Sea Water Farming

SUBHEAD: Stark contrast to industrial aquaculture, where they throw cheap energy on unsustainable systems to maximize profit.By Oyvind Holmstad on 30 March 2011 in Permaculture RI - (http://permaculture.org.au/2011/03/30/sea-water-farming/#more-5369)Image above: Closed loop shrimp farm where effluent goes to farmland. Still frame from "Eritria - Part 1" vedio below.The two videos below are much

Breaking Free From Factory Farms

SUBHEAD: Why foodie farmer, Joe Salatin, believes sustainable farming includes eating meat.By Joel Salatin on 30 March 2011 in The Nation -(http://www.thenation.com/video/159458/joel-salatin-breaking-free-factory-farms)Image above: Aerial photo of feed lot by Pete McBride. From (http://www.petemcbride.com).In this twelfth video in the series “Peak Oil and a Changing Climate” from The Nation and

Good Complexity, Bad Complexity

SUBHEAD: The economy of oil, coal, gas, corn, wheat is vulnerable to a continent-wide systemic collapse should any of them become unavailable or fail.By Jim Bannon on 6 March 2011 in An Ecology of Home - (http://villagegreentimberframes.com/page7/blog.php)Image above: A complex computer generated graphic created by the simple Mandelbrot formula. From (http://img299.imageshack.us/i/squidglowch7.

Interview with Ellen LaConte

SUBHEAD: Eco-economies are local and regional, place-based, functionally self-reliant, interdependent, mutually supportive, regenerative, restorative and resilient.By Robert Jensen on 8 March 2011 in Energy Bulletin - (http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-03-08/listening-life-it%E2%80%99s-too-late-interview-ellen-laconte)Image above: "Mother Earth" by Stephen Alcorn (2005). From (http:/

A Ground to Stand on

SUBHEAD: Life is up to something. It is becoming more diverse and more complex.By James Bannon on 21 February 2011 in An Ecology of Home - (http://villagegreentimberframes.com/page7/blog.php)Image above: The forest floor in Maine near Arrowhead Lake. From (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4542895).A homestead economy needs to be flexible, and a winter of very heavy snow has forced me to adjust my

Life Within the Soil

SUBHEAD: The real secrets of a healthy soil — mega-diversity in soil life.By Doug Weatherbee on 19 January 2011 on Sustainable World Radio -Image above: Doug Weatherbee. Photo from his website( http://soildoctor.org).Listen to a two part interview on soil with Doug Weatherbee broadcast on Sustainable World Radio.Part 1(http://pdcastsusworldradio.libsyn.com/life-within-the-soil-part-1)

Perils of Tree Planting

SUBHEAD: We subconsciously believe that nature should consist of green forests, even in grassland ecosystems.By Jennifer Hattam on 5 February 2011 for TreeHugger - (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/02/the-perils-of-tree-planting-programs-in-turkey.php)Image above: Turkey's arid central Anatolian steppe is a threatened landscape. Photo by Jennifer Hattam for original article. The most common

Endangered monk seals in Turkey

SUBHEAD: With regular feedings of high-quality fish blended into porridge, the baby seals are putting on weight and recovering their health.By Jennifer Hattam on 22 January 2011 for Treehugger - (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/endangered-baby-monk-seals-recuperating-turkey.php)Image above: Two seal pups at the Mediterranean Monk Seal Rehabilitation Center in Foça, Turkey. From original

EPA looks the other way

SUBHEAD: EPA document shows it knowingly allowed use of pesticide that kills honey bees.By Ariel Schwartz on 7 January 2011 for Fast Company - (http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide)Image above: Beekeepers examining hive. From original article.The world honey bee population has plunged in recent years, worrying

Kekaha Shrimp Farm Hearing

SUBHEAD: We should not endanger the reefs with the risk of another shrimp farm discharge disaster.[Publisher's note: Editor Brad Parson's identified that the period for accepting testimony on this issue was extended to December 3rd 2010. The e-mail address for your comments is cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov]Image above: One of several shrimp ponds being prepared in March 2010 for use in Kekaha.

NOAA rebuilding Fisheries

SOURCE: Kenneth Taylor (taylork021@Hawaii.rr.com)SUBHEAD: NOAA policy encourages catch shares to end overfishing and rebuild fisheries.[Editor's note: Here in Hawaii NOAA would be working with the Western Pacific Regional Management Council. In accordance with full disclosure, I, Juan Wilson am now completing a contract to provide WesPac with maps of traditional ahupuaa and moku areas. A

Bill Mollison on Permaculture

SUBHEAD: We must borrow the land and create the future. We can’t afford systems of yesterday. It’s critical we take them out.Image above: Planting an apple guild in Cananda. From (http://forestsinternational.org/2010/05/2010-food-forest-gardening-workshop).Interview by Richard Alan Miller in 1986 in Permaculture -(http://permaculture.org.au/2010/11/11/