why we need self-sustaining lifestyles

I\’m no economist, and I would love for someone to go in-depth about the US debt crisis and how it affects the rest of the world, especially the Philippines.

I do remember being told years ago that the US had (has) the world\’s highest debt:

Watch 3:50 onwards if you have limited time– it simplifies what happens to the rest of the world when the US can\’t pay up.

Global Economic Collapse.

2012 = environmental and economic global disaster?

Assuming the arguments in the video are valid, how do we prepare for this?

My immediate answer:  self-sustain!  Simplify!  Build a lifestyle that is as off-the-grid as possible:  we source our needs locally, contribute (i.e. work) locally, travel and interact locally.   It can be as local as a single household, a small community, or as large-scale as a city or country– whatever works.  I vote for building a closed loop system as much as possible, with limited– if not zero– waste, where we or whoever is part of the system can exist without external help.  It doesn\’t mean we\’re closed off to the rest of the world, and it certainly doesn\’t have to be extremist. We have to find a workable set-up that lets the gift of our generation, which is our hyper-connectedness via the internet, cellphones, etc, be used more effectively.  How do we harness the large-scale exchange of ideas and make all this shared genius work for us?   Simple answer (does it always have to be complicated?): we look at what\’s worked elsewhere, adapt and build a system that works for us.  Slowly, quickly, small-scale or large-scale– how ever it happens for us.

Is this my vision for Nuvali?

Given the attention Nuvali is rousing, and the response it\’s getting, I hope so.  I hope it can deliver on its sustainability promise. It\’s as scale as scale can be in pushing for a greener lifestyle for Filipinos, which at the end of the day, requires a real paring down and a re-connection with what\’s already within reach (i.e. local)– our local pool of money, property, talent, ideas.

My dad just wrote a great summary of the new developments south of Metro Manila (will share this later) and how these private initiatives from major real estate developers are creating a space for something new to emerge:

Altogether, the rawlands covering these developments exceed 5,000 hectares, an area bigger that Manila, and Makati combined, and it is developing rapidly.

It can be the new Philippine mega-city that will make real for Filipinos all the amazing insights on city-building Glaeser shares in his amazing book, Triumph of the City.   It\’s an exciting time to be in the South, and really, it\’s up to us–investors, residents, management/developer, local officials and all fans of Nuvali– to make the most of this chance we\’re being given to do something right.

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