Provocations

Portland Oregon activates a plan for declining oil

Oil being a finite resource, the current price reduction can only be temporary (unless our technological society has a meltdown). Here's a report posted to the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society's Listserve:

From a report by Richard Case:

Portland is the first US city to have completed a Peak Oil Task Force Report. A short follow-up report is also available. The first recommendation is "Act Big Act Now", followed by: . . . foster a resilient, interconnected community, reduce fuel use by 50% in 25 years, expand local food production and processing, expand conservation programs, preserve farmland, develop contingency plans for fuel shortages, beef up social and economic support systems, among others. It also predicts that implementation of the recommendations will have an overall positive social and economic impact.

Many other cities now have peak oil initiatives with reports due soon including (San Francisco, Berkeley, Austin, Denver, Hamilton, Oakland, Burnaby; and Bellingham, and at least a dozen more (see….) I’m told that Portland has plans and projects to rip up some paved parking lots, sidewalks, curbs and gutters in favour of swales and more permeable surfaces to improve rainwater infiltration and aquifer recharge. Buses and trolleys in the downtown core are free.

The bottom of the oil barrel is covered in tarsand

Investments and vested interests can cloud vision. Maybe there's enough in this video to break through a few hardened hearts, hardened to the state of our planet and its people.

I think I'd have more respect for someone who said, I know it may be hurting our planet and its people but I still think it's the best thing to do. Instead most support for the tar-sands seems to rely on smoke and mirrors. Meanwhile, true to the pattern of addiction (money, oil . . . ), it is the addiction that drives. And, of course, the whole family suffers; in this case, the human family, starting with the most vulnerable:

Canadaville - Did Stronach's generosity foster independence or dependence?

When, with little fanfare,  Canadaville (officially "Magnaville") was launched, I wrote about it, impressed with the simple practicality and generosity involved.

As Amber Hildebrandt describes in her CBC article:

Tucked in bucolic central Louisiana, a small group of Katrina victims is getting ready for another possible uprooting. The 63 former New Orleanians are citizens of a temporary community dubbed Canadaville, which Canadian auto magnate Frank Stronach, the Magna International founder, set up about 230 kilometres northwest of New Orleans.

A successful experiment? Even the five years didn't turn out as planned.

But dreams of farm profitability were not realized. Farm equipment tangled with grass sits alongside fallow fields. Cinder blocks once used to delineate each household's garden plot are now piled neatly on the edge of a field. Goats purchased in Magnaville's early stages have become pets, with no revenue-generating purpose.

Now is when we find out to what extent the vision of a hand-up was realized. Frank Stronach provided some real and realistic help at a time of desperation for many displaced residents of New Orleans. From the beginning, though, it was temporary - an opportunity for individuals and families to get back on their feet. Did it foster independence or dependence?

Another take on the Canadaville experience: Welcome to Canadaville USA

Canadaville officials will tell you they’ve seen as many triumphs among residents as times when some have fallen short. In fact, they believe the world should be proud that those who’ve had so little, have been able to come so far.

Canadian miners treated with unprecedented disrespect by off-shore owners.

In my opinion, this issue could use more coverage. With all the talk of needing to be thankful for corporations that "provide" jobs, this situation reveals the nature of many of the new jobs being created.  The bailed-out car companies are already making good profits and beginning to pay back their bail-outs. Will they then restore the cuts the workers took to their pay and benefits? Watch this video and see what you think.

A quote for family and community in a challenging season

My wish with Outliers is that it makes us understand how much of a group project success is. When outliers become outliers it is not just because of their own efforts. It's because of the contributions of lots of different people and lots of different circumstances— and that means that we, as a society, have more control about who succeeds—and how many of us succeed—than we think. That's an amazingly hopeful and uplifting idea. - Malcom Gladwell

According to Gladwell, it's the extreme that tells us most about the middle.

• See also: Provocative quotes

The Kaslo Food Security Project

A good example of a community approach to food security:

Planting the Seeds from Hadas Levy on Vimeo.

A Blueprint for Restoring Fragile Ecosystems

By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans - and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems.

About Willie Smits
Willie Smits has devoted his life to saving the forest habitat of orangutans, the "thinkers of the jungle." As towns, farms and wars encroach on native forests, Smits works to save what is left.

Watch this remarkable and inspiring 20-minute video.

No part of Canadian cable tv bill goes to local programming

According to a recent Nanos poll:

A new study of cable/satellite TV subscribers shows that while a large majority value local news programs more than any other Canadian programming and services, few know that none of the proceeds of the monthly cable/satellite TV bill directly supports local TV stations.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that corporations don't encourage local choice. Gone are the days - at least in this part of Canada - where the local cable provider, operated a channel available for local community programming.

I presume then that local channels are completely dependent on advertising.

A community garden and the essence of Permaculture

When, ten years ago, we moved to our new home, I remembered a simple tenet of Permaculture. When moving on to a piece of land, for the first year do nothing but observe. Other than some basic clean-up, I pretty much did that. And as the years have gone by, I've continued to pay attention to what is present and sought to understand why, before adding any input of my own.

The fruits of this approach have been gradual, quite noticeable at times and, at other times, almost impossible to describe. However, the strawberry patch does stand out a little. It started out as a patch of wild strawberries that thrived and has already doubled in size. During this time, I protected them by outlining their expanding border with pieces of downed wood and occasional watering during times of dryness.

Here's the patch in flower, surrounded by wild roses, fir trees and dandelions:

And here's what last Spring's crop looked like:

Expand this approach to a community and you have the Leaf Street community garden. Enjoy and be inspired by these videos, divided into three because of the constraints of YouTube.

Find out more about Leaf Street

The struggle of uncontacted tribes to remain that way

In past posts, I've written about the Kalahari Bushmen's attempts to remain on their land, despite the Botswana government and de Beers diamond mining interests attempts to remove them.

Some of  these tribal remnants around the world, prefer to be left completely alone. To find out more about their attempts - with a little help - to retain their wilderness homes, click here.