Economy Has Me Down But Not Out

The Big 3 automakers could cut up to 581,000 jobs by 2012 in Canada alone. Media companies have plans to lay off hundreds of workers. The dollar is in the toilet and all this has me very worried but at least I don't delude myself in to believing there's nothing wrong.

Recession? Depression? Doesn't matter. It is what it is, now what am I going to do about it?

For years I have been expressing my fears to my husband about the rising cost of fuel and the inflated housing market. As early as two years ago I was predicting a crash similar to that of '29 but I kept my doom and gloom out look to myself, after all what the heck did I know? I'm just a stay at home mom(former jourmalist) with an strong interest in personal finance and basic knowledge of economy. These four declarations alone could hardly qualify me to make such predictions...or do they? It would seem anyone in the field of finance and big money were too wrapped up in their own day to day schemes that they could hardly see the forest for the trees. Perhaps anyone who did see the same trends that worried me couldn't do anything about it.

This passed summer as gas priced inched closer and closer toward $1.50 a litre, the only thing I could do was wince and lower my consumption. Like a train wreck, I watched but could do nothing to effectively halt the occurrence.

What does this all have to do with homesteading? Nothing directly but my desire to be less dependant on the world markets and more intertwined with the running of my own land goes directly to the very heart of the matter. Our Western way of life has become so dependant upon international trading, world econimies and credit that we could be decimated by one real estate market slip up.

There is a trend to by local, and to seek out organic products which is a step in the right direction in my books. The more we are able to support our neighbours and do for our selves, the less we will be effected by such turmoil in the future. To me, there needs to be a fundamental change in our culture. We need to rely less on fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy systems. We need to stop shipping in food from the tropics at the rate we do and consume more that we can grow and create closer to home. We need to teach others how to plant, grow and preserve so we can decrease the boxes we find in the supermarkets.

In short there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way we consume. And if another depression is the event to set us back on the right path then I am all for it.