Quote

"We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and what is good for it."

Wendell Berry

What sort of future do you want?

http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1863

There are three possible scenarios:

1: Continued consumption, growth, environmental damage, widespread food riots, petrol costs rising sharply (hang on......?) leading to a future with high pollution, sickness, ecological collapse and environmental disasters.

2: A high tech future - solar panels, massive wind farms, biotech foods, solar powered ipods, electric cars, air cars, eventually leading to Scenario no. 1....

or -

3: An "Eco-Topia" - this kind of future contains eco-cities and eco-villages with community gardens, re-localised services, low energy consumption and the health and well-being of the land and people being of utmost importance...

I know which future I'd rather have - do you?

Global Food Crisis

According to Aid Agencies there are now 100 million people facing starvation. The United Nations has called a summit in Rome of world leaders to discuss the crisis. The global issues of food riots and starvation need to be addressed now, with food supplies delivered asap.
If you want to sign a petition calling the leaders for answers sign here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/

We all know what the real causes of the food shortages are: land being cleared for biofuels and used for growing fodder for cattle, farmers in developing countries being given GM crops that fail, and the ever-growing global population. So what are the answers? Maybe one of them is explained in this film, could it be that simple – a gardener from New Zealand and a bucket of cow-dung?



This way of growing food has to be taught to farmers, gardeners, villagers, in all developing nations in the hope that they will then be able to feed their people. This could bring a huge wave of change - a revolution - to the developing world.

What about in our suburbs, towns and cities - the solutions to rising food and petrol costs can be found in the principles of permaculture, bringing everything local, and creating local food and energy sources. We also have to think of reducing our energy use, and those compact fluorescent lightbulbs are just a miniscule step towards that. See this article for more detail:
http://www.energybulletin.net/21907.html

It will take a long time before people in suburbia embrace this kind of lifestyle, but soon, they may have to whether they like it or not. But the work involved in permaculture - eg. building a passive solar house, or a raised bed garden - when shared by a community, can be a whole load of fun, and gives a great sense of pride in the final result!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH4IwXse8TU

Fair Trade Fortnight

If you must spend your money on something made overseas, make it a Fair Trade product:


This May 3-18, Fair Trade is being promoted and awareness around environmental justice is being raised.

Fair Trade products in New Zealand can be found at Trade Aid, and a few other shops. Many supermarkets, coffee houses, cafes, restaurants are now also providing coffee, tea and hot chocolate from Fair Trade producers.
Fair Trade supports small producers and co-operatives living in third world countries. You can buy soap from the Solomon Islands, handmade cards from Chile, or bowls from Nepal. Spending your money on these items means the producers get a fair deal, and helps bring them out of poverty and towards becoming more self reliant. Many of the producers have a low carbon footprint, as the products are handmade, rather than made with machines. They also use local, readily available materials for their products. So next time you're looking for a birthday card, gifts for family, or are meeting some friends for coffee, try Fair Trade and help those overseas get a fair deal.

Earth Hour 2008

On Saturday 29 March at 8pm, many businesses, city councils and individuals will be switching off their lights for 1 hour. Last year, it was held in Sydney only, this year it has gone global. So if you haven't already, sign up your family or your organisation to support this event. Why not have a candle-lit dinner, listen to your solar-charged radio or i-pod, or sit around a campfire singing folk songs!

It's going to be huuuge!

http://www.earthhour.org

The Story of Stuff

This video tells it like it is:

Watch the rest of the story on the "related videos" section.
It is those big fat corporations who control all this "stuff", so the only way to reduce these detrimental effects on economies, developing countries, the global environment and our health is to reduce our consumption, in particular of the brands created by those big fat corporations. Local living economies is mentioned in Chapter 7 - an important step to help communities get away from the debt-ridden money economy most of us currently live with, and something that makes the big fat corporations even fatter.

A related message comes from New Zealand's Environment Minister Trevor Mallord - he's urging Kiwi's "to go green in 2008" - the main message being Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Which in effect means consume less stuff, reuse the stuff we already have, and recycle all the stuff that can be recycled. Could he go one step further to recommend some of the other solutions? These are the solutions - summarised and edited - from the StoryofStuff website:
- use less energy
- aim for zero waste
- use clean healthy products
- go out into your community rather than watch TV
- walk, cycle, or use public transport rather than the car
- change your values (from "more stuff is good for me" to ---> "sustainability, justice, health and community is good for all of us")
- Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less
- tell others and tell the corporations and local/national goverment to change their ways!!

I will add a solution for the doom and gloom-mongers who say we should just keep consuming because we have passed the point-of-no-return anyway.....
Being sustainable and acting local works, it reinforces community and has a feel-good-factor that no amount of "stuff" could ever compare to! So, what are you waiting for? Read the "Another Way" list, log off, turn off your computer and go and see what YOU can do to make a difference in your community, and the world....

How to have a sustainable Christmas...

This site is from the Ministry for Environment -
http://www.sustainability.govt.nz/opinion/2007/how-have-sustainable-christmas