Why Goats?

I want to tell you why I am doing goats. This is not because I expect you to do goats but instead to reflect on their green utility. Green utility is what a green prepper should seek out. Green utility is something that has a higher value in regards to safety and security and at the same time is a footprint lowering activity. This is where spiritual meets livelihood. A proper balance of the two is essential to a productive happy individual. I am not saying you should embrace a green spirituality but I will say in this time of broad-based decline adding a green spirituality tone to your existing higher power is advisable. Science offers meaning in your knowledge-based world but it is spirituality that offers wisdom. This wisdom is what knowledge to use and what to reject. It is about decisions and opening or not opening doors in your life. Spirituality is what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning but after you already have your basic needs satisfied. Green utility and green prepping are a source of meaning in this time of destructive change.

Green utility is found in low carbon capture but also the support of low carbon capture by those of you with service skills. Low carbon capture needs a community to work properly especially since the EROI and the ROI is so low. The return on investment in the world of profit and loss is so narrow that it is negative in the highly energetic nature of the modern world. This means because of the basic cost of being a modern low carbon capture does not offer surpluses. In the world of nature and satisfaction of our energy needs of food, water, and shelter, low carbon capture is very low. This is why localism is absolutely essential and why a local community of skilled patrons is required. I am telling you this because not all of you can be permaculture farmers but all of you can support localism and permaculture.

Green prepping is for those of you who care about the planet and its life and those of you who don’t. Many people feel a deep connection to the planet but many don’t. Some are deeply religious and the religion is indifferent to the planet and its life. Instead of arguing for or against this postion I will just say security is everyone’s motivation. Green utility found from low carbon capture in localism is more secure. It is not going to pay for your vacation or kids’ college but it will give your kids more safety. Green prepping is for those without a farm too because it is about skill sets and motivation. Honest science says the planet is in abrupt change. This does not have to be predicated on humans or not. It is clear changes have happened rapidly and this puts at risk a global delocalized world. The web of life is clearly in decline and this species loss and ecosystem decline and localized failure is another danger for all humans. Civilization is clearly in decline socially, economically, and in regards to progress. It can be argued now progress is actually going negative with utility. This means diminishing returns of technological advancements which is the basis of delocalizing globalism is now a net negative with human utility. Green prepping offers a net positive to this new reality.

Low carbon capture in localism surrounded by permaculture is a utility promoting activity to offset the decline of everything. What this means is declining in place because you have tuned into the planet’s flow and cycle. This tuning in means you will have to realistically and relatively adapt to a human system that is incapable of embracing decline but instead is forced into decline at great cost. What you can do by embracing decline is lower the costs to you personally and find meaning as the side benefit. Not everyone can embrace low carbon capture in localism or farm with permaculture but if you can you should. If you can’t you can still embrace the mentality of planetary decline. This mentality is manifested in better wisdom. Wisdom is the basis of proper action.

Those of you who can will find a special value in embracing the planets way. You will withdraw to places less complex and complicated although this will be relative and realistic. This is the Anthropocene which is a world of human progress. No place on earth is not touched by this so your green utility will have to acknowledge this. Simplicity with a circular view of things is always better. Decoupling and dematerializing is always better. Less is always better than more except where green spirituality is concerned. This green spirituality is based upon two things one which is the wisdom of insecurity and the other is meaning found in emulating a planetary decline. The wisdom of insecurity is making decisions based upon a world in decline. More risk and less comforts is the obvious result of broad-based decline. This is the acceptance part of wisdom. Bargaining and anger are just a response to wanting more when there is no more. Embracing this process in an other orientated way is the act of the ego letting go in acceptance of higher powers unfolding. The ego then goes forth on this higher power’s behalf.

A life that slows down in localism and low carbon capture is also a fulfilling physical experience. You will find some time to smell the roses of those little things that are missed in the hectic world of energetic delocalizing globalism. The pursuit of profit and advancement destroys simple comforts and pleasures. You will find these and more. You will clear out that mental sense that appreciates the simple pleasures. This does not mean you will find much time to be lazy because your day will be clocked full of chores. If you must juggle a status quo world of work and permaculture it is that much tougher. Yet, even those who are doing the rat race and trying to do green prepping permaculture your will find satisfaction. Those who pursue their energetic leisure and consumerism and the emptiness that always seems to follow the sugar high of after the purchase will instead find an organic satisfaction. The buyer’s remorse and the never enough is not part of a proper green prepping.

That was a lot of explaining to introduce why I do goats but this is a key point of goats or not. Really it is a key point of doing anything green and prepped or not. It centers on behavior and that behavior requires acceptance and humility. Doing less and being less is a humbling experience. Accepting a world that is declining is a pessimistic human undertaking. We have been natured and nurtured to be optimistic. It is in our DNA and now you are going to say no to this. Well, it is more involved because what you are going to do is be an optimistic pessimist. You will find joy in decline and feel part of something greater. The succession of life from more complexity to less is a natural process. This still opens up niches of growth even though the overall process is degrowth. Your attitude is right and this will naturally funnel your energies to proper living resulting in better growth experiences within a degrowthing world. I am doing goats because they fit the green utility of my green prepping experience. In my next comment I will go into detail of how goats offer this to me. You can then take this and apply it to your local of people and place and how your green utility can be found.