The Biochar Solution: Carbon Farming and Climate Change, by Albert BatesA review by Kiko Denzer Living trees lock up carbon, and burning releases it. That's (part of) the conflict-ridden equation of global warming. Albert Bates has been at the front lines of the warming conflict since his 1990 title, Climate in Crisis. In this book, he defines biochar as charred (pyrolized) organic matter intended to be applied to soil in farming or gardening. His biochar solution merely asks us to partially burn our waste wood and other carbonaceous matter into charcoal, and add it to our soil where it . . .
Tribal Genealogical Patterns: A Universal Language?
[download this pattern as an envelope design here] ’the folk has thus preserved, without understanding, the remains of old traditions that go back sometimes to the indeterminably distant past, to which we can only refer as “prehistoricâ€â€¦â€™ Had the folk beliefs not indeed once been understood, we could not now speak of them as metaphysically intelligible, or explain the accuracy of their formulation. Ananda Coomaraswamy, “The Nature of ‘Folklore’ & ‘Popular Art,’†Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society, 27, Bangalore, . . .
Living More with Less
We've been attending a local fellowship consisting of an interesting mix of Mennonite families (almost all of whom have left agriculture for more "professional" pursuits), as well as baptists, quakers, and a bunch of folks I won't try to categorize. Many of them are self-employed, live fairly simply, and try to uphold basic principles of love and justice. We sing and share potluck every week. That, to me, is the essence of "learning by doing," and as such means much more to me than any creed. And I'm filling in a big gap in my education, which didn't cover this whole realm that makes up one of . . .