Ed Dowding

Month: November 2011

Permaculture principles

It seems this list can bring wisdom and insight to pretty much everything we do. Apart from the more specific ones (like ‘keep water high on the land’, but maybe just try to metaphor these as taoist haikus to trigger bewildering insights.) Relative Location Components placed in a system are viewed relatively, not in isolation. ...

Toy Story

Real democracy is rising on the horizon

The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.What is needed is a democratic alternative to the political-state system. This alternative must be built by people’s assemblies across the country, to facilitate a new constitution guaranteeing: full social and political participation a new and ...

Top 5 reasons NOT to buy organic

1. It’s too expensive (and I’ve got a family to feed.) There are two separate issues here: Is it too expensive – or does your regular shop charge too much for it? Is it too expensive – or is the other food too cheap? (Or more to the point: are you just paying the extra ...

How we feed ourselves

You may have seen a recent report saying that going meat free one day per week saves more greenhouse gas emissions than eating a fully local diet. It seems kind of dubious, doesn’t it? You’re telling me that shipping grains and fruit half way around the world has less environmental impact than raising it locally? ...