Permaculture 101: Go With The Flow: Harvest The Rain
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 5 Comments
While most humans can live without food for 3 weeks, we will only survive for 3 days without water. Clean drinking water is a natural resource that has the potential to become more scarce than oil and therefore another cause of heated international conflict.
Last week, Permaculture 101 introduced the whole system design approach to living as a method for designing human habitats so that all elements integrate to form a simple, non-wasteful, harmless, self sustaining, productive, efficient system that is essential to having an environmentally responsible lifestyle. A major permacultural design principle is starting simple, so this article delves into the first of many basic components of a healthy system: water.
Collecting the water that falls on a piece of land is not a new idea. Archaeologists believe that inhabitants of Jawa (now North-Eastern Jordan) practiced “rainwater harvesting” in clay-built cisterns as early as 3,000 BC to ensure that their food continued to thrive in times of drought. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Go With The Flow: Harvest The Rain…
Posted on August 21, 2008 |
Behind The Label: Fair Trade At The Olympics
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under The Big Picture | 2 Comments
Unlike past Olympics, this year’s games saw a worldwide protest that swept in to challenge the frequent abuse of human rights, aggression against Tibet, and environmental hazards that China is notorious for. There’s nothing like a billion-dollar, media-happy, corporate-sponsored international event like the Olympics to shed some light on matters of social justice and environmental responsibility and to inspire opportunities for the export behemoth to make positive changes.
That’s where the Play Fair 2008 Campaign comes in. Organized by the Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Federation, Play Fair 2008 is an international campaign pushing for respect for worker’s rights in the global sporting goods industry.
Even as the fair trade and green movements grow larger and stronger, we still cannot seem to resist the temptation to inexpensively produce goods in China and place them on our shelves in Europe and North America. There are responsible, local businesses in most countries who make it their policy to fairly compensate the manufacturers of their products such as Washington state-based Fair Trade Sports, but this remains a rarity. Continue reading Behind The Label: Fair Trade At The Olympics…
Posted on August 20, 2008 |
Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 6 Comments
According to the Hirsch Report issued by the US Department of Energy, global oil production peaked in 2005 with the last major discoveries of light crude oil occurring in the 1960s. Regardless, global consumption rates continue to climb 1.5% each year and the UN estimates the world population will hit 9.1 Billion in the next 40 years. It should be glaringly apparent that our world is off balance; what remains unclear is where we should start to stabilize ourselves.
A revolutionary concept developed in the 1970s, dubbed “permaculture,” is rapidly gaining attention as a transformative vehicle for creating holistic, healthy systems from the microcosm of our immediate surroundings to the macrocosm of the planet.
per. ma. cul. ture \ˈpər-mə-ˌkəl-chər\ Etymology: permanent + agriculture
A method for designing human habitats so that all elements integrate to form a simple, non-wasteful, harmless, self sustaining, productive, highly functional system.
The idea of permaculture was developed at the University of Tasmania by environmental psychology professor Bill Mollison and his environmental design student, David Holmgren. In response to the extreme drought conditions of Australia and global dependence on fossil fuels, the two men developed a model that created much needed balance. Inputs equaled outputs and the only “waste” the model created, easily broke down into simple elements that added to the health of their environment. Though the basis of their design has existed in many aboriginal and native cultures for centuries, Mollison and Holmgren devised a way to communicate it to a much broader audience. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability…
Posted on August 14, 2008 |
Vegetarians Do It Better
By Jenna Kirkman
Filed Under The Big Picture | 7 Comments
By now you have probably figured out the general idea of living a “sustainable” lifestyle: biking to work in your 100% organic fair trade clothing, eating local organic food and recycling absolutely everything. One thing you may not be considering is that free-range organic steak from the farmer’s market that you’ve tossed that into your reusable grocery bag. What is the true impact of our carnivorous indulgences? It may be time for us to seriously reconsider our dietary habits.
A recent study by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science concluded that just one kilogram of beef creates more greenhouse gas pollution than a three hour car ride. Also, switching from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet can be more beneficial to the environment than trading in your SUV for a hybrid. Wow. How is this possible? Let’s look at some of the major environmental impacts caused by the meat industry…
Continue reading Vegetarians Do It Better…
Posted on August 1, 2008 |
How To Green Your City
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
A few weeks ago, Pippa Sorley of eCo Times, intrigued, inspired and even disgruntled readers with her announcement of the Top 5 Eco Cities In The US. Though I was indeed excited that my hometown of Boston made the list, it is undeniable that even the “Top 5’s” of the world still have a long way to go. Perhaps it’s time to consider what each of us can personally do to green our own city or town. This article explores direct actions that focus on local, manageable projects we can all do. May the force be with you!
Start At Home
If you truly believe in something, the best way to implement it is to practice what you preach. Making small changes in your daily routine will have a much larger impact than you can ever imagine. Put the car keys down and walk or bike to work. Buy a reusable bag to take to the grocery store, or reuse the ones piled up in your kitchen cupboard. Change your home appliances and light bulbs to energy efficient models. Check out the incredibly fun web game Consumer Consequences from American Public Media and Redefining Progress to find out how resource intense your personal lifestyle is. Then go to LowImpactLiving.com for great green projects you can do to lessen your impact on the planet. The list of small changes that make a big difference is massive, just choose one thing at a time and get started!
Continue reading How To Green Your City…
Posted on July 31, 2008 |
Number 350: Your Life Depends On It
By Scott Badenoch, Jr.
Filed Under The Big Picture | 3 Comments
Bill McKibben’s got your number. He’s got every one of our numbers. At this absolutely crucial time in history, that number is 350. McKibben is one of the leading environmentalists of our time and has created 350.org to make sure that each and every one of us truly grasps why this sum matters and exactly what we can do about it.
McKibben’s position is based on the research of leading climatologist Jim Hansen of NASA, who states that the only way life on this planet can remain similar to what we know now is if there are no more than 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere. News flash: The Earth’s atmosphere currently has 385 parts per million of CO2.
Ok, the news is stark. We’re past the point of safety and we’re going to need to do an about-face, pronto. As McKibben puts it, “…it’s a tough diagnosis. It’s like the doctor telling you that your cholesterol is way too high and, if you don’t bring it down right away, you’re going to have a stroke.” The “stroke” would be worldwide catastrophes: huge rises in ocean levels, hurricanes that make Katrina look tame, rampant droughts, starvation, and worst of all, the potential creation of a modern day Ice Age.
This is not a science fiction novel or a Hollywood blockbuster. This is not a test.
Now, what does this mean for all of us laypeople? Do we give up our day jobs, sell the house and kids and run screaming for the hills? Well, not just yet. McKibben describes the white knight, “We do have one thing going for us- the Web- which at least allows you to imagine something like a grassroots global effort. If the Internet was built for anything, it was built for sharing this number, for making people understand that “350″ stands for a kind of safety, a kind of possibility, a kind of future.”
Can the human race turn things around? Is it possible to correct the damage we’ve created? McKibben makes it clear: “It’s possible. The United States launched a Marshall Plan once, and could do it again, this time in relation to carbon.” Now, it’s your turn. Begin today. Begin with talking to the people around you. Begin by living a more environmentally friendly life. Begin by making some hard decisions that go beyond changing a lightbulb and start changing the world. Whatever you do, don’t wait any longer, because “climate refugee” and “modern Ice Age” are two phrases best left to Hollywood blockbusters.
Ready to reduce our CO2 level to 350 parts per million immediately? Take action!
- Sign up to receive Action Alerts and news from 350.org
- Share your ideas on how we can reduce our CO2 levels using the wiki platform on CreativeCitizen.com
- Organize a 350 action in your hometown
- Email Bill McKibben’s article to your entire community
- Click on the green icon at the bottom of this post that says “Share This” to spread the word
- Pass on the video below to all your friends and family
Scott Badenoch is the Co-Founder and CEO of CreativeCitizen.com, the wiki for green living, where you can find over 500 Creative Solutions for living more environmentally friendly lives. Scott is a member of the steering committee for Green Business Networking as well as the LA chapter of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).
Posted on July 24, 2008 |
Food Not Lawns
By Christy Rice
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 7 Comments
After months of purchasing the same bag of frozen organic strawberries, I recently read the label for the first time: Product of Turkey. Humbled as my presumably small carbon footprint doubled its size, I couldn’t escape this haunting realization, “I’ve never been to Turkey-why should my berries be so fortunate?”
In a nation where a mere 0.3% of land is cultivated for organic farming, petroleum-powered planes and trucks are a requirement in the delivery of my organic goods. After all, I live on a city plot just north of Seattle where most farmland is now cemented. When I heard about the concept of the “urban homestead” though, I realized that those berries could have grown much closer to home.
Take the Dervaes family of Pasadena. Modern society would say they are the exception to self-sustainability; my heart says they’re the rule. Practically having dubbed the term urban homestead, they produce three tons of produce a year from their one-tenth of an acre garden, handcraft their own honey and wine, and bicycle-power their blender. They have a biodiesel truck, solar oven, goats, chickens, and a driveway lined with strawberries. The Dervaes’ slowly began cultivating this property in the mid-80’s, and now own their home and live off of the $25,000 a year they make selling their goods. Certain variables, such as renting a home or apartment-dwelling, could dampen dreams of self-sustainability, but the Dervaes’ emphasize that there are degrees to this lifestyle. Each small step is a significant part of the journey toward urban self-sufficiency.
Continue reading Food Not Lawns…
Posted on July 17, 2008 |
6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The Planet
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 1 Comment
Are you ready to find out the 6 ways mushrooms can save our struggling planet? Paul Stamets, famed mycologist and founder of Fungi Perfecti, will blow your mind with how to use mycelia to create mushroom-based solutions to habitat restoration, biological warfare, petroleum spills, pest invasions, and peak oil.
Posted on July 16, 2008 |
Top 5 Eco Cities In The US
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under The Big Picture | 22 Comments
The United States was recently rated as the 39th greenest country in the world according to a recent Yale study titled the Environmental Performance Index, an embarrassing score that paled in comparison to other countries including Costa Rica (5th), Columbia (9th) and Slovenia (15th). The U.S. has a long way to go in achieving environmental and social sustainability and it is important to recognize the importance of the role cities play in that equation. As more and more people migrate from rural to metro areas, it is essential that cities develop innovative plans to accommodate the influx, while also diminishing the damaging effects of population overload. With the federal government of the US refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol and surrendering leadership on so many environmental issues, American municipal governments are taking climate change into their own hands. Since 2006, more than 230 Mayors have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which fosters the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
Continue reading Top 5 Eco Cities In The US…
Posted on July 10, 2008 |
The Dark Side Of The Internet
By Greg Berry
Filed Under The Big Picture | 6 Comments
There was a day, back in the good ‘ol dot com era (and before, when computers were still new and offered unlimited promise) when we used to talk about the paperless office, and ultimately, a paperless life. One of the big promises of this paperless life was how many trees would be spared. And we felt good. Later we realized computers and the Internet enabled us to print many more pages than we ever could before, when it was just us creating our own documents. Good thing the Canadian Boreal Forests are so close. (Joking.)
Fast forward 15 years, now more things run on the Internet than ever. Facebook, Salesforce, iTunes, YouTube, Maps, xBox, Skype. And on and on and on. Since most of us don’t immediately equate the bits and bytes with moving electrons, and moving electrons with burning coal, it’s easy to feel that this web-based lifestyle is pretty green. It turns out it’s actually not. Each and every move we make, the windows we keep open, the programs we run simultaneously-they add up…to a whole lot of electricity and hence, CO2 emissions. Continue reading The Dark Side Of The Internet…
Posted on June 26, 2008 |
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