? Prepare for difficult times by actually doing things now - gardening, hunting, fishing, canning, sewing by hand, doing your own home repairs...

6- Don't Take Care of Your Health. Let me get this straight, you say are preparing for the difficult times ahead, but you are still overweight, badly out of shape and smoke a pack a day? Mark this well: when rough times really hit you are going to need your health and strength more than just about anything else. If you aren't taking care of your health, you are not preparing.

7- Don't Have a Plan B. You've decided that your going to ride out the future being self-sufficient on your homestead. What if for some reason you can't stay there? Or you've decided that when TSHTF you are going to bug out to Grandpa's old cabin in the mountains. What happens if you can't get there? You've decided you are going to raise your own food, but your crops fail due to drought or disease. Do you have a store of food as a back-up? Do you know how to hunt or fish? Always have a Plan B. And a Plan C is nice, too.

Stocking Up 101

2010-07-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a introductory look at stockpiling food and other supplies against the tough times ahead.

Stocking Up on Food and Supplies

Stocking up on canned and dry foods, toiletries, paper goods and so forth is a great strategy to fight inflation. If inflation is 6% (a low estimate considering our nation’s enormous budget deficient and loose monetary policy) and your bank only pays you 2% on your money, then stocking up on food and other items pays much better interest than having money in the bank.

Remember, stocking up on goods that you would have to buy anyway is a form of savings just a valid as money in the bank. And during times of high inflation, it will probably be a better investment. Here are some basics for you to consider.

Basic Rules for Stocking Up

1) Don’t stock up on items you won’t use. In other words, don’t stock up on cans of tuna fish if you hate tuna fish. Stock up on cans of chunk chicken instead. If you are allergic to tomatoes, don’t stock up on tomato soup. If you don’t eat English peas, then it doesn’t make sense to buy extra cans of English peas no matter how cheap they are. Only stock up on items you actually use.

2) Decide what you actually use on a regular basis, and then buy extra. Stocking up really isn’t complicated. In fact, it can be quite simple. If you normally buy two cans of tuna every week, simply buy four cans a week instead. If you normally buy two five-pound bags of sugar a month, buy four bags next month. If you normally buy a can of baked beans every week, buy two. And so forth. In a few months will have accumulated a nice extra store of food for the tough times ahead.

3) Pay attention to expiration dates. Most canned goods have a shelf life of anywhere from two to six years. Properly stored (kept airtight, dark, dry and cool), many dry foods can last even longer. Frozen foods last only two to six months in most cases (besides, you don’t won’t to stock a freezer full of food and then have the power go out for a couple of days after a bad snow storm). Refrigerated goods typically last only few days to a week or so at most. Concentrate on canned and dry foods for your long term storage.

4) Stock up on ingredient foods. When stocking up, most people remember the main veggies and meats, such as green beans and tuna fish. But don’t forget the items you often use as ingredients in other foods – broths, tomato sauce, tomato paste, can mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup and so on…

5) Stock up on condiments. Catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressings, vinegar, peanut butter, jellies & jams, jars of pickles, peppers & olives, soy sauce, salt, pepper and spices can all typically be stored for long periods of time. Many of these items are often among the first and hardest hit by inflation, so make especially useful items to stock up on.

6) Don’t forget coffee and tea. Tea, and especially coffee, are both hard hit by inflation, so stock up on them if you are a big coffee or tea drinker.

7) Stick to the basics. Your kids might want you to stock up on pop-tarts and chocolate syrup, but they really can do without them despite their whining to the contrary. Stocking up is about surviving. Surviving means basics like tuna and beans, not luxuries like chocolate syrup and pop-tarts. Stick to the basics.

8) Consider stocking up on some non-food basics. Personal items like toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap, feminine products, razors, shaving cream and mouth wash can store indefinitely and therefore are great items to stock up on. Same goes for cleaning supplies. You might also want to stock up on some basic home first aid supplies (bandages, rubbing alcohol, anti-bacterial ointment, aspirin, etc.).

9) A little at a time goes a long way. Most folks don’t have $500 that they can use to stock up all at once. But most can probably scrounge up $10 a week. At that rate, they will have accumulated over $500 worth of food & supplies in only a year.

10) Read my six-part series on Preparing For Disaster On a Budget for more useful ideas, tips and suggestions.

Ways To Get Ready For The Future

2010-07-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is an old essay of mine, but worth re-reading from time to time:

Ways To Get Ready For The FutureTim Gamble, Modern Victory Movement

1. Educate yourself on the potential problems our society is facing. Read Patrick Moore's essay Environmentalism for the 21st Century to get an overview of the real environmental and resource challenges faced by our civilization. Read Richard Maybury's book Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? to gain a better understanding of our economic problems.

2. Reduce your home energy usage as much as possible. Turn off lights, TVs and electronics whenever you leave a room. Remember to unplug your various chargers (cell phone, I-Pod, etc.) when not in use. Set your thermostat to conserve energy. Switch from incandescent lighting to CFLs or LED lighting. Replace old appliances with new, energy-efficient models.Super-insulate your house. Install energy efficient windows. Consider heating with a modern wood stove. Consider a passive solar system for your home.

3. Reduce your use of fuel for transportation. Make sure your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated and the engine is well-maintained (tune-ups & oil changes) to maximize mileage. Drive less by walking, car pooling, using public transportation, and planning & combining trips. Replace your old vehicle with a newer one that gets better mileage. If you have a long commute to work, consider moving closer to your job or finding a new job closer to home. Read my essay on saving gasoline.

4. Get out of debt. “It will not be a good time to owe large amounts of money to a bank. Take a look at your situation, to what extent do you live on credit? If you have a large house could you make do with a smaller one, and reduce your repayments? Make getting out of debt a family priority and use it as an opportunity to simplify your lifestyle.” –Rob Hopkins in Permaculture Magazine.

5. Raise at least some of your own food. We need a modern victory garden movement. Look up articles and books on lasagna gardening, forest gardening and container gardening for ideas on how to grow your own food.Plant fruit & nut trees and berry bushes. Urban dwellers should look into rooftop gardening or joining a community garden or food co-op. Steve Solomon's book Gardening When It Counts is a good place to start for gardening advice.

6. Reduce your personal consumption of everything. Adopt a simpler lifestyle. Live well within your means. Be a saver, not a consumer. If you had to, could you support yourself and your family on half your present income? You may have to some day, so start making the lifestyle changes now.

7. Be a life-long learner. Improve your job skills. Learn about personal finance. Study permaculture. Learn about the ecology and natural history of your region. Learn useful skills such as auto mechanics, carpentry and home repair. Learn first aid and CPR. Learn to sew, and to preserve food. Learn how to save seeds. Learn how to hunt, fish and forage for wild foods. Learn the skills your grandparents had.

8. Reconnect to the natural world. Spend time in nature. Take up outdoor hobbies such as gardening, hiking, fishing, camping and bird watching. Learn the names of trees, wildflowers and “weeds” native to your area. Learn what kinds of soils are in your region. Learn where your water comes from. Visit nearby parks and wildlife refuges. Visit your local natural history museum or botanical gardens. Learn the names of the birds and butterflies common to your backyard.

9. Be a part of your community. Join a local church or synagogue. Meet your neighbors. Participate in a community watch program. Volunteer with a local museum or environmental group. Support your local farmers’ market.Whenever possible, shop at locally-owned businesses instead of the big box stores. Attend the meetings of your city council, zoning boards and other local government organizations. Let your voice be heard!

10. Get healthy. If you smoke or abuse drugs or alcohol – stop! Adopt a more plant based diet such as a traditional Mediterranean diet, or even become a vegetarian. Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs.Exercise will help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure & cholesterol, control blood sugar and get fit. Walking, bike riding and swimming are three cheap & easy ways to get more exercise. Getting enough deep sleep is an often overlooked yet very important ingredient to good health.

11. Conserve water. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets in your home. Learn about xeriscaping. Mulch your garden and flower beds to help retain moisture. Plant trees. Consider installing dry composting toilets in your home. Use rainwater catchment techniques to provide water for your garden or to wash your car. Learn how to purify rainwater for human consumption.

DON’T EVER THROW GARBAGE OR POUR CHEMICALS INTO A STREAM, RIVER OR LAKE. Report to the authorities anyone you see doing so.

12. Consider where you live. Most people end up living near where they or their spouse grew up, or perhaps to be near a particular job. But you might be better off relocating. Actively consider where you live: Is the community you live in really the best place for you and your family? Will it still be the best place for you in ten years? Things to consider: crime, pollution, taxes, educational opportunities, economic opportunities, economic diversity, climate, rainfall, nearby resources, cohesiveness of the community, style of the local government, availability of public transportation and farmers markets.

13. Keep stores of food, water & supplies. Today, we run out to the markets whenever we need something. We have a just-in-time supply system, so we don't need to store things for future use. But the slightest problem can lead to a system-wide disaster. We need to re-learn the art of storing necessities in case of emergencies. Things to store include food, water, medicine, vitamins and personal hygiene products, as well as other useful items such as batteries, sewing supplies, first aid supplies, duct tape, matches, candles, lamp oil, etc. If you were cut off from buying things for several weeks, or even a month or more, what would you run out of? Figure out ways to store those things.

14. Restore nature. Plant trees. Clean up local lakes and streams. Rebuild soils through composting and vermiculture. Participate in pollinator conservation efforts. Practice organic gardening and lawn care. Eliminate your lawn entirely. Participate in the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat program.

15. Don’t dwell on the negatives. Be a hopeful realist. It is important to understand the problems we face. Just don’t obsess over them. Instead, start working towards solutions. Acting to make positive changes, even small ones, will increase your confidence and encourage yourself, your family and your friends.

Radical Resource Efficiency

2010-07-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

In 2007, Alexander Jung wrote a piece for the German website Spiegel Online entitled Why Conservation is the World's Best Energy Source. In it, he writes "With humanity wasting massive amounts of oil, gas and coal to heat buildings, power industry and fuel vehicles, the potential for conservation efforts is vast."

With the world, and especially huge developing countries like China, India and Russia, using more and more energy, mostly in the form of finite fossil fuels, it is becoming more difficult, and expensive, to supply the needed energy. However, "one reliable source of energy is not even close to being depleted: Simply saving it may be the safest and cleanest option mankind has. It also happens to make a tidy profit."

"Without much effort, the almost 500 million citizens of the European Union could reduce their energy use by one-fifth, studies have found. That would add up to savings of roughly €60 billion ($79 billion) per year. Such huge sums become less abstract when broken down to household level: An average family could save from €200 to €1,000 by using their energy more efficiently." -- Alexander Jung

My own experience confirms this assessment. With a moderate amount of effort and expense, I was able to reduce my household energy usage not by Jung's 20% "without much effort" estimate, but by a whopping 60%.

Amory Lovin of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues in favor of what he refers to as "radical resource efficiency" and points out that saving energy costs less than buying it. Radical resource efficiency is just what it sounds like - the act of achieving maximum efficiency in the use of resources, such as energy. This includes using energy efficient technology as well as designing and planning homes, businesses, communities and lifestyles in such a way as to achieve maximum efficiency.

"Saving energy costs less than buying it." -- Amory Lovins

Save Energy, and Money...

2010-07-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

A tremendous amount of energy savings could be achieved through simple home energy-efficiency, without requiring great changes in lifestyle or personal behavior. Nor does it take huge amounts of money. I have some practical experience in this regard.

A couple of years ago, I went about making my family home of about 1,500 square feet more energy efficient. Some of the things done included:

Repairs to the shell of the home
Repairs to the insulation under the house
Replaced several old appliances with new, energy efficient models
Replaced old windows with new energy-efficient windows
Switched all indoor lights to CFLs
Filled in gaps where pipes and wires come into the house (kitchen, bathrooms, utility room) with a can of spray foam insulation
Replaced regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads

As a result of these repairs, I was able to reduce my home's energy use by about 60% on a monthly basis compared to the previous year. Please note that this was achieved without any major change in lifestyle or personal behavior, but rather through energy-efficiency only.

The total cost of all this was about $6,800. Between the lower monthly energy bills and the tax credit for the new energy-efficient windows, I broke even on this investment in less than three years. How have your investments done over the last three years?

The really great thing is that electricity prices could literally double and my monthly power bill will still be lower than it was before. How is that for a hedge against higher energy taxes (cap-and-trade)?

I feel certain that most American homes, and businesses for that matter, could probably achieve similar energy savings by simply making their buildings more energy efficient.

Of course, wasteful actions (usually due to simple thoughtlessness) should be stopped as part of achieving energy efficiency. Again, this can be done without major changes in lifestyle or personal behavior:

Turn off lights when not in a room
Turn off radios, TVs and/or DVD players when not being used
Unplug battery chargers when not being used
Unplug unnecessary clocks, kitchen gadgets and so forth
Set thermostats lower in the winter (wear sweaters, throw an extra blanket on the bed)
Set thermostats higher in summer (electric fans can make you feel five degrees cooler)
Take quick showers (less hot water used = less energy used)

Good luck, and good savings...

What to do about local water systems

2010-07-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Clean water is the invisible crisis and providing continuing supplies of clean water for local communities is perhaps the biggest challenge of the 21st century. But what can local communities do about it? This essay contains a few ideas:

Did you know that as much as a third of a typical city's water usage is flushing toilets? Various types of dry and composting toilets can greatly reduce this inefficient use of clean water. One of the shopping malls in my local area recently installed dry-flush urinals in its public restrooms, and they seem to be working perfectly.

Leaking pipes, not just in homes and businesses, but in the local water systems themselves, is a major problem that wastes huge amounts of water. Detection and elimination of such leaks should be a high priority.

Local governments can also encourage water conservation by charging less per gallon to customers that use less water. In other words, a household that uses 100 gallons a month would be charged less per gallon than a household that uses 1000 gallons a month. This would provide a strong incentive to use less water.

In my area, the water supply comes from two main sources - a lake and an nearby river. Local governments have actually been fairly pro-active in protecting these sources. Over the years they have surrounded the lake with a large municipal park, protecting it from development and pollution. And they have worked diligently protecting the river through a series of parks and conservation easements. Local governments depending on the river for water have come together to hire a "River Keeper" whose job is to patrol the river looking for illegal dumping and other threats.

Also in my area they are a couple of days a year (one is typically Earth Day and the other in the Fall) that are promoted as "waterway clean-up days". Individuals and community groups are encouraged to clean trash out of out local ponds, streams and wetland areas. This is heavily promoted in the local media, and local governments provide trucks and workers to haul off the trash that is collected.

Organic gardening, lasagna-style gardening, forest gardening and similar techniques utilizing compost and natural soil amendments instead of chemical fertilizers will protect local water supplies from dangerous chemical run-off. Also, these techniques typically utilize mulch and other ground cover which greatly reduces surface evaporation thus reducing the need for irrigation.