Professor Lonnie Gamble | StudentBlogs / Marissa

"Sustainability starts with the Self"

Focusing on permaculture design principles has made me more aware of the different aspects of our world: towns, roads, neighborhoods, homes, stores, and America's "big building mindset." It's interesting how simple steps can be taken to make things more sustainable, and also how it was the simplest mistakes in the process of designing that result in unsustainable creations.

Seeing the Andy Goldsworthy video the other day left the impression on me that our society needs to re-connect with nature; nature knows best how to organize.

If you guys aren't busy vermicomposting check out http://www.blinknow.org. A friend of mine started a children's home in Nepal from her own hands and heart for refugee children to gain an education. Her mission is to create a sustainable community there.

This rockin project turns booty shaking into kilowatts that power a dance club's utilities - lights, speakers, and more. Creativity and sustainability baby. Check out the site and video to see just how the technology works. http://inhabitat.com/2007/03/06/sustainable-dance-club/

Permaculture Magazine Assignment - 5000 Years of Agroforestry: This article tells the story of a visit to a Parcela, meaning "garden," that's embedded within the 12,000 year old cloud forest of Mexico. It is here that Ricardo Menses lovingly tends to a 3 hectre plot that has been in his family for decades. The author of the article proclaims that Ricardo's plot, although modest in size, is not only healthy and beautiful, but houses an abundance of cultivars (over 40) and utilizes every square inch of space in the most efficiently intelligent way. He does this by respecting principles of biodiversity, symbiosis, and nutrient cycling. These are all principles that Ricardo's ancestors have been practicing in the region for over 5,000 years, learning from the land through direct experience. It is this concept of working in accord with nature that allows Ricardo's garden to thrive. Articles like this both inspire and make me want to shout at the practices of modern agriculture. It's essential that our society recognize the need for a revolution of our agriculture systems. We need to go back to the integral knowledge of the land and work with nature instead of against it.

Guild - Kentucky Coffee Tree: The tree received its name because early American Colonists settled Kentucky found the tree, and ground the seeds of the pods as a coffee substitute. Gymnacladus dioica is its botanical name which is derived from the word meaning "naked branches" which the tree has over six months of the year, being one of the first deciduous trees to lose its branches and one of the last to re-grow and blossom in spring. For this reason the french canadians nicknamed it "chicot" which means "dead tree" although the tree usually lives about 100 years. The size of the tree ranges from 75 - 100 ft. with a 2 - 2 1/2 ft. circumference. It has dark gray bark with fissures, twice compound leaves, and greenish-white blossoms, and pods containing seeds that are edible (when roasted). The female trees alone produce the pods. Although the tree is tolerant to many environments (pollution, drought, etc.) it enjoys alluvial soils of a limestone base. The tree is ideal for an ornamental shade tree near homes, parks, golf courses, or streets. It's a nitrogen fixer and and has a tropical look. Bleeding heart can be planted near it because it thrives in partial shade.

Tallgrass Bioneers at Grinnel - I had a lot of fun this weekend. I had really been desiring to go to the actual Bioneers conference in California this year, but being connected to the conference via satellite made me feel a part of the whole thing. The Bioneers movement itself is incredibly inspiring. Nina and Kenny Simons make me feel proud to be a part of the SL Movement and allow me to realize how vast the movement is, it incorporates all aspects of life and the world. Their journey in creating Bioneers is a good example of the increasing consciousness in the SL movement.

All of the prelinary speakers were inspiring in their own way. The passion and intelligence in some of them was invigorating, i.e. Van Jones, Jay Harmen, Majora Carter, and John Abrams. I enjoyed all of them from the innovative inventions modeled off of the spiral movement, to the social issues, to the indigenous people's stories.

I was moved by John Abrams. I thought he brought out pivotal points especially in terms of globalization and the importance of employee ownership. If the people making the decisions are responsible for the outcomes, the decisions will be better! "Nobody has ever washed a rented car."

Listening to Van Jones and Majora Carter was mind-opening. They enlightened me on aspects of sustainability I don't often get exposed to. The SL Movement touches every aspect of life and the world, and social aspects are a part of that. Van Jones brought out the point that as the green wave moves forward we have to be aware of who we are taking with us and who we are leaving behind. The green movement has to incorporate the lower class people and help lift them up. Majora Carter's success in helping poverty-stricken areas was awesome. "Our image of our self is mirrored in our surroundings, we all deserve to be surrounded by beauty." It's interesting taking note on how the poorest design is in the poorest communities. Majora emphasized that civil rights and environmentalism need to develop together.

At the workshop on Saturday I listened to a labor union worker talk about the death of his 12 year old child and the screwed up laws and rights for workers. In one of his family member's work places she had to be on birth control because the chemicals workers were exposed to were lethal and could lead to birth defects. That's not humane. It was kind of depressing aknowledging the unfairness in labor and trade on a global scale. I guess we all just do what we can where we are even if it is just meditating and buying fair trade chocolate.

I enjoyed the music and art permeating throughout the conference. Art is an essential part of growth and progression. I thought it was valuable having the grandmothers present the ancient wisdom they hold in their native languages. There is great knowledge to be learned from elders and indigenous cultures.

Paul Anastos's presentation on green chemistry and the 12 principles was interesting. His point that we need to reduce the design of chemical products to reduce chemical waste was valuable. Responsibility to what we create must be made. "Problems cannot be solved on the same level that created them." We need to raise our consciousness and in doing so, take right action towards a sustainable and regenerative future.

In terms of taking action I think reaching out to other community members and especially young people in Fairfield is an important step to take in getting people excccccited about the SL Movement. Allowing people to have fun opportunities is something I want to do...