Archive for the ‘off the grid’ tag
Six Things to Look at to Living Green, Self Sufficiently, and Grid Free
It’s everybody’s dream, somewhere in the back of their heads, to never pay utility bills again and to be completely self-sufficient. Because, like it or not, most of us are tied to the system in ways that make us completely dependant upon it for everything we need to live our daily lives. But there ARE ways to loosen these strings, and even to cut them entirely, in your desire to live completely free from the grid in a self-sufficient way, whether you live deep in the city or way out in the boondocks.
The “live off the grid self sufficiently” equation can be broken down into six distinct parts: Power/Electricity, Water/Sewer, Food, Heating/Cooling, Medicine, and Transportation. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these in order to better understand how they each function and work together to help you live self-sufficiently.
- Electricity. The first and probably most obvious thing about living off the grid is the need to generate your own electricity and power.
- The second most critical component of living off the grid is to find a stable water source or supply for yourself.
- Then comes food needs. Did you know that even people living in apartments can grow some of their own food in order to cut down on their grid dependency? And how do you cook or prepare them?
- Heating and Cooling. Depending on the time of year, and your geographic location, this one can be a lifesaver too. If your power goes out in the middle of the winter, as it sometimes does, do you know how you are going to supply heat for yourself?
- Medicine and Basic Medical Items. And though we can’t and don’t claim to be doctors, we DO know that there are lots and lots of very good home treatment remedies and processes available to the average Joe Schmoe that the profit driven medical industry doesn’t care to let us know about.
- Transportation. Face it, we have become a mobile society, and we need to get places. But how do we do it for cheap, and without tying ourselves back to the grid through our gasoline use?
Let’s look briefly at each of these in a little more detail.
For Power and electricity off the grid, you can get into solar (by far the most common), hydroelectricity, fuel cells, generators, or one of several other technologies being developed at http://www.EvergreenMountainLabs.com/ (EML). You will also need one or more deep cycle storage batteries, a battery charger with which to charge them, and an AC inverter to convert their output into usable house power.
For water, your options are a little bit more limited. A good, high quality water filter (with backup filter cartridges on hand) is must, so that you can make use of any handy water supply. Rain and snow water can also be good sources of drinking water (though not in heavy smog areas). A distiller takes power, but if you have power, by all means, get one.
Your sewer needs have even fewer basic options, though within those options, many varieties exist. Basically you need to invest somehow in an odor free self-composting toilet, and then learn to operate it safely and cleanly.
For the food aspect of being self sufficient, you need to make sure you have basic access to the six primary food groups at least occasionally: Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Lean Meats, Diary, and Nuts. A more functional breakdown of these groups for our uses might look like this: carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins/minerals. Either way, just keep in mind that the vegetable group will keep you the healthy the longest, if your daily intake is limited to just one of them. And that’s good for us because it’s also the one that is easiest to grow. And the two basic vegetables that I tend to recommend and focus on the most often are tomatoes and potatoes. Both can be easily grown in small spaces if done right, and will give you tons of both vitamins and minerals, and daily carbohydrates. Your protein intake can either be meat supplemented into your diet from whatever the source, or from protien rich veggies like nuts or beans, that you grow or harvest yourself. If you desire, you can find out more about growing your own food at the http://www.FreedomFromTheGrid.com/ blog site.
In order to cook this food though, wood stoves are by far the most common and practical off grid solution. But even here, there are a few options. A creative person could buy or build their own methane or hydrogen gas generator for a converted gas stove, but more easily done, you could simply invest in a good solar stove or oven. Though they generally take longer to cook things clear through, they do it well, and sunlight is free.
As for heating and cooling, heating is the more critical issue, and needs more attention. What is unfortunate in today’s world is that most heat sources depend on electricity. Fortunately though, solar power, propane, natural gas, wood, hydrogen, and several other technologies being developed at EML, all aim to get around this. But the oldest and most time tested heat source technology is still simply a wood-burning stove. If possible, get one, or something similar like a wood pellet stove, corn stove, etc.
As for most first aid medical care, start by getting and committing to memory a thorough, high quality first aid manual, and then get a good store of some basic field medical supplies.
Then we take a look at medicines and infection treatment. There are two very tried and true technologies, and at least one more recent one still being developed, that can all help anyone that desires to live in a self-sufficient way.
The basic metal Silver, when made into a solution through electrolysis or some other method, is one of nature’s best known antibiotics. People have been aware of this for a long time, and it works, both when taken internally and/or applied topically. There is a hidden danger in it though, in that too much of it taken internally can turn your skin a permanent shade of zombie gray-blue, so don’t overdo it. But taken appropriately, it seems to work wonders. Do the research.
The second time tested technology is based more on common sense, and is currently practiced under the name of naturopathy or homeopathy. And basically it intends to help your own body fight off diseases and conditions by first eliminating any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that your body might be experiencing, and then by strengthening your body’s own immune system.
A much newer technology still being developed underground even today depends on the simple fact that any object will shatter if you hit it with the right note and enough power, like an opera singer shattering crystal goblets. It works the same way with virus and bacteria pathogens as well. To get started studying this technology and some of its derivatives, explore “rife machines” on Google.
Of lesser importance to some people, but not to others, is taking care of transportation needs. At http://www.EvergreenGasLabs.com/, they sell lots of items to make your gasoline stretch as far as it can. But barring that, if gasoline isn’t an option, look into bicycles, horses, and even some of the home generated hydrogen fuel technologies being developed at EMP and various other places around the net.
As for clothing, I’m going to have to simply tell you that it’s not economically feasible for you to develop your own fabric mill. Instead, stock up now, get a sewing machine to keep things mended, and then learn to barter with people who still have access to clothing later.
By focusing your attention on the six areas above (Power, Water, Food, Heat, Medicine, and Transportation), you can indeed learn to limit your dependence on the grid, cut your bills down, and live in a healthy, green, self-sufficient way. With that said, start your research today, be careful about it, and have fun!
