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Organic Waste Matters
Compost, Rehabilitation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Kym Kruse May 14, 2009
by Kym Kruse, of Free Range Permaculture
Next time you go to throw that banana peel in the bin, stop and think about the environmental impact that action has. As with most things these days, we are quickly running out of landfill space. More than 50% of all household waste, from vegetable scraps to garden waste, can be recycled or composted. By doing this you can not only help your own bank account, but also help the environment by reducing landfill contamination and greenhouse gases.
When organic matter in landfill breaks down it does so anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. This occurs because landfill is compressed, which squeezes out all the oxygen. Anaerobic decomposition produces acids which when mixed with items such as plastic creates a toxic mix called leachate. This poison then leaches into the ground water and from there it’s a short trip to our waterways. Harmful greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide are also produced, which contribute to our climate change problems. All of that, just for throwing a banana peel in the bin? The answer is yes, but the other question is “What do we do about it?” The answer to that is simple.
Comments (1)Monsanto Invents the Pig
GMOs — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor May 13, 2009
It’s amazing what humankind can do with a little effort and ingenuity. Who’d a thought we could create an intelligent, four legged creature with a curly tail, that actually walks and makes cute grunting noises?
Stand by to be horrified at the lengths Big Biotech will go to take over the world’s food supplies. You’ll also be shocked to learn that pig and cattle farmers are seeing their livestock go sterile due to giving them genetically modified feed.
Without further ado, I introduce Monsanto – inventors of the pig….
Duration: 43 minutes
Comments (11)Feeding Frenzy
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Fish — by George Monbiot
Editor’s Note: Before reading George’s excellent piece below, check out this totally engrossing footage of the sea’s most maligned creature. The video features bull and tiger sharks (notice one bull shark has a deformed jaw, from being hooked at some point). The clip may give you an even greater appreciation of the tragedy found in the facts George shares with us. May we hasten to the safe haven of sustainability before there’s nothing left…
Why is it still acceptable to eat the endangered large predators of the sea?
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
To Ransom A. Myers, who died on March 27th, 2008.
If these animals lived on land there would be a global outcry. But the great beasts roaming the savannahs of the open seas summon no such support. Big sharks, giant tuna, marlin and swordfish should have the conservation status of the giant panda or the snow leopard. Yet still we believe it is acceptable for fishmongers to sell them and celebrity chefs to teach us how to cook them.
The Corporation
Consumerism, Economics, Society — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor May 11, 2009
"If corporations are legally human – what kind of people are they?"
No green website should go without making a mention of the ‘The Corporation’ movie. We’ll go a step further, and make it easy for you to watch it. Many of you will have seen it – but if you haven’t, take some time to do so. Below you’ll find the complete, highly acclaimed and appropriately disturbing documentary.
If this topic is very new to you, read a little background info in the passages below, as I’ll share some text that may help demonstrate why we need to soberly consider The Corporation presentation. Large corporations, particularly trans-national corporations, have become a law unto themselves – the consequences being that this global corporate system is controlling world governments and labour, damaging the environment, destabilising society, escalating global warming, and more!
The Corporation – Duration: 3 hours
Click for more…
Quail Springs – Put to Music
Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Musical Interlude — by Warren Brush
High school students from inner city Los Angeles recently came to experience permaculture through Quail Springs. As a part of the Green Ambassadors’ program, currently based out of Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, CA, the group of 10 students and their fearless leaders spent four days learning about permaculture, natural building, and relationship building with community and each other.
Not only did they learn the value of living symbiotically with their environment, they also thought of creative applications for the knowledge to be used in their school, communities, and homes. Every member of the group expressed their gratitude for the trip, many with a desire to return for Quail Springs’ Sustainable Vocations program this summer.
Alex Gorosh, an artist and filmmaker who accompanied the Green Ambassadors youth to Quail Springs this April, wrote and produced this video that gets to the heart of Quail Springs:
Further Reading:
Comments (1)
Each Step is the Way – Part II
Bird Life, Breeds, Dams, Demonstration Sites, Fish, Land, Swales, Water Harvesting — by David Perkins May 10, 2009
[Editor's Note: If you are involved in a project, anywhere, that is rooted in sustainability (i.e. that is aimed at sustainably meeting the needs of people, place and planet), then we always welcome written pieces, with photos, so you can tell the world about it - and inspire people to follow your lead. David's post below is an example of the same. To contribute or to bounce a post idea off me, you can contact me on editor (at) permaculturenews.org]
Recent developments at Kailash-Akhara, Adi Yoga Retreat Center, Phu Rua, Loei, Thailand.
By David Perkins (Dharmadeva) – Farm Manager and resident permaculture designer and educator at Kailash-Akhara.
Ducks
Our duck population has exploded from 4 to 22. We have been keeping Muscovy ducks (1 male and 3 females) since December, and their reputation for prolific breeding has proven to be true! After we noticed some ducklings were dying shortly after hatching, we found that well-timed human intervention was necessary to reduce suffocation or trampling in the nest. This resulted in 18 survivors, who have been a delight to watch this month. The adults keep laying, so we now need to eat more fresh eggs to keep the size of the flock manageable, while looking forward to some home-grown meat in due course.
Infernal Combustion
Comedy Break — by Marc Roberts
Frank is feeling a little better today. Thanks for asking.
While the UK entrenches itself up to its neck in car culture, the scientific world debates whether it is best to starve us all and destroy our biodiversity in the name of biofuel or bio-electricity – whichever gives most miles per acre. Motorists, as ever, expect to be coddled through without inconvenience.
Those on two wheels had better watch their backs.
So many choices, so little accurate information.
What price action?
China and Italy invest heavily in renewables.
Comments (0)The Bionic Burger
Consumerism, Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor May 8, 2009
Long before Supersize Me or Fast Food Nation, Matt Malmgren was making interesting discoveries about fast food. In 1989, the trailing edge of the mullet era, he bought two burgers — he ate one and put the other in his pocket, intending to eat it later, but subsequently forgot about it. A full year passed before he pulled his old jacket out of the closet again, rediscovering the burger — and to his surprise found it still looked and smelled the same as a new one. It hadn’t decomposed.
When he told his friends about it, they didn’t believe him, so he repeated the experiment, several times over…. Today he has the world’s largest burger museum. All perfectly preserved with a chemical cocktail that discourages (much smarter) animals and insects from eating them.
Volunteer Eco-Builder/Handyman Sought for Ethiopia Permalodge Project
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Project Positions — by Alex McCausland May 7, 2009
Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge in the Konso Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia seeks volunteer sustainable builder/handy-man to assist with maintenance and minor construction tasks as well as some training and supervision of project staff and local workers. Food, accommodation and pocket money provided (and possibly internet access too)!
Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge is a community oriented business operating in rural south Ethiopia in Konso Woreda, an area noted for its unique local culture and indigenous agricultural system, but suffering from repeated food insecurity due to re-occurring droughts in the last 50 years. SFEL promotes community well-being through Permaculture design training and consultancy services delivered to local schools, as well as though developing community based tourism activities to generate alternative income for the community grass-roots. The project combines a lodge, farm, organic restaurant and Permaculture school as well as organising off-site trekking and cultural activities.
Comments (2)How Much Should We Leave in the Ground?
Global Warming/Climate Change, peak oil — by George Monbiot
Here are some estimates for how much fossil fuel we can use, and a call for a global moratorium on new prospecting.
by George Monbiot – journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist
The two papers on carbon emissions published in Nature last week were ground-breaking: they show us how much carbon dioxide we can produce if we’re to have a reasonable chance of preventing two degrees of global warming. It’s a completely different approach from the UN’s and national governments’. They set targets for reductions by a certain date but have nothing to say about the total amount of carbon we can release.
The ‘Sustainable (R)evolution’ Book Project
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Bio-regional Organisations, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, DVDs/Books, Demonstration Sites, Eco-Villages, Education Centres, News, People Systems, Urban Projects, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor
Have you ever wished, when explaining to someone about permaculture, you had a visual, easily accessible book that demonstrated what it is all about, and what the world could look like if permaculture design systems became mainstream thinking?
We’ll – we’re making that book.
The Permaculture Research Institute is getting behind a project that would see the creation of a large format book that profiles, with creative writing and quality photographs, some of the many successful Permaculture projects underway around the world. The purpose of this page is to solicit your help with the same.
The final version is unlikely to look like this, but it gives you an idea….
Permaculture Main Crops of Special Importance – Salad Mallow
Food Plants - Annual, Recipes — by Geoff Lawton May 6, 2009
Salad Mallow (Corchorus olitorius)
(Mulaheyah, Egyptian Spinach, Jews Mallow)
Salad Mallow was the first name I knew for this amazing plant and it arrived into our extremely diverse selection of kitchen garden zone one crops in a seed packet from Shipards Herb Farm, Nambour, Queensland, Australia. Isabell Shipard has been a good friend, fellow permaculturist, and an incredible wealth of knowledge on herbs and useful plants for over 25 years – therefore, this little packet of seeds came from a very trusted source and, as usual, came with an information sheet that made it sound like it could possibly be a valuable addition if it was going to be reasonably easy to grow.
Surface Reflection
Comedy Break — by Marc Roberts May 5, 2009
Whilst the world’s media squeal about Swine-flu and worry about the sex lives of the rich and famous, some other stuff has happened
Al Gore has been talking about Black Carbon particulates, whilst temperatures at the top of the world soar. The Himalayas enjoy L.A. like pollution levels and record CO2 recordings. Burning down the planet may have something to do with it.
To combat this the only wind turbine factory in the UK closes down whilst the US steams ahead.
Perhaps we need to look at why we behave this way, and how we can stop it.
Meanwhile the oil shale monster ratchets up a perfect storm (thanks to Susan Anderson for this)
And the squillions at stake for the nuclear industry prompt the usual shenanigans.
Comments (0)Nuclear Fusion – a Long Shot?
Global Warming/Climate Change, Nuclear, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor May 4, 2009
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If you could compare all the different applications of clean technology (solar, wind, etc.) to horses in a race, I guess you could say that Nuclear Fusion is the ‘long shot’. It’s the old nag that everyone expects to come in last, if it comes in at all. But, as long shots do, if it does come in the pay-off would be huge.
Often slated to be a fifty year project, the time-frame has recently been chiselled down to a ‘modest’ thirty years – maybe.
Comments (3)Each Step is the Way – Part I
Biological Cleaning, Compost, Conservation, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Food Forests, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Land, Rehabilitation, Swales, Trees, Waste Systems & Recycling, Waste Water, Water Harvesting — by David Perkins May 1, 2009
Editor’s Note: David Perkins recently sat his PDC with Geoff Lawton and Darren Doherty, and has been very busy since….
Recent developments at Kailash-Akhara, Adi Yoga Retreat Center, Phu Rua, Loei, Thailand.
By David Perkins (Dharmadeva) – Farm Manager and resident permaculture designer and educator at Kailash-Akhara.
This report provides an overview of many aspects of creating a retreat center and living sustainably using the principles of permaculture. Short monthly updates will be given to keep our wider community informed.
Training Hall & Papaya
