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A Better Way of Making a Living for Humanity
Alternatives to Political Systems, Bio-regional Organizations, Consumerism, Eco-Villages, Food Shortages, Peak Oil, People Systems, Population, Society, Village Development — by Chuck Burr
We are no more able to find our way forward living as Homo modern as we are living as Homo hunter-gatherer. Both ways are blocked. Living today on the infinite growth treadmill as Homo modern results in the death of our planet. Homo sapien has exploded our population to a level that we can no longer run back into the forest to make a living like the Mayan did. So what are we to do?
The question is actually, not “what are we going to do?”, but is “how are we going to make a living?” First lets rule out the obvious, we can no longer make a living as Homo consumer. Peak oil will put an end to our happy motoring and consuming lifestyle before we get the chance to consume the world.
Comments (0)Posted on: January 5, 2009
Genetically Modified Foods Unsafe? Evidence that Links GM Foods to Allergic Responses Mounts
GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith
By Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, and author of the highly acclaimed Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette.
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Here’s looking at you kid. Genetically modified crops are linked to death, disease, sterility and more. Big Biotech are effectively turning us into lab rats… |
Genetically modified (GM) foods are inherently unsafe, and current safety assessments are not competent to protect us from or even identify most dangers. Overwhelming evidence to support this conclusion is now compiled in the book Genetic Roulette: The documented health risks of genetically engineered foods, which presents an abundance of adverse findings and theoretical risks associated with GM foods.1 The book documents lab animals with damage to virtually every system studied; thousands of sick, sterile, or dead livestock; and people around the world who have traced toxic or allergic reactions to eating GM products, breathing GM pollen, or touching GM crops at harvest. It also exposes many incorrect assumptions that were used to support GM approvals. This article, excerpted from my book, summarizes some of the findings related to allergic and immune responses.
Comments (0)Posted on: January 4, 2009
Pay Monsanto, or Starve
GMOs — by Craig Mackintosh
Many have yet to comprehend the implications of this continuing business trend to grow, merge, centralise and consolidate. I hope the following will help. If these companies are to continue their takeovers, and rule our planet - then shouldn’t we consider what it will be like in their servitude? Depending on what part of the world we live, many of us get to vote our governments into office. The choices offered might not be ideal, but at least there’s a semblance of democracy. But, certain enormous corporations are gaining the power of governments - even over governments - and I haven’t seen the ballot slip.
Posted on: January 3, 2009
Slip Hazard
Comedy Break, Consumerism, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society — by Marc Roberts
With apologies to Robert Newman
A percentage of climate scientists expect that climate engineering of some sort will be required - because we as a species just can’t be arsed with changing our behaviour.
Marvellous. Can I have my Jet-Pack now?
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Planting Trees and Managing Soils to Sequester Carbon
Deforestation, Global Warming/Climate Change, Rehabilitation, Trees — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
As of 2007, the shrinking forests in the tropical regions were releasing 2.2 billion tons of carbon per year. Meanwhile, expanding forests in the temperate regions were absorbing 0.7 billion tons of carbon annually. On balance, a net of some 1.5 billion tons of carbon were being released into the atmosphere each year, contributing to global warming.
Comments (0)Posted on: January 2, 2009
Jerusalem Artichokes - like Diamonds, are Forever
Food Plants - Perennial, Processing & Food Preservation — by Margaret Lynch
PIJ #54; March - May 1995; page 47
Margaret Lynch explains how to grow, store and prepare the edible section of what is a truly prolific plant.
Helianthus tuberosus is an annual which will tolerate most conditions. Commonly called Jerusalem artichoke, it is known in its native America as Sunroot. Other names include Sunchoke and Suntuber. It is not to be confused with the globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, which is a thistle with edible flower-buds.
Suntuber foliage is said to be good fodder. Rapid growth makes it an excellent summer shade, screen, or windbreak. It may also have potential in paper-making. The plant produces a substance which inhibits growth in nearby plants, so don’t use the green foliage for mulch.
Comments (0)Posted on: December 30, 2008
Zapping the Wrong Bugs
Insects — by PIJ
The Furrow, Farm Facts and Fancies reports that electric bug zappers operated outdoors may be doing more harm than good in reducing mosquito problems.
A University of Tennessee study found that only 31 per cent of 14,000 insects collected from a bug zapper were biting insects. About half were non-biting aquatic insects and 14 per cent were beneficial insects that attack pests.
“From this study we estimate that as many as 350 billion non-target insects are destroyed each year by these traps,” said Gene Burgess, a Tennessee entomologist.
“Because so many predators and parasites are killed, the traps may actually be protecting mosquitoes and other pests. The zappers are of greater value indoors where you don’t want insects of any sort.”
Comments (0)Posted on: December 22, 2008
Baubles
Comedy Break — by Marc Roberts
 Click for full view (Courtesy: Throbgoblins) |
Christmas brings the fortieth anniversary of the first image of Earth Rising - an image that (should have) transformed the way we, as a species, conceptualise ourselves.
Did it?
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Wanted - Permaculture Translators
Courses/Workshops, DVDs/Books — by Flashtoonz
Wanted. Permaculture Translators - People fluent in another language willing to donate some time to translate from a supplied English text transcript of The Permaculture for Beginners DVD into their chosen language. The supplied Word document will be between 40 to 60 pages so if you are up to the challenge, we’d be grateful for your contribution. This is not a simple or easy task to complete in one sitting, so please, only reply if you are fluent in your preferred language, are motivated, self-disciplined and prepared to complete the task and deliver the document within a fixed deadline. This is very important.
Comments (1)Posted on: December 18, 2008
Pin-Striped Pirates
Alternatives to Political Systems, Economics, Ethical Investment, Financial Management, Society — by George Monbiot
Why does the UK retain a handful of colonies? To destroy the world’s taxation systems.
by George Monbiot - journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist
If you want to know why Britain has never completed the process of decolonisation, look at two lists side by side. One is the official register of tax havens, compiled by the OECD(1). The other is the list of British overseas territories and crown dependencies(2). Over a quarter of the world’s tax havens are British property. More than half of Britain’s colonial territories and dependencies are tax havens. Strip out Antarctica, the military bases and the scarcely-habited rocks and atolls, and of the 11 remaining properties, only the Falkland Islands is not a recognised haven. The obvious conclusion is that Britain retains these colonies for one purpose: to help banks, corporations and the ultra-rich to avoid tax.
Posted on: December 17, 2008
Veiling Our True Predicament - Global Dimming
Global Dimming, Global Warming/Climate Change — by Craig Mackintosh
Have you heard the expression ‘Global Dimming’ yet? The documentary embedded in this post examines the phenomenon, but, in brief, I’ll endeavour to give a rough heads up on the topic. It’s yet further evidence that our dangerous habit of underestimating the complexities of natural systems will surely backfire on us, and in direct proportion to our tinkering with the same.
Posted on: December 16, 2008
Permaculture for Beginners DVD in the Works
Courses/Workshops, DVDs/Books, Developments, News — by Flashtoonz
Editor’s Note: Our creative video genius, Frank Gapinski, gives us an update on the work of Flashtoonz
Coming in 2009 is the DVD we’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Permaculture for Beginners is the fundamental introduction to the Permaculture Design Certificate Course. Its the 72 hour Course boiled down to just over 90 minutes with all the essential points covered. If you are interested in doing the full PDC and want to know more about it - then this DVD introduces the course in a nutshell.
More than just a classroom lecture - each point is covered in practical detail with on the field examples. If you’re new to Permaculture and don’t know where to begin - then this DVD reveals the PDC in all its glory by one of the best, most experienced teachers on the planet - Geoff Lawton. Geoff has taught the course in over 27 different countries.
He’s currently in Iran before travelling to Morocco and then back to Australia in January. Geoff is pretty excited about this title as its a way to introduce a whole new generation of people to Permaculture. The project was scheduled to begin in November but we had another DVD on the boil that needed completion. 2009 should be an interesting year for Permaculture people around the globe.
Harvesting Water has been translated for the Chinese market and other language translations are in the works. We got some big plans and some very exciting fresh films to reveal before the 2009 is done.
More details to come in the following weeks.
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Posted on: December 15, 2008
At Last, a Date
Global Warming/Climate Change, Peak Oil — by George Monbiot
For the first time, the International Energy Agency has produced a date for peak oil. And it’s not reassuring.
by George Monbiot - journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist
Can you think of a major threat for which the British government does not prepare? It employs an army of civil servants, spooks and consultants to assess the chances of terrorist attacks, financial collapse, floods, epidemics, even asteroid strikes, and to work out what it should do if they happen. But there is one hazard about which it appears intensely relaxed. It has never conducted its own assessment of the state of global oil supplies and the possibility that one day they might peak and then go into decline.
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Woody Harrelson Waxes Poetic on the Life that Shouldn’t Be
Alternatives to Political Systems, Consumerism, Deforestation, Food Shortages, GMOs, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Musical Interlude, People Systems, Society — by Craig Mackintosh
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Posted on: December 14, 2008
‘Project Thoreau’ Updates
Demonstration Sites, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Seeds, Urban Projects — by Ezanee Cooper
Ezanee Cooper gives us some excellent updates on progress with ‘Project Thoreau‘. Use the comments form below to share your knowledge and help develop Ezanee’s plot, or to ask questions that might help you develop your own.
Project Thoreau –September / October 2008 Update
The garden has undergone a bit of a revamp. The bean patch was tidied up to reduce the number of hiding places for slugs and snails, beer traps were established, and the area more heavily mulched. The compost bin was relocated, and a potato patch has been established in its place. This was set up by digging in 10 retaining wall bricks into a square, and filling it with the compost from my bin together with dirt obtained from my sister’s place. Some old potatoes were then planted in, and the vines have already begun to shoot.
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