tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225056078657116818.post7030870277289649187..comments2023-04-27T13:17:28.693+02:00Comments on TILTING AT WINDMILLS: TRANSITION TOWNS – A SERIOUS SUBJECTSANCHOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961367278843285235noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225056078657116818.post-57341437817626655822009-06-23T21:07:26.808+02:002009-06-23T21:07:26.808+02:00Here's how to start a Transition Community: ht...Here's how to start a Transition Community: http://transitionnetwork.org/Primer/TransitionInitiativesPrimer.pdfPROSPEROhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05756656840308599191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225056078657116818.post-77928431360383486732009-06-23T14:43:14.899+02:002009-06-23T14:43:14.899+02:00Hi David
Here's an article for the ICE mag...
...Hi David<br />Here's an article for the ICE mag...<br /><br />The Future of Food<br />It may seem at first glance that there is no stopping global corporations from taking complete control of worldwide food supply. Indeed, they are already close. <br />They are powerfully armed. <br />They have patented genetically modified(GM) seed, which farmers may not save. They also have ‘suicide seeds’, which do not germinate next time around. They control international trading rules, forcing poor countries into highly disadvantageous trading agreements via the International Monetary Fund. They have powerful marketing strategists, who are indeed responsible for great suffering. Take the on-going Monsanto ‘Indian Cotton’ debacle, where the company persuaded hundreds of thousands of farmers to give up their traditional (seed saved) cotton crop varieties (perfectly suited to local conditions) and replace with Monsanto BT cottonseed. <br />It didn’t work. Crops failed. Monsanto then provided credit to farmers in order that they might risk another years growing. Further crop failures followed. This has led to severe economic stress within the farming community and over 150,000 cotton farmer suicides to date.<br />So yes, they do seem all powerful. <br />But they are also in fact, fatally vulnerable. <br />Their terminal problem is the rising cost of energy. <br />(See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJQBl0wlDMw)<br />Industrial agriculture consumes 10 calories of fossil energy for each single calorie of food produced – and rising. Chemical crop applications, (fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide) plowing, seeding, harvesting, irrigation and transport consume most of the energy requirement. And apart from fertilizer, which is produced from gas, all the rest are oil-reliant activities.<br />When the price of oil goes up, these businesses go down, with the inevitable ‘Localization’ of just about everything – including food. <br />In fact, ‘Localization’ is already moving apace in many places.<br />In UK there’s the burgeoning ‘Transition Towns’ movement, now taken up by hundreds of communities. (see: http://transitiontowns.org/) One of their primary objectives is the localization of food, with a ‘grow your own’ revolution unfolding rapidly. Landowners across the country are discovering the huge new demand for the rental of allotment sizes plots . An acre of land rented as allotments is now fetching landowners up to £3,000 per year – an opportunity not to be sneezed at. The National Trust has just decided to back the ‘grow your own’ movement also, having just made available an initial allocation of 1,000 allotment plots. <br />There has also been a doubling of small scale seed sales in the last year, as ever more people discover the financial, and health benefits of home grown food.<br />So what of Spain?<br />Well, the ‘Transition’ movement is here now in a few communities, including Estepona. One initiative that is moving forward, is the development of more sustainable management of urbanization green zones, which until now are highly reliant on fossil energy. A number of urbanization managers are now working with ‘Ciudad de Transición Estepona’, to achieve increased sustainability. Indeed, we may well soon see the introduction of organic vegetable beds by one or two of the more forward thinking communities.<br />Watch this space!<br />There’s a way that practically anybody can get started home growing at low cost, which is by using worms to compost the kitchen waste and then using the compost to create a ‘Raised Bed’ for the food growth. Raised Beds can be sited almost anywhere. All the site needs is a bit of sun and you’re away! Furthermore Raised beds can be mounted on just about any surface. For example, concrete or tarmac will do just fine. <br />So come on, no excuses - go for it!<br /><br />If you want to see just what can be achieved by apartment dwellers, go into youtube and search for… Coexist Urban Terrace Garden<br /><br />If you want to learn more about ‘0il Depletion’ go to:<br />www.coexist .es<br /><br />And the last thing you want to do, is miss this one… <br />http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse<br />Hasta la Vista!<br />James MachinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225056078657116818.post-63058726595115845022009-06-23T12:49:09.858+02:002009-06-23T12:49:09.858+02:00Green issues have historically been the domain of ...Green issues have historically been the domain of students,hippies and new age people.For most of them it seems,it was an unattainable Utopian vision.However as these issues have become mainstream there is the danger of them not being taken seriously when they are grouped with magic and hugs.The transition movement has got to become a personal issue in order to work in a whole community.<br />For example it is fast becoming environmentally correct to grow food in your own garden.Gardens which are only decorative are seen as frivilous considering the amount of time,soil,and water they consume.Although we don't have a big garden we easily manage to grow a wide range of fruit and veg. without sacraficing the beauty of the garden.And apart from the great produce I feel involved in something worthwhile.Tony Murphynoreply@blogger.com