Friday Rant!

'The abundance of scientific research showing we have pushed nature beyond its limits does not just demand green products and market-based solutions; it demands a new civilizational paradigm, one grounded not in dominance over nature but in respect for natural cycles of renewal—and acutely sensitive to natural limits….'

I couldn't wait until Sunday for a 'Sunday Rant', to share this essay from 'Counter Punch'.  Do take the time to follow the link and wade through it, please. It has an american slant, but in our globalised world, is relevant to all developed western economies/societies.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

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Time to Abolish the American Dream

The Waning of the Modern Ages

by MORRIS BERMAN

Sunday Rant - Well put!

How did the uber-rich get that way?
Intelligence, talent, hard work or some other means?

You know I love a good rant on Sundays.  But I don't always feel in the mood.  Like today, for instance, it is sunny, I can hear my garden growing, the solar panels are ticking over, I have just enjoyed a couple of  scrambled eggs for brekkie, and I am having a second cup of tea while contemplating the rest of my day.

Then I found a post by George Monbiot, on the Permaculture Research Institute website.  It made me laugh...and cry at the same time.  

If you are in the mood to have your emotions tweaked, or are concerned about the inequalities in our world or the impact of big business on our planet...then I invite you to click below.  You will not be disappointed.

Click HERE 

to go THERE

Signs.and.a.rant

I.love.to.go.into.the.city.and.regular

readers.will.remember.I.have.featured.

urban.architecture.in.past.posts.

This.weekend.The.Cook.and.I.went.to.

a.live.show.and.because.of.the.late.hour.

we.stayed.in.the.city.

It.was.a.lovely.break.

HOWEVER....

isn't.there.always.at.least.one.'however'?!!

I.was.thinking.about.signs.

DO.NOT.........

NO.ENTRY....

KEEP.LEFT

and.other.imperatives..

(especially.ones.about.parking...but.I.am.going.to.fight.

the.$51.parking.ticket..another.story.LOL)

.And.the.advertising!

and.claims.to.ownership

'THIS.IS.MY.SHOP'

ARGH!...visual.noise.

But.Melbourne.is.also.one.of.the

world's.foremost.cities.for.graffiti.

Just.check.out.this.one.example....

Now.before.you.say...but.that.is.lovely...

not.like.that.'tagging'.

Well,..I.disagree...

tagging.is.usually.done.by.

disinfranchised.youth.who.

feel.the.need.to.make.their.mark...some.how.

I.personally.don't.consider.it.any.uglier.or

less.relevant.than.the

blaring.neon.signs.promoting.the.mindless

consumerism.of.a.capitalist.system.

gone.crazy!

Look.no.further.than.Times.Square.,

Piccadilly.Circus.,

or.Young.and.Jacksons.

Then.of.course.there.are.the.gentler

decorators.of.urban.landscapes.

Ah,..but.it.is.nice.to.be.back.in.the.bush.

I.am.off.outside.to.take.my.frustrations.

out.on.the.wood.heap!

Whether, weather,weather...

 Whether the weather be hot,

or whether the weather be cold

We'll weather the weather together,

Whether we like it or not.

But will we?

My low tech high/low thermometer.
Today's range 8.5 - 14 deg C.

I was already thinking about the weather because the rain put paid to my kitchen building plans and this was going to be a little light hearted post about that.

Mist rolling up the valley late this afternoon following a pretty soggy day.

Then I went wandering down the

Sweet Scented Pathwith Mrs B.  

She posted about a book she has been reading.

She included this quote from Paul Gilding's book, 'The great disruption'.

"It's time to stop just worrying about climate change, says Paul Gilding. Instead we need to brace for impact, because global crisis is no longer avoidable. The Great Disruption started in 2008, with spiking food and oil prices and dramatic ecological change like the melting polar icecap. It is not simply about fossil fuels and carbon footprints. We have come to the end of Economic Growth, Version  1.0, a world economy based on consumption and waste, where we lived beyond the means of our plant's ecosystems and resources." 

- from The Great Disruption: How the climate will transform the global economy by Paul Gilding

And even if it was only about fossil fuels...

The ordinary bloke over at

The Greening of Gavin

posted about Peak Oil today

and will be following up tomorrow.

Have a read. 

Of course, all over the news for weeks (months) we have had the pollies in Oz arguing about how to deal with global warming. I am so over their bickering and their Mickey Mouse 'solutions' which all involve fiddling at the edges of the problem...fiddling while Rome  The Earth burns.  If the Carbon 'tax' ever gets of the ground properly, at least it will be something.

But I am with Paul Gilding, we need to take a good look at the real problem....capitalism and the orchestrated consumerism we have all been lured into since WWII. All sorts of environmental (and humanitarian) disasters have been caused by the hunt for profit and our belief that we should have the biggest, newest, bestest, latest..... 

Money or the latest fashion/gadget isn't worth much if there isn't any world.   But it is so hard.  If you are trying to be an ethical consumer, advertising and packaging make it very difficult.

The lovely Rose is carrying out her own detective work over at 

The Greening Of Rose.

She is tracking down the sources of her daily food.

What is in the product,

where it is produced and packed...

and who owns the brand.

Even a humble carton of orange juice 

with the label 'Berri since 1943' and 'Australian Grown'

contains additives produced in China

and is owned by a multinational. 

It feels as if there isn't a lot the individual can do...
proselytize...but who will listen?

Vote...who for?

Another blogger, Nick,  over at , Make Believe, has made a few
changes to the way he lives now and is
making plans for the future after reading
Gilding's book.

So here I sit, chipping away, doing the little I can to make a difference.

Growing a few veggies,

turning off lights,

installing solar panels,

avoiding processed foods,
cooking from scratch,
eating mainly vegetarian,

keeping chooks,

ignoring advertising,

buying only what I must,

making do,

recycling, re-using, repurposing,

op-shopping,

volunteering,

reading,

educating myself about the issues,
trying to become self sufficient
(in skills and knowledge as well as the usual)

and blogging about it.

Whether the weather be hot,

or whether the weather be cold

We'll weather the weather together,
I hope,

Whether we like it or not.


Remember Winter Wednesday tomorrow.
Write something that is good about Winter
and join in the fun.