Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
That's like living on wheat and beef on an island. The tidal power from the oscillating water column OTOH....
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Practically none of the assumed benefits of local food pass a sniff test.
There's this idyllic image of a farmer hand harvesting an organically grown crop into a pickup truck and driving 40 miles to a local market. "It's sustainable".
The food is super expensive because it was hand picked, the crop yield is low because it was "organic", and more fuel is spent moving a paltry amount of food in a 14 MPG pickup truck, than a machine harvesting a high yield crop of GMO produce, loading enormous quantities onto a 7 MPG tractor/trailer, and sending it 1,000 miles away.
It's entirely backwards as far as resiliency. The local market can exist because it's backstopped by a broad and mature distribution market. A local crop failure doesn't lead to starvation because the broader distribution market exists, and is practically unaffected by any local failures.
The same narrow view is what confuses people into thinking renewable electricity is cheaper than traditional generation. It's cheaper only because traditional generation exists. Take the traditional generation out, and it's utter catastrophe as local conditions wreck havoc.
Anyhow, I know you are envisioning a self-contained, self-reliant island unto yourself that theoretically works for a few individuals, but I took the opportunity to get on my soapbox to explain why it's not a solution for the masses.