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 |
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 |
Great Green Father’s Day Gifts
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, Sustainable Style | Leave a Comment
Father’s Day 2008 is indeed upon us. Yes, again. Why not get your Dad something this year that’s better for the planet than say, another set of golf tees or that three-dimensional trout plaque that your Mom will make him hang in the garage anyway? (Disclaimer: An eco-friendly Father’s Day gift is a simply a suggestion and absolutely not intended to offend any child who’s purchased that trout plaque for Father’s Day in the past or plans to in the near future.) Anywho, here are the top eco gifts for Dad from eConscious Market… Continue reading Great Green Father’s Day Gifts…
Posted on June 10, 2008 |
The Ultimate Eco Laptop Bag
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 1 Comment
This chic recycled wool felt laptop bag by Carga is biodegradable, highly durable, and a slammin’ choice for the meetings that matter. These fairly traded bags are designed by Mauro Bianucci and handmade in his native Argentina. They can be found at various shops around the world or online at Refinery 29. Continue reading The Ultimate Eco Laptop Bag…
Posted on June 8, 2008 |
The Mother (Earth) Ship Has Landed
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
Michael Reynolds is a wild recipe of a man: three parts rebel, two parts contractor, one part inventor, one part child, a dash of magician, and a whole mess a’ genius. He is known to some as one of the most brilliant green architects of our generation and now, due to new documentary film by Oliver Hodge, to some Mike’s known simply as the “Garbage Warrior.” Continue reading The Mother (Earth) Ship Has Landed…
Posted on June 5, 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 |
Eco Travel Heaven: Costa Rica
By Katy Pollock
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
Just south of a tiny surfing town of Domincal, in the southwestern corner of Costa Rica, is a haven of nature unlike any other. Abundant wildlife fills the jungle and primary rainforest soars over secluded beaches along the world’s first and only marine national park that protects both land and sea, Morino Ballena National Park.
At the northernmost tip of the preserve is Playa Ballena (ballena is Spanish for whale) which, in my opinion, should be added to the “wonders of the world” list. At low tide, the sandbar peeks above the surf and displays a natural phenomenon resembling a whale’s tail. It’s a 30-minute walk to the end of the “tail” where you can snorkel and swim with all sorts of majestic sea creatures.
Established in 1990, the marine park protects nearly 100 square miles, spanning roughly ten miles along the coast and ten miles out to sea. The park is home to the largest coral reef in Central America’s Pacific coast and a variety of mangrove species. Each year the area welcomes nesting sea turtles and migrating whales. Continue reading Eco Travel Heaven: Costa Rica…
Posted on May 16, 2008 |
Barack Obama On The Environment
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 6 Comments
As Barack Obama takes the lead with super delegates, it seemed an appropriate time to broadcast his stance on the environment. Controversy has recently circulated over Obama’s support of “clean coal” (an oxymoron), while his evangelism of renewable energy sources like wind and solar remain admirable. If Barack Obama wins the presidency, is he capable of leading the US government to reverse the environmental fallacies of the last administration and manifest bold legislation that will help our planet to heal? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Posted on May 14, 2008 |
Elevision: Lester Brown Talks Renewable Energy
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 1 Comment
Waylon Lewis of Elevision interviews Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute and author of Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Lester Brown is considered one of the foremost leaders in the environmental movement. In this extremely in-depth interview, Lester discusses the Greenland Ice Sheet, Peak Oil, the rise of solar and wind energy, and the decline of coal power in the US.
Posted on April 16, 2008 |
-
Buy eCo Products
