Permaculture 101: Feed The People: What Everyone Can Learn From The Cuban Oil Crisis
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 7 Comments
Another day passes and the buzz about fuel prices and dwindling oil reserves hangs (along with the rush-hour traffic exhaust) in the evening air. The future of our global petroleum-based economy is a picture that not many of us want to paint, yet it is unavoidable not to ask what our lives may look like when the last drop of oil has burned.
In the US, the average person currently requires 7 barrels of oil to operate their home (heating, cooling and electricity), 9 barrels to power their vehicle and 10 to grow and transport the food they eat. Does ten barrels of oil for food sound surprising? The food industry is an extremely energy intensive process that has been expanded and commercialized to a point where industrial-sized machinery and mass production methods such as monopolized corporate farms and indiscriminate pesticide use are necessary to keep up with demand.
Fortunately, there is a country who can provide us with an image of what that the not-so-distant future without oil may look like. Cuba faced a crisis due to oil shortage with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Oil exports abruptly dropped 50% and the country lost 80% of it’s international trade economy.
Food production quickly became Cuba’s number one issue after their oil supply dwindled. Buses stopped running, factories became silent, tractors sat on the side of the road and people began to realize that food was not making the long journey from the farm to the city. People began to starve. Within a few months the average person lost 25 pounds and malnutrition in pregnant women and small children became the dominant issues for the medical community. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Feed The People: What Everyone Can Learn From The Cuban Oil Crisis…
Posted on August 29, 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 |
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 |
Meet The Greenhorns
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Arts & Culture, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
green·horn 
[green-hawrn]
–noun
| 1. | an untrained or inexperienced person. |
| 2. | a naive or gullible person; someone who is easily tricked or swindled. |
| 3. | Slang. a newly arrived immigrant; newcomer. |
These wild youngsters have spun completely out of control. They’ve left behind everything they’ve previously known to go off on their own and…farm. Yes, there is a new youth movement underfoot here in America, and its about growing vegetables, raising chickens, and moving dirt from one place to another. Believe it.
Strip mall designers, take heed-you could be out of work in the next 5-10 years if this farming trend takes over. Check out this trailer for The Greenhorns, a documentary film about the young farmers movement. See if it makes you want to ditch your office job and join WWOOF…
Posted on July 2, 2008 |
Smokin’ Threads: Hemp Makes Fashion Sense
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | Leave a Comment
Due to numerous stigmas surrounding the herb marijuana, hemp fabric has been a tough sell in the fashion market until just recently. Though “industrial hemp” is legal to use in the US, growing it is not. Hemp fabric is generally imported to the US by China, Hungary, Thailand, Romania and Chile. The farming of hemp requires no pesticides or herbicides, requires little water, and actually helps clear soil of toxins by a process called “phytoremediation,” making it far superior to cotton production. As sustainability struts to the forefront of fashion, designers have started taking note of this fiber, once thought of as the type of material found in flour sacks, not Sak’s Fifth Avenue.
During the California Gold Rush of the 1850’s, this extremely durable fabric was used for the very first pair of jeans by Levi Strauss. Even with all the cultivation challenges, hemp still makes its way into plenty of American closets today. Simple, Adidas, and New Balance are using this strong, biodegradable material for their super fly sneaker styles. Eco fashion lines like Habitude and Mountains Of The Moon have sexy, sophisticated dresses and tops of hemp and silk blends. Recent collections by fashion giants Armani and Dolce & Gabbana have featured fiercely taylored hemp suits. Green bag designers Helen E. Riegle and GreenOne utilize this fabric for their handbags and totes, and emerging brands like Hoodlamb are using uber warm hemp-based fake fur in their urban wear.
Continue reading Smokin’ Threads: Hemp Makes Fashion Sense at In The Loop…
Posted on June 30, 2008 |
Farewell My Subaru…It’s A Fine Life Without Petroleum
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, eCo TV | 3 Comments
Okay, this may be one of the coolest people I’ve come across in a minute. Have you seen Into The Wild? Liked it? Well, America, meet Doug Fine. Some of you may already be familiar with him, through his humorous NPR spots or his articles in the Washington Post, Wired, or Outside. He wrote a book back in 2004 called Not Really An Alaskan Mountain Man where he breaks down the hilarity of “broken down snowmachines, heavy dead whales, frozen pipes, angry moose and disorientation in a bear-packed wilderness.”
His most recent book is called Farewell, My Subaru where Doug recounts another set of hilarious misadventures in greener, locally-sourced living. Now, he’s surviving on a ranch in rural New Mexico with his pregnant wife where he attempts to live fossil fuel free, cultivate vegetables, and raise livestock. The funny part is mainly due to the fact that, previous to establishing the Funky Butte Ranch, Doug had no previous electrical, mechanical or farming skills. He’s making his own biodiesel, catching his own water, and producing plenty of electricity for his bumpin’ stereo system and his many modern appliances. Check this man out-he’s on fire!
Posted on May 28, 2008 |
Food Fight: Organic Vs. Conventional
By Sara Yellich
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
So there I am again, standing before my supermarket produce display wondering which one is better: the organic Pink Lady or the conventional Braeburn? What am I buying into when I choose either apple? How am I effecting air, water, soil, and local economies? I am part of a vast interdependent machine more influential than I can fathom with my consumption choice.
I realize my questions arise because I am considered an “ethical eater”. Having the financial ability, educational resources and time to deliberate between organic versus conventional produce is a privilege. And, after my focused deliberation, the difference between organic and conventional is still unclear.
Unfluenced by trailblazers such as of Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (SF) and Gene Kahn of Cascadian Farm (OR), organic food rose to prominence in the 1970’s. By their standards, the definition of “organic” encompassed a broad spectrum of meaning: natural, fresh, healthy foods grown on small local farms. Now, the organic business is a $7.7 billion dollar industry, with a growth rate of 22% in 2007 alone; organics finally match conventional agribusiness in economies of scale. Sadly, the special nomenclature and labeling of organics results in organic Oat O’s being sold for $2 more than their conventional counterpart, because conventional farmers receive farm subsidies and organic farmers still do not. How are we, as consumers, to know what’s better for both us and the environment? Continue reading Food Fight: Organic Vs. Conventional…
Posted on May 23, 2008 |
American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 2 Comments
American Apparel, a company well known for sexual harassment suits, scandalous barely-legal marketing imagery, and de rigeur retro basics, is quietly known among environmentalists for something different…setting the bar for fair wages in manufacturing and incorporating solid steps towards environmental sustainability. Yes, that American Apparel.
Now clearly, a manufacturing behemoth is going to have a tough time calling itself “sustainable,” but American Apparel doesn’t even try. They do. Since 2006, 20% of their electricity for their factory in downtown LA is produced by solar energy, there’s recycled content in their shopping bags, and a majority of their manufacturing scraps get reclaimed for the making of their smaller items, like thongs and such. They launched their 100% organic Sustainable Edition in 2003 and now they’re trying to get the rest of their line in check. American Apparel recently announced its purchase of 30,000 lbs. of Cleaner Cotton to incorporate into their non-organic line. “Cleaner Cotton” also called B.A.S.I.C., uses approximately one-third the amount of pesticides of conventional cotton. The Cleaner Cotton Campaign was started by Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP), which is a farmer-based, non-profit organization that reeducates farmers on how to reduce their toxic chemical usage without genetically-modified seeds, while maintaining profitability. An ongoing partnership with American Apparel is certainly a great way to do just that. Continue reading American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)…
Posted on May 12, 2008 |
Farm To School: Ecotrust Keeps It Local
By Lizbeth M. Brown, Esq.
Filed Under Modern Philanthropy | 3 Comments
The coastal Pacific Northwest is referred to as the Salmon Nation. As a self-proclaimed “Citizen Of Salmon Nation,” Portland-based non-profit Ecotrust is committed to improving the economic, ecological, and social conditions of this region. They actively coordinate a number of extremely progressive initiatives, including their Food & Farms program.
Michelle Markesteyn, Ph.D. is a major force at Food & Farms, as the Farm To School and School Garden Program Coordinator. Farm To School programs enable schools to provide students with healthy, locally-sourced meals, incorporate nutrition-based curriculum, and provide experiential learning through farm visits, gardening, and recycling. eCo Times caught up with Michelle to get the inside scoop on her mission…
How would you describe the main impacts your organization is attempting to have on the world ?
I work in the Food & Farms Program within the larger organization Ecotrust. Within my program, we are working to make sustainable regional agriculture the norm rather than the exception. To do that we work through bottom up and top-down approaches - changing behaviors of individuals as well as the policies and the environmental and political contexts in which individuals live, work and play.
How far have you come along the path of success in your mission?
Because there is a lot of momentum among educators, health advocates, agriculturalists and environmentalists for farm to school programs, we’ve been able to come a long way in a short amount of time. For example, in Oregon, in the last 14 months, we’ve gone from one school district with an integrative farm to school and garden program to 40 school districts that have at least shown serious interest in starting a program of their own. These 40 districts have listed themselves as potential purchasers in our regional Guide to Local Seasonal Products.
Talk about changing social norms! Just this past February, the Oregon State Legislature signed into law the creation of a farm to school and school garden program within the Oregon Department of Education, the agency that oversees school food. In that moment, Oregon became the first state in the nation to create such a position, demonstrating our serious commitment to local agriculture and our awareness of its clear relationship to our children’s health. Continue reading Farm To School: Ecotrust Keeps It Local…
Posted on May 5, 2008 |
Can Organic Farming Feed the World?
By Anita M. Burke
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
Organic farming is now the fastest growing component of world agriculture, with farmers in 110 nations cultivating certified organic crops. In the US, more than a million acres of certified organic cropland and pasture were added over the last four years. The growth has been triggered by multiple factors. Many family farmers are discovering organic farming provides more economic stability than conventional farming. Consumers are buying more organic products as they are witnessing an increasing number of scientific studies revealing the dangers (to human health and the environment) of pesticides and genetically engineered crops. Consumers also support organic farming, because it’s more likely to support family farmers. According to the USDA, this upsurge brought the total acreage to over 2.3 million acres. Sad to say, as vast as that sounds, it’s actually less than 0.3% of the total farmland in the United States. We’ve got a long way to go.
With today’s global food security starting to heat up, this transformation can come none to soon. Scientists, agricultural experts and even longtime enemies of organic farming, big agribusines, are taking a hard look at some recent field studies by a University of Michigan research team. Their well-constructed model showed that a transformation to organic farming worldwide would yield 4,381 calories per person per day! That is 75% greater than the current availability…a quantity that could theoretically sustain a much larger human population than is currently supported. Continue reading Can Organic Farming Feed the World?…
Posted on April 17, 2008 |
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