Finding Problems, Finding Solutions
1. Dark Ecology by Paul Kingsnorth; an essay published in Orion Magazine January 2013.
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/7277
This article as published is restricted by copyright; and I have not had the time (yet) to communicate with the author or the publisher to obtain permission to reproduce it. As a result, my brief discussion is hindered by a lack of ability to use quoted material. I strongly recommend that you read this essay in light of the agenda of 'finding problems'.
In my experience with the 'organic food' movement (watching with horror as the term is co-opted by big business as a means to double the price of food while paying lip service to the concept), I can relate to what he says about technology overtaking the green movement.
In the last part of the essay, Kingsnorth speaks of what we as humans have the power to do. He considers many efforts to be 'a waste of time' (your mileage may vary), but he does propose 5 activities worth doing;
1. 'withdrawing', 2. 'preserving non-human life', 3. 'getting your hands dirty', 4. 'seeing the value of nature (beyond utility)', and 5. 'building refuges'.
The question of what individuals and groups have power and responsibility to do is indeed a weighty one. It is up to each individual to grapple with this for him or herself.
When I reached this point in his essay, it was (relatively speaking) an 'aha' moment; because these are things that time after time have been my fall-backs.
1.If the institution is corrupt, then withdraw. ('Wherefore come out, and be ye separate')
2. Rebel against the mistreatment of animals and other species by giving them a place to live.
3. Pursuit of goal #2 leads directly to getting your hands dirty.
4. You probably already saw the 'value of nature', but when you live it in the company of your protected species, you become it, become part of the ecosystem.
5. This allows you to enlarge the sphere of operations as is practicable to accomplish the creation of a refuge
One point on which to be very cautious is the nature of organizations touting the creation of refuges. look at the Nature Conservany, for an example; read their publications, look at their supporters, and then read deeper. If you are participating in the refuge, you know the agenda, you know the activities. If you are supporting a large organization, you do well to look deeply into their agenda(s) and activities.
It is not all one thing, or all another. We as humans are part of the ecosystem. We need to eat and live. A version of Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' can be applied here- liveable atmosphere and temperature, food, clothing and shelter, and on through the list. But Kingsnorth's words on appropriate technology vs the lure of- for example- power tools- are powerful indeed.
2. http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/
'...Welcome to the online text of "Economic Resilience," a community how-to booklet written by Joanne Poyourow of Transition Los Angeles.' (Outline with clickable links follows)
About "Economic Resilience"
Part I: Understanding Economic Contraction
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/7277
This article as published is restricted by copyright; and I have not had the time (yet) to communicate with the author or the publisher to obtain permission to reproduce it. As a result, my brief discussion is hindered by a lack of ability to use quoted material. I strongly recommend that you read this essay in light of the agenda of 'finding problems'.
In my experience with the 'organic food' movement (watching with horror as the term is co-opted by big business as a means to double the price of food while paying lip service to the concept), I can relate to what he says about technology overtaking the green movement.
In the last part of the essay, Kingsnorth speaks of what we as humans have the power to do. He considers many efforts to be 'a waste of time' (your mileage may vary), but he does propose 5 activities worth doing;
1. 'withdrawing', 2. 'preserving non-human life', 3. 'getting your hands dirty', 4. 'seeing the value of nature (beyond utility)', and 5. 'building refuges'.
The question of what individuals and groups have power and responsibility to do is indeed a weighty one. It is up to each individual to grapple with this for him or herself.
When I reached this point in his essay, it was (relatively speaking) an 'aha' moment; because these are things that time after time have been my fall-backs.
1.If the institution is corrupt, then withdraw. ('Wherefore come out, and be ye separate')
2. Rebel against the mistreatment of animals and other species by giving them a place to live.
3. Pursuit of goal #2 leads directly to getting your hands dirty.
4. You probably already saw the 'value of nature', but when you live it in the company of your protected species, you become it, become part of the ecosystem.
5. This allows you to enlarge the sphere of operations as is practicable to accomplish the creation of a refuge
One point on which to be very cautious is the nature of organizations touting the creation of refuges. look at the Nature Conservany, for an example; read their publications, look at their supporters, and then read deeper. If you are participating in the refuge, you know the agenda, you know the activities. If you are supporting a large organization, you do well to look deeply into their agenda(s) and activities.
It is not all one thing, or all another. We as humans are part of the ecosystem. We need to eat and live. A version of Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' can be applied here- liveable atmosphere and temperature, food, clothing and shelter, and on through the list. But Kingsnorth's words on appropriate technology vs the lure of- for example- power tools- are powerful indeed.
2. http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/
'...Welcome to the online text of "Economic Resilience," a community how-to booklet written by Joanne Poyourow of Transition Los Angeles.' (Outline with clickable links follows)
About "Economic Resilience"
Part I: Understanding Economic Contraction
Part II: Possible Scenarios for the future
Part III: Local Resilience Through Collapse
- Herman Daly: Steady State Economics
- Stoneleigh: Debt and Energy
- Tim Jackson: Prosperity without Growth
- James Gustave Speth: Economics and Political Action
- Helena Norberg-Hodge: Going Local
- Charles Eisenstein: A Gift Culture
- Framework from the New Economics Foundation
Part III: Local Resilience Through Collapse