The Vegetarian Myth Reviewed in Permaculture Activist By Peter BanePermaculture Activist #72, Summer 2009This book almost literally blew in the door one March day recently and I found myself still engrossed in its captivating story an hour after tearing open the brown padded wrapper. That doesn't very often happen.Lierre Keith has written a compelling tale of her own near self-destruction from a vegan diet and a broadside against its being perpetrated upon or adopted by any other … [Read more...]
Jeff Vail on the Diagonal Economy and the Rhizome Organisation
Jeff Vail is starting his long-awaited series on the next step for our post-meltdown political economies (see ToC for full project description): An excerpt on how this change may come about in the core country of the present system. Jeff Vail: “The diagonal economy might rise amidst the decline of our current system—the “Legacy System.” Using America as an example (but certainly translatable to other regions and cultures), more and more people will gradually realize that there the “plausible … [Read more...]
Backyard Solar Dish Melts Steel
We’re all familiar with the vast solar thermal power stations in the desert that use mirrors to make steam to drive turbines. Giant solar thermal arrays are already making electricity in the desert in Spain and California. But what if we could have just one of these units in the backyard, just for our own use? That’s what motivated a team of MIT students to find the way to make the cheapest solar power station out there. Mass produce it for the home user and market it under their own new start … [Read more...]
Rural revolution in Colombia goes digital and p2p
“Latinamerica is particularly well equipped for these changes (peer production) by their cultural affinity with the values of P2P”, said Michel Bauwens on an interview for Pagina/12 the Argentinian journal. This statement seems to prove itself when one reads Elyssa Pachico;s article “Rural revolution in Colombia goes digital” (first published by CounterPunch, you can find it also at her site). In poor rural Colombia, where phone lines, drinkable water and decent roads can be hard to find and … [Read more...]
Bike-frastructure 101: Sharrows, Street Parking, Superhighways and More
Increasing the number of bikes on the road is becoming a serious goal for forward-thinking leaders. As Elisabeth Rosenthal recently wrote in the New York Times, there will soon be only two kinds of city leaders: those who are implementing bike amenities and bike-sharing programs, and those who plan to do so soon. But it's about more than just announcing a mission, or even making bikes available for free. A lack of bike infrastructure plagues many cities, causing would-be cyclists to shy away … [Read more...]
Biosphere Home Farming from Philips designers
See larger image here. by Clive van Heerden, August 6, 2009 Looking into the economics and politics of rising food prices and theories about impending food shortages led us to create the “food farm” to test peoples sensitivity to the issue. We wanted to develop something initially that would supplement the nutritional needs of a family living in high rise accommodation, without drawing electricity or gas. The ‘’diagnostic kitchen’’ concept is a response to the global diet business and obsession … [Read more...]
Agroforestry Found On Nearly Half The World’s Farms
For centuries, farmers have placed trees among their crops to enhance soil health, raise marketable fruits or nuts, and protect row crops from damaging winds. Yet agroforestry, as the practice is known, is generally considered a rarity among mainstream farmers. New data suggests that more farmers practice agroforestry than previously appreciated. Nearly half of the world's farmlands have at least 10 percent tree cover, more than 10 million square kilometers in total, the Nairobi-based World … [Read more...]
The Case Against Organic Food Does Not Stand Up
By Peter Melchett There really are nutritional benefits, as research to be published next year will show Ben Goldacre says the Soil Association's criticism of the recent Food Standards Agency research on nutrients is "not about organic food" and that "the emotive commentary in favour of organic farming bundles together diverse and legitimate concerns about unchecked capitalism in our food supply" (Bad Science: Argument is about capitalism, not food, 1 August). In fact, our argument with the … [Read more...]
Peer to peer ‘unclasses’
Springwise reports on the LaidOffCamp initiative: “Unconferences have become increasingly common over the past decade or so, notable in particular for their low-key structure and participant-driven format. LaidOffCamp is one such example, and now—inspired, in fact, by that initiative—the concept has been applied to education with the launch of (un)classes. Aiming to provide a more casual and ad hoc way for people to learn something new during their limited free time, the (un)classes website … [Read more...]
Stroud Pound to be Launched in Threadneedle Street
The official unveiling of the exquisitely designed Stroud Pound will take place on Threadneedle Street, outside the offices of the Stroud Valleys Project and opposite Stroud’s very own Old Lady (Teashop) on Saturday 12th September at 10 am. Four denominations of Stroud Pound vouchers will then be available to exchange for sterling on a 1-to-1 basis.The notes, designed by local artist Ronan Schoemaker and produced by local currency collector Steve Charlwood, are like miniature histories of the … [Read more...]
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