June 2, 2008
Location, Location, Re-location
Location, Location, Re-location By Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power For approximately ten days last month I traveled across the United States from my former home in New Mexico to my new home in Vermont. My journey has been the culmination of...
Link to Location, Location, Re-location | June 2, 2008 8:39 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
March 6, 2008
Personal Survival in a World Gone Mad
Personal Survival in a World Gone Mad Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power Reviews "Path Through Infinity's Rainbow: Your Guide To Personal Survival and Spiritual Transformation In A World Gone Mad" by Mike Byron. We must leave the old left/right, liberal/conservative paradigm behind us. Smaller government...
Link to Personal Survival in a World Gone Mad | March 6, 2008 9:03 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
February 22, 2008
Eugene Oregon: Community and Personal Collapse Preparation. Part 1
Eugene Oregon: Community and Personal Collapse Preparation. Part 1 By Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power This is the first part of Carolyn Baker's exclusive interview with Dan Armstrong, writer, activist, and owner of MUD CITY PRESS. CB: I'm going to ask you about your book "Prairie Fire",...
Link to Eugene Oregon: Community and Personal Collapse Preparation. Part 1 | February 22, 2008 5:31 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
February 21, 2008
Review: The Final Empire - Part 2
Review: The Final Empire - Part 2 Part 2 of the review of the new book by William Kotke by Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power We are proposing to create no less than a completely new human culture that relates to the earth in a...
Link to Review: The Final Empire - Part 2 | February 21, 2008 5:48 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
February 7, 2008
Review: The Final Empire - Part 1
Review: The Final Empire - Part 1 A review of the new book by William Kotke by Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power My intention in reviewing this stunning book is to share how it has illumined my understanding that collapse and vision are not separate,...
Link to Review: The Final Empire - Part 1 | February 7, 2008 8:46 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
January 17, 2008
Transforming Communities Through Locally-Grown Food
Transforming Communities Through Locally-Grown Food By Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power Carolyn interviews Greg Cox, owner of Boardman Hill Farms, West Rutland, Vermont and is President of the Board of Rutland Area Farm and Food Links (RAFFL). After many months of trying to...
Link to Transforming Communities Through Locally-Grown Food | January 17, 2008 6:48 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
December 6, 2007
Automotive Alternative
Automotive Alternative Here is a new development that is worthy of note. The video discusses a four cylinder engine that runs on air. http://youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4...
Link to Automotive Alternative | December 6, 2007 8:03 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
November 4, 2007
The Switch Has Been Flipped: It's Too Late for Solutions
The Switch Has Been Flipped: It's Too Late for Solutions By Carolyn Baker of Speaking Truth to Power This past week I attended another screening of "What A Way To Go: Life At The End Of Empire". My intention was not to see the documentary yet again-perhaps for the fifteenth...
Link to The Switch Has Been Flipped: It's Too Late for Solutions | November 4, 2007 6:48 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
October 4, 2007
My Journey to Sustainability
My Journey to Sustainability By Tom Nielsen I had an "aha" moment the other day. I was reading an interview of a couple with an organic farm who use draft horses instead of tractors. They were asked what other alternative energy sources they use....
Link to My Journey to Sustainability | October 4, 2007 9:12 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
August 30, 2007
Greensumption
Greensumption The International Forum on Globalization has released a short video on the false solution of going "green" while maintaining or increasing consumption. It does an excellent job of addressing a number of myths. At YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ft5SSIfmeKU...
Link to Greensumption | August 30, 2007 12:59 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
April 24, 2007
Politicians Making Fools of Us All - Ethanol
Politicians Making Fools of Us All - Ethanol By: John Chuckman Ethanol has always been a poor choice as a fuel, but the scientific and economic considerations behind that statement don't stop politicians from claiming otherwise....
Link to Politicians Making Fools of Us All - Ethanol | April 24, 2007 1:08 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
November 11, 2006
Moves In the Right Direction On Environment
Moves In the Right Direction On Environment With the mid-term elections behind us, there are some important shifts on the horizon for the environment. Two of the biggest blockages to positive climate action will be moving on climate change - James Inhofe and Richard Pembro - will...
Link to Moves In the Right Direction On Environment | November 11, 2006 8:08 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
November 8, 2006
A Necessary Shift Part 2: Global Mindshift
A Necessary Shift Part 2: Global Mindshift In an effort to expand the horizon of possibility during a time when it seems we are standing on the horizon, I started searching around for "something different." My new top site in the "new" category is Global Mindshift. The...
Link to A Necessary Shift Part 2: Global Mindshift | November 8, 2006 1:26 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
November 2, 2006
A Necessary Shift Part 1: WorldChanging
A Necessary Shift Part 1: WorldChanging WorldChanging is an organization and website aimed at solutions to our environmental problems. They are releasing a new book tomorrow called WorldChanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century (at Amazon). I have seen a copy of the book and...
Link to A Necessary Shift Part 1: WorldChanging | November 2, 2006 7:25 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
October 26, 2006
A Creative Approach To Energy Production
A Creative Approach To Energy Production The Pacesetters Project is an initiative of The Facility, which is an association of British facilities architects. The project is aimed at producing electricity from daily activities - primarily foot pressure....
Link to A Creative Approach To Energy Production | October 26, 2006 8:23 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
August 24, 2006
Peak Moment Television
Peak Moment Television I had the great experience of being interviewed by the Yuba Gals - producers of Peak Moment Television. Peak Moment is a project of the for Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy (APPLE) out of Nevada City, California. They are...
Link to Peak Moment Television | August 24, 2006 6:59 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
July 30, 2006
Nuclear Power Is Not A Solution
Nuclear Power Is Not A Solution As the price of hydrocarbons goes up, and the supply of oil goes down, many are promoting a nuclear future. The problems with storage of radioactive for millions of years aside, nuclear power won't work. There are two major problems...
Link to Nuclear Power Is Not A Solution | July 30, 2006 8:14 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
July 17, 2006
Food vs. Biofuels - Why the Debate?
Food vs. Biofuels - Why the Debate?Jeff at Sustainablog has been discussing the food vs. biofuel crops debate, and so has Treehugger, but the whole discussion there leaves me with a nagging feeling. While I don't know if biofuels are going to be the right way to go in order to replace the oil regime, there's a completely different topic that I feel is being ignored in this debate.
Many well-respected researchers, chiefly among them Francis Lappe, have been saying since the 1970s that starvation and chronic hunger aren't a production problem. We have enough food to feed everyone already.
Link to Food vs. Biofuels - Why the Debate? | July 17, 2006 1:44 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
July 1, 2006
An Inconvenient Truth and NativeEnergy
An Inconvenient Truth and NativeEnergy SEE THIS MOVIE I finally got the opportunity to see "An Inconvenient Truth." It is an exceptional presentation on global warming. The visuals are very good, and recent information is included - like the CO2 measurements over the last 650,000...
Link to An Inconvenient Truth and NativeEnergy | July 1, 2006 7:34 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
June 30, 2006
Renewables Part 4a: Big Solar
Renewables Part 4a: Big Solar BY: MICHAEL KANE Renewables: Part 4a of 4 - original article Reprinted with permission, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com, P.O. Box 6061-350, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91413. 818-788-8791. FTW is published monthly, annual subscriptions are $50 per...
Link to Renewables Part 4a: Big Solar | June 30, 2006 8:50 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
Renewables Part 4b: Big Solar
Renewables Part 4b: Big Solar BY: MICHAEL KANE Renewables: Part 4b of 4 (the conclusion) Reprinted with permission, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com, P.O. Box 6061-350, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91413. 818-788-8791. FTW is published monthly, annual subscriptions are $50 per year....
Link to Renewables Part 4b: Big Solar | June 30, 2006 8:49 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
June 29, 2006
Renewables Part 3: Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street
Renewables Part 3: Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street BY: MICHAEL KANE Renewables: Part 3 of 4 - original article Reprinted with permission, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com, P.O. Box 6061-350, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91413. 818-788-8791. FTW is published monthly, annual subscriptions are $50 per...
Link to Renewables Part 3: Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street | June 29, 2006 8:51 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
June 27, 2006
Renewables Part 2: Emphasizing Proximity
Renewables Part 2: Emphasizing Proximity BY: MICHAEL KANE Renewables: Part 2 of 4 - Original article Reprinted with permission, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com, P.O. Box 6061-350, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91413. 818-788-8791. FTW is published monthly, annual subscriptions are $50 per...
Link to Renewables Part 2: Emphasizing Proximity | June 27, 2006 7:46 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
June 26, 2006
Renewables Part 1: The Problems of Centralized Power systems
Renewables Part 1: The Problems of Centralized Power systems BY: MICHAEL KANE Renewables: Part 1 of 4 - original article Reprinted with permission, Michael C. Ruppert and From The Wilderness Publications, www.fromthewilderness.com, P.O. Box 6061-350, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91413. 818-788-8791. FTW is published monthly, annual subscriptions are $50 per...
Link to Renewables Part 1: The Problems of Centralized Power systems | June 26, 2006 8:42 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
June 9, 2006
Biofuelwatch
Biofuelwatch I was recently contacted by the owner - Almuth Ernsting - of the biofuelwatch.org. I had been unfamiliar with that site and so went to check it out. The site is aimed at the EU audience, but also has a...
Link to Biofuelwatch | June 9, 2006 8:32 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
March 29, 2006
Nuclear and cheap energy
Nuclear and cheap energy When I start talking about peak oil and energy crisis, with friends or with other people, there's always some very proud genius who comes up with the sentence: "What do you worry about, pal? There's nuclear energy, it will solve...
Link to Nuclear and cheap energy | March 29, 2006 2:00 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Silvio | Category: Alternatives
March 27, 2006
The Wind Power Debate
The Wind Power DebateOk, so I can understand, I guess, not wanting a big, noisy wind turbine mucking up your view, keeping you awake, and killing birds. However, I have a problem with the extremely short-sighted way that people are complaining about wind power.
Link to The Wind Power Debate | March 27, 2006 9:31 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
January 3, 2006
Home Heating Options
Home Heating Options Mother Earth News has pulled together a great collection of articles on efficient, renewable and alternative home heating methods. They include Do-It-Yourself Solar Heat and Passive Solar Home Design; Earth-sheltered Houses and Renewable Heating Fuels. They also have links to...
Link to Home Heating Options | January 3, 2006 8:00 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
October 25, 2005
Saving Energy
Saving Energy The UNplanning Journal has a nice piece on strategies that renter can use to save energy. Renters do not have some of the options that home owners have in updating appliances or doing certain modifications to their home, that would...
Link to Saving Energy | October 25, 2005 7:40 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
October 7, 2005
How To Prevent an Avian Flu Pandemic
How To Prevent an Avian Flu PandemicBird Flu is all the rage in the news recently, and it is indeed frightening to think that this disease, now mutated and able to affect humans, might spread and become a worldwide pandemic. The British are even saying that they are looking for spots for mass mortuaries.
Link to How To Prevent an Avian Flu Pandemic | October 7, 2005 8:48 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
September 16, 2005
"Sustainable" Food Label
"Sustainable" Food LabelA new, lower-priced form of more environmentally sound food might be soon available, carrying a "sustainable" label. This article in the Sand Diego Union-Tribune has more.
Link to "Sustainable" Food Label | September 16, 2005 8:43 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
August 29, 2005
Decentralizing Infrastructure
Decentralizing InfrastructureGreenpeace just released a report (PDF) that suggests decentralizing energy. I'm an advocate for decentralizing just about everything: energy, food, power. It just makes sense. At least, it makes sense for normal citizens, not the business conglomerates and governments who use centralization to keep their power.
Link to Decentralizing Infrastructure | August 29, 2005 8:54 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
August 22, 2005
Stirling Silver Lining
Stirling Silver Lining My brother is far more pragmatic in his idealism than I am, and far more knowledgeable about sustainability. Therefore he enjoys small victories while I’m still caught up in the general angst of environmental quagmires. He recently sent me this...
Link to Stirling Silver Lining | August 22, 2005 11:22 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
Alo Novo - Responsible Online Purchasing
Alo Novo - Responsible Online PurchasingJoel Makower points us today to a really great idea, and one I can't see doing anything but succeeding. Alo Novo is basically a portal to Amazon.com, which you're probably all familiar with. Alo Novo takes Amazon's product catalog and allows you to view all of it, but with a twist - they rate the products and companies that make them based on social responsibility, environmental healthiness, workplace rights, business ethics, and customer focus.
Link to Alo Novo - Responsible Online Purchasing | August 22, 2005 10:34 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
August 15, 2005
Town Prepares for Peak
Town Prepares for Peak The town of Willits, California is taking peak oil seriously. Metro Active has an expose on what is happening in Willits titled Past the Peak: How the small town of Willits plans to beat the coming energy crisis. Int all...
Link to Town Prepares for Peak | August 15, 2005 8:07 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
August 14, 2005
My Take On What's Coming
My Take On What's Coming I guess I'm feeling pretty grim these days. In the last week, I have seen numerous "news" reports on the increasing gasoline prices. Even when they discuss supply and demand, they make it sound like a temporary problem. I guess...
Link to My Take On What's Coming | August 14, 2005 3:43 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
Earth Energy Refrigeration
Earth Energy Refrigeration A couple of weeks ago I watched a News World International (thanks Gore for killing the best international news on cable) report on a man who had invented a "refrigerator" in use in Africa. The man is Mohammed Bah Abba....
Link to Earth Energy Refrigeration | August 14, 2005 8:47 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
August 2, 2005
U.S. Crafting e-Waste Bill
U.S. Crafting e-Waste BillAccording to this article, A 2003 EPA report estimates that roughly 50 million computers and 20 million televisions are disposed of each year, but that only 10 percent are recycled. That's a big deal, considering that consumer electronics often contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury, not to mention all of the plastic and other materials, which could be recycled or properly disposed of. The bill will rely "on incentives, rather than up-front fees or end-of-life penalties, to deal with electronic waste."
This is, supposedly, a "bi-partisan effort." I hope this actually works out, because it's a very serious issue that many have absolutely no idea about. We toss our old TVs and computers with nary a thought as to the environmental consequences, and it's high time we started thinking about that.
Link to U.S. Crafting e-Waste Bill | August 2, 2005 5:50 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
July 27, 2005
Pimentel's Biofuel Study Is Bunk
Pimentel's Biofuel Study Is BunkThe word is that the study by Cornell's Dr. Pimentel, documented by me here and here, might be worthy of a little mocking. The problem I see, however, is that we have conflict of interest on both sides of the argument.
On the one hand, we have Dr. Pimentel, apparently known for "dissing" biofuels for years, saying that there is a net energy loss, especially when using petroleum, when biofuels are created. Then, on the other hand, we have a pretty good rebuttal from The National Corn Growers Association. The problem with the rebuttal, of course, is that it's from the National Corn Growers Association.
Link to Pimentel's Biofuel Study Is Bunk | July 27, 2005 6:10 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
July 22, 2005
Cornell: Biofuels Not Worth It
Cornell: Biofuels Not Worth ItSustainable Triad is a great resource about environmental concerns and sustainability from my local area (the North Carolina Piedmont Triad). He just posted a story the other day about biofuels, one of the alternative energies I really like, and it's not a happy story.
For ethanol production, if corn, switch grass, or wood is used as the source, the amount of fossil fuel consumed in production is greater than the equivalent ethanol output by 29% to 57%, depending on the source (corn is best, wood is worst).
UPDATE, 7/25/05 - Today we have this story, which discusses a new process for creating Biofuel from Biomass that creates TWICE the amount of usable fuel as other processes. There might be hope for Biofuels yet.
Link to Cornell: Biofuels Not Worth It | July 22, 2005 10:51 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
July 21, 2005
I'm Disappointed In Car Alternators
I'm Disappointed In Car AlternatorsSo, I had this idea yesterday, which I now know isn't feasible because of the extremely energy inefficient way that alternators work in cars. For those of you who don't know, the alternator creates an electric current from the engine being run in order to charge your car's battery, thereby powering your radio, the starter, air conditioning, etc.
My idea was that if the alternator stops when the battery doesn't need to be charged, then I could install a few solar panels on the car (like those trickle chargers you can use to keep RV batteries from dying if they're not going to be used for a while) to keep your battery topped off and therefore use less gas to charge it.
Link to I'm Disappointed In Car Alternators | July 21, 2005 6:51 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
July 18, 2005
Attaining Simple Living Through Peace and Chaos
Attaining Simple Living Through Peace and ChaosWritten For My Simple Living Class:
The idea of "living simply" can be many things to many people. To Puritan settlers in early America, it meant wearing plain clothes, not being ostentatious, and even enacting laws to make sure these ideas were carried out (Shi, The Simple Life, Chapter 1). To the Transcendentalists, such as Henry David Thoreau, it could mean living in a small cabin in the woods (The Simple Life, p. 140). To the hippies of the 1960s, it was about living freely, without allowing oneself to be stifled by cultural stigmas (The Simple Life, p. 251). All of these are examples of what the simple life can mean to people, depending on when and where they lived and what influenced them.
Link to Attaining Simple Living Through Peace and Chaos | July 18, 2005 2:01 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
June 8, 2005
NC Green Power and Driving Green
NC Green Power and Driving Green
Since it's World Environment Day, here's my 'something green' for now: NC GreenPower. This is a non-profit organization, the first green energy program in the nation to win the support of all the electric utilities in the state. That's something to be VERY proud of, North Carolinians.
This basically works like Green Tags, in that you're paying for renewable energy in order to offset the non-renewable energy you use. The difference is that you're offsetting your home's energy use rather than your vehicle's energy use.
Link to NC Green Power and Driving Green | June 8, 2005 1:08 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
May 19, 2005
In Search of Wild Carrots ... Part 2
In Search of Wild Carrots ... Part 2 I originally was going to write a series of pieces on the wild plants we could consume as I was under the impression that the majority of wild plants had been so domesticated that nothing much grows wild anymore. What...
Link to In Search of Wild Carrots ... Part 2 | May 19, 2005 1:06 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
May 17, 2005
Citgo
Citgo In light of the record profits the major US oil companies are making and how much support they are throwing behind the Bush mis-administration might I suggest buying what gas you have to from Citgo. Citgo is a U.S. refining...
Link to Citgo | May 17, 2005 11:40 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
May 1, 2005
Ways to Utilize Our Most Natural By-Product
Ways to Utilize Our Most Natural By-Product Last week the “president” declared, with his typically stunning rhetorical acumen, that: “’technology is the ticket’ for ’a problem that has been years in the making’ and will take time to resolve. He said he was determined to spur development...
Link to Ways to Utilize Our Most Natural By-Product | May 1, 2005 9:19 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
April 23, 2005
An Earth Day Essay
An Earth Day Essay A Very Old Fashioned Idea Indeed We all know that in today's world, it would be virtually impossible to get people to voluntarily switch from automated machinery including automobiles to horsepower. Laws of the land dictate that we cannot...
Link to An Earth Day Essay | April 23, 2005 1:12 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
April 13, 2005
In Search of Wild Carrots: Part 1
In Search of Wild Carrots: Part 1 In this portion, I am looking at the kinds of foods that were eaten by the Natives to the Northwest area. This includes the tribes living in the lower Puget Sound region. The land here was not considered owned by...
Link to In Search of Wild Carrots: Part 1 | April 13, 2005 12:33 AM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives
April 8, 2005
Environmentalism Better Not Be Dead
Environmentalism Better Not Be Dead In September of 2004 Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus (both with long careers in environmental activism) wrote a monograph titled The Death of Environmentalism: Global Warming Politics in a Post-Environmental World. It is a presentation that has generated tremendous discussion...
Link to Environmentalism Better Not Be Dead | April 8, 2005 6:17 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: Rowan Wolf | Category: Alternatives
April 6, 2005
In Search of Wild Carrots... Introduction
In Search of Wild Carrots... Introduction It is hard to imagine a world where our food sources just grow naturally without human intervention. Since the agricultural revolution, fruit and vegetable food sources have been manipulated in such a manner that many species cannot grow without human...
Link to In Search of Wild Carrots... Introduction | April 6, 2005 10:04 PM || TrackBack | Author: By: | Category: Alternatives