Apologies for my silence here – the book-writing has been in overdrive, and I’ve also been trying (with limited success) to keep up with the winter’s woodland work.
The first two rules of a sustainable future are simplify and simplify. The third is decarbonize, seriously decarbonize. And now, having stumbled onto Substack and the podcasts phenomena, just how energy intensive are these brave new communication tools? I absolutely adore my state’s inter library loan system. Bibliographies were how I found such a like minded visionary as Chris Smaje in the first place. My gut tells me just stick with books.
Another key word for sustainability is "balance". Humans have to make tools and alter nature in order to survive, and we don't know when to stop. population has quadrupled in my life time and resources like forests and topsoil have plummeted because people want to survive (in the short term), at any cost (in the long term)
If we can learn the necessity of being in balance with the resources that keep us alive, we can be sustainable. I think being human means making the choice "if staying alive means i have to destroy my community, then I don't really want to stay alive "
If we can't learn that, then we are like a cancer destroying the organism .
Sorry if this sounds preachy, I'm still trying to work it out myself.
this section was the highlight of this post - that number was ALWAYS going to be wrong - and i am beyond thrilled to find some maths - if thats what we have to use - to show us what we innately know to be true
Oooh the new book sounds interesting, looking forward to it (I must admit I skipped out on your second book; I am batting on your side but I just got a bit tired of the argument with Monbiot).
That vertical rice farm on the side of the building makes me laugh. One of my in-laws here in the Philippines recently began working for a food rescue NGO (I wrote a Substack note about this but will refrain from posting clickbait). They only have two trucks. They basically get called up by companies that are about to throw out perfectly good food that might be close to expiry date and have the chance to divert that food from landfill and feed needy people in Manila (of which there are many, many, many - I can't stress that enough).
Anyway, they also drive up to a truck-stop on the far reaches of Manila to pick up 2,000 kgs of perfectly fine, fresh fruit and vegetables that the supermarket dealers didn't buy. This truck-stop is one of many surrounding the city, and is basically where the farmers' produce from a particular province is dropped off and then sold to supermarkets, etc.
It's one of many, there's a truck stop for each province bringing in fresh fruit and vegetables.
So, like I said, the food rescue NGO goes there maybe twice a week and each time collects 2,000 kgs of food waste.
Just at this particular truckstop, they actually have 20,000 kgs of fresh fruit and vegetables WASTED each day.
As others have said, looking forward to your book, Chris.
We've been heading fast down a dead end road but the potentially good news is that the evidence is becoming harder to ignore. we are beginning to realize that industrialization can't replace community.
The first two rules of a sustainable future are simplify and simplify. The third is decarbonize, seriously decarbonize. And now, having stumbled onto Substack and the podcasts phenomena, just how energy intensive are these brave new communication tools? I absolutely adore my state’s inter library loan system. Bibliographies were how I found such a like minded visionary as Chris Smaje in the first place. My gut tells me just stick with books.
Another key word for sustainability is "balance". Humans have to make tools and alter nature in order to survive, and we don't know when to stop. population has quadrupled in my life time and resources like forests and topsoil have plummeted because people want to survive (in the short term), at any cost (in the long term)
If we can learn the necessity of being in balance with the resources that keep us alive, we can be sustainable. I think being human means making the choice "if staying alive means i have to destroy my community, then I don't really want to stay alive "
If we can't learn that, then we are like a cancer destroying the organism .
Sorry if this sounds preachy, I'm still trying to work it out myself.
Great news all round. Those ecomodernists need to do their maths! Look forward to the book.
this section was the highlight of this post - that number was ALWAYS going to be wrong - and i am beyond thrilled to find some maths - if thats what we have to use - to show us what we innately know to be true
Oooh the new book sounds interesting, looking forward to it (I must admit I skipped out on your second book; I am batting on your side but I just got a bit tired of the argument with Monbiot).
That vertical rice farm on the side of the building makes me laugh. One of my in-laws here in the Philippines recently began working for a food rescue NGO (I wrote a Substack note about this but will refrain from posting clickbait). They only have two trucks. They basically get called up by companies that are about to throw out perfectly good food that might be close to expiry date and have the chance to divert that food from landfill and feed needy people in Manila (of which there are many, many, many - I can't stress that enough).
Anyway, they also drive up to a truck-stop on the far reaches of Manila to pick up 2,000 kgs of perfectly fine, fresh fruit and vegetables that the supermarket dealers didn't buy. This truck-stop is one of many surrounding the city, and is basically where the farmers' produce from a particular province is dropped off and then sold to supermarkets, etc.
It's one of many, there's a truck stop for each province bringing in fresh fruit and vegetables.
So, like I said, the food rescue NGO goes there maybe twice a week and each time collects 2,000 kgs of food waste.
Just at this particular truckstop, they actually have 20,000 kgs of fresh fruit and vegetables WASTED each day.
As others have said, looking forward to your book, Chris.
We've been heading fast down a dead end road but the potentially good news is that the evidence is becoming harder to ignore. we are beginning to realize that industrialization can't replace community.