Sunday, May 21, 2006
Cuba's Survival After Peak Oil.
When the soviet union collapsed, oil imports ceased by 80 percent in Cuba. In addition the United states implimented the block off of all trades entering and leaving Cuba, making Cuba even more vulnerable than it was before. With the absence of oil, Cuba's bus services and all transportation had ceased and stopped working. In addition to that, food production and consumption had been dropping increasingly, pushing Cuba into famine. It said that the average Cuban had lost about 20 lbs as an result to the argiculture failure. Without the use of fossil fuels that Cuba thirved on, it made agriculture extremely hard, and crops start to wither without the appropriate care they once had. Ariculture had always relied on the burning of fossil fuels to increase crop yields yearly where it made it possible to have a surplus of food in a large population. This was the type of agriculture Cuba slept on. This scenario in Cuba, is an excellent example to the potential damage peak oil can cause. Facing a collapse, Cuba's only solution to save their people was to maintain it's country with minimal dependence on the small amounts of fossil fuels they possess.
A specific step in cuba, was the construction of Urban agricultural gardens, and the fashion of having natural roof gardens in Cuba, Havana was influenced all over the city. Large quantities of bicycles was bought from China, and then
distributed to Cuba's citizens. Doctors, lawyers, middle class workers, everyone had to ride these bicycles and this gave closure for Cuba's transportation crisis. Another successful solution to Cuba's Oil Crisis was the equal distribution of food rations to every individual no matter their wealth. With this rule in effect and processed, the fear of starvation in Cuba diminished. The generousity and balance of food rations made it possible for a mutal relationship between Cubans, where no families have more than another family. I believe mentally that this ration helped reduce crime in Cuba by providing the picture to Cubans that everyone was in the same situation, where no ones better off than the other, and the distribution of rations to "every" family, might have changed a father's mind to rob a farm when his family has enough to eat. It's this equality that I think help provide the right mood of Cuba's people, to live in mutally with cooperation and to follow a communal goal.
Another solution Cuba implemented was the introduction to self reliant jobs. Every citizen learned to produce their own crops, how to deal with soil, etc. Basically they were taught how to maintain their existence with the little or no reliance on stores or markets. Farmers in Cuba who relied on fertilizers that come from fossil fuels made their own fertilizers. They raised tons of worms to help them produce organic fertilizers that improved their recovering agriculture, and in return was able to harvest healthier crops. A Cuban farmer said that for every one ton of worms they can produce about 5 tons of fertilizer for their crop fields. Tracters and harvesters in farms stayed in the barns covered with dust for the thirst of these machines cannot be quenched. Therefore farmers resort back into owning oxens that helped pull and plow the fields.
Farmers became more and more valued in Cuba and due to their success, they later became the "highest paid workers" in Cuba. There as a decent flow food production, back into Cuba. Where fresh lettuce and vegetables made with organic fertilizers, and fruits such as grapes that gave Cubans the delicacey of having wine and more food options. Cuban culture remained same. The only thing that changed was the way Cubans lived. Cities that shined grey with cement, are now covered in greens due to natural roof gardens, people are now more self reliant, and the country showed that they did not give in the pressure from the absence of oil. They survived as a whole, and the message from this era in Cuba tells everyone else that cooperation, mutual gain and natural solutions can ensure survival without oil.
A specific step in cuba, was the construction of Urban agricultural gardens, and the fashion of having natural roof gardens in Cuba, Havana was influenced all over the city. Large quantities of bicycles was bought from China, and then
distributed to Cuba's citizens. Doctors, lawyers, middle class workers, everyone had to ride these bicycles and this gave closure for Cuba's transportation crisis. Another successful solution to Cuba's Oil Crisis was the equal distribution of food rations to every individual no matter their wealth. With this rule in effect and processed, the fear of starvation in Cuba diminished. The generousity and balance of food rations made it possible for a mutal relationship between Cubans, where no families have more than another family. I believe mentally that this ration helped reduce crime in Cuba by providing the picture to Cubans that everyone was in the same situation, where no ones better off than the other, and the distribution of rations to "every" family, might have changed a father's mind to rob a farm when his family has enough to eat. It's this equality that I think help provide the right mood of Cuba's people, to live in mutally with cooperation and to follow a communal goal.
Another solution Cuba implemented was the introduction to self reliant jobs. Every citizen learned to produce their own crops, how to deal with soil, etc. Basically they were taught how to maintain their existence with the little or no reliance on stores or markets. Farmers in Cuba who relied on fertilizers that come from fossil fuels made their own fertilizers. They raised tons of worms to help them produce organic fertilizers that improved their recovering agriculture, and in return was able to harvest healthier crops. A Cuban farmer said that for every one ton of worms they can produce about 5 tons of fertilizer for their crop fields. Tracters and harvesters in farms stayed in the barns covered with dust for the thirst of these machines cannot be quenched. Therefore farmers resort back into owning oxens that helped pull and plow the fields.
Farmers became more and more valued in Cuba and due to their success, they later became the "highest paid workers" in Cuba. There as a decent flow food production, back into Cuba. Where fresh lettuce and vegetables made with organic fertilizers, and fruits such as grapes that gave Cubans the delicacey of having wine and more food options. Cuban culture remained same. The only thing that changed was the way Cubans lived. Cities that shined grey with cement, are now covered in greens due to natural roof gardens, people are now more self reliant, and the country showed that they did not give in the pressure from the absence of oil. They survived as a whole, and the message from this era in Cuba tells everyone else that cooperation, mutual gain and natural solutions can ensure survival without oil.
# posted by Nian @ 7:22 PM 
