Governments today have no vision but endless economic growth. They are judged not by the number of people in employment, let alone by the number of people in satisfying, pleasurable jobs, not by the happiness of the population or the protection of the natural world. Job-free, world-eating growth is fine, as long as it’s growth. There are no ends any more, just means.
In their interesting but curiously incomplete book, How Much is Enough?, Robert and Edward Skidelsky note that “Capitalism rests precisely on this endless expansion of wants. That is why, for all its success, it remains so unloved. It has given us wealth beyond measure, but has taken away the chief benefit of wealth: the consciousness of having enough. … The vanishing of all intrinsic ends leaves us with only two options: to be ahead or to be behind. Positional struggle is our fate.”
They note that the nations with the longest working hours – the US, UK and Italy in the graph of OECD nations they publish – are those with the greatest inequality. They might have added that they are also the three with the lowest levels of social mobility.
Decode Encode
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2013-05-07
3 notesSource: monbiot.com
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2013-05-02
2 notesThe Wealth of the Commons: A World Beyond Market and State
Dave Bollier, Editor of “The Wealth of the Commons: Beyond Market and State”, has announced that all the essays in the book are now available online at:
http://www.wealthofthecommons.org
Here is an excerpt from the introduction:
It has become increasingly clear that we are poised between an old world that no longer works and a new one struggling to be born. Surrounded by centralized hierarchies on the one hand and predatory markets on the other, people around the world are searching for alternatives. That is the message of various social conflicts all over the world – of the Spanish Indignados and the Occupy movement, and of countless social innovators on the Internet. People want to emancipate themselves not just from poverty and shrinking opportunities, but from governance systems that do not allow them meaningful voice and responsibility. This book is about how we can find the new paths to navigate this transition. It is about our future.
Dave summarises the content …
The five sections of the book give a good idea of its themes: “The Commons as a New Paradigm”; “Capitalism, Enclosure and Resistance”; “Commoning – A Social Innovation for Our Times”; “Knowledge Commons for Social Change”; and “Envisioning a Commons-Based Policy and Production Framework.”
The book chronicles many ongoing struggles against the private commoditization of shared resources – while documenting the immense generative power of the commons. It explains how millions of commoners are defending their forests and fisheries, reinventing local food systems, organizing productive online communities, reclaiming public spaces, improving environmental stewardship and re-imagining the very meaning of “progress” and governance.
See full article at bollier.org.
Source: bollier.org
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A print of the watercolour of “Debt and her Debtors” by Molly Crabapple just completed the journey from NY to NZ. This is part of the wonderful SHELL GAME series …
Shell Game is a series of large-scale paintings about the revolutions and crisis of 2011, including the mortgage bubble, the Greek anti-austerity protests, and Occupy Wall Street.
Molly Crabapple has just made the art from her SHELL GAME exhibition available under a Creative Commons license. See details below.
Check out her website, tumblr and Etsy store while you are at it.
My first major solo show, SHELL GAME, closed last Tuesday.
Shell Game was covered by the New Republic, Rolling Stone, Fast Company, Wired, Reuters, the American Reader and many more. The openings were attended by hundreds of people –– many of whom, through their support of Shell Game’s kickstarter, made this whole project possible.
I’m starting to think about my next project, which will explore ideas of explicitly digital culture and privacy. I may even work with an institution or cultural organization to bring it to life on the largest scale possible.
Without the support of hundreds of people online, Shell Game would never have happened. The internet believed in me, believed in the promise of my art, and showed that in concrete ways.
The internet gave me Shell Game.
I want to give them something back.
Today is May Day. The day of workers, immigrants, beautiful young girls, and rebellion. I’m releasing all the art from SHELL GAME on Creative Commons. Share. Remix. Make art. Wheatpaste the world.
Click each image to see it in high resolution. Non-commercial use only and attribution is mandatory (see CreativeCommons below).
Source: mollycrabapple
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2013-04-29
Wealth Inequality in America (by Permasolutions)
Infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers. The reality is often not what we think it is.
via PRI Australia
Source: youtube.com
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2013-04-28
6 notesThe Food Forest (by guy10family)
The Guytons started planting their food forest in 1998 on two acres of bare land in Riverton, New Zealand. This style of gardening was new to Southland so their neighbours did not approve. Now it is an established food forest with hundreds of different plant species. Fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs and wild plants all blended together in a productive and sustainable way. This short video introduces concepts of permaculture.
Source: youtube.com
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2 notesTemperate Climate Permaculture Food Forest (Riverton, New Zealand) (by Permasolutions)
Source: youtube.com
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2013-04-25
Carbon Omissions Animation (by PIRC UK)
A new animation about consumption, climate change and wellbeing by PIRC, George Monbiot and Leo Murray.
Website Here: carbonomissions.org.uk
Found via The Guardian
Source: youtube.com
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2013-04-15
5 notesREPORT: Making your own liquid fertilizer
I came across a PDF Report, Making your own liquid fertilizer, by W F BRINTON Ph.D. from Woods End Laboratories. From the cover …
What’s in your grass clippings, seaweed, chicken manure and urine and how can it be used safely and effectively as a nutrient source?
It includes an analysis of the nutrients in each fertilizer made and some discussion of potential problems.
View PDF Report: Making your own liquid fertilizer
Related Article at Mother Earth News: Free, Homemade Liquid Fertilizers
Found via GrowVeg.com
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2013-04-03
4 notes
Plant Guilds E-Book from Bryce Ruddock / Midwest Permaculture
Source: tcpermaculture.blogspot.co.nz
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2013-03-25
3 notesPsychology for a Better World (by Niki Harre)
Niki Harre has also written a book with the same name. This is available as a free pdf download.
Psychology for a Better World is for people who believe it is worth trying to make a world in which both our species and the ecological systems we are part of can flourish. The book is based on the latest research in psychology and is jam packed with action strategies. It offers new ways to think about how people interact in social settings, why we are tempted to stick with what we know, and how the same characteristics that currently keep us hooked into unsustainable practices can be used to move us forward. The final chapter is a guide to help you analyse what you are doing to contribute towards a better world, and how you can be more effective while simultaneously increasing your personal wellbeing.
Source: youtube.com
