Kristin’s Picks:
Feeding the City series on Grist
As we here at EB and no doubt many of our readers have noticed, Grist is currently running a wonderful series of articles on urban agriculture. From Tom Philpott’s exceedingly informative look at the historical connection between cities and their immediate foodsheds, to the continuing articles which highlight other aspects of this very topical issue, few things are as important to relocalized resilient urban communities as their food supply.
A poetic exploration of why your local version of “Here” matters.
Concerning the unbearable whiteness of urban farming
“Wise advice for working with any sort of community.” I think Bart’s comment on this article in the editorial notes says it all.
Confessions of a recovering environmentalist
I picked Paul Kingsnorth’s piece because I found it incredibly moving and it also made me think. I don’t agree with his artificial separation between “wilderness” and the ground that humanity occupies. I believe that if we can shift to a permaculture-centred outlook that molds our “human-centered” systems to mimic “natural” systems as much as possible, then we don’t have to consider humanity an alien infestation on the earth as opposed to the rest of “nature”. Not to say that this isn’t a monumental task! And for those of you who aren’t aware of the Dark Mountain Project, it’s worth a look.
Bart’s Picks:
What the Zapatistas can teach us about the climate crisis and
Contradictions in the Latin American Left
It’s hard to find out from the US media what’s going on in the Global South. The moves towards sustainability there are taking different forms than in the US and Europe.
Rethinking scale and growth for a more sustainable world
Juliet Shor’s article and new book “Plenitude” gave me a chance to read online interviews and essays by this brilliant academic specializing in consumerism and over-work.
Transition US blogger Joanne Poyourow has been on a roll this month. This is only one of several great posts. Her review of Local Money puts into words the doubts that I’ve had — that the concept is great, but not easy to implement, and that there are other low-hanging fruit to stimulate local commerce.
The virtual salon: my home away from home
Always interested in new ideas I can put into practice. I’ve been impressed with how Amanda Kovattana adapts to new web formats like Facebook and Flickr.
Simone’s Picks:
Deconstructing Dinner: The erosion of civilizations (w/David Montgomery and Ronald Wright)
For those who have less time to read, but can fit in time to listen, this is a great intro to issues around soil and the sustainability of agriculture.
