Energy Efficient

The university of Missouri-Colombia in the US has put out an excellent design for an energy efficient greenhouse. It involves using raised beds to maximise heat received by plants and black drums filled with water that soak up the heat in the day and release it at night.

Foldable Plastic

Dutch designer Daniel Schipper has created a greenhouse design that could possibly be made out of recycled plastics and is also completely foldable.

Plastic Bottles

REAP, a sustainability group in the north of Scotland came up a design based on plastic fizzy drink bottles. They cut the bases out of each bottle and fitted them inside each other along a garden stake. These are then assembled onto a frame. They have put an instruction guide together, and you can get it here. There is also a good photo of it here.

Those words again; “…a time of Jubilee is coming…”

Jubilee was the time when all land was returned to its original owner. A system ensuring that power and wealth did not gradually pool upwards leaving people stuck in systemic poverty with little hope of climbing out. A lease hold economic market rather than a private ownership economic market. I realise a direct parallel is not applicable, yet there is surely cause for reflection - “Lord search us and know us.”

Back to the song; “…a mighty river through our nation.” A typical western symbol of justice is a blindfold lady holding balanced scales. Blindfolded, objective, dispassionate; when the balance is even, that is justice. A scriptural symbol is of a mighty flowing river, passionate, often in favour of the marginalised and dispossessed, seeking a return to relationship and wholeness whatever that might take.

A new grassroots initiative, the Israeli Coalition of Women for Peace, has set up a web site to help do just this in regards to the occupation of Gaza. The database and information center reflects an on-going two-year effort, rigorous research, and documentation of who profits from the Israeli occupation.

Visit the database here. http://www.whoprofits.org

Remember, remember the 5th of November - so the saying goes.

Well folks, before you light your crackers this year, come along and remember the amazing story of Parihaka and how the people of this Taranaki village used non violent tactics to protest the forceful capture of their village and land. That’s right, before Gandhi and Martin Luther King, peaceful civil disobedience was alive and well in 1881 Aotearoa.

Come to stand for peace, wherever conflict or injustice is found, and celebrate the inspiring story of Parihaka. May we renew the story in our world as we live lives that resist the proud and give grace to the humble.

Please come, and invite your friends to this unique service. We begin at 7pm, Wednesday 5 November at Island Bay Presbyterian Church. Supper will follow.

Arohanui,

David

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/organic-farming-could-feed-africa-968641.html

Sustainable Agriculture-not starting from ground zero

Agriculture remains a major employer in the world, providing jobs to about 40% of the total world labour force.

The Global Green New Deal should include a major international program. This should be led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, to provide long-term support for investing in land restoration, soil and water conservation, integrated pest management, organic production, infrastructure development, extension services, and market support in the developing world.

Organic agriculture triggers very polarized views, seen by some as the saviour and others as a niche, even luxury product unable to meet the needs of billions of people.

Studies indicate that organic agriculture in both the North and the South employees more people. But what of the wider benefits?

A new survey by the UN Conference on Trade and the Environment and UNEP in East Africa found that over 90 per cent of studies show that organic or near organic agriculture had benefits for soil fertility; water control; improved water tables, carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

This allows farmers to extend the growing season in marginal areas. The research in East Africa was among 1.6 million organic or near organic farmers from seven countries working on 1.4 million hectares.

Other findings include an increase in crop yields of 128 per cent since switching.

Higher incomes too as a result of not having to buy fertilizers and pesticides; more food availability; higher prices paid through certification schemes for both export and domestic markets-addresses poverty in environmentally friendly way.

Close to 90 per cent of cases showed increase in farm and household incomes and because organic agriculture is more knowledge intensive it has lead to improvements in education; community bonds and cooperation on market access.

The report concludes:” Organic and near-organic agricultural methods and technologies are ideally suited for many poor, marginalized smallholder farmers in Africa, as they require minimal or no external inputs, use locally and naturally available materials to produce high-quality products, and encourage a whole systemic approach to farming that is more diverse and resistant to stress”.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=548&ArticleID=5957&l=en

Here’s the link:  http://www2.regent-college.edu/marketplace/audio.html

Lots of interesting stuff in there. Part of the discussion I found most interesting was about land ownership and accumulation and jubilee, especially in light of some debates I’ve had with a Christian friend who’s heavily into residential property investment.

Isaiah 5:8 “Woe to you who add house to house, and join field to field till there’s no space left and you live on your own in the land”

Micah 2.2 “Woe on those who covet fields and seize them, houses and take them, they defraud man of his home, a fellow human being of his inheritance”

-Paul Williams states that “These are the kinds of things that are given as reasons why the people of God are going to be exiled from the land and kicked out of it, because they have failed to live in a way that keeps relationships rightly in these respects.”

The Greens are calling on the Government to take action after a report that overseas buyers are swooping on the New Zealand property market, keeping out first time home buyers.

“We believe land should be owned by New Zealand citizens and residents only and our laws should be changed to say that. We welcome ex-pats coming home and people coming to this country to live. But why should we allow Singaporean, Australian or American speculators to buy investment properties in our country, shutting first time home buyers from the market?” Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.

The Herald on Sunday reported today that international buyers were “snatching up New Zealand property as the dollar drops, banks lower interest rates and the market reaches realistic prices”.

Alistair Helm of realestate.co.nz said that last year 22 per cent of realestate.co.nz’s browsers were from outside New Zealand. This figure crept up to 25 per cent around April and May this year and was now up to 27 per cent.

Meanwhile Auckland real estate agent Ross Brader was quoted as saying properties he listed online started to attract record numbers of international browsers on August 10, when the Kiwi dollar dropped to the lowest level in 11 months.

Dr Norman said he was worried recent price drops in some areas and especially Auckland could be countered by overseas speculation.

“For some years property has been out of reach of most young New Zealanders trying to buy their first home, farm or lifestyle block.

“The Government has a responsibility first and foremost to ensure New Zealand citizens and residents can afford to buy a stake in their own country.

“If people from overseas wish to become New Zealand citizens or permanent residents then they are very welcome to buy land here. By restricting ownership to New Zealand residents and citizens, that would greatly help stabilise the property market and make ownership more attainable for those who live here.”

Check out this inspiring article about the worldwide movement seeking to reclaim wasted land and brighten up dull corners of our urban spaces. Not only is it a chance to beautify our often depressingly grey spaces, but you can grow food in random places too. Not a bad idea considering food prices at the moment, which are unlikely to fall considering peak oil and increasing demand are kind of long-term factors.

Imagine if urban centres and suburban areas were edible landscapes, pumpkins growing on vacant lots, fruit trees lining roads, beans growing up fences!

I live right next to an urban motorway and on a pretty pavement-pounded pedestrian route and was thinking the other day how awesome it would be to put in fruit trees so that once they were established, not only would our huge household have ample seasonal fruit supplies, but passers-by could just pluck off some on their way past. Apples, pears, feijoas…

The only thing I’m not sure about is whether the fumes from the motorway would contaminate the fruit? Can anyone give me any clues on this?

We do still have one or two copies to give away, so give us your best, most inspiring thoughts and visions!

“Below is a synopsis of my visions for the future. It is an unfolding dream that could cover many pages. Here I hope to give a snapshot of the essence of what I see is possible…

My visions of the future involves empowered communities living in edible landscapes.
The transformation of the city into a vibrant, beautiful, sustainable, healthy, playful place to live. This will come about through urban permaculture design education, which empowers individuals and groups to redesign their lifestyles, neighbourhoods, businesses, and cities through fun, practical means.

I see church groups, primary schools, apartment residents associations, government departments… working together as design teams. Observing and interacting with their environments and asking how it could work better with nature. Rather than leaving the design and decision making of our communities up to specialists, people are empowered to take responsibility and make creative choices about how it could be, and then supported to put these plans into action. I see this transformative environmental education being offered through Urban Permaculture Design Academies. As a member of Transition Towns Aro Valley Wellington, and owner of Living in the Landscape – Permaculture Design and Training Business, I am actively involved in making this vision a reality.

It involves people learning about how they can creatively respond to the challenges of peak oil and climate change and renew and redesign their environment to care for people, care for the earth. It’s all about relationships. Understanding how natural ecological systems of people, plants, animals, soils, water, air, and sun interact. What their needs are, and how the elements can work together to increase the mauri, or life force of a place.

I see communities in the future that reflect, celebrate and embody the diverse dreams and cultures of their people - that really tap their potential as visionaries and agents of change (no matter how big or small). A key to this is listening and “appreciative inquiry”. By focusing on what’s working and what’s possible rather than what is not, we can acknowledge and appreciate the precious people, stories and resources that make up our communities.

I see regular “community conversations” in which residents talk about what they really like about where they live and how this value could be increased. A group I’m involved in called Four Million Dreams is all about this, having Transformative Conversations about possibility. I see this way of sharing being popularized. Nationwide there would be video submissions about of peoples visions and people in conversations everywhere which tap everyone’s rich stories and connections to culture, place and future hope.

I see university students and the unemployed engaged in going into community to capture these stories and identify ways that they can serve the community to enable and actualize peoples visions and address their concerns. These could even be sponsored by local business that the submitters actually value to pay for the documentation. Solutions would be portrayed visually in addition to just in words. This is a key to other people getting it instantly, especially those from different cultures and backgrounds.

“The rising tide raises all boats” – I see cross sector collaboration in the form of leadership incubator courses, in which motivated people from different sectors –arts, environment, poverty… you name it. People from community, business and government coming together to work on projects that have multiple benefits. They take suggestions from the community about problems and possibilities then work together to create comprehensive solutions which draw on their diverse skills, resources, networks…

The possibilities are enormous if we work together. If we really make ourselves available to listen to and encourage each other we may learn that others have similar values and motivations and that people we may have never suspected have solutions and resources to offer to us meeting our goals. The possibilities are enormous! If we ask “what’s your vision?” and “how can I help?”

Warm regards,
Andrew

By Hone Harawira, originally published in the Northland Age, reproduced with permission here with thanks to the Maori Party.

Most people won’t know much about Bastion Point, but its history is worth the retelling, and lessons are for life. I don’t have the time or the space here to do it, so here’s a snapshot.

Bastion Point was the last remaining piece of land owned by Ngati Whatua – once proud owners of the whole of the Auckland Isthmus. Problem was, it was also the best piece of real estate in the whole country and Prime Minister Rob “Piggy” Muldoon had put it on the market for sale to developers.
Joe Hawke and his family occupied Bastion Point in 1976 and over the next 507 days, Bastion Point became the learning ground for thousands – gathering place for celebrities (including country music singer John Denver and diplomats from all over the world), a sharing ground for indigenous peoples, a recruitment ground for groups of all persuasions, a melting pot of all races in Aotearoa, a hotbed of political thought, and an opportunity to toss up theories and watch them survive for a week or get shot down in flames the second they’d left your quivering lips.
Bastion Point was in the news every day, it was the birth of many Maori land occupations since, and in my view it was the single action which forced the government to realise how seriously Maori took their land claims. The Treaty settlement process is the better for it.
I was just a young fullah back then, surrounded by other young hotbloods like Mangu Awarau and Ben Dalton, and soaking up the raw energy, knowledge, and power of those who dominated the movement back in those days: people like Tame Iti, Syd Jackson, Dun Mihaka, Joe Hawke, David Williams, Tim Shadbolt, and many, many others.
Hilda and I were arrested on May 25 1978 along with 220 others, and charged with trespass. We fought those charges, we beat them, and now Takaparawha is back in the hands of Ngati Whatua.
Bastion Point taught me heaps that I was able to bring back to the north. Strength of purpose, the need to think through and fight for my point of view, a willingness to step outside my comfort zone, how to stand strong against the power of the state, how to bind people to a common cause, and a commitment to a positive Maori future that has guided all my activities of the last 30 years.
Today I pay my respects to all those from the Far North who gave supported Bastion Point and helped pave the way for our Treaty claims today.

To comment on this column email hone.harawira@parliament.govt.nz or place feedback via Hone’s website at http://www.tokerau.co.nz/index_files/Contact.htm