​                As portrayed throughout the website, I have moved toward a low cost, low impact, low throughput lifestyle (for more information  on low cost, low impact, low throughput -The History of the Yurt .  I became really excited when Mary’s daughter Megan wanted to embark on such a journey.  She purchased a parcel of land located next to ours and wanted to build a house based on these principles.  I expanded on all of the virtues as we (Megan, Mary and I) began the process of building the house.  The house would be 20 feet by 20 feet, with a 10 feet by 10 feet room to house tanks for water collection. 
                The house was to be modeled after our straw bale octagon only it was to be a simpler rectangular design.  The first step was to order the marble for the foundation (for more information on not digging for the foundation -The True Foundation of Building).  Due to inflation the cost of the marble had skyrocketed from $45 to $75 dollars a load making the total cost of the foundation at $150 for two loads of marble. 
                Right away Megan had to develop new skills.  The full marble pieces weighed 220 pounds and she had to learn how to move them into place using momentum, bars, and brute force.  The foundation had to be level and square with the correct dimensions so using various tools became part of the everyday process.

             When trees  were felled it was Mary’s job to drag the logs out of the woods using chains and the pickup truck then to strip them of bark using a draw knife.  In the next few weeks Mary’s hands and arms turned black with sticky pitch that would not wash off.  At first she would laugh and hold up her hands and say, “let me hold your baby”, and Megan and I would laugh.  As the weeks wore on the amusement diminished.
                Megan hewed the beams using an adz (for more information Volunteers for Peace, Part 1 - Hand Hewing and Building a Foundation    ) and had to learn how to use a chain saw.  As time went on she became more proficient in her work.  The logs piled up and we all began to realize that this was much more of a job than any of us thought.  As the frame went up there were still more logs needed for the joists, collar ties and knee braces.  All the positive virtues explained in the beginning seemed to fall away and we reached a low point, however we still had to press on to get ready for a planned work party.

​                Mary’s son Clyde came up from New York to help with the joists and it was just what was needed.  New energy brought back the positive attitude.  A week before the work party my son Chris and my grandson Sam also came to help.  With the change in attitude and extra help we accomplished so much every day.  As the work party weekend approached we began to install the rafters.  It was finally starting to look like a house.

​                It was Friday of the work party and we were all exhausted.  Friends and family were to arrive that night and camp out.  I was sitting in a chair too tired to go to bed.  It was raining and I thought I’d better make the move to the bed before anyone came.  As I thought about my move a car drove up.  The next thing I knew I was out in the rain helping everyone get situated.  It’s times like these that the virtues of low cost seem to disappear.
                The next two days were so inspiring.  We had a full crew that knew what they were doing and everyone had their own ideas and knowledge.  We pieced these ideas together and made getting the roof built exciting and enjoyable.  We worked, we ate, we laughed, what more can you want?
          

  Clyde cuts boards for the                     Working together the process                Nailing the boards on the roof
                  roof                                                             became easier

After the work we all settled in for good food and conversation.  Thank you all for all your help.  Others were involved that are not included such as Ezra (Megan's brother) and Justin (friend) but I guess regrettably we were too busy to take photos.     Mary and I are going on a long bike ride across the country from California to Florida and Megan is going to live in our house for the winter months.  Next   year she will finish part of the house and live in it so the story continues.  Mary and I hope to write about our trip in this blog. Stay tuned for our ongoing adventures! 

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The division between people in our country has grown wider in the past several years.  Division between the rich and the poor, whites and minorities, religious and non-religious, gays and heterosexuals, and the list goes on.  Beliefs can be so entrenched that we tend to discredit those who believe otherwise.  When Mary and I moved onto our land we discovered our neighbors to be to the right of center while we lean more towards the social democratic viewpoint.  Between neighbors our political views have a gulf as wide as the Grand Canyon.  As we got to know each other we began talking and talked about anything other than politics as our friendships began to grow.  Eventually we reached the inevitable and began discussing our political views.  Our voices would rise and in my case my arms and hands would move while I jumped up and down top make my point.  After the discussions we laughed and enjoyed our friendship as neighbors.  Mary and I enjoy our low cost lifestyle; however without our neighbor’s help we could not have been as successful as we have been.  Whenever we need a hand, they are there, both in encouragement or help.  As one of our neighbors always brings up, “who’d of thought I’d be friends with social democrats.”  We all can identify the problems; however we seem to come to quite different conclusions on how to solve them.  I admit I love reading opinions and data supporting my views and offer one side in my writings.  All I can say is, here I go again.
                According to Branco Milanovic  (for more information about Milanovic   and poverty – Economy Part 4 – paragraph 9)   it is almost impossible for someone  in a poor country to access the resources needed for what we, in our culture, consider to be an average standard of living.  Branco’s studies have shown that this is a major driving force behind the increasing numbers of people trying to migrate to wealthier countries.  Our global culture is experiencing a smaller and smaller percentage of the population having a greater and greater access to resources, while the majority’s access to resources has diminished.  If for any number of reasons (for more information –  Economy Part1,History of the Yurt-Chapter 8, Intro to Throughput, or Throughput:  An Illustration, ) the flow of resources is disrupted to developed nations the social fabric starts to break down and migration increases.  For the first time in history, we have the chance to change the paradigm to include everyone.  When one is born poor, unless they are somehow lucky, they have no choice but to live a poverty lifestyle.  Those with wealth can choose what kind of lifestyle to live. In other words, a person of wealth could choose between a lavish or a simple lifestyle.  Their wealth can be used to hire others that know how to build a low throughput lifestyle such as; living in a simple house surrounded by edible forest gardens (more info), learning how to travel by bicycle, using public transportation and walking.  The wealth can go towards schools that teach students math, language arts, science and other subjects through the knowledge of healing the Earth.  Yes, we now have the choice to do these kinds of things with our wealth.
                 These concepts, these ways of meshing with nature cannot be mandated.  Laws are passed to prevent pollution, however most of these laws have just enabled us to change the pollution to a different form so we cannot see it and we think it just went away.  In  1970 the Clean Air Act was passed to clean up the pollution around the industrial areas.  Companies were forced to raise their smokestacks and decrease the pollution and the air quality around these areas drastically improved, however due to the high smokestacks acid rain was sent afar killing life in ponds and lakes. Additionally, the scrubbers used required many resources and energy and they added nitric, nitrous and sulfuric acids which were released into the atmosphere.  In the case of the sulfuric  acid, the slurry left over in a typical coal burning power plant, is calcium sulfate amounting to approximately one ton per person using the electricity and this is considered waste and is dumped into landfills.  When we talk about all of these pollution decreasing devices I rarely hear of the loss of habitat or pollution developed from the factories built to produce the devices.  Suppose all the human energy that had been spent in figuring out how to clean up the pollution locally instead went to developing a low throughput quality lifestyle. People would learn skills and habits that, instead of hiding the pollution would move towards eliminating it.  If we had adopted these principles our society would be in a different place right now.
                Arguing over pollution divides people.  We all are responsible for where we are by following a paradigm that was developed when the global population was low and resources were plenty.  Through individual choices we can change this dynamic.  This is a continuous process which begins with the realization that the culture has to change drastically and culture can only change when people change. Instituting laws can have a positive effect as can making the change through education. Having the ability to make the change through independent choice is more satisfying and rewarding as each individual knows exactly why they are making the change. The person who chooses to walk this path enjoys the changes and loves the challenge.  This is in contraste to being forced to make the change through laws and economic conditions.  When choosing such a life a person develops skills to meet the future and is not so blindsided when an event happens.  What a difference.

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            We are currently facing challenges on many different fronts; economically, environmentally, socially, etc. Is it time for a new global vision? Humankind has passed through three major paradigm shifts, the hunter gatherer, agricultural, the industrial and is currently in the computer age.  Each paradigm increased the need for resources per capita.  Also, each successive paradigm decreased in the amount of time it lasted.  While the hunter gatherer paradigm lasted over 100,000 years the computer paradigm has only been 50-60 years and is showing signs of stress already.  Now that we as humans are capable in examining paradigms and paradigm shifts it is possible to carefully plan the next one.  (more information on this – 6th paragraph – The Future or Not the Future?)
            In our current paradigm one is deemed successful when one can live a higher throughput (more resources needed) lifestyle, but what if success was judged on a highly productive and enjoyable lifestyle that was low in resource use? When changing paradigms many of the old ideas can be incorporated, possibly with different intentions.  In the 1930’s the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, which was part of the New Deal was started under Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Our country was experiencing the Great Depression and through this program young unmarried men from families on relief were payed 30 dollars a week, of which 25 dollars was sent back to their families, to work on projects mainly on government land such as camping facilities in our National Parks.  This program gave these men skills along with something to do besides sitting at home waiting for better times.
            Mary and I had the opportunity to visit the Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood in Oregon.  During the same time period (1936-1938) the Works Progress Administration hired skilled and unskilled workers to build the lodge.  A good portion of the materials were harvested from the area such as timber and stone.  Recycled materials were used such as old blankets from the Civilian Conservation Corp camps that were turned into rugs, curtains and bedspreads. Most of the money spent was not used in purchasing materials but instead went to salaries for the workers.  The skilled workers had work in those uncertain times while the unskilled workers learned new skills such as stone work, weaving, blacksmithing, timber framing, etc. 
            Currently we are in need of such a program, yet one with different goals.  The main goal would be to teach the unskilled what is needed to live a low throughput lifestyle, one which is low cost and low impact and can heal the Earth.  Our culture is waiting for the leader to come forth and make the changes necessary, but really it is up to each and every one of us.  A low impact lifestyle can be highly productive, enjoyable and less stressful than how many of us are living now.  Many of our young adults coming out of colleges are strapped with debt only to find that the jobs they desire are not there.  It is common to advise these young adults to go back to college and take on more debt to qualify for the jobs they are seeking.  For some this may lead to a bright future, however for many it just does not work out.  To live a low cost, low impact lifestyle and be successful it takes as much skills and knowledge as a college education.    The main difference is after the time spent in being educated on throughput and low cost low impact living one is not as susceptible to the economic ebbs and flows.
            Many of our young adults are disillusioned and are turning to drugs, crime, or just dropping out because they cannot compete in today’s cultural demands.  Can we include everyone in a brighter future or as resources become less available will an increasing number of people be left out?  A new vision could include everyone.   

 
                At the core of the Lifecycling. net website is the principle of throughput, in other words, all of the energy and resources needed to produce the things we want to have that support our lifestyle. Personally, I am of the baby boomer generation and understanding how to retire is very important to me and to many others in my age group.  We need to understand that we exchange money for the energy and resources we use to maintain our lifestyle.  When you hire someone you are paying them so they are able to exchange money for the resources they need to maintain their lifestyle.  If that person has a high throughput lifestyle they will need to charge more their services.  As we grow older many of us will be dependent on a fixed income to lead a comfortable life as we reach our elderly years.  As resources become more expensive than our inflow of money, a comfortable retirement will become harder and harder as we age.
                Throughout the website are ideas to reduce throughput in ones’ lifestyle and still maintain a comfortable way of living.  This is becoming more important as we move into an uncertain future.  If resources are reduced for any number of reasons and the system supporting the lifestyle is high in throughput, then the standard of living decreases. For background information on throughput and resource availability please read Intro to Throughput or Throughput: An Illustration 
                The global economy has been stagnant since 2008 due to the debt load.  Countries, provinces or counties, cities, municipalities and individuals have all promised to pay in the future for the resources they use in the present. Now that the future has come it is very hard to get the economy flourishing again.  As the economy slowed down interest rates and bond yields moved down, this discouraged saving and encouraged spending, however this did not work.  Pension companies depend on high yields to pay for their high throughput of running their companies, and still they need to have enough money to pay for all the retired recipients. Have the pension companies turned to higher yielding investments such as oil and steel? Previously these were a sure investment, however recently they have experienced heavy losses.   Unfortunately, there are many pension funds that are finding themselves underfunded.  For example Detroit’s pensions did not have the money to pay recipients and luckily made the so called “Grand Bargain” which was a compromise with the pensioners.  Private foundations contributed millions of dollars and the pensioners agreed to a cut in their pensions as well as a cost of living adjustment and health care benefits. (Detroit bankruptcy:  Underfunded pension funds could trip up other municipalities.  – Lester Graham – Dec. 1, 2015) Will these benefactors donate millions to future pension defaults?  After 2014 a new Federal law passed allowing companies the ability to cut pensions.  The Central State Pension Fund, located in Kansas, had to cut their benefits drastically, in many cases up to one half, to remain solvent and yet they still may go broke.  Ten years ago all pensions were thought to be safe investments but the lists of those which are not keep growing.  Can others that are deemed safe today be vulnerable in the coming years?   
                There have been different investigations into the fiscal security of the middle class.  It was found that about one half of the middle class do not have $400 for an emergency. According to the Pew Charitable Trust almost one half of Americans are living close to the financial edge wondering if they can meet their bills.  These studies are outlined in the Atlantic   in the May 2015 article “The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans”.   As more resources are needed just to maintain a certain standard of living  and at the same time the amount of resources available through inflation, low yields, or decrease in payouts, it is clear that what is starting to become visible is just the beginning of a long term trend of the decline of our culture due to the energy, resource and monetary relationship. For more information about resource availability visit  History of the Yurt Chapter 2.
                As a culture we could avoid the hard consequences.  If those with more access to resources (more wealth) were to build low throughput communities it would leave a legacy into the future.  There are added bonuses to developing this new culture.  If groups of people decided on this kind of community the elderly, with all their experiences and knowledge, can add to the development of such a community.  Older people with purpose live longer and healthier lives.  The simple lifestyle is very complex, a paradox that keeps the aging mind active and less susceptible to dementia.  Also, there is more physical labor in setting up such a system thus helping to keep one more physically fit and lowering the expenses of health care.  Instead of working at a job well past retirement age to pay for the entire throughput we could be building a model, building our lives, and enjoying life.