| |
|
|
|
Articles from December 2008 Thought I'd share this cross post from Celsias. Happy New Year everyone. As I think many would agree, 2008 was full of challenges, from food shortages, to accelerated climate change, oil price spikes, to economic downturns, a lot is categorically going-to be honest-quite crap in the world. But in spite of all this, I actually think 2008 was a damn good year, and I'm extremely thrilled for 2009. Allow me to connect the dots... (continues) "Mysteriously enough it is worth noting, that the words ecology and economy
share the same root – from the ancient Greek word Ecos, which translates
to meaning house or habitat. Economy refers to how to manage our house and
Ecology how to know or understand it. They are two sides of the same
coin, and one day soon I trust we will have politicians and business
people, embrace this knowledge and take appropriate and urgent action to
bring about a new understanding of our relationship to this living planet
that loans us bodies in which to live."
-Tim Lynch, Greenplanet FM  A new resource is available from the UK's Public Interest Research Centre. "Climate Safety" is a concise, 49 page, one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about climate change. Neatly arranged, the guide has 5 sections: Summary, Science, Targets, Solutions, Action. Easy as pie. We think you need to download a copy here.
In other sources of educational amusement, check out World Clock. If you are interested in seeing the numbers behind what happens in the world, from meat consumption, to carbon emissions, to birth an death rates, this is for you. Warning: Americans might want to have a stiff drink before you see the national debt.
And finally, some inspirational thoughts from young people in New Zealand, the winners of this year's The Outlook For Someday competition were just announced. Check out the point of view from young kiwis, and what sustainability means for them and the world. "I reject the idea that humans are superior to other life forms. . . Man is just an ape with an overly developed sense of superiority."
-- Paul Watson, director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and a founder of Greenpeace Borrowed from Nick Rosen, www.Off-grid.net:
"I can’t stand the word “green,” says actress and biofuel campaigner Daryl Hannah. And she’s not the only one. All over the environmental movement we’ re sick of Greenwash, and we’re not going to take it any more. “It’s become a pedantic, smug, judgmental word that is unrelated to the rest of one’s life,” she tells The Guardian newspaper. The word ‘green’ “is being so overused as a marketing tool that it has no credibility,” says Hannah. She is right, of course. Advertising people love the word Green – they have rendered it almost meaningless – reduced it to a mix of lifestyle choices, expensive organic whimsies, unaffordable building codes and ridiculous gadgets such as an over-designed composter for your marble kitchen counter-top. Their shade of Green is the color of Astroturf – synthetic, ugly and potentially damaging. Porter Novelli, the global public relations firm, says, “even the tardiest marketers are scrambling to make green attributes and launch new products and services positioned as more responsible alternatives.” Its time that environmentalists re-appropriated the language of ecology – seized it back from the new army of marketers and consultants who are reassuring us that we can all go “green” while we continue to consume as much as before – grow the economy as much as before, just so long as we do it in a new “green” way. This time we need something the marketers will never want to appropriate – and that’s why Brown may be the new Green. It’s the color of the Earth, of dirt – it reminds us that things smell as they compost, it reassures us that we do not necessarily need to put on a clean white shirt to go to work. But Madison Avenue does not like stains. Try saying “Brown Huggies.” It will never take off. The Green Party could change it s name to the Brown Party and Greenpeace become Brownpeace. Hannah is proud of growing her own food (not all of it surely?). But as she says:”we’re in the midst of a massive population explosion, a credit crisis, there’s climate chaos, poverty, unprecedented loss of species, loss of open wild space, resource depletion and growing dead zones and yet we still act slowly, if at all. What’s wrong with us?” And what would she save, apart from her family and friends, come the floods? “My critters, seeds, eggs, medicinal spores and worms.” Brown eggs, I hope, Daryl. Courtesy of Professor Stuart B. Hill, Foundation Chair of Social Ecology, School of Education, University of Western Sydney.
Because of the holistic nature of the approach being advocated, all of the areas below overlap & are highly interactive & interrelated. This was written in response to the Commonwealth Government’s announcement of the Australia 2020 Summit in Canberra, ACT (19-20 April, 2008: http://www.australia2020.gov.au/). 1. Getting the usual ‘experts’ (mostly older males) together to talk & plan - always leads to tinkering with existing (flawed) plans – [‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic’] - excludes most, including those affected by such plans & their fresh ideas Need - involve mostly ‘different’ people, including (if possible) those most affected - start by focusing not on plans, but on values, beliefs, worldviews & paradigms - then feelings & passions - then, emergent from these, hopes, dreams, visions, imaginings, & creative thoughts - only then can ‘design/redesign-based plans’ be enabled to emerge (these proactively enable systems [structures & processes] to meet long-term to short-term, & broad to specific, goals, & to make systems as ‘problem-proof’ as possible) - then critically analyse, integrate, & flesh these out, etc - detail participatory opportunities, responsibilities, time lines, resource & support needs, means for monitoring outcomes (feedback), tracking progress, & for ongoing redesigning & fine tuning (Continues) If asked to envision a thriving environment, many people might think of a stunning rainforest, a teeming ocean, or African plains. As for my city dwelling self, well, I'd settle for a walk in a park on most days. I don't view this as a bad thing; a stimulating social life ranks pretty high on the list of priorities. I do wish that there were more natural spaces integrated into the city and less concrete. Lucky for me, I get the introduction to a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acres) site tucked away in a corner of a university campus in central Auckland. As I learn, the space not also harbors plants, but also solutions to climate change and many ills of society.  The Unitec Hortecology Sanctuary (UHS) encompasses many different functions. At once, it is a learning facility, a testing ground, a food forest, a certified organic garden, and an exemplar of permaculture design. It contains a rotated 6 section garden bed, 3 trails, student project spaces, compost stalls, and a vertical compost unit (VCU) that was a world first.
The UHS was founded in 1999 by lecturer Brendan Hoare and colleague Richard Main. It evolved from an empty field with lawns and rubble into a facility frequented by horticulture enthusiasts from as far away as the UK and Japan.
Brendan and Richard set out with the principles of opportunity, inclusion, and abundance when they created the Sanctuary. With a carefully defined strategy and 3 years of hard work with students, the space took shape, and has since evolved into a lush landscape. Nearly every corner of the property is filled with plants-some natives, some exotic, and even weeds (yes, weeds!). The weeds are carefully controlled and viewed opportunistically: when composted, they make a great biomass that gets redistributed to the other food bearing plants.  While exploring the space with Brendan, he nips off several broad beans from tall stalks, and passes one to me. "The Sanctuary isn't just about plants," he tells me while multitasking. He peels the broad bean, eats, and then whips the casing back at the garden floor amongst the greenery, nutrient recycling at its finest. "This place is about possibilities and a new way forward. We want to challenge how a city landscape is viewed, challenge what people think of as biodiversity."
He delves into hortecology: it is one part horticulture, one part ecology, cleverly mixed together in a philosophy that is accommodating of diversity. It's a place where all plants can be... well, plants, and people can come to experience a terrain less ordinary. Thousands have done just that over the years. Around 300 students have managed the property under Brendan and Richard's guidance, and community groups, local school children, government delegations, permaculture classes, and a myriad of others have filed through the Sanctuary's corridors. Of the visitors coming through, Brendan says that for many, spending quiet time with nature has been a first. "In the busy world with all its distractions, not many people have taken the time to just sit quietly in an ecosystem and contemplate, just be in the space and understand how nature works," he says.  In the glaring New Zealand sunshine, we walk from the garden space leaving the broad beans behind and move to the quiet canopy of the adjacent food forest. It is tranquil, and the rest of the landscape quickly melts from view. It's not surprising to learn that a campus ministry group has recently appropriated the forest as a spiritual retreat space.
Brandon explains that the forest was built in layers of succession over time, with pioneer species breaking ground and adding fertility. Now everything from avocados to pawpaws, and yes even some weeds, thrive. I ask Brendan about the weeds and get more than I bargained for. "Everything has their place here; everything is welcome. Some people view weeds as problems, but they have their uses," he says. "From weeds to climate change to our energy sources, we need to stop thinking of the planet as a problem. It is people and their approach to the planet that are the problem. Out here it's not about the silly economic notion of scarcity; it's not about taking. Nature is abundance, and we as humans need to get our heads around that. We need to be opportunistic and start behaving in a natural way, working with the systems the planet made."
Given my editorial focus, my ears perk up and I probe Brendan on the subject of climate change. Does he see the Sanctuary as one part of the solution? A way to raise food locally, better understand ecology, and have a smaller footprint? "Climate change is part of a much, much larger issue. There have been many realisations in recent years-- about the climate, about agriculture, about energy, etc. Climate change is the latest realisation, but basically all these issues are signaling the end of the industrial era," Brendan says. "It's this new era that we are struggling to grasp. We have been locked into our industrial mindset, our way of solving problems, and we are only just starting to shake out of it." Brendan views behaviour change as key, and places like the Sanctuary as enablers of behaviour change. "There are any number of capacities that can thrive in this environment," he says. "Accounting, engineering, biology, and so on-they can all be applied here and find inspiration. The learning starts here and moves outward, to society, our world, and how we approach it." He continues as we head back towards the garden. "We live in an age where people are too much in their heads," he says. "We need to be outside ourselves, in practice, taking action, making change. This Sanctuary is about restoring our environment on one level, but it is also about building resilience in the community, about making connections, and developing ourselves." Getting experience in a place like the Sanctuary has opened my eyes to a number of new approaches and I'm struck by how many good things can come out of one place. Opportunities abound, and anyone interacting with this kind of place has the chance to grow and eat food, build relationships, develop their own talents, and learn about nature all in one go. It is a way to tackle climate change and concurrently change the underlying behaviour responsible for it and so many other problems. Nearing the end of our walk through, Brendan wraps up. "The Sanctuary is an expression of this land and this place. We need to replicate this elsewhere in New Zealand and the rest of the world," he says. "This is a model that works and that needs to be replicated." I ask him if he has any other parting thoughts, and Brendan issues me this challenge as I head out: "Encourage people to get out of their heads. We analyse far too much. Get out there and do it." With those words in my mind, I'm inspired to continue my work. I also know that I'll be back to be involved with the Sanctuary, so watch this space. For more information, contact Brendan Hoare:
Mobile: +64 27 2888 618
Email: bhoare@organic-systems.org 
As of 1 December 2008, Forward's lead strategist Chris Tobias will also be handling the role of Editor at Celsias.com. The site specialises in climate change issues and taking action. Visit the site and check out their blog: www.celsias.com  | |