Food & Water

In the coming together of the multiple spokes of the wheel of Ladakhi culture, I found hope. Hope, seeing people still carrying remnants of a past they will not allow the death of.

But if abundant low-carbon energy doesn’t immediately materialise, or if it’s used to grow the human economy and its footprint, then Monbiot’s farmfree solutionism offers no solutions to real present predicaments.

The toxic legacy of fracking is now making itself visible in our drinking water. Expect many more stories of contamination in the coming years.

Traditional Belgian beer like Lambic and Geuze needs up to three years to mature. Yes, that is a long time, but there is a good reason for slowing down a bit: taking good care of farmers, nature, a brewing tradition, preservation and development of cereal diversity, and a very special taste.

So that’s my garden advice. It is a framework. You fill in the details — those plant lists and design ideas — based on your place, your needs, your community.

As we face the need to limit our environmental impacts, drawing attention to pre-industrial cultures and their ecological contexts may offer some useful pointers towards a viable future.