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Paperback – 288 pages
6 Inches × 9 Inches (w × h)

Weight: 465 Grams
BISAC: SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 9780865716148
Pub. Date: 2008-09-01

About the Author

Sharon Astyk

Sharon Astyk is a writer, teacher, blogger, and farmer who raises vegetables, poultry and dairy goats with her family in upstate New York. She and her family use 80% less energy and resources than the average American household. Sharon is a member of the Board of Directors of ASPO-USA and the award-winning author of three previous books including Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days.

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Depletion & Abundance

Life on the New Home Front

by Sharon Astyk



Climate change, peak oil and economic instability aren't just future social problems -- they jeopardize our homes and families right now. Our once-abundant food supply is being threatened by toxic chemical agriculture, rising food prices and crop shortages brought on by climate change. Funding for education and health care is strained to the limit, and safe and affordable housing is disappearing.

Depletion and Abundance explains how we are living beyond our means with or without a peak oil/climate change crisis and that, either way, we must learn to place our families and local communities at the center of our thinking once again. The author presents strategies to create stronger homes, better health and a richer family life and to

  • live comfortably with an uncertain energy supply
  • prepare children for a hotter, lower energy, less secure world
  • survive and thrive in an economy in crisis, and
  • maintain a kitchen garden to supply basic food needs.

Most importantly, readers will discover that depletion can lead to abundance, and the anxiety of these uncertain times can be turned into a gift of hope and action.

An unusual family perspective on the topic, this book will appeal to all those interested in securing a future for their children and grandchildren.

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