AustinPermie

Unseasonably warm Fall in Central Texas

2009-11-27T19:56:00.006-06:00

I've been absent for much too long. Our backyard got its makeover (see posts below) almost exactly a year ago. Last year, a few years before Christmas, we put the landscape fabric all over the yard and added rocks and mulch. The yard has come a long way. I have not downsized the pics yet, so hopefully it's not too difficult to see. Here are some of the additions.

Fernleaf Lavender

Salvia Greggii

A small sunflower that went to seed, and with this warm weather, started growing again. It now has 5 flowers on it!

I'd love to get a Bottle Brush Tree

2009-05-04T14:07:00.004-05:00

I'd love to get a Bottle Brush Tree. Does anyone know of a place that sells them? They are so cool if you see it in person.

Much needed update in backyard makeover..

2009-05-04T12:29:00.012-05:00

Much needed update in backyard makeover and I wished I had the time to shrink these pics but I do not, bear with the upload.

A heapin' of crushed granite

the winding path (of crushed granite)

working on the side entrance path

leveling in front of back porch

cedar logs multi-use, this time, for leveling and making a strip veggie garden, it's a try-out

leveled, phew.

back porch from different angle. Path not tamped down yet.

side entry, building a spot for the recycle and garbage bins

note the side entry can be seen and things on the side are leveled off as well.

More garden pics later of the thing as a whole. Have to space out my planting this week. It's a loong process, especially when you do everything yourself

cross-posted at Western Oaks Gardening

Finally, Changing towards natives and water wise landscaping

2008-12-28T13:12:00.024-06:00

sure it looks nice, but do you want to pay $300 a month for watering and mowing it in 90F plus degrees??

Finally, slowly but surely, our big backyard is taking shape. Literally. After killing off the highly useless St. Augustine grass (in Central Texas, we're in a constant state of varying degrees of 'drought'), we ended up with caleechy exposed soil and a LOT of weeds. Finally, we made some progress.

half-way done..

We got rocks from a local cemetary where they literally have a pile on a side lane free for the taking, and we also found roughly chopped cedar mulch (which ended up having quite a lot of palm by the looks of it) from the Lake Travis Brush Recycling$3 a yard which, with the tax and delivery included, ended up costing us only $205.68 to be exact! (we got 25yards).

For Mother's day I had gotten several native, drought resistant trees; one Texas persimmon, one desert willow (they are happy trees here, bloom beautifully), one Mexican plum and two Possum Haw hollies. They all happen to have white flowers but are all still fairly short, about 3 to 4 feet. Digging the holes for them was not possible to do manually but that saga happened too long ago. Just trust me when I say; here in Central Texas, you build upon, you don't dig. Not if you ever can help it 'cause it'll mean having to hire machinery.

Anyway, without further ado..the before ...and the after.

LANDSCAPE FABRIC?? I know I know..some of you will have a cow but trust me..there's no saving this soil (caleechy works it's way up) and it's too expensive with a yard this size to keep putting top soil on it. If you go native, you do not need to worry about the soil. The fabric is to minimize the weeds as we are facing a greenbelt. When it's planting time, you just push the mulch aside, cut a whole, do a little diggin' well, scraping in our case, and voila..done!

A path running through it..

Taking shape...I have two vegetable beds that actually had to be covered from a freeze..

The truck with the 25 yards of mulch..

THAT'S what 25 yards of mulch looks like..whoa nelly!

Shaping continued..for now we have a few mulch 'humps' but I'll post some more updates, finished outlined path pictures later this week..

Voila!

8 plus hours later, 3 wheelbarrels assembly line style, several helpful neighbour kids for a few hours here and there and the day before Christmas..it was finally done!

Like I said, we still have more pictures to show... It feels good though. It's a great start..perhaps I can even figure out a little video so I can give the panoramic scanning view of the ...we'll see how that goes.

cross-posted at Blogger Roundtable

City of Austin promotes sustainability

2007-06-12T08:16:00.000-05:00

Sustainaballe, sustainable shoppers ball in Austin Texas.

This is a great city to live in if you're green. The city is very responsible and supportive of sustainability in all areas; from building and construction (see the Austin Green Energy Building )to indoor quality and supporting local businesses. Check out the title link.

Green living in your home is time consuming in that you need to learn quite a bit before you can convince yourself that it's worth the money. That is the sad side effect of living green; it will cost you more green to do so. Still, every little step towards it will give you a better feeling.. check out this site, 'greening your home', and learn a little.. Or best yet, check out the magazine, Green Living. I'll be the first to admit it ain't easy being green, but it takes just one little step at a time.

What do you do in terms of sustainability in your daily life? Are you full force, all in? Or are you a 'twelve stepper', one thing at a time?

Global Warming, a Cosmic Cause

2007-06-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

I heard about this a little while ago and wanted to give it space to be read and thought about. Ok, not that the masses are hanging on my every written word, but.. It is still important to incorporate this very important research as the finger pointing and consequent problem solving has to shift in a bit of different direction. Not only that, people with opposing viewpoints have been so polarized, that this bit of news can upset plenty of people on either side of the coin and either have them negate any sustainable practices (what's the use?) or react with equal force to save it even more. Who knows.. Anyhow.. here goes, excerpt time:

Man-made climate change may be happening at a far slower rate than has been claimed, according to controversial new research.

Scientists say that cosmic rays from outer space play a far greater role in changing the Earth's climate than global warming experts previously thought.

In a book, to be published this week, they claim that fluctuations in the number of cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere directly alter the amount of cloud covering the planet.

High levels of cloud cover blankets the Earth and reflects radiated heat from the Sun back out into space, causing the planet to cool.
Henrik Svensmark, Danish National Space Centre

Henrik Svensmark, a weather scientist at the Danish National Space Centre who led the team behind the research, believes that the planet is experiencing a natural period of low cloud cover due to fewer cosmic rays entering the atmosphere.

This, he says, is responsible for much of the global warming we are experiencing.

He claims carbon dioxide emissions due to human activity are having a smaller impact on climate change than scientists think. If he is correct, it could mean that mankind has more time to reduce our effect on the climate.

The controversial theory comes one week after 2,500 scientists who make up the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change published their fourth report stating that human carbon dioxide emissions would cause temperature rises of up to 4.5 C by the end of the century.

More on the cosmic rays and climate change from the Danish National Space Centre

So now what?

Finally ..garden pics

2007-05-26T20:39:00.001-05:00

In this little plot, I have several squashes that ended up much bigger than expected. I say expected, since in the few years before, I was never lucky enough to even get that far as the bugs ate the young squash plants. Below you can see two tomato plants. On the left, I forgot the type but it's definitely a 'big' one. The one on the right is a cherry tomato one. It's got oodles of green little tomatoes which no doubt will all ripen at the same time! I tried to practice companion planting so I have 3 parsleys. Two italian and one curly one to the left. I also planted onions in between, horehound which supposedly makes the tomato plant 'healty'. That and pennyroyal which is a very invasive mint plant that is not for consumption and definitely needs to be kept in check.

Speaking of cherry tomatoes.. you can see the big squash leaves and the spear mint to the left. Tansy in the background.

Can anyone tell me what kind of squash this is? The plant itself grew huge and to think I planted it from seed! Someone gave me the seed and I forgot what kind of squash it is. It would help to know so I'd know how to prepare it. Of course it would also help if I called the 'donor' and asked her what it was again! lol

Look at that big zuchini! I found out that next to it, I had also planted a yellow squash (they so look alike when they're little, I lost track). I planted beans to go with the eggplant but it's gettin' kinda crowded ya know? Next to this squash plant, I have one cucumber. Surrounded by radishes as cucumbers apparently do not like herbs etc. I planted nasturtiums in between the squashes. The beans are supposed to support the eggplant. Did I mention I also have creeping thyme (in between the tomatoes) and basil??

Millimetres Matter

2007-05-15T18:45:00.000-05:00

I know I know..it isn't very 'permie' of me but I couldn't resist..

Genetically Altered Food, what is it and why aren't we told more about it?

2007-05-10T09:23:00.000-05:00

pollen transfer from flowering canola of COURSE (!!) there will always be contamination between GM and non-GM foods! Why do you think you're not allowed to bring seeds from other countries with you? Or consider the Jamestown event that literally changed the American landscape by the introduction of European worms and bees.

In Europe, consumers are told which foods are genetically altered. Not being completely dominated by corporations who influence governments and their agencies by their campaign contributions, companies were told to disclose information about their products genetics. Here it is another scenario. Not only are American consumers not told what includes what.. in the mainstream media it is not written about in depth. Which brings me to permaculture.

In permaculture, everything is related and effected. From the little microorganisms that effect the soil, to the soil effecting plants, to the plants effecting insects, birds and the greater animal species that pollinate, eat them etc. And so that circle of life is born. Or that circle of life dies, depending on which part of that chain is killed, or messed with. The same chains you can see in nature, you can see in politics and hence, economics. You can argue what came first, the chicken or the egg, or you can say it is one congruous chain/circle. In Europe, there is more transparency, in the US, you have to go to independent or alternative media to get another side of the story. That is why I say, thank God for the Internet. This is the latest from the Network of Concerned Farmers:

Pioneer Hi-Bred's website boasts that their genetically modified (GM) Liberty Link[1] corn survives doses of Liberty herbicide, which would normally kill corn. The reason, they say, is that the herbicide becomes "inactive in the corn plant."[2] They fail to reveal, however, that after you eat the GM corn, some inactive herbicide may become reactivated inside your gut and cause a toxic reaction. In addition, a gene that was inserted into the corn might transfer into the DNA of your gut bacteria, producing long-term effects. These are just a couple of the many potential side-effects of GM crops that critics say put the public at risk.

Herbicide tolerance (HT) is one of two basic traits common to nearly all GM crops. About 71% of the crops are engineered to resist herbicide, including Liberty (glufosinate ammonium) and Roundup[3] (glyphosate). About 18% produce their own pesticide. And 11% do both. The four major GM crops are soy, corn, cotton and canola, all of which have approved Liberty- and Roundup-tolerant varieties. Herbicide tolerant (HT) crops are a particularly big money-maker for biotech companies, because when farmers buy HT seeds, they are required to purchase the companies' brand of herbicide as well. In addition, HT crops dramatically increase the use of herbicide,[4] which further contributes to the companies' bottom line.

There are no required safety tests for HT crops in the US - if the biotech companies declare them fit for human consumption, the FDA has no further questions. But many scientists and consumers remain concerned, and the Liberty Link varieties pose unique risks. read the article in full>.

I'll briefly go back to nuclear energy. All the issues of global warming, genetically and modified foods, deforestation, depletion of fish stocks and the pollution of the oceans...there needs to be a wholistic agenda of how to counter it all. Or some sort of visual presentation that shows all the chains, overlapping and connecting that might wake up the consciousness at large. The greater masses need to become aware, not the politically active few. I'm mulling over what that is.

All about organic foods
How to Choose the Most Important Organic Foods

What kind of leader am I?

2007-05-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

This is cross posted on my other blog Blogger Round Table. I know people on this blog won't really care about this but when you blog, it can't be all politics or all permaculture all the time. It's like watching Coronation Street, that very old British soap. I used to watch it when I lived in Canada and I remember my parents watching it when it was still in black and white when I was little. I do not particularly like soaps but if there is one that I liked it was Coronation Street. It had ordinary people, with recognizable problems, and situational comedy to boot. Still, as it goes with soaps, life can't go hunky dory for someone too long and something sad/bad/tragic had to happen. I could only take watching that show for a few months at a time and then I had to stop. Too depressing. So nuclear waste nuclear schwaste..it's time for the ol' "And Now For Something Completely Different"!

Hat tip to Abufares. I had to catch up on a lot of his posts and saw this one. I have to say, if I have to be like any type of leader, I'm honoured to be considered like Ghandi. Can anybody see my halo?? lol

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Then I did the Enneagram test to see what type I'd be. We have an Enneagram book somewhere and I could not quite make up my mind if I was a nine or another one (don't remember right now) so voila, here's that test result:

Main Type	Overall Self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Enneagram Test Results

Type 1	Perfectionism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	54%
Type 2	Helpfulness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	62%
Type 3	Image Focus	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	54%
Type 4	Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	34%
Type 5	Detachment	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	42%
Type 6	Anxiety	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	66%
Type 7	Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	38%
Type 8	Aggressiveness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	38%
Type 9	Calmness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	74%

Your main type is 9
Your variant is social

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

I had thought I'd be more adventurous and less anxious but hey, I guess it's also an indicator of my boring stay at home mom life. I think it must be interesting if you can do this test during different phases of your life because aside from the personality factor, I do believe that environment and current experiences effect the choices you make.
Try it just for fun!

US energy data information

2007-05-05T20:38:00.000-05:00

Nuclear Energy Institute, check to see where and which nuclear plants are in your state

Thanks to some commenters, I have gotten a few references as to what to read in order to learn more about nuclear energy. Here are some websites.

For official statistic date from the US gov, go to the Energy Information Administration. It covers the gamut of energy used with all kinds of other stats imaginable, also energy info on other countries. Worthwhile checking out.

The Canadian Nuclear Fact site by Jeremy Whitlock. I haven't gotten through it completely but it explains an interesting fact how Canada and Britain developed their nuclear energy differently from the US'.

Another interesting read which I haven't gotten to yet but merely glanced, skimmed, what have you, seems to be an article from Scientific American called "Smarter Use of Nuclear Waste"

Another reading suggestion I received was the second edition of Nuclear Energy by David Bodansky. Published by the American Physics Society, it is apparently a technical read, but one respected by physics. I am saying apparently because I haven't even gotten that far. Then there is his 'The Status of Nuclear Waste Disposal'.

In browsing online, I have found other sources and then forgotten where I found it, but I have plenty to read anyway. This morning, I was pondering over this whole nuclear debate. I thought to myself that, inspite of the nuclear waste concern, that perhaps even if it is a legitimate concern (which to those who know more it supposedly isn't), the fact that we have little time to diminish CO2 levels it is a matter of something like this; you're on the ocean fishing. You hook a great big marlin which in turn stabs you as it jumps into the boat. You're bleeding and need to get stitched up but the only needle available is a fishing needle and it's a bit dirty. It gets washed off as much as possible but it's not exactly disinfected. Would you rather wait for a clean one on shore while your bleeding? Or do you say, sew me up already, I'll take antibiotics when I get to the doctor.
Ok, perhaps a silly way of putting it.
But I kept thinking this morning that those who are against nuclear energy, are worried about something that will or won't effect us later while we're having to make a very important decision NOW. Because if we don't NOW, there won't be a 'later'. What is more important right now? Is it time for a nuclear energy symposium for environmentalists?

Linea Recta by Osvaldo Cavandoli

2007-05-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

Sorry people. I'm not in the mood for anything 'heavy', nuclear or otherwise. So while I was playing chess with my 9 yr old son Dirk, I mentioned that I used to watch this short cartoon on tv when I grew up in Holland. Then I said, let's stop for a second and see if I can find it on Youtube and voila, there it was. It is an italian cartoon short where the little guy unintelligably, but at the same time pretty clearly expresses himself. So, under the category of 'and now for something completely different'... let's have us a laugh shall we?

Click on title for more.

Arctic Sea Ice melting faster than projected

2007-05-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

Keep Winter Cool

So far, this has been a whirl wind of a week. As I consider myself a bit of a renaissance person with a lot of different interests, I actually wanted to explore nuclear energy because of what James Lovelock wrote in his comment in the Independent:

"Most of us are aware of some degree of warming; winters are warmer and spring comes earlier. But in the Arctic, warming is more than twice as great as here in Europe and in summertime, torrents of melt water now plunge from Greenland's kilometre-high glaciers. The complete dissolution of Greenland's icy mountains will take time, but by then the sea will have risen seven metres, enough to make uninhabitable all of the low lying coastal cities of the world, including London, Venice, Calcutta, New York and Tokyo. Even a two metre rise is enough to put most of southern Florida under water.

The floating ice of the Arctic Ocean is even more vulnerable to warming; in 30 years, its white reflecting ice, the area of the US, may become dark sea that absorbs the warmth of summer sunlight, and further hastens the end of the Greenland ice. The North Pole, goal of so many explorers, will then be no more than a point on the ocean surface.

Not only the Arctic is changing; climatologists warn a four-degree rise in temperature is enough to eliminate the vast Amazon forests in a catastrophe for their people, their biodiversity, and for the world, which would lose one of its great natural air conditioners."

In permaculture, 'permies' as we call ourselves, are interested in the integration of various systems, and the understanding, that all of those systems are related, interconnected, and mutually dependent. Change one, you change the rest. It then becomes the domino effect. In the negative it means for example that you pollute soil (replenishing, healing the soil is one of the important goals of permies), you effect healthy micro organisms, in turn effecting depletion of nutrition and disabling the organic growing environment. Hence, when Lovelock mentioned the cycle of positive feedback, which in turn amplifies the temperature and the increase in temperature would do away with the one big hepa filter the world has (Amazon rainforest), I 'saw' the cycle, and understood the urge of redressing that course that Lovelock is after by endorsing nuclear energy.

In the short time I've browsed and printed out articles and the little bit of reading I can do in between, I have noticed what a controversial subject it is. Accusations of funding towards any pro-nuclear groups, the heated debate around nuclear energy and the environmentalists who are the proponents of it.. It's dizzying. So let me put it this way; what can we all agree on?
The fact that the Arctic sea ice is melting at a greater rate than first expected is something that should alarm both the pro and anti nuclear camps;

"(For) the new study, Dr. Stroeve and others at the ice center reviewed nearly six decades of measurements by ships, airplanes and satellites estimating the maximum and minimum area of Arctic sea ice, which typically expands most in March and shrinks most in September.

With an expert from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, also in Boulder, they then compared the observed trends with the projections made for the climate panel’s review using the world’s most advanced computer models of climate.

Dr. Stroeve’s team found that since 1953 the area of sea ice in September has declined at an average rate of 7.8 percent per decade. Computer climate simulations of the same period had an average rate of ice loss of 2.5 percent per decade."

This is why I feel an urgency to figure out for myself whether I concur that nuclear energy is the best option to stop this positive feedback loop as much as we can.

Look into the system of the sea ice and how everything is connected and effected.

Political reverberations if switched to nuclear energy...

2007-05-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

or any other alternative energy source that would replace the dependence of oil. Just think how important politically oil has been. Middle Eastern economies would drop like a bucket since their other industries are too weak to support their populations. Especially in Saudi Arabia for instance would it weaken the monarchy as the saudis have been spoiled, literally, by the money the saudi royals have thrown at them to make life easier so that the people would not revolt against the monarchy and demand democracy.
As a potential major unrest it can cause in the Middle East by their safety net falling by the way side in terms of public funding for health care, infrastructure, having foreign labour do their work on the cheap.. it could perhaps also force those nations to 'grow up' economically and work ethics wise. Now I am not calling all saudis and others as lazy, but from experience ( and other expats would concur), the majority does not know 'how' to work or how to be ethical and work hard. A lot of the work is considered beneath them (as in, work to be done by some poor Asian male), but think.. If those countries had to resort to boosting the diversity of their economy, do you not think that that would be the impetus for change towards democracy? I even daresay that Islamic fundamentalism would take a backseat because when it all comes down to, economics trumps fundamentalism. People need to be provided for and the conservatism in Islam that is counter to economic growth as it seeks to control ideas, science and female work participation, that will be thrown out out of sheer pragmatism.
So that's one angle I have been mulling over. Also, consider the big money from Western oil companies. Public relations and campaign contributions are common in this country (US) so I have been wondering how they would try to undermine a possible cut to their profits and business. Hill and Knowlton anyone??
Just brainstorming here.
Anyway, as I was doing my daily walk this morning with my friend, we discussed the safety issue of a potential nuclear energy switch. Not the waste aspect, but the fact that government would need to be left out of it. I figured we would need a non partisan watch dog with some actual power, not some FDA version where they know things and keep quiet anyway. One aspect that would need to alleviate concern if the majority of people were to support nuclear energy is the fact that it would be used for peaceful, energy purposes only.
Perhaps this supposed recent development in Japan could help where a new technology that has the plutonium NOT being seperated from the uranium, could also be used to control weapons of mass destruction by selling that to Iran , North Korea etc. I know it must sound like a version of legalizing marijuana; you actually take part in the production/sales aspect, you control all the deaths and abuse associated with it..
alright. Enough brainstorming.. thank you Randy Leavitt, dv8 2xl and karen street for your reading recommendations. I'll try to locate them this week.

Opening Pandora's Box

2007-04-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

Not here anymore in 30yrs?

Wow..I've gotten quite a few interesting responses (see comments on posts below)from people who consider nuclear energy viable. And browsing around some blogs and more blogs and thinking of how to write the next post (part 3)makes my head spin. I am totally unfamiliar with the terminology so I am going to put it out there; what article, publication, book can I read that can explain nuclear energy in a way a laywoman can understand it? (yes, I'd take one with pictures!)
That goes for those who are in the anti-camp as well btw. I think for the more indepth info I must not be using the right word combination for google.
Btw..thank you for your serious responses and thoughtful participation. It reminded me of my first blog (blogger round table, see sidebar). I had intended that as a blog where different bloggers with opposing or just different viewpoints would discuss an issue. Perhaps if I can find respectful bloggers from both viewpoints, I could still try that.
I am pretty tired. I probably only slept 5 hrs last night and not fitful at that.
Food for thought..as tired as I am, my brain is still awake. I wonder that I'll be dreaming about. (hmm....)

Live Earth; 7 concerts, 7 countries, all in 1 day.

2007-04-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

Big Hat tip to Betmo!(Life's Journey)

7 7 07 will be the day for 7 concerts. The concerts in the US and the UK are already for sale. This is where the concerts will be held:

US: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
UK: Wembley Stadium, London
Brazil: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
South Africa: The Cradle of Human Kind, Maropeng near Johannesburg
Japan: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
China: (location TBD), Shanghai
Australia: Aussie Stadium , Moore Park, Sydney

Get tickets HERE!

For more information, visit Live Earth

The Nuclear Energy Debate, part 2

2007-04-29T08:56:00.000-05:00

Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in Arizona, by George deLange

In the summer of 2004, James Lovelock dropped a bomb in the green community in the UK and elsewhere. Alarmed about the seriousness of the damage inflicted to his beloved 'gaia', and pressed by the urgency for the need for change, he announced that the only safe and viable manner to provide energy without the accompanying high levels of CO2 was nuclear energy:

"What makes global warming so serious and so urgent is that the great Earth system, Gaia, is trapped in a vicious circle of positive feedback. Extra heat from any source, whether from greenhouse gases, the disappearance of Arctic ice or the Amazon forest, is amplified, and its effects are more than additive. It is almost as if we had lit a fire to keep warm, and failed to notice, as we piled on fuel, that the fire was out of control and the furniture had ignited. When that happens, little time is left to put out the fire before it consumes the house. Global warming, like a fire, is accelerating and almost no time is left to act.""So what should we do?...(But) with six billion, and growing, few options remain; we can not continue drawing energy from fossil fuels and there is no chance that the renewables, wind, tide and water power can provide enough energy and in time. If we had 50 years or more we might make these our main sources. But we do not have 50 years; the Earth is already so disabled by the insidious poison of greenhouse gases that even if we stop all fossil fuel burning immediately, the consequences of what we have already done will last for 1,000 years. Every year that we continue burning carbon makes it worse for our descendants and for civilisation.">"...We have stayed in ignorance for many reasons; important among them is the denial of climate change in the US where governments have failed to give their climate scientists the support they needed. The Green lobbies, which should have given priority to global warming, seem more concerned about threats to people than with threats to the Earth, not noticing that we are part of the Earth and wholly dependent upon its well being. It may take a disaster worse than last summer's European deaths to wake us up.

Opposition to nuclear energy is based on irrational fear fed by Hollywood-style fiction, the Green lobbies and the media. These fears are unjustified, and nuclear energy from its start in 1952 has proved to be the safest of all energy sources. We must stop fretting over the minute statistical risks of cancer from chemicals or radiation. Nearly one third of us will die of cancer anyway, mainly because we breathe air laden with that all pervasive carcinogen, oxygen. If we fail to concentrate our minds on the real danger, which is global warming, we may die even sooner, as did more than 20,000 unfortunates from overheating in Europe last summer." Read the rest of his comment in the Independent.
He's not the only green to consider nuclear energy the only viable solution. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace has this to say:
"In the early 1970s when I helped found Greenpeace, I believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with nuclear holocaust, as did most of my compatriots. That's the conviction that inspired Greenpeace's first voyage up the spectacular rocky northwest coast to protest the testing of U.S. hydrogen bombs in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Thirty years on, my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change. Look at it this way: More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 percent of U.S. emissions -- or nearly 10 percent of global emissions -- of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely."
"Today, there are 103 nuclear reactors quietly delivering just 20 percent of America's electricity. Eighty percent of the people living within 10 miles of these plants approve of them (that's not including the nuclear workers). Although I don't live near a nuclear plant, I am now squarely in their camp.

And I am not alone among seasoned environmental activists in changing my mind on this subject. British atmospheric scientist James Lovelock, father of the Gaia theory, believes that nuclear energy is the only way to avoid catastrophic climate change. Stewart Brand, founder of the "Whole Earth Catalog," says the environmental movement must embrace nuclear energy to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. On occasion, such opinions have been met with excommunication from the anti-nuclear priesthood: The late British Bishop Hugh Montefiore, founder and director of Friends of the Earth, was forced to resign from the group's board after he wrote a pro-nuclear article in a church newsletter."
Read his article "Going Nuclear, a green makes the case" in full.

The interesting part of doing the research is the backlash towards especially Patrick Moore that I found online. Consider this:
Eco-Traitor by Drake Bennet. As a poli sci person, I have to say that all the negative sites I've seen on Moore's position, makes it seem like a big campaign angry at the 'defection' of one of its champions. Laden with editorial venom is unfortunately not conducive for a real debate. I myself do not have a position in this debate, but I do understand from reading the material of the pro-nuclear energy greens that they consider themselves pragmatic.

Let me list some Pros and Cons.

Pro Nuclear Energy:
Supporters of Nuclear Energy, SONE
The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition
The Third Way, a progressive think tank
James Lovelock
Patrick Moore
Stewart Brand
the late Bishop Hugh Montefiore

Against Nuclear Energy:
Friends of the Earth who have a big article on radioactive wastes and the nuclear energy partnership
Greenpeace read their article on a french nuclear plant construction shut down.
Public Citizen

Since I am not paid by ANYONE, I will attempt to put the pro and con arguments together this week. With plenty of things to do as we're entering the last phase of school and the neighbourhood swimteam starting up in a week, I hope to have it done this week. If not, it'll have to be next weekend. Until that time, do your own research, read the opposite opinion of your own view so you're familiar with the counter arguments. Try to stay detached and unemotional and sift out the editorial venom. Unfortunately, even if I agree with someone, that totally takes away from an objective discussion.

2007-04-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

2007-04-28T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Nuclear Energy Debate, part 1

2007-04-28T09:06:00.000-05:00

Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy

Due to having a family and having been very sleep deprived for years, I missed out on learning about a more important issue than the Kyoto Treaty: The Nuclear Energy Debate.
Even though my brain was too tired for anything in depth, I did pick up enough info and the occasional article and documentary to learn that we , earthlings, are at a major crossroads. Despite the 'tut-tut camp' who thinks it's all baloney, evidence abounds of global warming. People past a certain age recall the past and note how the weather and other aspects in nature have changed. Current freak weather; heatwaves in Europe; too much rain in Europe; drought in Australia; Corrals disappearing; stronger hurricanes; species disappearing.

From what I see, a major part of the argument of global warming rests with the various parties attributing global warming to different factors. Then there are those scientists who believe we are at a tail end of some natural cycle. The earth on its own has cooled, then warmed throughout its existence they say. This is is just inevitable.
Regardless, having 'woken up' in more ways than one, and not having the excuse of sleep deprivation, I wanted to explore and discuss the Nuclear Energy Debate.

In upcoming posts I will look at the environmentalists who consider nuclear energy not only the only viable option at preventing further damage to the earth, but who also consider it a safe one. James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia theory and 'whistleblower' or 'defector' however you want to call him being one of them.
James Lovelock

I will also look into nuclear plants here in the US and elsewhere and write about the nuclear-fuel- recycling business. I also want to look into the worst case scenario Lovelock described in his 'Independent' article.

The pro-nuclear energy environmentalists do not dismiss alternative energy sources, but realize that for the 6 billion people on Earth, a combined effort of nuclear and alternative energy is needed to save whatever we still can. As Lovelock notes in his Independent comment:

"Sir David King, the Government's chief scientist, was far-sighted to say that global warming is a more serious threat than terrorism. He may even have underestimated, because, since he spoke, new evidence of climate change suggests it could be even more serious, and the greatest danger that civilisation has faced so far."(bold added by yours truly)

To Be Continued...

Herb spiral, permaculture class of 2005

2007-04-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

I took my permaculture design class in the Spring of 2005. And with that class, comes building a herb spiral. I'm in between making lunch and having to pick up child number 2 from school, so hopefully I have more to post tonight..Btw, instead of soil, we just used mulch to put the herbs in with just a bit of soil for the plants. Naturally, we placed the herbs north, south, sunny, shady accordingly.

This week's deadline for Yurt building workshop aka Howie's Yurt Alert!

2007-04-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

picture by B.Kemery
picture by Pacific Yurts

Howie Richey, our local Texpert has organized a Yurt building workshop. The deadline is this thursday April 26th, and the workshop is to last from April 29-May 8th. Here is some additional info:
"Where: Austin and Rancho Richey Refuge, Belmont, Texas
Who: carpenters, painters, do-it-yourselfers, students, Permaculturists, co-housers, co-op residents, musicians, home-schoolers, unschoolers, Scouts, tribe seekers . . .
Why: Think outside the cube.
How: Register by e-mailing.
Learn the essentials of building a quick, strong shelter or dwelling. Join the fun of prefabricating two (2) Yurts in Austin and assembling them in the campground at scenic Rancho Richey Refuge, 60 miles south near Gonzales. These Yurts will function as fun “cabins” in the camp. Registration includes seminars, tent space, and catered and shared meals. Participants gain free future Yurt camping coupons, as well.

Designer W. S. Coperthwaite from the Yurt Foundation in Bucks Harbor, Maine, will direct the project. He’s built more than 300 Yurts worldwide, including ones in South Austin and at Mo Ranch and St. Stephen’s School."

For details, please go to Howie's site.
Who's this Howie Richey?

ALL YURTS ALL THE TIME, LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL YURT INFO.
Mongolian Yurt pics.

The Goldman Environment Award 2007

2007-04-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

Every year, $125,000 US gets awarded to 6 considered "environmental heroes" from each continent. These are the this years' winners from upper left to right: Hammerskjoeld Simwinga; Willie Corduff; Orri Vigfusson. Bottom left to right; Julio Gusurichi; Sophia Rabliauskas; Tsetsegee Munkhbayar.

Here is an example:
WILLIE CORDUFF, an Irish farmer, objected to Shell's proposed pipeline which would go through his land. After other farmers caved under pressure, Willie kept put which consequently landed him in jail! READ the whole story HERE!

picture taken by Willie Corduff and his wife Mary.

Musicians Going Green

2007-04-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

Biodiesel by Greg Pahl

Apparently, there is a move towards incorporating some form of sustainability during live tours. The most known ones are those who, like Willy Nelson, use biodiesel to get around. Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young to name a few.
The Dogwood Alliance has started the campaign 'Greening of the Music Industry' and was able to come out to Austin's famous SXSW festival to meet with music industry people to join up.
Making whole nations and peoples more environmentally aware and conscious AND participatory is and I believe will always be a monumental task. That is why to me it is heartening to see when groups of people decide to put their money where their mouth is.
For those musicians and bands who want to join, check out what you can do HERE.

Greening the Desert

2007-04-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

Geoff Lawton

"So we went in and had a look and we thought “Oh, no!” This is the end of the earth. This is like as hard as you can get. This is hyper arid. Completely salted landscape. Four hundred metres below sea level - lowest place on Earth. Two kilometres from the Dead Sea. About two kilometres from where Jesus was christened. Hardly got any rainfall. We’ve got temperatures in August that go over 50 degrees. Everybody is farming under plastic strips - spray, spray spray! Everybody’s putting synthetic fertiliser on. Overgrazed with goats! Just like maggots eating the flesh off the bone, down to the bones of the country. Literally like maggots –giant maggots eating it to nothing.
So we designed up a system that would harvest every bit of rainwater that fell on it." (bold added by me)
Check out this amazing video. For those of you who live in the Middle East or any dry environment, this is worth paying attention to.

Greening the Desert

To read more, here is another excerpt:
"Jordan is an arid country with limited water resources. The available renewable fresh water resources dropped drastically to an annual per capita share of 155 m3 in recent years compared to 3400 m3/cap/year in 1946. It is considered also as one of the 10 poorest countries worldwide in water resources (Countries with less than 500 m3/capita/year are regarded as having “absolute scarcity”).

In 2004, the total water use in Jordan was 866 million cubic meters (MCM) at the total population of about 5 million people. The total renewable resources in Jordan is estimated at 780 MCM include ground water at 275 MCM/year and surface water at 505 MCM/year of which only 70% is of economic use. An additional 143 MCM/year is estimated to be available from fossil aquifers. Brackish aquifers are not yet fully explored but at least 25 MCM/year is expected to be accessible for urban uses after desalination.

The demand on water use has been increased with increasing the socioeconomic development in the country. Agriculture consumes the major parts of water resources of about 62.5% of the available resources, domestic use consumes about 32.5% while industry about 4.3% and rural uses is 0.8% of the available water resources."

From Use of Permaculture under Salinity and Drought Conditions.

Playing around

2007-04-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

With these new features, I was playing around and ended up putting blogs on the link list that do not really have anything to do with permaculture. Can't help it, I am such a political animal. A few have sustainable slants but at a later date will I sort the links out to their topics. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone because I go to quite a few sites, although not all daily of course. It's quite the spread so check them out.

Postscript.. so much for adding all these links and I cannot even see them! (blogger again??). I'll have to inquire as to why the 'invisibility' factor! grmpf..

Finally Up!

2007-04-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

Austin Texas is the city where I got introduced to Permaculture. My Permie teacher Dick Pierce was teaching an organic gardening class which was a great jumping board for 'easing' people into the world of permaculture. And Austin is quite the permie place. To check out future and past events, put this link in your favourites;
Austin Progressive Calendar I was trying to find pics from my permaculture class with the locally famed Dick Pierce and Selwyn Polit but couldn't find any. So Selwyn, where did they go?? (email me so I can post a few)
Anyhow, it's saturday morning and my husband and 'brood' left 45minutes ago for a baby shower so I need to get my derriere in gear and get dressed and start the day!
Welcome to the site and if you have any feedback/stories/interview suggestions/links.. send them to me.