Eco-warriors (?)

[QuakerBear]

I got this of Wikipedia for the UK population density:

Density 246/km², 637/sq mi

But we're not evenly distributed because there are some areas that just can't be farmed. I do wonder if it would be possible for the UK to be food self-sufficiant just for a while like during WW2. Even with micro production and more efficient large scale production. Could we still do it?

[hamster]

There was a programme on Radio 4 recently about the future of food and farming and it claimed that Britain could actually be self-sufficient in food (the bulk of it - excluding, I presume, things like coffee) with pretty much any system of farming. I don't think it went into much detail, but (bizarrely) the programmes are still available here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ourfoodourf ... mmes.shtml and if you're interested it would probably refer to the studies or research which said it. I think it was in the last episode, but it might have been the third.

I'm very tempted to go back into academia and do a masters/PhD on different ways of feeding urban areas across cultures.

[Decentralist]

just a few off the top of my head - Schools, police, roads, refuse collection, street sweepers, care for the elderly... there is more but I think the budgets are different north and south of the border.

I am all for these people living the way they are living, it is beautiful, but I don't like the idea that people 'opt out' of paying for the community. There should be a nominal council charge for these people, but if we chased down all the other non-payers in the country that would be a start, as these are the ones that use more services.

I don't use (or could easily do without) most of the services the council provide but I pay gladly for all these things because one day I might need them. I wouldn't want to live somewhere the police won't come out because I don't pay private security charges, or if I want a school education for my child I have to pay for it, or I take ill in my old age and can't afford to be looked after... What a horrid country that would be.

I'd agree if I thought I had more a voice in local gov't.