Life at Zaytuna – PRI Australia and PRI Canada Students’ Video-Conference
Courses/Workshops — by Craig Mackintosh July 7, 2009
Our entire current PDC class just got off a video conference call with their counterparts in Canada – another class doing a PDC on the other side of the globe, under the tutelage of Jesse Lemieux on Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada. (Jesse is just establishing PRI Canada, a partner organisation to PRI Australia and PRI USA.)
The two classes chatted for about twenty or so minutes, sharing info about which countries the various students represent as well as respective course experiences, and more. It was a great way to give students a taste of the global scope of Permaculture work.
This method of communication is also an excellent tool for more experienced consultants like Geoff to assist newer workers that are working on international projects and who need a little advice – particularly in combination with technologies like Google earth, which allows excellent site views for much of the world (including the ability to overlay contour maps, etc.).
Comments (1)Rich Nations Buying Up Land in Poor Countries at Escalating Rate
Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, News — by Craig Mackintosh
As concerns over food security – and maintaining a lavish lifestyle – deepen, people in poor nations are seeing their land whittled away as it gets sold to wealthy nation states and corporations.
The era of cheap food is over….
Some of us have followed the news on the recent coup d’état in Madagascar. Since January 2009 over 170 people were killed in protests before President Ravalomanana resigned as President. (Andry Rajoelina, former mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, had already declared himself the country’s leader a month earlier.) But, did you know that the actions of the South Korean car manufacturer, Daewoo, were a major rallying point for the drama?
Because of the food crisis of 2008, Daewoo negotiated to ‘develop’ 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of land on Madagascar – equivalent to almost half of the country’s arable land(!) – so they can grow corn and palm oil to send back to Korea. Much of this land is yet ‘undeveloped’, which means it is still biodiverse rich rainforest…. And, what’s more, locals in Madagascar will get nothing in return but a few new job openings from the multinational.
Comments (3)Life at Zaytuna – PDC Students Given Design Brief
Courses/Workshops, Land — by Craig Mackintosh July 6, 2009
Yasaman surveys with the laser level
We’re halfway through our latest Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, and the students appear to be learning a lot as well as having a lot of fun along the way.
Comments (2)Taking a Quick Peek at Djanbung Gardens
Demonstration Sites, Education Centres — by Craig Mackintosh July 4, 2009
A couple of days ago Nadia accepted an invitation to teach a small segment (on arid climates) of a PDC course at Djanbung Gardens, which is just outside the infamous little village of Nimbin – about half an hour from where we are here at Zaytuna Farm. I thought I’d tag along and take a peek.
Comments (3)Exxon Still Funding Climate Denial Groups
Global Warming/Climate Change — by Craig Mackintosh July 3, 2009
I’ve often heard people state that climate change was invented by governments and corporations as a means of controlling and profiting from the populace – these are the climate change conspiracy theorists. While I think there is a very real danger, as I’ve expressed more than once, that if we don’t transform the way we live and how society functions in rapid fashion (i.e. finding alternatives to a consumption-based society and learning to work with, and benefit from, biological synergies) then things could deteriorate to the point where arbitrary control and draconian measures will become likely, at the same time the climate change conspiracy theorists have never explained why – if governments and industry are manufacturing evidence for climate change – these very groups have been spending millions funding people that spread climate denial misinformation. The Bush administration did its best to ignore and make light of the climate change issue, and its bosom buddy ExxonMobil, in particular, has been the lead player in providing the finance (watch ‘The Denial Machine’ video at bottom for more detailed info on this).
Last year Exxon-Mobil promised to cut funding to such groups, but The Guardian now reports that they have continued to fund climate skeptic misinformation right through 2008:
Comments (5)The Dam Letter
Comedy Break, Working Animals — by Craig Mackintosh July 1, 2009
Who says we’re not getting out of touch with nature? Well, I think we are, and read on to see a bit of a comedic look at this.
The following two letters are said to be the actual correspondence between a Mr. Price of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan and a Ryan DeVries of the same state (enjoy the letters first, then stay tuned for why I say ’said to be’ at bottom — no peeking though):
Comments (2)Life at Zaytuna – June 2009 PDC Begins
Courses/Workshops, News — by Craig Mackintosh June 30, 2009
A lily blooms on the dam. Photos copyright © Craig Mackintosh
In between classes, students get to enjoy the beautiful environs at Zaytuna.
What better way to stimulate the mind on the topic at hand: how to work with nature.
This year we’re running less courses than usual, only because we hope to soon concentrate on the construction of several new straw bale student cabins that will improve facilities and enlarge capacity for subsequent courses. But, our scheduled June Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course has just got underway and is off to a great start.
Comments (1)Life at Zaytuna – Getting Rid of Wi-Fi
Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh June 28, 2009
If you’re reading this, you’ll be living in an area where your body is the target of a great deal of electro-smog. Your computer, television and a myriad other electrical devices all create electrical fields that actually charge tiny particles in the air (allergens, bacteria, viruses and the like). These charged particles are far more easily embedded into human tissue – like the inside of your lungs – which can cause health problems.
The higher the electrical field the greater the danger, as the most charged particles hit the tissue with more speed. As they crash land, they become deformed, which makes them stick more firmly. – The Independent
And now newer wireless technologies are under the spotlight, as their health impacts are the cause of a growing concern as well. The cell phone and Wi-Fi industry is huge, and growing, but some countries, like Germany, have warned their citizens to minimise or eliminate their exposure to Wi-Fi and cell phones, while others like the UK scoff at the precautionary principle and fervently promote the technology instead.
Comments (9)Monsanto Runs Into Wall. Yes!!
Consumerism, Food Shortages, GMOs, Health & Disease, News — by Craig Mackintosh June 27, 2009
 Say NO to Monsanto, GMOs, and the patenting of life |
The frustration about this company – Monsanto – and others like it has been running higher and higher over the last few years. (The free flow of information on the internet is a wonderful thing in this regard – corporate-bought media is no longer our only news option….) I think it may well be the most hated corporation on the web and on popular user-driven sites like Digg and Reddit. I would personally take great pleasure in seeing their buildings worldwide bulldozed and their fields razed – leaving behind only stone statue memorials that celebrate the greed and stupidity of man.
Today, however, I can share a beacon of hope. Read on!
Comments (18)Rosina Buckman – Living Smart on the Sunshine Coast
Demonstration Sites, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh June 26, 2009
Rosina Buckman tells me she’s 72 years old. She looks honest enough, so I’ll take her at her word, but her youthful spirit and energetic stride did give me a moment of pause. And more than that – her urban homestead was overflowing with clear evidence of passionate and fruitful labours that belie her age. I’m not the only one that’s impressed either, as the Sunshine Coast Council have just presented Rosina with one of their 2009 Living Smart awards – she’s their ‘Edible Landscape Winner’.
Rosina, a New Zealander by birth, lives in Tewantin, a small suburb on the fringes of Noosa – a tourist hot-spot on the Sunshine Coast in south-east Queensland. This is a land of ululant lorikeets and cackling kookaburras. The bird life in particular seem intoxicated with life, and nature in general seems jubilant – either optimistic, or just plain carefree, in the face of all we humans are throwing at it.
And we are throwing a lot at it.
Comments (11)Michael Jackson – Earth Song
Musical Interlude — by Craig Mackintosh
One of the most expensive music videos ever made was Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth Song’. Perhaps an appropriate listen today…. The rather dramatic footage was shot in four locations – the Amazon forest, a war zone of Croatia, Tanzania and New York.
Whatever people might say or think about Michael – he was part of the human family. His childhood and life is certainly one I would not wish to have and one I cannot imagine experiencing.
Comments (4)Life at Zaytuna – Rainy Days
Building, Conservation, Demonstration Sites, Regional Water Cycle, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Craig Mackintosh June 22, 2009
 Photos copyright © Craig Mackintosh |
The area around Zaytuna Farm recently experienced the worst floods for many years (since 1974 they say) – then it dried out for a few weeks. And now, over the last five days, it’s been back to raining again….
When the floods were on, people commented to Geoff, asking how he was coping with the power outages. Geoff was blissfully unaware that there had been any (since Zaytuna runs off grid with solar).
The property is buffered in another way as well – the swales are great equalisers when it comes to water. They keep water flowing from the taps and keep the grass green long after a drought has hit and burnt off the neighbours’ fields, and they also ensure that when a flood strikes, the water is slowed down and sunk – thus avoiding rivers of water carrying away soil and more. To a great degree, the earthworks here not only drought-proof the land, but also flood-proof it as well.
Comments (2)Home
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Population, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh June 21, 2009
The following documentary, ‘Home‘, is almost perfect.
As a photographer, I was totally engrossed in the imagery – mostly shot from above, and almost entirely in the magic hours of morning and evening light – as this production gives us a vision of this world we call home that is hard to forget. It also leaves one feeling like part of the human fabric – part of the larger human family that, when you come right down to it, all depends on our planet and its immense (albeit dwindling) diversity to supply our universal, basic needs.
As a writer, that has covered the many converging issues we’re now facing – water, soil, biodiversity, deforestation, peak oil, climate change, etc. – the facts shared are also on target and up-to-date. And, again, beautifully and graphically presented.
Why I say ‘almost perfect’ is because it is only the last ten or fifteen minutes where the documentary turns about in a bid to leave the viewer feeling optimistic before it’s all over. Here it truly fails. Ultimately, it graphically and beautifully tells the tale of humankind’s misguided and unsustainable attempts at finding satisfaction – but delivers only a warm, fuzzy, nebulous feeling of how we’re to retreat from the cliff edge we’re teetering over. Despite its shortcomings, however, I give kudos to all who put it together and for their willingness to freely distribute it to as many people as possible. It’s definitely a must-watch.
‘Home’ trailer
Watch the full documentary here
Also available in Arabic, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
Comments (1)Life at Zaytuna – Potato Storage Tip
Food Plants - Perennial, Processing & Food Preservation — by Craig Mackintosh
Mmm…. I don’t know about you, but potatoes are one of my favourite foods. Here at Zaytuna we were a tad late in potato planting, so we’re having to cover our potato rows at night – as even here in the sub-tropics we’re getting some winter frosts. A couple more weeks and we should have a good crop to harvest – which will add to all the sweet potatoes and pumpkins we’ve already gleaned from the soil.
Anyway, here’s a tip on storing seed potatoes for future planting – simply layer them in a container with dry sawdust. Easy.
Comments (2)Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
Global Warming/Climate Change — by Craig Mackintosh June 18, 2009
 Download the full 13mb PDF |
As a new report lands on Obama’s desk, we need a groundswell of energy, education and change from Permaculturists everywhere.
A 190-page report ‘Global Climate Change Impacts in The United States‘ has just been released. It is a ’state of knowledge’ report from the US Global Change Research Program(1) that brings together the latest climate science information available and is intended to assist politicians in forming appropriate policy to help mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change. It is described as "the most up-to-date, comprehensive and authorative assessment of climate change impacts on the United States".
Unlike a lot of documents pieced together by scientists, this report – addressed to the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States – is written in plain speak. It’s well worth a peruse. It covers, in detail, how climate change is already making changes within the United States, and also projects, as far as possible, likely scenarios for future change. The report is humble in tone, being candid about its own limitations when it comes to complicated feedback mechanisms, etc.. You can browse chapters that cover climate change impacts by sector (water, energy, agriculture, ecosystems, etc.), and by region.
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