Closed Circuit

"Behave so the aroma of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere."
~ Henry David Thoreau

"I prefer the term contraction, because a.) that is what is really going on, and b.) the economists haven't got their mendacious mitts around it yet. Contraction means there is not going to be more, only less, and it implies that a reality-based society would make some attempt to acknowledge and manage having less - possibly by doing more."    
~ James Howard Kunstler

These two quotes have been sticking with me lately. And as I've been doing some work on the old battery bank, so comes the next metaphor.

The earth is a closed system. We boaters recognize this (as boats are, too) every time we head off shore. The earth csn provide enough for all life on earth, so long as we don't use up the resources faster than they can replace themselves.

The whole system reminds me of a battery bank. Say we have 440 amp hours on our bank. We don't want to use more than half or amp hours, or we start damaging our batteries. This gives us 220 amp hours of use with no input. But we want to charge the system somehow. So, lets say we add a few solar panels and a wind-generator. Now we are self-sufficient, so long as we watch our consumption.
So long as we watch our consumption.
Watching our consumption is about managing our needs versus our wants. Out does not mean a lower quality of life, in fact, our lives can have even more quality. We can be richer in time, memories, friendships, experiences ...

Blessed Be
Joel