To: pil-pc-oceania@lists.permacultureinternational.org, permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, COMFOOD Listerv <comfood@elist.tufts.edu>
Subject: [permaculture] Permaculture TV - Polar Bears - Plane Stupid
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:48:14 -0800
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Permaculture TV <permaculturecoop@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Subject: Permaculture TV - Polar Bears - Plane Stupid
To: niccolo.roberts@gmail.com
- Polar Bears - Plane Stupid <#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_1>
- Eco-village Pioneers - Undercurrents
UK<#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_2>
- WWF & Allianz: Major Tipping Points in the Earth’s Climate System and
Consequences for the Insurance Sector<#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_3>
- Autoworkers on a Just Transition <#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_4>
- BBC on Urban permaculture, Clacton-on-sea in Essex, Great
Britain<#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_5>
- When the times get tough, the tough form
co-ops<#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_6>
- Stimulator vs Alex Jones - Submedia.TV - LANGUAGE
WARNING<#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_7>
- New Deal Permaculture with Bill Mollison and FDR: Great Depression USA
& Africa Today <#12527c2835ce0589_125279684033f2ba_8>
We have a problem. We’re flying too much, and it’s changing the earth’s
climate. Aviation is the fastest growing cause of climate change. But
instead of doing anything about it, the Government is planning more flights
and larger airports.
Over a decade, Helen, a co-founder of Undercurrents went in search of a
sustainable way of life. Along the way she recorded the UK’s most high
profile campaigners on low impact living. She charted how Tony Wrench and
his partner (see photo below) challenged and radically changed a council’s
policy on rural housing. Their unique, inexpensive ecohome made from oak,
cobwood and recycled window walls, straw-insulated turf roof, with solar
power for electricity, compost toilet and reed beds for grey water is now a
proven example of what the Government needs to be providing. Her journey
took her to Crystal Waters Permaculture village in Australia, Sunseed Desert
Technology centre in Spain, Findhorn spiritual community in Scotland, The
Village in Ireland and the low impact settlement, Tinkers Bubble in Somerset
England. Her trip also includes the world renowned Centre of Alternative
Technology in mid Wales. The main strand of the film follows the story of
Lammas- Britains First planned Ecovillage to be developed in England and
Wales.
Berlin, 23rd November 2009 – The world’s diverse regions and ecosystems are
close to reaching temperature thresholds – or “tipping points” – that can
unleash devastating environmental, social and economic changes, according to
a new report by WWF and Allianz.
Often global warming is seen as a process similar to a steady flow of water
in our bathrooms and kitchens, where temperature goes up gradually,
controlled by a turn of the tap.
But the report ‘Major Tipping Points in the Earth’s Climate System and
Consequences for the Insurance Sector’ documents that changes related to
global warming are likely to be much more abrupt and unpredictable – and
they could create huge social and environmental problems and cost the world
hundreds of billions of dollars.
Without immediate climate action, sea level rise on the East Coast of the
USA, the shift to an arid climate in California, disturbances of the Indian
Summer Monsoon in India and Nepal or the dieback of the Amazon rainforest
due to increasing drought, are likely to affect hundreds millions of people
and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
The study explores impacts of these “tipping points,” including their
economic consequences and implications for the insurance sector. It also
shows how close the world is to reaching “tipping points” in many regions of
the world, or how close we are to tipping the scales toward disaster.
“If we don’t take immediate action against climate change, we are in grave
danger of disruptive and devastating changes,” said Kim Carstensen, the Head
of WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Reaching a tipping point means losing
something forever. This must be a strong argument for world leaders to agree
a strong and binding climate deal in Copenhagen in December.
According to the report, carried out by the Tyndall Centre, the impacts of
passing “Tipping Points” on the livelihood of people and economic assets
have been underestimated so far. The report focuses on regions and phenomena
where such events might be expected to cause significant impacts within the
first half of the century.
“As an insurer and investor, we must prepare our clients for these scenarios
as long as we still have leeway for action,” says Clemens von Weichs, CEO of
Allianz Reinsurance. “Setting premiums risk-appropriately and sustainably is
of vital interest to everyone involved, because this is the only way to
ensure that coverage solutions will continue to exist.”
Allianz intends to address climate change by entering into dialogue with its
clients at an early date. This will allow it to point out countermeasures in
a timely way, and work together to develop specific coverage concepts,
whether for existing assets or for future climate-compatible projects like
alternative energy and water supply concepts, dyke construction, or
protection against failed harvests.
Global temperatures have already risen by at least 0.7 degrees Celsius.
Global warming above 2-3 degrees in the second half of the century is likely
unless strong extremely radical and determined efforts towards deep cuts in
emissions are put in place before 2015.
The melting of the Greenland (GIS) and the West Antarctic Ice Shield (WAIS)
could lead to a Tipping Point scenario, possibly a sea level rise of up to
0.5 meters by 2050. This is estimated to increase the value of assets at
threat in all 136 global port mega-cities by around 25.000 billion USD.
On the North-eastern coast of the USA and due to a localized anomaly, the
sea level could rise up to 0.65 meters, increasing the asset exposure from
1.350 to about 7.400 billion USD
The South Western Part of the USA, namely California, is likely to be
affected by droughts and levels of aridity similar to the Dust Bowl in the
1930s. The annual damages caused by wildfires could be tenfold compared to
today’s costs and could reach up to 2.5 billion USD per year by 2050
increasing to up to 14 billion by 2085.
70 percent of working population may be put at risk by droughts in India.
The future costs of droughts are expected to rise to approx. 40 billion USD
per decade until the middle of the century.
In a tipping point scenario, dieback of the Amazon Rainforest could reach
70% by the end of the century as a consequence of a significant increase in
the frequency of droughts in the Amazon basin. The impacts include loss of
biodiversity and massive carbon release. Costs could reach up to 9.000
billion USD for a surface of around 4 million square kilometers.
“The Tipping Points report shows how quickly we are approaching dangerous
and irreversible levels of global warming,” Carstensen said. “Economic
consequences of passing the climate tipping points are absolutely
overwhelming.”
“There is still a chance to avoid the worst and this report shows how urgent
it is to act immediately. A strong climate agreement in Copenhagen in
December is the best, if not the only chance to prevent the worst impacts of
devastating climate change.”
Today’s insurance industry has learned lessons from its experiences after
major losses caused by hurricanes like Andrew (1992), Ivan (2004) and
Katrina (2005). Better models will help people understand the frequency and
strength of natural disasters. “But good models will not be enough to
protect the climate,” explains Michael Bruch, of Allianz Global Corporate &
Specialty, the Allianz Group’s industrial insurer. “The human component is
playing an ever-increasing role in reducing the risk from natural disasters,
in terms of both risk management and combating the human causes of climate
change.”
In this video meet a family who believe in taking personal responsibility
for the way they live and effect the world around them. Follow the progress
of them applying energy and water saving ideas to their house and their move
towards urban self sufficiency in Clacton-on-sea in Essex, Great Britain.
GREEN WORKER COOPERATIVES is a South Bronx-based organization dedicated to
incubating worker-owned and environmentally friendly cooperatives in the
South Bronx. Our approach is a response to high unemployment and decades of
environmental racism. We don’t have the luxury to wait for new alternatives.
That’s why we’re creating them. We believe that in order to address our
environmental and economic problems we need new ways to earn a living that
don’t require polluting the earth or exploiting human labor.
Building an alternative green economy in the South Bronx is not a solo
endeavor. Help support our work today by making a donation. All donations
are tax-deductible and should be made out to Green Worker, Inc.
This organic grocery store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is a thriving
business with no bosses at all! Find out what they like about being a worker
co-op and how the joys and sacrifices make every day worthwhile.
*When the times get tough, the tough form co-ops*.
The upscale Colors <http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/colors/> restaurant
in New York City was founded by workers who lost their jobs when the 9/11
attacks destroyed their previous site of employment in the north tower of
the World Trade Tower.
Co-op determination isn’t limited to big cities and college towns. In
Cleveland, community activists and politicians have rallied support for
several new cooperative ventures <http://permaculture.tv/?p=1295> to help
create local jobs.
But we shouldn’t rely on anecdotes, videos or wishful thinking. What does
economic research tell us?
[image: CCC logo] Bill Mollison explains FDR’s Great Depression program the
Civilian Conservation Corps (possibly the most popular such New Deal
program) and its permaculture work swaling in dry landscapes. It is a
response to a comment <http://permaculture.tv/?p=1405#comment> on the post”The
unemployed should besiege the Obama
administration<http://permaculture.tv/?p=1405>
”
As in Transition Towns <http://permaculture.tv/?p=866>,
Klimaforum09<http://permaculture.tv/?p=1079>and other larger-scale
permaculture projects, we need to work with
governments, or more correctly make government work for us. See Klimaforum’s
10 000 Trees Strategy <http://permaculture.tv/?p=1114> which will be funded
by a 100 Euro/tonne Carbon Tax or watch for Transition Towns Totnes upcoming
book on Working with Local Government.
Bill Mollison Father of Permaculture Shares his Wisdom on Dryland Systems,
to find out more about Bill and his work please visit; www.tagari.com
The CCC performed 300 possible types of work projects within ten approved
general classifications: 1) Structural Improvements: bridges, fire towers,
service buildings; 2) Transportation: truck trails, minor roads, foot trails
and airport landing fields; 3) Erosion Control: check dams, terracing and
vegetable covering; 4) Flood Control: irrigation, drainage, dams, ditching,
channel work, riprapping; 5) Forest Culture: planting trees and shrubs,
timber stand improvement, seed collection, nursery work; 6) Forest
Protection: fire prevention, fire presuppression, fire fighting, insect and
disease control; 7) Landscape and Recreation: public camp and picnic ground
development, lake and pond site clearing and development; 8 ) Range: stock
driveways, elimination of predatory animals; 9) Wildlife: stream
improvement, stocking fish, food and cover planting; 10) Miscellaneous:
emergency work, surveys, mosquito
control.[3]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps#cite_note-2>The
typical so-called CCC
enrollee <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/enroll> was a U.S.
citizen<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._citizen>,
unmarried, unemployed male, 18–20 years of age. Each enrollee volunteered,
and upon passing a physical exam was required to serve a minimum six month
period with the option to serve as much as two years. He lived in a work
camp, received $30 a month (with a compulsory allotment $22–25 sent to a
dependent) as well as food, clothing and medical
care.[4]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps#cite_note-3>
The CCC became one of the more popular New Deal programs among the general
public, providing economic relief, rehabilitation and training for a total
of 3 million men. The CCC also provided a comprehensive work program that
combined conservation, renewal, awareness and appreciation of the nation’s
natural
resources.[5]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps#cite_note-4>The
CCC was never considered a permanent program and depended on emergency
and temporary legislation for its
existence.[6]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps#cite_note-5>On
30 June 1942 Congress voted to terminate funding for the CCC, formally
ceasing active operation of the program
During the President’s brief stop at Camp Nira [S.N.P. CCC Camp #3], he was
treated to a brief pageant entitled “The burial of old man depression and
fear and the return of happy days.”… two C.C.C. members, one with a banner
“C.C.C.” and the other with the symbol “NIRA” [National Industrial Recovery
Act], marched toward a covered object labeled “fear.” As the torchbearers
set fire to “fear”… The covering destroyed, [and] “Old Man Depression” was
revealed in effigy. This too was fired and the President happily commented,
“that’s right, burn him up.”…The bugler played “Happy Days Are Here Again”
as the President…applauded.{2}
Konso land is poor quality and the country is cut up by deep eroded gullies
and canyons. Rain is unreliable, increasingly so in recent years. These
harsh conditions have bred what some call ‘the toughest farmers in Africa’.
Tough, they certainly are. And the Konso are very good farmers. “The major
economic base is agriculture (80%) and 20% only is butchery, weaving,
pottery, black smithery, petty local brewery trades, tannery and local
carpentry.” (Korra Gara, 2008) The most notable feature of their renowned
agricultural system is its terracing, constructed over large tracts of the
rugged landscape by centuries of communal labour. The terraces reduce
erosion and are carefully crafted to balance the competing demands of
maximizing water infiltration, with allowing adequate drainage so that the
terraces do not collapse in times of heavy rain.
*Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge*
Strawberry Fields Eco Lodge <http://www.permalodge.org> is a multifaceted
project working in the Konso Special Woreda, which integrates an Eco Lodge,
model Permaculture farm (the first in Ethiopia) and PC design training
centre and consultancy facility. Our resident trainer, Mr Tichafa Makovere
from Zimbabwe has practised Permaculture in southern Africa for more than 15
years and is a veteran of the SCOPE (Schools and Colleges Outreach
Permaculture Program) <http://www.rescopeprogramme.org/about_us.html> which
has been tremendously successful in training and implementing Permaculture
in schools around southern Africa in the last decades. SFEL, with Tichafa’s
help, now seeks to repeat these successes in southern Ethiopia. So far SFEL
has given the PDC to 13 school teachers in Konso and begun implementation in
5 Konso schools, working in partnership with Save the Children Finland and
other NGOs.