HISTORY

Posted By JIM AND LISA GILBERT

Many people have been concerned for some time about the effect of globalization on smaller communities, like Chatham-Kent. I myself have ranted for years about this issue. You haven't heard too much of it in this column, as I have let Jim do the writing most of the time. So let me reiterate some of my main concerns about globalization, from a community point of view and show how the path of these future possibilities might lead us back to a greater appreciation of our past.

First of all, it takes away jobs. We all know now about the migration of manufacturing jobs away from Chatham-Kent (and the rest of North America) over that past 20 years. They have all headed to places where labour can be had for a pittance, mostly in China and countries surrounding it.

Secondly, it has given us tasteless and probably genetically modified foods, and in the process, has gone a long way towards destroying the family farm, for which Chatham- Kent has been famous for many years. What those foods do to our health has yet to be determined.

Thirdly, as part of the consumer culture it has encouraged, we have lost our sense of neighbourly concern for our fellow citizens, and civil society is finding it very hard to bring in new people, as everyone seems to be too busy (texting, Twittering, listening to their MP3 players) to get involved in their community.

However, now it seems I have good news to report for anyone who shares these concerns. According to Jeff Rubin, in his new book called Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller, we are going to see the rebirth of communities of the past in the not-too-distant future.

The reason, says Mr. Rubin, is because of peak oil. Peak oil, for those who are unfamiliar with this term, refers to the fact that world oil reserves are running short, and may even peter out in our lifetime. This, of course, will lead to even higher prices for oil, and therefore higher prices for everything else, as so much of our culture is based on oil. Because of that, companies such as Wal-Mart will no longer find it cost-effective to import their goods from places such as China, which are so far away. As a result, those moth-balled factories and warehouses around us will be dusted off and put back into production, and the jobs that go along with them will be once more available. Of course, the goods we now buy so inexpensively will not be so cheap anymore, but don't we all have too much stuff anyway?

Also as a result of expensive oil prices, we will no longer be able to import our food from China (yes, much of it now comes from that far away), or from California. We are finding out for other reasons, like climate change issues, that we should be trying to buy local anyway, but the high cost of fuel, and of refrigerating the food all that way, will make it much more realistic to buy the food that the farmers in our neighbourhood produce. That spells good news for any farmer who wants to be a market gardener, but it also means that smaller, family-run farms might still have a future.

Peak oil also means that travel of any sort will also get more expensive, and long trips abroad might be out of the means of most of us. As a result, more of us will vacation closer to home, and perhaps will discover the charms of our own community. Jim and I have been touting the rich history that our own area has for many years, and maybe more people will find this out in the future if they can't take a European trip. That spells good news for all of the work our local Black History sites have gone to, and for the War of 1812 Bicentennial initiatives.

If people are staying home more, they might also be more inclined to get involved in their community. Maybe we'll see a return to people talking to others at public events and finding out about their neighbours. We were certainly amazed and heartened by the turnout for the Retrofest in May, the Cherry Fest in Blenheim and the Culture Crawls in Wallaceburg, to cite only a few examples.

A more-involved citizenry can only be good for places such as Chatham-Kent, and other communities around Ontario. Maybe the high cost of oil won't be such a bad thing after all.

Jeff Rubin's predictions might not come true as quickly as he implies, but I believe it is inevitable that they will come about eventually. They are good news for those of us who think a strong community is important for life in the 21st century.