Promoting happiness through sustainability (#journal)

Happiness as a harmonising path for bringing higher education towards sustainability

 This paper is a reflection of an innovative project that complements existing higher education for sustainable development approaches within universities by providing an alternative path to embed sustainable lifestyles within the student population. It presents the SLEUTH project; an initiative born out of the need to reduce energy consumption of students at university but that, due to its systemic design, transforms and goes beyond purely energy reduction and brings Happiness as an approach to build sustainable lifestyles.

The future of urban food production (#journal)

Readjusting to reality: Urban and peri-urban agriculture to ease the downward passage

 Over the past three decades optimism has ebbed away and the future seems not only increasingly uncertain but also potentially catastrophic in the face of global warming and declining energy resources. Changes are now starting to take place, indicating new directions in urban development, initially in the local provisioning of food through urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) growing rapidly almost everywhere in the world. Whilst food security is, in many cities, the primary consideration, there are many other concerns, motivations, starting points and means of organising UPA initiatives. This paper analyses the background to the growth of UPA and describes some contrasting examples. It ends with a return to the consideration of where, in the longer term, the UPA movement may be going, speculating on an eventual re-ruralisation of populations and the decline of cities.

Intergrating eco-feminism and systems thinking (#journal)

Principled success: Eco-feminism and systems thinking come together for better project outcomes

 The purpose of this paper is to report on the product of a ten year study, the PhD thesis, “Feminist Systems Thinking: Principles and Practice”, conferred in April, 2012 by the University of Queensland, which contains a set of five practical principles, to assist in policy directions for enhanced community development and project management. The research adapted Constructivist Grounded Theory to complete Part A, a theoretical imbrication of Cultural Ecofeminism and Critical Systems Thinking. Part B of the thesis is a set of four applied case studies utilising participatory action research. It is influenced by permaculture principles.

Geoff Lawton gives TED talk on permaculture (on-line)

Video Friday: Permaculture – Ecological Engineering Modeled on Nature

Permaculture consultant Geoff Lawton speaks at a TEDx event in San Francisco about the importance of permaculture, the interconnectedness of all biological and ecological systems, and the need for “eco-systemic” design to advance human culture and sustainability for future generations.

Foraging from your local landsacape (book)

The Thrifty Forager; living off your local landscape

The author takes a fresh look at foraging, encouraging you to look closer to home, from the weeds in your garden to the trees in your street, rather than the fields and hedgerows of the countryside. She showcases her favourite edibles with a plant directory packed with useful information – photographic identification, plant description and tips on how to grow and how to eat it (including recipes) – that will give you the confidence to identify plants yourself. Features innovative ideas for eating your local landscape – this is a fast-growing, global phenomenon that is fun, environmentally friendly and thrifty.

Sepp Holzer turns desert into paradise (book)

Desert or Paradise

Desert or Paradise is a practical guide to restoring damaged, unproductive land by constructing or restoring lakes and ponds to support abundant edible landscapes. These provide fresh water mixed aquacultures, orchards and crops planted along the banks and literally reaquify the the surrounding landscape to turn back the tide of encroaching desertification. Desert or Paradise explains why natural water management is at the centre of any earth restoration; how to design water retention area that produces ‘living’ water; show you how to preventing and reversing desertification; how to prevent floods and soil erosion; dam building; growing and harvesting fish; creating economic as well as biological diversity and much more.

Hot Beds (book)

Hot Beds: How to grow early crops using an age-old technique

The ancient method of growing vegetables in hot beds, used by the Victorians and by the Romans, harnesses the natural process of decay to cultivate out-of-season crops. Jack First has revived and modernised this remarkable technique, and produces healthy vegetables at least two months earlier than conventionally grown crops. With just stable manure (or alternatives), a simple frame and a small space to build your bed, you can be harvesting salads in March and potatoes in early April.