Selfsufficientish.com

Thats fine - its rather like the assertion that spreading people out means they can't enjoy the company of others, or a good party or are not "social". I generally find that neighbours in rural areas all know each other, their spouses and kids and look out for each other. a really great se...

Why not just grab a huge container of pure acetic acid and dilute with water 19:1 ? Should get the price down to sub 20p a litre and will give exactly the same efect in cleaning etc.

Life is for living lass. Now, I am not saying don't work, or don't have kids, or don't stay home. What has worked for me is to work out what makes me happy and then work out what I need to do to achieve it. We decided we wanted a little cottage with some land. We wanted one in Devon or Hampshire. Bu...

However, it's nice of you to admit that you're only able to do what you're doing now as a result of living in exactly the way you've been criticising in this thread, for over 30 years . By the time I've been at it for that length of time, chances are folks like you will already have bought all the ...

I could choose not to work. Would it make me greener not to work? We own our place outright. Well, I'm sure that's absolutely marvellous for you, but it doesn't apply to the vast majority of the rest of us who aren't fortunate enough to be so wealthy. I have to work whether I like it or not, becaus...

No, what I'm saying is that such an ideal is simply impractical. There isn't the space, and most of us simply couldn't afford it even if there was. Where are we all supposed to find work in the country? I see you commute - how long do you think that's going to be a viable option once peak oil reall...

Been thinking about this thread a great deal. Duncan / Thomzo, I am at a bit of a loss here. I need to understand - and I genuinely don't understand - your perspective. Is what you are saying that most people would be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled by living in a block of flats and working i...

Borax on the carpet - sprinkle thickly, leave 48 hrs, hoover up. Done.

There is nothing wrong with living in towns - but equally there is nothing wrong with living in the country (i prefer trees to concrete, fields to roads, village halls to rock concerts - but I accept the reverse as a preference). Personally I prefer living in the country. I object - vehememently - t...

Heh heh. Do you hoard land mines and smart bombs, BR? Not quite I don't hoard anything - I do ownsporting rifles and shotguns though. Some of my best friends are in the armed forces and I'm glad that they are well armed and equipped. Its very easy to sit back and say "wars are bad" (whils...

I see no implication of single family units - you may have inferred it, but there is no implication that I can detect. Its not a question of "economy of scale" its a question of disconnection of life forms from the resources they need. I'm intrigued by the notion of cities that can "p...

Thats a very emotive phrase Duncan "we are a social species" - very unscientific. I think you will find that for all its history before the industrial revolution mankind did in fact live in much smaller and wider distributed settlements. I simply don't agree that living where most food doe...

F On the arms manufacture, whilst this will alarm a lot of people here, as a RN Warfare Director in a previous life, I am less bothered about this aspect. This could of course open a can of worms! Are there any electrical appliance manufacturers who are not involved in arms production in some fashi...

High density living can have a much lower ecological impact per person, simply because it takes up less of the landscape Logically, High density living has a higher ecological impact. Food has to be grown elsewhere and transported in, water has to be gathered elsewhere and transported in, waste and...

this is great. i will definitely be doing the sauce idea. ! Its works well. Of course I do dry the meat as well - but separately. Meat needs to be really dry (or well salted) for ambient storage in the longer term. Jerk, hamburger rocks and all that stuff works well. Hamburger rocks are brilliant b...