I am a participant at the Hive business incubator at Nottingham Trent University is working towards setting up a locally sourced (reduced food miles) and environmentally friendly supermarket, hopefully in Nottingham. As part of the market research, there is a web survey which includes a chance to win £25. With the growing green community in Nottingham, this project may be of interest.
As many responses as possible are needed,. so please complete the survey and then forward it on to friends, family and colleagues. There is a £25 prize for one lucky respondent in a prize draw when the survey closes, so please do take part! It's a straightforward questionnaire taking around 5 minutes to complete.
Here's the link:
Kind regards
Helen Pack
helenpack@hotmail.com
What Do We Tell Our Children?
Taken from a blog posted by Nate Hagens on March 1, 2009 - The Oil Drum: Campfire
Given the converging financial, ecological, and energy situations, I often wonder what we should be telling our children about subjects that are
a)over their heads and
b)potentially 'R' rated or worse.
Verbal navigation between hope and reality is difficult enough for our adult network, let alone the generation of young people growing up under our influence. Below is a letter I wrote to the 7 yr old son of a friend of mine who asked his mom 'When will the oil run out?'.
I recently got an email from a friend, who told her son I was an 'oil expert'. He had overheard a conversation about future oil shortages and asked his mom if she would email me - below are his questions and my response back (his mother is a homesteader, and has recently started to home school her 2 children).
“When will the oil run out and how old will I (Parker) be when it runs out? “
Dear Parker,
What an amazing question for a 7 year old to ask? It’s not a simple answer, but since you asked, here goes…
Your grandparents have grandparents, and those grandparents also had grandparents, and if you imagine this repeated over and over, like 50,000 grandparents of grandparents into the past – that is how long humans have been using energy to live our lives. But for most of that time, we used the energy from just the SUN. The sun gives our planet all kinds of energy that we can use. It gives us warmth and heat from its rays, gives us wind from temperature changes, makes water evaporate which then falls as rain, which can be used for water-power, and all sorts of other uses (like drying your underwear on a clothesline or growing a Big Beef tomato plant in your garden). But since the time of your grandparents grandparents –only about 150 years ago, people started to use fossil fuels like oil and gas. Fossil fuels are just sunlight from a really long time ago that was captured by animals and little organisms and was buried under the earth when they died. Over millions of years, it decayed and turned into a black gooey fuel called oil, which can be made into gasoline and power engines. Gasoline is very cheap – it is about the same price for 1 gallon of gasoline as a gallon of milk. But it is very powerful. One gallon of gasoline (under $2), can do the same amount of physical work as your mom can digging ditches, carrying wood, pushing a wheelbarrow etc. for about 500 hours, which is like working for 10 weeks in a row without stopping. When you look at it like that, oil and gasoline are almost like magic!!
Oil will never ‘run out’. But what will happen, and very soon, is it will become unaffordable for society to produce and pay for. The problem is that people born before you used a lot of the cheaper oil for silly things – things that either weren’t important, or didn’t last too long, like fast car races, wars, and garbage. Most of our society now depends on this cheap oil – food is grown using oil and gas based fertilizers and tractors. It is then packaged in plastics that are made from oil, refrigerated in containers that use gasoline, and transported in trucks all over the world. So oil is very important to how most people live day to day.
During your life, a great many changes will happen to the planet, and to the things we have become used to. I would say it is highly possible that when you turn 16, oil will be too expensive for you to even drive a car. To someone 7 or 17 or even 67, this might sound scary. But that’s only because they are used to it. We will have to figure out ways to live and enjoy our lives without this extra energy–the oil we found in the ground. We used just the sun for thousands of generations before. And you know what? For someone young like yourself, running out of cheap oil might actually be pretty cool. You have an amazing opportunity to be involved in the first ‘sustainability revolution’ on our planet. Sustainability means something that you can do over and over again each year without relying on energy that was stored underground from the ancient past (like oil, or coal). For example, growing pumpkins from the seeds of last years pumpkins and using chicken poop to fertilize them is something sustainable. Even if you don’t have oil, you will still have the sun, the wind, trees and water to provide food, heat and shelter and make things you need. There is still is a lot of oil left – it is just that it will cost a lot of money and other things we need to get it out. And remember, money is only worth something because people agree that it has value – it doesn’t have REAL value, like a chicken or a windmill or water in a barrel. But right now we can exchange it for stuff. In your lifetime that may not always be true.
Parker, you have an amazing advantage! First you are young, and aren’t too dependent yet on oil. But more importantly, your Mom has given you a big head start. Teaching you about the land, and where food comes from, and natural stuff is very important. Living in the country gives you lots of chances to play and learn at the same time. Most kids don’t get that opportunity and when oil becomes real expensive they are going to be scared and confused about things like where food comes from and such – they wouldn’t know the difference between a chicken and an owl (I bet you do.) Try and learn as much as you can about how the natural world works. Because people too are part of the natural world.
So, to answer your question, oil is a great and powerful energy source, but it doesn’t necessarily make people happy. To catch bugs, play with your sister and friends, have a meal with your family, tell stories, make music, go exploring, design an experiment, raise animals, dream and laugh – all these things don’t need any oil at all. So if I were you, I’d be excited that the cheap oil is soon running out. Your generation will make an important mark on the future of our planet – maybe you will help out Parker! – if not, I’m sure you’ll have fun and do great stuff in your own little corner of the world, wherever that may be. My only advice to you is to always be curious about how things work, always be playful and try to see the fun and joy in every situation, and don’t worry about knowing everything or being good at everything –to be good at the things you are good at and like to do is enough– the world will seek you out and put you on a path. Oil is awesome, but we don’t need it. Personally, I would choose a good friend anyday over oil…
Good luck,Nate
P.S. Parker is a really cool name. Cool and strong.
His mom read the letter to him and I got this reply:
This is from Parker:
Thank you for the letter. I like how the sun makes oil in the earth. I learn that we can use the sun as energy by solar panels for our home. I heard that we can use the wind for energy, too, and I know that you can use fossil fuels for gas. I really like legos and I know that the oil is getting expensive so I am trying to find a new way to make oil and plastic.
Love, Parker
Given the converging financial, ecological, and energy situations, I often wonder what we should be telling our children about subjects that are
a)over their heads and
b)potentially 'R' rated or worse.
Verbal navigation between hope and reality is difficult enough for our adult network, let alone the generation of young people growing up under our influence. Below is a letter I wrote to the 7 yr old son of a friend of mine who asked his mom 'When will the oil run out?'.
I recently got an email from a friend, who told her son I was an 'oil expert'. He had overheard a conversation about future oil shortages and asked his mom if she would email me - below are his questions and my response back (his mother is a homesteader, and has recently started to home school her 2 children).
“When will the oil run out and how old will I (Parker) be when it runs out? “
Dear Parker,
What an amazing question for a 7 year old to ask? It’s not a simple answer, but since you asked, here goes…
Your grandparents have grandparents, and those grandparents also had grandparents, and if you imagine this repeated over and over, like 50,000 grandparents of grandparents into the past – that is how long humans have been using energy to live our lives. But for most of that time, we used the energy from just the SUN. The sun gives our planet all kinds of energy that we can use. It gives us warmth and heat from its rays, gives us wind from temperature changes, makes water evaporate which then falls as rain, which can be used for water-power, and all sorts of other uses (like drying your underwear on a clothesline or growing a Big Beef tomato plant in your garden). But since the time of your grandparents grandparents –only about 150 years ago, people started to use fossil fuels like oil and gas. Fossil fuels are just sunlight from a really long time ago that was captured by animals and little organisms and was buried under the earth when they died. Over millions of years, it decayed and turned into a black gooey fuel called oil, which can be made into gasoline and power engines. Gasoline is very cheap – it is about the same price for 1 gallon of gasoline as a gallon of milk. But it is very powerful. One gallon of gasoline (under $2), can do the same amount of physical work as your mom can digging ditches, carrying wood, pushing a wheelbarrow etc. for about 500 hours, which is like working for 10 weeks in a row without stopping. When you look at it like that, oil and gasoline are almost like magic!!
Oil will never ‘run out’. But what will happen, and very soon, is it will become unaffordable for society to produce and pay for. The problem is that people born before you used a lot of the cheaper oil for silly things – things that either weren’t important, or didn’t last too long, like fast car races, wars, and garbage. Most of our society now depends on this cheap oil – food is grown using oil and gas based fertilizers and tractors. It is then packaged in plastics that are made from oil, refrigerated in containers that use gasoline, and transported in trucks all over the world. So oil is very important to how most people live day to day.
During your life, a great many changes will happen to the planet, and to the things we have become used to. I would say it is highly possible that when you turn 16, oil will be too expensive for you to even drive a car. To someone 7 or 17 or even 67, this might sound scary. But that’s only because they are used to it. We will have to figure out ways to live and enjoy our lives without this extra energy–the oil we found in the ground. We used just the sun for thousands of generations before. And you know what? For someone young like yourself, running out of cheap oil might actually be pretty cool. You have an amazing opportunity to be involved in the first ‘sustainability revolution’ on our planet. Sustainability means something that you can do over and over again each year without relying on energy that was stored underground from the ancient past (like oil, or coal). For example, growing pumpkins from the seeds of last years pumpkins and using chicken poop to fertilize them is something sustainable. Even if you don’t have oil, you will still have the sun, the wind, trees and water to provide food, heat and shelter and make things you need. There is still is a lot of oil left – it is just that it will cost a lot of money and other things we need to get it out. And remember, money is only worth something because people agree that it has value – it doesn’t have REAL value, like a chicken or a windmill or water in a barrel. But right now we can exchange it for stuff. In your lifetime that may not always be true.
Parker, you have an amazing advantage! First you are young, and aren’t too dependent yet on oil. But more importantly, your Mom has given you a big head start. Teaching you about the land, and where food comes from, and natural stuff is very important. Living in the country gives you lots of chances to play and learn at the same time. Most kids don’t get that opportunity and when oil becomes real expensive they are going to be scared and confused about things like where food comes from and such – they wouldn’t know the difference between a chicken and an owl (I bet you do.) Try and learn as much as you can about how the natural world works. Because people too are part of the natural world.
So, to answer your question, oil is a great and powerful energy source, but it doesn’t necessarily make people happy. To catch bugs, play with your sister and friends, have a meal with your family, tell stories, make music, go exploring, design an experiment, raise animals, dream and laugh – all these things don’t need any oil at all. So if I were you, I’d be excited that the cheap oil is soon running out. Your generation will make an important mark on the future of our planet – maybe you will help out Parker! – if not, I’m sure you’ll have fun and do great stuff in your own little corner of the world, wherever that may be. My only advice to you is to always be curious about how things work, always be playful and try to see the fun and joy in every situation, and don’t worry about knowing everything or being good at everything –to be good at the things you are good at and like to do is enough– the world will seek you out and put you on a path. Oil is awesome, but we don’t need it. Personally, I would choose a good friend anyday over oil…
Good luck,Nate
P.S. Parker is a really cool name. Cool and strong.
His mom read the letter to him and I got this reply:
This is from Parker:
Thank you for the letter. I like how the sun makes oil in the earth. I learn that we can use the sun as energy by solar panels for our home. I heard that we can use the wind for energy, too, and I know that you can use fossil fuels for gas. I really like legos and I know that the oil is getting expensive so I am trying to find a new way to make oil and plastic.
Love, Parker
Living for Tomorrow Magazine
Although Transition West Bridgford is very active and is trying to get through to residents in many different ways, through music, pub quizzes, stalls at events, setting up new schemes like the Garden Share, Green Streets and local food co-op, Nottinghamshire County Council brings out 3 times a year a wonderful inspiring magazine: Living for Tomorrow.
It shows how local people and businesses are determined to make our County ready for living for tomorrow. If you would like to subscribe to this Free magazine please click here: Living For Tomorrow
upside down tomatoes, herbs and vegetables
whilst doing some research to help local people grow their own food, even if they only have a very small space, I came across this very cheap, space saving idea of growing your own food.
Upside Down Tomatoes
Upside down tomato growing is becoming a popular way of adding tomatoes to a small garden.
I discovered that some people feel that growing tomatoes upside down will prevent rot and blight by keeping the tomatoes off the ground, and will increase yield, too.
The Method
You will need:
1 large bucket- 5 gallon is good
potting soil with some manure added
a drill or knife for cutting the hole in the bottom
Upside down tomato growing is becoming a popular way of adding tomatoes to a small garden.
I discovered that some people feel that growing tomatoes upside down will prevent rot and blight by keeping the tomatoes off the ground, and will increase yield, too.
The Method
You will need:
1 large bucket- 5 gallon is good
potting soil with some manure added
a drill or knife for cutting the hole in the bottom
Drill a hole in the center of the bottom of the bucket. The hole should be about 2″ in diameter. Fill the bucket with potting soil mix. Cover with a lid or place a piece of cardboard over to serve as a lid.
Turn the bucket upside down, and plant one tomato seedling through the hole you’ve drilled in the bottom of your bucket. Make sure to plant deeply. Water the entire bucket with a mix of water and organic fertilizer, and hang from a sturdy hook. I have seen recommendations to leave it for 1 week to settle before hanging it.
As with any hanging basket, this will dry out easily in hot or windy weather, so watering frequently is a must.
I’ve seen someone with cherry tomato hanging baskets by their front door - what a yummy idea! The regular watering has to be a chore, the same as with flowers, but a much more fantastic reward than a few blooms!
I’ve been doing this exact technique for a couple of years with great results each time. I grow tomatoes in the garden as well, and last year a number of the ground tomatoes were badly damaged by cut-worm. The other advantage of the upside down tomatoes, besides few-to-no bugs, is the plants tend to grow large and with lots of room between all the branches and leaves, making it easy to get the ripe fruit.
It’s important to hang the plants at a hight that keeps them from touching the ground, but is still easy to water. I put herb seeds in the soil at the top and have a great herb garden throughout the summer.
[ For more tomato growing tips and ideas, be sure to visit our sister site, Tomato Casual ] Related Posts Send Friend
Watch what is happening to the world right now!
Maybe depressing but just click on this breathing earth site and see!! An absolutely amazing thought-provoking site! (....start placing your cursor on the various countries and catch the stats!!!) Don't know about the technology involved and/or the accuracy of the data input - but it sure is interesting! Might make a good screen saver or desktop...
Garden Share Scheme to be set up in West Bridgford
We are in the process of setting up the Garden Share Scheme and need help with the flyering for the Garden Share Meeting now fixed for the 26th March (see attached copy of the amended flyer).
Please call Jake (0115 9143922) if you can help leaflet one or two streets out of 15 which I have targetted. I will have the right numbers in the bundles for each street.People can collect the bundles from my house at 13 Villiers Road. We are aiming to do the flyering from 18th March onwards until 20th March.
Please call Jake (0115 9143922) if you can help leaflet one or two streets out of 15 which I have targetted. I will have the right numbers in the bundles for each street.People can collect the bundles from my house at 13 Villiers Road. We are aiming to do the flyering from 18th March onwards until 20th March.
Stand up you Greenies! Song by Shaz Freida Mai - Feb '09
During yesterday's Food Fuddle meeting we had a wonderful interlude from Sharon who had written a Transition Song. Her guitar came out, glasses on, and a wonderful 10 minutes were spent listing to these words so true.
I have put the words on here for now, but Sharon is about to release her songs on CD so soon you will be able to down load them. If you are lucky she might even be interested to sing and play guitar at your events. If so, please contact her via email: colourandcracks@hotmail.com
TUNE IS dylans Shelter from the storm
CHORDS C, EM, F, CC, EM, F, FC, EM, F, FC, EM, F, C
Stages of change transition handbook
FAT CAT – pre-contemplation stage
SECOND FAT CAT - more inteligent
CONTEMPLATION STAGE
GREENIES - Choral bit
Ahhhh... these Greenies are all the same –
give em an inch and they take a mile...”
So who are these Greenies
we keep hearing about
what do they want
and why do they shout
do they really believe
that they can rearrange
society better
and bring about change
well they do seem to really
believe what they say
and they said they want
positive change today
but how many are there?
and where are they from?
and who's gonna listen
to what they've gotta say
Well they're not all wearing dreadlocks
but so many of them are
they don't all ride push bikes
some still even have cars
and they're not all under 20
some have grandkids that age
and they're not all unemployed
some are on a good wage
and they are not they
they are we, we are we
we are One Soul, on One Earth
we are Humanity
and we care for each other
we care for the trees
we care for our Earth Mother
and we cry for the Bees
Gaia needs our attention
she needs it today
needs our participation
yes our part we must play
and we've dreamed our bestest visions
and we know what to do
and were into Transition
so what about you....
but they blockade the airports
they're all scruffy and brave
and they all run demonstrations
and they all go to raves
and we've heard all about them
heard the bad Greenie hype
in the papers and on the telly
or is that just ....... a stereotype
no we're not all wearing dreadlocks
but we all share the same aims
and were proud of our young brothers and sisters
who demonstrate in our name
cos we all share this one planet
and we know in our hearts
that The Great Turning is here
this is where Transition starts!
In our wee little house
in our own back yard
down our own funny street
yes in our own neighborhood
and in all those back gardens
that once had plush lawns
and on all those front driveways
that once had hedges and gnomes....
where were all planting fruit trees
and some even plant nuts
cos the protein we need
cos old Tesco is fucked (BLEEP)
soon the trucks may stopped bringing
the food from abroad
so we'll grow all our own food now
and they can eat theirs
and the hammock Is strung up
between 2 apple trees
where your old granddad yawns
cos he's been planting veggies
just like the days of old
he remembers so much
oh the stories he tells
of the times in his youth
when they all pulled together
in the great Dig for Victory
in all kinds of weather
wearing patches on his knees
and its not so very long ago
just a stones throw away
they made their own shoes
he remembers it well
and if we listen carefully
we might even hear
our great grandmother speakin'
she's got wisdom to share
of how she made her medicines
and helped the babes get born
if were quiet we'll hear stories
of when time had it's dawn
and its not so very long ago
when we made our own clothes
and we made our own candles
and rag rugs and shoes
we made cider and butter
cheese, chutney and jam
and the making and the mending
was handed down from your Dad and your Mam
and when it was winter
we gathered wood from the shore
our kids had hand me down jumpers
wanted nothing more
and they learned the ancient skills
and had no need of clocks
they had built in resilience
to withstand the shocks
and the times come around
so rise up you people
look at your sacred land
and have a good look at your people
and look at your own hands
well are they strong and able
and fit for the job - and will ya
put your hand in your pocket
and invest just a few bob
a few people, a few seeds
a bit of land is all you need
and a share of the harvest
theres no need for greed
an allotment, a bit of garden
the scrub at the end of your street
and I guarantee you'll have some fun
with all the sweet people you meet
cos we're together on a mission
Yes there is no time to waste
you don't have to wait for permission
you can come together make haste
cos when your in with the vision
and you want to plant your green shoots
then on with the mission
and you'll find your own Land Roots
So get into Transition
just jump in and join the fun
we are all in The Great Turning
yes the New Age has come
and we love our mother Gaia
and her love is sweet and warm
'come in' she said 'I'll give ya
shelter from the storm''
come in' she said 'I'll give ya
shelter from the storm'
I have put the words on here for now, but Sharon is about to release her songs on CD so soon you will be able to down load them. If you are lucky she might even be interested to sing and play guitar at your events. If so, please contact her via email: colourandcracks@hotmail.com
TUNE IS dylans Shelter from the storm
CHORDS C, EM, F, CC, EM, F, FC, EM, F, FC, EM, F, C
Stages of change transition handbook
FAT CAT – pre-contemplation stage
SECOND FAT CAT - more inteligent
CONTEMPLATION STAGE
GREENIES - Choral bit
Ahhhh... these Greenies are all the same –
give em an inch and they take a mile...”
So who are these Greenies
we keep hearing about
what do they want
and why do they shout
do they really believe
that they can rearrange
society better
and bring about change
well they do seem to really
believe what they say
and they said they want
positive change today
but how many are there?
and where are they from?
and who's gonna listen
to what they've gotta say
Well they're not all wearing dreadlocks
but so many of them are
they don't all ride push bikes
some still even have cars
and they're not all under 20
some have grandkids that age
and they're not all unemployed
some are on a good wage
and they are not they
they are we, we are we
we are One Soul, on One Earth
we are Humanity
and we care for each other
we care for the trees
we care for our Earth Mother
and we cry for the Bees
Gaia needs our attention
she needs it today
needs our participation
yes our part we must play
and we've dreamed our bestest visions
and we know what to do
and were into Transition
so what about you....
but they blockade the airports
they're all scruffy and brave
and they all run demonstrations
and they all go to raves
and we've heard all about them
heard the bad Greenie hype
in the papers and on the telly
or is that just ....... a stereotype
no we're not all wearing dreadlocks
but we all share the same aims
and were proud of our young brothers and sisters
who demonstrate in our name
cos we all share this one planet
and we know in our hearts
that The Great Turning is here
this is where Transition starts!
In our wee little house
in our own back yard
down our own funny street
yes in our own neighborhood
and in all those back gardens
that once had plush lawns
and on all those front driveways
that once had hedges and gnomes....
where were all planting fruit trees
and some even plant nuts
cos the protein we need
cos old Tesco is fucked (BLEEP)
soon the trucks may stopped bringing
the food from abroad
so we'll grow all our own food now
and they can eat theirs
and the hammock Is strung up
between 2 apple trees
where your old granddad yawns
cos he's been planting veggies
just like the days of old
he remembers so much
oh the stories he tells
of the times in his youth
when they all pulled together
in the great Dig for Victory
in all kinds of weather
wearing patches on his knees
and its not so very long ago
just a stones throw away
they made their own shoes
he remembers it well
and if we listen carefully
we might even hear
our great grandmother speakin'
she's got wisdom to share
of how she made her medicines
and helped the babes get born
if were quiet we'll hear stories
of when time had it's dawn
and its not so very long ago
when we made our own clothes
and we made our own candles
and rag rugs and shoes
we made cider and butter
cheese, chutney and jam
and the making and the mending
was handed down from your Dad and your Mam
and when it was winter
we gathered wood from the shore
our kids had hand me down jumpers
wanted nothing more
and they learned the ancient skills
and had no need of clocks
they had built in resilience
to withstand the shocks
and the times come around
so rise up you people
look at your sacred land
and have a good look at your people
and look at your own hands
well are they strong and able
and fit for the job - and will ya
put your hand in your pocket
and invest just a few bob
a few people, a few seeds
a bit of land is all you need
and a share of the harvest
theres no need for greed
an allotment, a bit of garden
the scrub at the end of your street
and I guarantee you'll have some fun
with all the sweet people you meet
cos we're together on a mission
Yes there is no time to waste
you don't have to wait for permission
you can come together make haste
cos when your in with the vision
and you want to plant your green shoots
then on with the mission
and you'll find your own Land Roots
So get into Transition
just jump in and join the fun
we are all in The Great Turning
yes the New Age has come
and we love our mother Gaia
and her love is sweet and warm
'come in' she said 'I'll give ya
shelter from the storm''
come in' she said 'I'll give ya
shelter from the storm'
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