I'v been reading about permaculture for a while, it is beautiful stuff, a very old technique but very productive. Even if thier was no general global crisis these selfsustaining practices are truely liberating every hour spent at them pays dividents many times higher than the hour sold to the factory or the office that's perhaps something that the young would be well advised to incorporate.
It is a lesson that is well advised to be incorporated. Living in the city it's more difficult to pass it along, especially animal care. But, hubby and I are increasingly discussing the idea of setting up a small acreage.