Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Prior to Ostrom, many economists believed the commons could be solved only through privatization or top-down state control. In her 1990 book Governing the Commons, Ostrom found examples of a third way: self-organized enterprises — groups of fishers, farmers, or ranchers — who voluntarily organized themselves in order to share the short-term sacrifices and reap the long-term rewards of their sustainable stewardship of common resources.
Bob Waldrop was the driver behind the forming of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative in 2003. Here Bob explains how the co-op, which started with just 60 members and 15 producers, has grown to 3400 members and 200 producers, effectively transforming the local food scene in Oklahoma. Bob shares thoughts about doing it where you are.
– How far will the unrest spread? (survey of ME countries at risk)
– Yemen: Tens of thousands call on president to leave
– Thousands protest in Jordan
– Thousands of Albanian protest despite warnings
– Oil Prices Rise Sunday as Egypt Unrest Gooses Market
– Egyptian Unrest Has Repercussions in Global Economy
– White House quietly prepares for a post-Mubarak era in Egypt
– Juan Cole interview: “Egypt is a Praetorian Regime”
– Israel ‘anxiously monitoring’ turmoil in Egypt
Let’s start with this phrase: “sustaining our commonwealth.” By sustaining, I don’t mean preserving inviolate; I mean using, without using up. By commonwealth, I mean the wealth that no one has made, or the wealth that practically everyone has made.
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-Deepwater drilling
-China’s ongoing drought
-Quote of the week
-Briefs
In response to the financial crisis, governments and central banks have undertaken a series of extraordinary, dramatic measures. In this section we will focus primarily on the U.S….From Richard Heinberg’s upcoming book The End Growth.
According to Gil: “Only about 2 percent of what we eat comes from outside the farm: salt, some cooking oil, spices. That’s it.”
This morning, I’ve been catching up on some reading about the protests in Egypt and Algeria, following on the Jasmine Revolution that is in process in Tunisia. Clearly, the reason for interest is wondering to what extent is there any risk of these events spreading into the big oil exporters, which could cause extremely large disruptions in the global economy. This is probably unlikely, but not so inconceivable that serious observers aren’t starting to at least think about it.
-‘Barefoot’ grandmothers electrify rural communities
-Lucy Neal on Transition and the Arts
-Why Seattle will stay dry when your city floods
– Small town launches its own stimulus: a local currency (NEW)
Even if we restrict ourselves to the minority of plants that have become domesticated crops, we typically recognize only a few varieties of each – the ones bred recently for fossil-fuel transport, not for taste, health or your climate. Take the colour, for example – most of us have never seen green oranges, purple carrots, striped beets or blue potatoes.
Our desire not to stand on the wrong side of history is radically tempered by our desire to keep the flow of oil coming and the markets stable. The US cannot endure another major economic shock, and oil price spikes and the possible market repercussions of a destabilizing Middle East clearly terrify our present administration.
