Caren Black and Christopher Paddon couldn't find mentors to teach them self-reliant living when they became aware of peak oil. So they created a homestead and opened their doors to training others. People can take a personalized Lifeboat Course online or in person, where … [Read more...]
An Earthen House Built by Hand (215)
"I think it's very very important to know you can provide things for yourself… build your own house… grow your own food… make your own medicine." Walking his talk, Greg Crawford shows the magical wattle-and-cob house he built with hand tools using local materials: alder … [Read more...]
Rocket Stoves – Hot, Healthy, Efficient (214)
Mike Hatfield says the magic of a rocket stove is getting the heat into what you're trying to heat. His tour of a rocket stove reflects designs perfected for decades at Aprovecho Research Center in rural Oregon. They also test and suggest improvements to stoves from … [Read more...]
Two Households, One Car (213)
At first Judy Alexander was reluctant to share a car with neighbors Richard and Sue Dandridge. But their invitation intrigued her, especially since her aging car felt unsafe for long trips. After a trial year, she found the arrangement freeing and sold her car. Judy and … [Read more...]
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (212)
"This is a very important piece of music, a very powerful piece of music," says Ken Hardin, conductor of Sierra Master Chorale. In advance of their performances on May 17 and 20, 2012, he provides a musical guided tour of this contemporary work by Karl Jenkins, commissioned … [Read more...]
The Straight Poop on Sustainable Farming (211)
Innovative farmer Joel Salatin says sustainable agriculture requires both perennials (like native grasses) and herbivores (like cattle) to build soil. Mimicking patterns from nature, this maverick Virginia farmer rotates cattle followed by chickens into short-term pasture … [Read more...]
Young Lawyers Lower the Bar to a Sharing Economy (210)
"Sharing really is going to save the world!" declares Janelle Orsi, author of The Sharing Solution, noting that it's fun, doesn't require special skills — and we can start now. She and Jennifer Kassan co-founded the Sustainable Economies Law Center to help people formalize … [Read more...]
Growing Up in the First Great Depression (209)
Janaia's mother Rowena grew up in a blue collar family during the 1930s. The kids helped their mom in her own pie delivery business while their dad did construction odd jobs. In this cash-only society, they lived on what they could pay for. She recalls losing her only pair … [Read more...]
Sail Power Reborn – Transporting Local Goods by Boat (208)
"We are revitalizing an ancient form of transportation … using just the power of the wind and the tides … to move goods and people," says skipper Fulvio Casali. In their CSA (community supported agriculture), the Salish Sea Trading Cooperative uses nearly no petroleum to … [Read more...]
Planting the Seeds for a New Society (207)
"We're a conduit and a packager of important cutting edge material that people need to do the work that they're engaged in." Judith Plant and the New Society Publishers (NSP) team are social change agents bringing emerging ideas and authors to the forefront. They converse … [Read more...]