Response to Anon: Day 8 - Coffs Harbour Comment

Hi Anon,

Sorry its taken a bit for me to get back to you on this one, not much time free and internet is surprisingly hard to find when you want it for big chunks of time. Well, first and foremost thank you very much! its great to have someone getting interactive with this blog, it is exactly what I wanted all along - so please keep them coming!

Now, in case some of you don't know, I talked about the Bundugen 'alternative' community that I visited, and how I was disappointed that it wasn't so much alternative, as 'not in my backyard'. In response, Anon posted the following:

'I read your bit about the Bundagen alternative community, it is typical that you would call it a cop-out, I used to say that too about people that left the big city to live in harmony with nature. That was before I lived my life and got smarter. I need to let you know that being one who loves nature and intends to go visit this community, I see these people as heros because they decided not to live ina manipulatived society, they are free thinkers and decided to live the way that nature intended before we became reliant on the media to to give us all the information we supposedly need. Solar panels: I think an ulternative thinking person actually designed them. Maybe you should think again before putting down a communty and speading your profound wisdom.'

Sadly Anon, I think you've perhaps missed the point, or misunderstood my post. As someone who has actually been to this community, (as opposed to yourself), I can assure you that these people are not 'living the way nature intended'. There not primitavists, hell, they aren't even Amish. They're using mobile phones, 4x4 land cruisers, satellite internet connections and laptops. There houses are made from industrially produced cement and processed metals, there cars run on industrially extracted petroleum, their laptops from industrially mined iridium, their fridges run on electricity produced from coal fired power stations, the solar panels are made from industrially produced silicon, and so on and so on. That isn't living an eco life, thats living a selfish life - I want all the tools and conveniences of modern industrial life, but I don't want the mess and pollution in my backyard where I can see it, and I want to escape the nagging guilt from the hypocricy of it all.

I'm in no way putting down the community in terms of its beautiful surroundings, chilled out atmosphere, healthy community spirit and local democracy, respect for their surrounding enviroment, organic farming methods or liberated artisitc community. What I am saying is that this is not an eco community, it is not individually sustainable and any assertion to the contray is bullshit. Pull the plug of the modern industrial world and this place would crumple and vanish.

But please, throw the ball back at me with this one ;)