Friday, March 20, 2009

Gardens Growing

A couple of great articles that might help the idea of growing one's own food spread.

First an article about how the Obama's are setting up a garden at the White House. No better advertisement for gardening than The First Family of Cool taking this on.

And then, how to enact one's sudden urge to get in on the game:
Here's an article describing Sharing Backyards, a small effort to help connect yard owners with people who want to garden. And then, in some areas there are even innovative new sustainable businesses trying out the same concept. See Your Backyard Farmer for an example.

So, get out there and start gardening--your land or someone's elses. The spring is here!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

One kid? Or Voluntary Human Extinction?

Wow, I thought the Living Earth Ethical Principle on family size was challenging--since it encourages all families to give birth to just one child (though families should adopt as many additional children as they have the means and interest to raise). Then I learned today about the "Voluntary Human Extinction Movement." These are individuals who have not only agreed to stop reproducing but actually want the human species to go extinct (though not through violent means, just through choosing not to continue).

While I understand the impulse, really, once we can bring down the human population to a sustainable level--perhaps 1 billion with high-income lifestyles or 6 billion with middle-income lifestyles, then we can live in balance with the planet (though these estimates decrease each year we live beyond the biocapacity of the planet as ecological capital continues to be degraded or depleted). So while I find the movement thought provoking and funny, I hope people in the movement will consider a new focus: The Voluntary Human Reduction Movement, where members are encouraged to give birth to no more than one child per couple (with twins the accidental exception). That's a message that might resonate better, spread further, and still have significant benefits.

Video that makes a painful comparison

You've heard the old comparison between the human species and a cancer. But have you heard cancer's side? Watch this video to hear its defense: