Unfortunately, mass poverty (simple living) cannot return without a global human tragedy.

I don't know about that. There are many people where I live now, just southwest of you, who are doing that quite happily. Maybe not to your extreme, but they are growing and raising nearly all of their food, bartering for the rest and other services, and homeschooling gobs of children. More of us do this everyday, simply for the loveliness of that life.

Except for what I grow myself, I get most of my food from this community. I barter for other services. I need very little money - my largest expenses are for real estate taxes. I do make regular 120 mile drives to a lake shore property of mine though, but in my Honda Fit, which is fantastic on gas. I produce one small half a bag of garbage a week. I understand about the plastic, and try mightily to use as little of that stuff as I can. Not buying food in grocery stores is very good for that. When I look in others refrigerators, I wonder how there can possibly be room for food, for all the plastic that is in there. I wrote a story about that once upon a time.

I sound like I am singing my praises. Am I? Maybe. I like myself these days. It wasn't always so.