Home Rule
Consumerism, Economics, People Systems, Society, Village Development — by George Monbiot January 5, 2011
Here’s the remarkable, hidden truth about our housing crisis.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
There are two housing crises in Britain. One of them is obvious and familiar: the walloping shortfall in supply. Households are forming at roughly twice the rate at which new homes are being built(1). In England alone, 650,000 homes are classed as overcrowded(2). Many other people are desperate to move into their own places, but find themselves stuck. Yet the new homes the government says we need – 5.8m by 2033(3) – threaten to mash our landscapes and overload the environment.
The other crisis is scarcely mentioned. I stumbled across it while researching last week’s column, buried on page 33 of a government document about another issue(4). It’s growing even faster than the first crisis – at a rate that’s hard to comprehend. Yet you’ll seldom hear a squeak about it in the press, in parliament, in government departments or even in the voluntary sector. Given its political sensitivity, perhaps that’s not surprising.
Comments (14)Cold-Hearted
Alternatives to Political Systems, Community Projects, Economics, Ethical Investment, People Systems, Society, Village Development — by George Monbiot December 28, 2010
The level of excess winter deaths in the UK is higher than Siberia’s. This is why.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
Were you to list the factors that distinguish civilisation from barbarism, this would come close to the top: that the elderly are not left to die of cold. By this measure, the United Kingdom is a cruel land. Although we usually have one of the smallest differences between winter and summer temperatures at these latitudes, we also have one of the highest levels of excess winter deaths. Roughly twice as many people, per capita, die here than in Scandanavia and other parts of northern Europe, though our winters are typically milder(1). Even Siberia has lower levels of excess winter deaths than we do(2). Between 25,000 and 30,000 people a year are hastened to the grave by the cold here(3) – this winter it could be much worse.
Why? Inequality. We have an economic elite untouched and unmoved by the ills afflicting other people. It survives all changes of government. Its need for profit outweighs other people’s need for survival. Here’s how our brutal system operates.
Comments (8)WikiLeaks: US Should Retaliate Against EU for Genetically Modifed Resistance
Consumerism, Economics, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith
Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU — Recommendation by US Ambassador to France, Craig Stapleton [Emphasis added]
WikiLeaked cables released over the weekend revealed more about the US’ role as a global bully, trying to thrust unpopular genetically modified (GM) crops onto cautious governments and their citizens. In a 2007 cable from Craig Stapleton, then US Ambassador to France, he encouraged the US government to “reinforce our negotiating position with the EU on agricultural biotechnology by publishing a retaliation list.” A list, he added, that “causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility.”
Food Swaps
Community Projects, Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Society, Village Development — by Nichole Ross December 22, 2010
Like a typical pregnant woman, I woke up this morning with food on my mind. However, it wasn’t the stereotypical indulgences and strange combinations like bon bons or peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Instead, I was thinking about the idea of small-scale food swaps, something I believe could become the future of how people might obtain the majority of their food needs.
The idea came to me as a result of experiences I had during the recent 4-course series the Permaculture Research Institute USA (PRI USA) held on the small Island of Molokai, Hawaii. As part of the Molokai Permaculture Education Initiative, PRI USA sponsored approximately 15 local Molokai residents to take all 4 courses in the series (Permaculture Design Course, Practicum, Teacher Training, Earthworks). In partnership with local group Sust’Aina Ble Molokai, it was our goal that this integrated training would provide these students with a solid skill set in permaculture that would lead to a highly-motivated army of local activists, ready to share skills with the larger community and take on island-wide projects that would pave the road to a sustainable future.
In exchange for sponsorship, local students contributed whatever resources they had access to toward running the courses, including a site to hold classes, tools, machinery, temporary housing for staff and students, transportation, cultural experiences, humorous and insightful stories and lots of local food.
Comments (5)Instant Messaging
Biodiversity, Comedy Break, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination — by Marc Roberts December 21, 2010
Click for full view
Courtesy: Marc Roberts
The Astro-turf phenomenon isn’t new, but George Monbiot’s recent article, and the recent Fox-leaks non-shock put it back in my mind.
Elsewhere – Polar bears move inland and begin to assimilate, sound advice is offered on risk management and our persistent buggering of the soil takes its toll.
I’m not sure what’s happened to Frank. He wandered off into a snow storm a few days ago after 12 solid hours of economics research, (including this) muttering something about “gormless thieving bastards”. He may be some time. He’s been a bit despondent of late and, let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger. Perhaps I should have made him wear a coat.
Still – plenty more where he came from.
Comments (12)Mark Shepherd’s 106 Acre Permaculture Farm in Viola, Wisconsin
Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Economics, Education Centres, Financial Management, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Society, Village Development — by Chuck Burr December 18, 2010
by Chuck Burr
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Mark Shepard’s family permaculture farm in Viola, Wisconsin. Mark has planted an estimated 250,000 trees over the last 15 years on his 106 acre farm. Forest Agriculture Enterprises is known for its hazelnut, chestnut, butternut, nut pine and apple produce, scion-wood and value added products. Mark has a lot of wisdom on not only farm operation but also community and staff and intern economics.
Making Democracy Work
Alternatives to Political Systems, Bio-regional Organisations, Community Projects, Consumerism, Developments, Eco-Villages, Economics, Financial Management, People Systems, Society, Urban Projects, Village Development, peak oil — by Marcin Gerwin December 16, 2010
Editor’s note: This is what I like to see, and hope others will emulate: concrete action to bring about organised, localised change. Some subscribe to free market magical thinking — that self-interest combined with market mechanisms will somehow automatically harmonise our social, and even environmental problems. But, permaculture is not about blind hope and trust in disorder. In contrast, it’s all about intelligent design — not just of food forests, raised beds, and passive solar natural buildings, etc., but also the ‘invisible structures’ that can be either a significant impediment to their implementation, or a positive incubator of the same. Go Marcin!
Something extraordinary happened in our city, Sopot in Poland: four out of five candidates for city mayor declared that they would like to introduce participatory budgeting. Participatory budgeting means that citizens are directly involved in deciding what the funds from the city budget are spent on. It is a great opportunity to make a turn towards sustainability, and for Transition initiatives or permaculture groups it is a tool to suggest concrete projects to achieve it. The whole process is not just about money, it is also a starting point for the residents to meet, to discuss city matters, to learn about transport policies, designing parks or harvesting rainwater, it is an opportunity to make friends and to build a sense of a real local community.
Closing the ‘Collapse Gap’: the USSR was Better Prepared for Collapse than the US
Alternatives to Political Systems, Consumerism, Eco-Villages, Economics, Financial Management, Food Shortages, People Systems, Society, Village Development, peak oil — by Dmitry Orlov
by Dmitry Orlov
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am not an expert or a scholar or an activist. I am more of an eye-witness. I watched the Soviet Union collapse, and I have tried to put my observations into a concise message. I will leave it up to you to decide just how urgent a message it is.
My talk tonight is about the lack of collapse-preparedness here in the United States. I will compare it with the situation in the Soviet Union, prior to its collapse. The rhetorical device I am going to use is the "Collapse Gap" – to go along with the Nuclear Gap, and the Space Gap, and various other superpower gaps that were fashionable during the Cold War.
Comments (9)An Agriculture that Stands a Chance: Perennial Polyculture & the Hard Limits of Post-Carbon Farming
Animal Forage, Economics, Food Forests, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Livestock, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Society, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Trees, Village Development, Water Contaminaton & Loss, peak oil — by Rhamis Kent
More and more articles are being written that continue to hit the proverbial "nail on the head". This one was posted to the Energy Bulletin website a couple of days ago. It does a great job of summarizing the problems with annual monoculture-based food systems and the advantages of those which are perennial polyculture-based.
The evidence is undeniable and overwhelming. It has been for a very long time. Now it’s just time to "do the damn thing".
I’ve included a portion of this piece summarizing "The Four Smiling Faces of Perennial Polyculture":
Comments (4)Reclaim the Cyber-Commons
Economics, Society — by George Monbiot December 14, 2010
The internet is being captured by organised trolls. It’s time we fought back.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
They are the online equivalent of enclosure riots: the rick-burning, fence-toppling protests by English peasants losing their rights to the land. When MasterCard, Visa, Paypal and Amazon tried to shut WikiLeaks out of the cyber-commons, an army of hackers responded by trying to smash their way into these great estates and pull down their fences.
In the Wikileaks punch-up the commoners appear to have the upper hand. But it’s just one battle. There’s a wider cyberwar being fought, of which you hear much less. And in most cases the landlords, with the help of a mercenary army, are winning.
I’m not talking here about threats to net neutrality and the danger of a two-tier internet developing(1,2), though these are real. I’m talking about the daily attempts to control and influence content in the interests of the state and corporations: attempts in which money talks.
Comments (1)Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century
Alternatives to Political Systems, Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Society, peak oil — by Dmitry Orlov
by Dmitry Orlov
A decade and a half ago the world went from bipolar to unipolar, because one of the poles fell apart: The S.U. is no more. The other pole – symmetrically named the U.S. – has not fallen apart – yet, but there are ominous rumblings on the horizon. The collapse of the United States seems about as unlikely now as the collapse of the Soviet Union seemed in 1985. The experience of the first collapse may be instructive to those who wish to survive the second.
Reasonable people would never argue that that the two poles were exactly symmetrical; along with significant similarities, there were equally significant differences, both of which are valuable in predicting how the second half of the clay-footed superpower giant that once bestrode the planet will fare once it too falls apart.
I have wanted to write this article for almost a decade now. Until recently, however, few people would have taken it seriously. After all, who could have doubted that the world economic powerhouse that is the United States, having recently won the Cold War and the Gulf War, would continue, triumphantly, into the bright future of superhighways, supersonic jets, and interplanetary colonies?
Comments (7)Definancialisation, Deglobalisation, Relocalisation
Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Society, peak oil — by Dmitry Orlov December 10, 2010
This talk was presented at The New Emergency Conference in Dublin, on June 11, 2009.
by Dmitry Orlov
1. Good morning. The title of this talk is a bit of a mouthful, but what I want to say can be summed up in simpler words: we all have to prepare for life without much money, where imported goods are scarce, and where people have to provide for their own needs, and those of their immediate neighbours. I will take as my point of departure the unfolding collapse of the global economy, and discuss what might come next. It started with the collapse of the financial markets last year, and is now resulting in unprecedented decreases in the volumes of international trade. These developments are also starting to affect the political stability of various countries around the world. A few governments have already collapsed, others may be on their way, and before too long we may find our maps redrawn in dramatic ways.
Comments (16)Sustainable Agriculture and the Green Energy Economy
Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society, peak oil — by Rhamis Kent December 7, 2010
I have recently been focusing on the work and contributions of Dr. Mae Wan Ho and the Institute of Science in Society, UK . Here is a paper she presented at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland 24-25 March 2010 entitled "Sustainable Agriculture and the Green Economy" (PDF).
The importance of agriculture within the context of the establishment of a viable green economy is surprisingly overlooked still – even with all of the data and information made available, which more than adequately speaks to this fact. This was certainly the case with much of the planning behind Masdar City, for example, touted as the world’s first zero emissions/carbon neutral city. The problem with that claim is there exists no chance for it to be true unless a serious, sustainable local food production capability is developed — and it can’t look anything like we have at present.
As long as most of the "green economy" discussion — and funding — is only dedicated to matters connected to power generation, architecture, and transportation we will fail to notice and, more importantly, do what’s needed to address the "elephant in the room" that is the problem of sustainable food production, which is arguably the most critical problem facing us.
Comments (2)Modernising Cantankerous Frank
Comedy Break, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change — by Marc Roberts
Click for larger view
Courtesy: Marc Roberts
Reversing this sort of madness is the key to a sustainable culture.
We’re all aware by now of how low expectations are realistic ones – what with one thing and another, and we all know that money can buy almost anyone, but, with a little understanding, and a bit of good will, who knows.
Comments (0)Ground 56%
Building, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change — by George Monbiot December 1, 2010
The government has abandoned its sustainable homes policy – by redefining zero.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
What does zero look like to you? Is it:
a. 0
or
b: 56%?
If the answer is a, you are an ordinary mortal. If the answer is b, you are a government minister, possessed of supernatural mathematical powers.
Comments (4)
