Why this Blog?

For some time I have been thinking about creating a website offering help, advice, support and a forum, aimed at people who share my concerns and have the same ideas about tackling them. It will be called inconspicuousconsumption.com

My big concern is that western civilisations run on current capitalist models are completely unsustainable.

I can break this down into:

• The oil is running out
• The temperature is going up
• We're contemptuous of nature
  
• We're contemptuous of each other
• Most of us have already got most of the stuff we need
  

I'm not under the illusion that I can create some kind of movement that is going to make any big changes to all of this. But that doesn't mean that I personally have to go along with things the way they are.

I think that my best chance of happiness is through greater self reliance, involvement in my local community, and in helping my kids to build up the skills, knowledge and attitudes that they will need to survive in a very different world from the one we live in now. If you feel the same then maybe we can help each other along the way.

I am not a doom-monger, but neither am I very optimistic about the future. However, even if we do come up with fantastic new technolgies to solve all of the looming problems, I know that I will still feel good when:

• I don't get suckered by a brand
• I avoid a car journey or a flight
• I pass something on instead of throwing it away
  
• I get involved in projects to build up my local community
  
• I grow, find or catch my own food
  
• I spend time with my kids instead of wasting it slaving away somewhere I don't want to be to 'extend consumer choice' for someone else who probably, if they thought about it, doesn't need their choice extending anyway.

By now you probably get my drift.

I'm still working on that website, but in the meantime I'm going to post my thoughts, observations and ideas here at Inconspicuous Consumption - the blog. I may rant about obesity, second homes, processed food, building regulations, 4x4s and the school run. I may extole slow food, orienteering, allotments, lime mortar and ebay. But whatever it is that's getting my current goat, I'll try to keep what I pass on to you interesting and succinct.