by Jane Dwinell and Dana Dwinell-Yardley

A fabulous book has moved through our house in the past week — The Long Descent by John Michael Greer (New Society Publishers, 2008). We’ve read other peak oil books and find Greer’s argument and suggestions to be less apocalyptic, and, well, more full of common sense! He — and we — know there will be less energy (electrical and petroleum-based) in the future, so the time to learn how to live with those changes is now.

Here are Greer's ten first steps toward a sustainable world — actions that he recommends everyone take as soon as possible — followed by our thoughts on each.

Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents.
This goes without saying. We’ve been using CFLs for 23 years now, and they live up to their promise of lower electricity use for more light. Watch for the new LEDs though — they may be better than CFLs for efficiency and lack of mercury.

Retrofit your home for energy conservation.
This doesn’t just mean heat for the long winter, but also for cooling in the short, but sometimes hot, summer. Well-insulated homes stay warmer, and cooler. If you can’t afford a full, professional energy audit, you can at least weatherstrip, seal up those cracks in the cellar between the floor joists and basement walls, make sure your attic hatch is insulated, and use curtains whenever possible. Dollar-for-dollar, though, insulation will pay you back financially, as well as comfort-wise.

Cut back on your gasoline consumption.
We lived in the country in the Northeast Kingdom for 17 years before moving to Montpelier, so we’re well aware of how much cars and gasoline are a necessity when you live out in the middle of nowhere. It’s one of the reasons we moved to town! When we lived in the country, we were sure to limit out trips to town and coordinate errands with other appointments. Since we’ve moved to the big city, we walk to everything. We purchased a “shopping cart,” available at hardware stores, to allow us to carry larger loads without the car. A bike with bike cart would work as well. Wherever you live, try to cut your fuel consumption in half. Someday you’ll have no choice but to walk or bike. It’s a good idea to start practicing now.

Plant an organic vegetable garden.
If you don’t have room for a full garden, plant in containers. If you’ve never gardened before, start small with just a few of your favorite vegetables. Jane has had an organic vegetable garden for over 30 years, and Dana grew up gardening. First-year gardens can be disappointing, so it’s good to get going, learn about soil fertility and different plant needs, and experiment. Ask your neighbors and friends for help. Greer claims that a 20’x50’ plot will feed anyone a full, but spare, vegetarian diet. Throw in a few chickens to help you fertilize your garden, take some canning lessons, build a root cellar, and you’ll be all set.

Compost your food waste.
Organic gardening and compost piles go hand-in-hand. Unless you’re in a tiny, third-floor apartment in some downtown, if you live in Vermont, you probably have space for a compost pile — or at least, know someone who has a pile you can share. We’ve never done anything fancier than dump our cast-off coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit ends, and eggshells in an enclosed pile in a corner of the yard. Add leaves, garden clippings, and/or soiled bedding (shavings or sawdust) from the chicken house, and stir once or twice a season. Eventually, it turns to compost, which will fertilize your garden.

Take up a handicraft.
Greer says eventually we will have to produce our own goods. It’s time now to learn a craft that you can use in the future to supply yourself, and your neighbors, with needed items. Develop a skill you have, or learn something new. People will always need clothes, bedding, tools, furniture, pottery, rugs, utensils, shoes, and musical instruments. Learn to sharpen knives and scissors, build houses, brew beer and wine, or repair machinery. You’ll be glad you did.

Adopt an “obsolete” technology.
Although Greer’s favorite example is the slide rule — a simple tool that will last forever and need no maintenance or special parts, unlike your calculator — we like to think of this category as doing tasks without electricity. Chop food with a knife and not a food processor. Beat eggs with an eggbeater or wire whisk, and not an electric mixer. What other everyday things do you do with electricity that could be done without? Shaving, hair drying, clothes drying, bread making, music making, writing — the list goes on and on. Take some time to hone your non-electric skills by ditching that calculator, computer, blender, knitting machine, and iPod. When was the last time you put pen to paper to write a letter?

Take charge of your own health care.
We all know our health care system (illness care, really) is a mess. A friend said to us the other day, “Floss is my dental insurance.” Take care of your health in the obvious ways — good food, exercise, enough sleep, an appropriate level of stress, and healthy relationships. But, more than that, learn basic first aid, when it’s time (or not) to see a health care practitioner, and a few basic home remedies. Learn to stay home and rest when you (and your family) are ill. Antibiotics may no longer work for us as some point, says Greer, so use basic sanitation — which includes plenty of hand washing with plain soap, not the antibacterial kind. Educate yourself, and don’t go running to the doctor for every little ache and pain. Neither of us have had a physical or seen a doctor for anything but broken bones and stitches in who knows how many years — and we are happy and healthy. Time is the great healer — learn to use it.

Help build your local community.
There are many ways to connect with the place you live. Meet your neighbors. Get involved with interesting groups — or start one of your own. Our neighbors, friends, and family will be more important to us as our society goes through stressful times — like the one we’re in now. We need to learn to rely on each other, teach each other, share with each other, and build a strong community that will be there through thick and thin. Neighbors used to care for neighbors: when the barn burned down, the diphtheria epidemic ran through the town, or the mill laid off all its employees. It’s time to do that again.

Explore your spirituality.
Many people in Vermont say they find spiritual sustenance in nature. However you look at nature (or Creation) and whether or not you think there is a Creator does not matter. Creation needs to be respected and cared for (and most major religions will agree with you). If you are part of an organized religion, take it seriously. Study it, apply its precepts and teachings to your own life, and commit to a faith community. If you aren’t, take your personal beliefs seriously, and use them in your everyday life. Find a way to honor that which connects you to something greater. Perhaps you can build a small altar in your home, find time for prayer or mediation, or take a daily walk in the woods. Even sitting in a rocking chair and looking out the window may be all you need to remind you that you are not alone, and that life is more than going to work, making dinner, and doing the laundry. Find a way to connect with whatever moves your spirit.