Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
– Plastic Bag = the movie
– Permaculture co-originator David Holmgren on Money vs fossil energy: the battle for control of the world
– Why the Irish will find it easier to endure the hard times ahead
– Pakistan: a question of water
– How to make a pile of dough with the traditional city
– Austin’s energy conservation gem: interview with Paul Robbins
Thirty-five years from now, America’s official century of being top dog (1945-2045) will have come to an end; its time may, in fact, be running out right now. We are likely to begin to look ever more like a giant version of England at the end of its imperial run, as we come face-to-face with, if not necessarily to terms with, our aging infrastructure, declining international clout, and sagging economy.
If, however, we were to dismantle our empire of military bases and redirect our economy toward productive, instead of destructive, industries; if we maintained our volunteer armed forces primarily to defend our own shores (and perhaps to be used at the behest of the United Nations); if we began to invest in our infrastructure, education, health care, and savings, then we might have a chance to reinvent ourselves as a productive, normal nation. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening.
Once in a faraway city there was born a baby who was completely transparent. You could see through his arms and legs just as if they were air or water. He was made of flesh and bone but he looked as if he were made of glass. If by chance he happened to fall he didn’t break into pieces. At most there would be a transparent bump on his forehead. You could see his heart beating, and his thoughts flickering like colored fish in their tank.
Paul Kingsnorth’s impressive and heartfelt essay traces the evolution of modern environmental thought and practice through the prism of his personal experience. I was struck by how closely this experience matches the trajectory of a book I first published in 1990 called Green Political Thought and which has been through three more editions since.
Early in the morning of August 6th an unusually strong thunderstorm hit Ladakh, a remote Himalayan region in the Indian state of Jammu-Kashmir on the western edge of the Tibetan plateau. Ladakh is normally one of the driest inhabited areas in the world – a region unaccustomed to heavy rains. When the intense cloudburst hit early on the morning of the 6th, the impact was especially severe. The storm caused massive flash flooding that left over one hundred dead and many more missing.
When it comes to controversial issues, population is in a class by itself.
This episode focuses on the arguments in the book Ecological Imperialism, written by Alfred W. Crosby. Alfred Crosby joined me briefly to talk about this book. I have added to his comments by reading key passages from his book. Topics of discussion include the success of Europeans in the New World, the significance of Pangaea and the Neolithic Revolution, the definition and explanation of terms like Neo-Europe and portmanteau biota, the failure of the Norse explorers in North America, European Imperialism in the Canary Islands, the role of weeds, animals, and disease in European successes overseas, and a biogeographical explanation for European conquest.
The leftist parties seek economic growth, arguing that only in this way will the standard of living of their citizens be enhanced and greater world equality achieved. The indigenista movements say their objective is not economic growth but coming to terms with PachaMama, or mother earth. They say they do not seek a larger use of the earth’s resources, but a saner one that respects ecological equilibrium. They seek buen vivir – to live well.
In Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service James McCommons seamlessly weaves the history of passenger rail in with his artful travelogues as he describes the scenery he sees, the people he meets, and the problems and joys he encounters during a year of train travel that covers nearly every major Amtrak route. Frequently, McCommons takes train trips to meet people who are actively shaping passenger rail in the United States. That’s the part of the book about the future.
Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the havoc Mother Nature can play on a modern city. It also brought to light the way our concerns about economics can compromise people’s safety when we attempt to control Nature.
– Guardian: Are you ready for a world without antibiotics?
– VOA: South Asia superbug is potential global problem
– Fears of a new superbug from Asia may be overblown, experts say
– Conflict of interest in ‘superbug’ report: Indian health minister
Throughout the last year Michelle and I have been researching green building methods. So far we have visited and helped build strawbale houses, spent time in an underground concrete building in Denmark, checked out adobe brick and visited the Passivhaus Institute (Passive House) in Germany.
