Firewood Banks Aren't Inspiring. They're a Sign of Collapse
2 days ago
- #energy-insecurity
- #systemic-collapse
- #rural-america
- Rural America often experiences systemic failures first, with wood banks emerging as a response to heating crises.
- Wood banks provide free firewood to those in need without bureaucratic hurdles, highlighting systemic failures in energy support.
- Media often misrepresents wood banks as community spirit rather than addressing the underlying failures that necessitate them.
- Demand for wood banks has surged, with federal grants supporting them due to rising energy costs and insufficient assistance programs.
- Energy insecurity is growing, with many households unable to afford heating, and federal aid programs often running out of funds.
- Collapse is gradual and mundane, marked by small systemic failures that leave individuals to solve institutional problems.
- Rural communities bear the brunt of energy instability, with utilities often neglecting repairs even when profitable.
- Wood remains a reliable, unpoliticized resource, making wood banks a last resort for many families.
- The invisibility of collapse is evident in the quiet struggles of rural families balancing heating costs against other necessities.
- Wood banks symbolize the failure of institutions to provide basic needs, with volunteers stepping in where governments have failed.