LakeFuture

Earth-Wise Show: Lake County Community Radio

2008-04-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

For those who caught the food security discussion on the Earth-wise show on KPFZ radio, for reference, here is a link to a summary of the principles of permaculture:

Principles of Permaculture

The show also featured Joanne Saccato who is spearheading the Lake County Community Co-op. For those interested in participating in the self-reliance dialog, planning and projects in Clearlake, visit the co-op wiki website:

Lake County Community Co-op

The group is focusing on a variety of local food and sustainability projects including a Lake County buying cooperative.

Clear Lake CarbonDioxide to Oxygen Impact

2008-04-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Want to help with Golbal Climate Change? Keep Clear lake healthy!!
According to a calculation by Dr. H Lyons, local biologist, a healthy Clear Lake produces 375 million pounds of oxygen per year and thus converts 516 million pounds of CO2 annually

Reducing Waste from Mail Order Catalogs

2007-11-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

I invite you to join me on Catalog Choice. Catalog Choice is an easy, free service that allows you to decline unsolicited catalogs, reducing the number of catalogs in your mailbox and lessening your footprint on the environment.

Join me by clicking the link below:

http://www.catalogchoice.org/signup

Thanks for all you do!

Organic Veggie Box

2007-11-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Olivias Organics, at the TnC Natural Foods store in downtown Upper Lake is now offering a weekly organic fruit and veggie subscription box for $25 a week. Locally grown organic fruits and vegetables supplemented with good stuff from Ukiah Natural Foods. The only catch: you have to pick it up at the store Thursday evening or sometime on Friday if you want them fresh.

I just received my first box and it is absolutely terrific! This week; Red Cabbage, a few carrots and turnips, brussel sprouts, green onions, cilantro, peppers, apples, plums, potatoes. The box includes recipes each week.

To sign up, go into the store and ask about the subscription boxes.

================================

Denise Rushing

denise@drushing.com

Good Good Food

2007-09-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year in Lake County...

It is SO easy to choose foods that are locally grown. In fact, recently, I was able to eat each meal from foods grown almost entirely from our own farm and garden.

For example, for breakfast: I ate a scramble--sliced zuchinni from the garden sauteed in locally-produced olive oil with two farm fresh eggs (produced by our farm's chickens), seasoned with chives and basil.

For lunch: some fresh grapes of the vines in our garden, and a fresh tomato salad with walnuts and an herb vinagrette. And for dessert: some of Sky Hoyt's local strawberry sorbet.

For dinner:"farm-grown fast food": 2 giant freestone peaches off the peach tree, a handful of cherry tomatoes off the tomato vines in the garden, a bunch of grapes off the grape vines and a sparkling glass of mint-ice water using the mint from our herb garden.

In the United States of America, food travels, on average, 1500 miles from producer to table, requiring huge amounts of fossil fuels both to grow it and deliver it. Most of THIS food traveled less than 100 feet. And I guarantee it tastes a lot better.

Everything is flavorful and colorful and nutritious. Late summer is so bountiful here... it can't get much better than this. I can't think of a better way to heal my own spirit, and heal earth at the same time.

Just in case you missed this....

2007-08-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Live Earth message emphasizing personal and local action and responsibility:

This use of technology is amazing.

SolFest and Natural Building

2007-08-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of announcements:

Be sure to catch SolFest at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland August 18th and August 19th this year.

In September, I plan to host a natural plasters work party and will announce it soon as the date gets closer.

Here is a collage of our progress on the natural building at the orchard in Upper Lake so far. Most of the early photos are from last summer, though we are starting in again with a new crew this week and will get some significant work done in preparation for September plaster parties. Enjoy:

Local Food Ideas: July 2007

2007-07-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

I thought i would share some of the best local food ideas submitted so far.

From Cheri (of Watershed Books fame) in Lakeport:

saturday mornings. the farmers' market at steel winery has...mouth watering peaches, locally grown plants, award winning salsa. fresh strawberries, corn, tomatoes, onions, goat cheeses that are soooo yummy, fresh flowers, coffee, juices, pastries, warm bread, music. just down the road is argonaught farm [spelling?] for more fresh produce. btw, i trade books for locally grown produce...enjoy, cheri

From Dallas in Upper Lake...

Some of the things I do and have been doing for a while:
*shop at the Farmers' Market (alas, I can't this summer cause I'm working on
Saturdays)

*I stop at Seely's stand and buy only what is local, (ie. Jackie's eggs, Sky's onions and garlic, RB's local raw honey - not the peaches, tomatoes, and other produce brought in from the Central Valley - will wait till Seeley's peaches
come in mid August, yum!)

*In the meantime, I might find some good peaches at Renker Farms down Argonaut Rd. from Steele Winery, and much better prices than at the market. They also sell beautiful zinnias by the stem, pick your own...fun!

*Though not organic, I buy strawberries from the Upper Lake stand on Hwy. 20

*the abundance of plums coming off my tree are literally breaking the branches. Anyone who wants golden plums, small but sweet, please come and pick all you can eat.

*Ahh, my coffee addiction! Since I do drink it, I buy Thanksgiving brand at Highway grocery in Upper Lake, purported to be not just a cup of coffee, but a "just" cup of coffee, Fair Trade, and roasted/distributed out of Fort Bragg. (Is that 100 miles away?)

*Veggies from other folk's gardens! Yes! This is the time of year that is easy to consume at least a pound of locally produced food. It is hard to keep up with all there is without wasting any. I made a pretty good soup out of the pulp scooped from the giant zuchini I got from Frances Crary. The shell I stuffed with a meatloaf (probably not local) mixture.

*Though not the green gardener that some of my friends are, I do have a tomato plant growing this season, and I planted a fig tree this year. (Hope the gophers and moles don't get it.)

Well, there is my short list, and there are probably other things I haven't thought of.

And from Dancing TreePeople Orchard (me)....

I still have plenty of organic walnuts stored, enough left to share. In the garden: chard is productive, Zucchini and cherry tomatoes are just starting to produce. The apples and grapes are a long ways off... and I am wondering WHEN we might begin blackberry picking? August?
Nearby, Seely stand has a wonderful strawberry sorbet from Sky Hoyt. TNC market on Main Street Upper Lake sells some local garden produce as well as a good array of organic foods.

Local Food Pledge

2007-07-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

We already know how important it is to shop locally. And by buying local food, we support our farmers and economy right here in Lake County! So why not pledge to buy a portion of your food locally?

If you are interested in taking a local food pledge , pledging to eat at least 1 pound a week from local sources, then visit this link:

As an added incentive: by signing up, you could win a prize! For example, the top prize of $6000 worth of landscaping would plant a great garden. (If you win that prize, and don't have room for a garden, let me know and I am sure we can help you find a fledgling community group that could use the help.)

To help you meet your 1 pound a week commitment, perhaps those who have joined the LakeFuture group list can begin to share their favorite places they go to buy local food.

P.S. I wonder if drinking a glass of local wine counts toward my 1lb commitment?

Ecologicial Footprint

2007-04-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

As promised, in honor of Earth Day, here are a couple of good sources for calculating your ecological footprint:

American Forests Climate Change Calculator

Ecological Footprint

A Part of Nature

2007-04-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I met Fred Meyer, a fellow permaculturist friend from Iowa City. He, too, is devoting himself to communiy-wide sustainability and is drawn to the spiritual connection to this work. Here is a recent message from Fred:

Permie Friends,

I was asked to give a speech on Earth Day at my Iowa City Unitarian Universalist church. I provided the speech below in the hope that you might find something useful in it.

Happy spring!
-Fred Meyer

A Part of Nature

Fellow UU-ers... I am tired; tired of cleaning roadways, recycling, planting trees, conserving energy, and writing letters to leaders about our environmental problems; tired because it does not seem to be helping. My efforts and yours are only occasionally slowing the acceleration of our environmental problems, but they are not stopping them, and they certainly are not reversing the damage.

We all run across statistics about the state of our environment, but for me, the one that really disturbs me is species extinction rates. Since this time yesterday over 100 species have become extinct (and that's a conservative estimate). One hundred more will go extinct tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. But it does not take statistics to tell me something is wrong; I can feel it. The way I am living just feels... unnatural.

But in the meantime, I continue to heat my home, drive for work, and buy the occasional DVD from China.

Fellow UU-ers... this is my story-my journey-about how I am living with our environmental crisis.

Like many of you, I graduated from school, got a job, and worked hard for many years. I bought a car, a motorcycle, a home... I worked and worked and worked and accumulated more and more stuff until one day I looked up and asked, "Is this as good as it will ever get?"

Everything told me I should be happy, but my work and my stuff just was not... well... fulfilling. I felt a spark of fulfillment when I was with friends and family or when I was in nature; but due to work, I rarely had time for these things.

I have hugged many-a-tree in my life, but four years ago a day came when I began to wonder why they were not hugging me back. Why could I see the wilderness, but not actually feel it inside me? Why did I not feel like I was a part of nature-one of the things in all the world that gave me a bit of fulfillment?

This launched me into an exploration of ecology and earth-based spirituality. I attended classes, read books, and met and talked with many new friends. The more I learned the more enthralled I became with the natural world. Do you remember what it was like when you were a child, seeing and exploring nature? Worms, streams, rocks, bugs... All these things created an insatiable curiosity in us. I felt this once again, only now-with a new understanding-an incredible sense of untapped potential welled up inside me and drove me to look at life differently.

My values-the things that I hold most sacred-began to shift and change:
* Instead of wanting to own more stuff and strive for independent security, I wanted to share my stuff and work on my relationships and connections with community
* I wanted to be with people, not compete with them for jobs and resources
* I wanted to be with nature, not exploit it
* I wanted to reach my full potential-whatever that meant-by constantly learning and connecting (which is what brought me to the UU)

Oh and then the questions started...
* What exactly made me stop being fascinated with nature?
* Why did I judge other people by their job and the stuff they own, instead of just appreciating them for who they are?
* Who or what really benefits from all my toil and time?
* Why did my life choices seem so limiting and how do others cope who are far less fortunate?
* Why did I no longer view life as a curious and beautiful existence, but instead see it as something to endure; always looking to the next day, month, year, or life.
* How could I reach my full potential in a system obsessed with centralized control, predictability, measurement, accountability, and order? (Is this what being human is really about?)
* And where did nature fit into all this?

Life felt fragmented and incomplete. The culture tells me to fill that void with a new car, a vacation, a trip to the mall, and digits on a bank computer. But this is not what fulfills me! This is not what I value!

I slowly began to realize that it is not my environment that needs help... it is me that needs help. It is the culture-the way I live and perceive the world-that needs help.

All I want is to feel happy, safe, and secure, but the culture has a very deranged way of supposedly satisfying these needs. If this church represents Earth, and thousands of small fires in it represent environmental problems, it does not matter how good I am at putting out those fires if the culture is forcing me to fuel them and light more by constantly consuming, competing, and exploiting.

I still plant trees, write letters, and conserve energy. But nowadays I focus more on living authentically; on learning how to become fully human. I strive to ensure my actions are based on my values, not the values of an unhealthy culture. I work with nature, because I know that I am a part of her; not above her or beside her. And, for the sake of our environment, I am attempting to change the culture to do the same.

I have ideas. Most of them revolve around making our community sustainable and self-sufficient. The culture says a self-sufficient city is not possible. It asserts that I must exploit the resources of nature and other people to survive; that I cannot live by my values of peace and sharing and cooperation. I look at a forest ecosystem happily sustaining billions of critters all at once, and I beg to differ.

Statistics say that over 26% of Americans have made similar fundamental changes to their lives, but each feels alone in their
transition. You are not alone. Our collective beliefs define this culture. To make the same changes to this culture we must rally around a goal and beliefs we can all agree upon. I propose this to be a sustainable community that works in harmony with nature; no more warring over natural resources; no more competition amongst one another; no more hoarding for individual security; no more of these unhealthy values that are causing the destruction of our planet.

You are likely a member of one or more social organizations. Talk about this goal with them and let us see if we can all get pointed in this same direction.

Fellow UU-ers... That is my story about how I am living with our environmental crisis. My journey has made everyday a celebration of Earth Day. I celebrate the simple feeling of being alive and being a part of something larger than myself. I celebrate being a part of nature. It has brought me here with you today, among people who make me feel happy, safe, and secure.

Earth Day 2007--Upper Lake

2007-04-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

I will be celebrating Earth Day this saturday in Upper Lake. A number of good films and talks are scheduled at the Upper Lake oddfellows hall. My presentation (the slide show) "Global Warning and you" is scheduled around 2pm.

Here are the event details as provided by the organizers:

Saturday April 21st:
Earth Day Celebration
12 Noon-7:00 P.M.
Main Street
Upper Lake, California

The day will be a Public Awareness Day with informational displays, speakers, presentations, booths, and festivities geared toward understanding and education about alternative and eco-friendly energy sources, thoughtful and non-toxic food production, crafts and other items that are earth friendly, educationally oriented activities for kids and teens, and knowledge and sources for recycling and for conservation, learn about situations in which you can make little changes to help effect better outcomes …… For more information and to participate, please visit the Upper Lake website at http://upperlakeca.com

Our LakeFuture Archive

2007-03-09T01:09:00.001-08:00

The LakeFuture host server changed blogging software & formats and in the process of republishing, I lost the historical archives from this main Lakefuture page. So, we start again. I will sift through the 2 years of archives and post any current or good reference information in the coming weeks.

Denise

The Choice is Ours

2006-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

As predicited, humanity reached Peak Oil production in December 2005. At the same time, it is now clear that the fossil fuel we have already burned has affected our atmosphere and created a climate crisis. What this means is that worldwide production of oil will never be greater than is was in 2005. Therefore, the world economy can no longer grow and even if it could, the choice to burn other fossil fuels as we have been will only create further climate crisis.

Think about this. All that our current culture depends upon is about to change. In fact, over time, we cannot sustain our current lifestyles.

All by itself, reaching Peak Oil is a profound event. We in the U.S. may not feel the effects immediately because our government is willing to take energy and resources from others by force and is unwilling to level with us about the fact that our very lifestyles are unsustainable. However, an even more significant event is yet to come: the consequence of dumping eons and eons of stored carbon into the atmosphere. Global warming is here. It is real. And it affects all of us.

The good news: (1) We know how to solve this problem (2) This planet has faced great crises before and has overcome them through creativity and will. and (3) Most of the more significant actions to solve this one are PERSONAL and LOCAL

In the days and months ahead, I will write about what I am doing personally and what I believe our local communities and groups need to do to prepare themselves. We need to have a plan. The sooner we begin the better. We have little time to lose.

I have already begun working on my personal plan. A summary:

(1) Drive less. Ideally, we can avoid auto trips and/or live in such a way that we do not have to use a car every day in order to eat, shop and work. There are two options I considered: live in a walk-able city with a thriving local merchants or live in a rural area with locally grown food and town centers for gathering, trading, and shopping. I chose the latter because I also require rural beauty to sustain me spirtually.

(2) Reduce Energy Use. Personally, I am evaluating how I use energy and either eliminating energy use, or finding sustainable substitutes. This is a tough one, no matter what it involves tradeoffs and/or cash.

(3) Support Local Economy. Personally, I begin by growing my own food and shopping locally. This is a lot of work and I am hoping to find others who will join me in this effort. Farmers markets and community supported gardens would help here.

(4) Live Locally. Over time, find a local vocation--one that requires little or no travel (except perhaps to local markets). build community, take care of those in our midst.

(5) Simplify. There are two ways to create wealth--make more or desire less. A good economy doesn't have to be all about buying more new stuff to store in mini-storage units and ultimately landfill. Really! I am a recovering consumer. Buy used, re-use, barter and trade.

Fortunately, Lake County is beautiful, rural and has potential for the necessities of food and water and solar energy as well as potential for a thriving local community that can be bonded to place. In a sense, Lake County already has less distance to fall, it has not been overrun with sprawling development (yet) and has historic community centers.

As for the communities, the plan will need to include not buying into the corporate box stores, with all their cheap plastic stuff, as well as avoiding out-of-area markets and sprawl. Our local communities must further develop their town centers, creating core communities that are alive and thriving. We must create and discover local markets, particularly for our food, perhaps sponsoring local farmers markets and community supported agriculture. Local communities must look at securing local energy (bio-diesel, solar) and water sources, developing local economy --trading and barter systems, and most importantly, preserving our natural resources and beauty. We must not allow these to be sacrificed and stolen by the desperate outside interests, especially as the economy inevitably begins its descent. We must not sell our soul on false promises.

Both individuals and communities need to ask ourselves: How will we invest our wealth (what little we have) now, for a time when we are not awash in easy and inexpensive energy? That time is nearly upon us.

I see the decades ahead as difficult, yet in some strange way hopeful, too. To become more bonded to place, to community, and to become more more local, is our way forward.

How will this all turn out? Will we value beauty and quality of life more than our consumptive lifestyles? In practical terms, this means living with smaller homes and less stuff, but on a spiritual level it is a conflict between possesions(money) and life itself. The choice is ours.

Lake Future

2005-10-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I spoke at the local sustainability forum sponsored by the Sierra Club Lake group. There was a fairly large group there for our rural area (over 100, I think) and the discussion seemed to focus on the changes folks see and what can be done about living within our means: becoming more sustainable as individuals and as a community. I invited folks to continue the dialog by joining LakeFuture--a forum to explore and discuss both individual and community transformation to a more sustainable and local economy in Lake County, CA. You can join the yahoo group by sending an email to lakefuture-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

For my part, I try to focus on the hopeful--that humans are a part of the community of life and we have a role. We are called, I believe, to not just live sustainably, but to restore and renew ravaged places and to protect the living places that remain. When we work in this way, we find that our way of thinking changes and indeed, our way of being is transformed.

To embrace this transition, as I have been chronicling here for myself, is not easy, but it is a far more satisfying way of life. And yet, I've learned that I cannot work alone... the vision of such a life is a difficult one with just too much sheer work and a myriad of skills that no one person can acquire or afford. It is only through community that we create the momentum, energy and hope to find our way to the future.

One Straw Revolution

2005-10-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Ultimately, it is not the growing technique which is the most important factor, but rather the state of mind of the farmer. " --Masanobu Fukuoka, The One Straw Revolution

Each day, I am discovering more of what Dr. Fukuoka meant by that statement.... my state of mind dictates my approach to the land and over the course of days weeks and seasons I am discovering there is a rhythm to the work. I need to keep this in mind, especially now, as we start harvesting walnuts.

We experienced a setback this season--in addition to there being a very poor walnut crop, some of the walnuts are bad due to a pest called husk fly. Apparently both the low crop yield and the huskfly infestation this year were exacerbated by the late spring/summer rains. I have been told there is an effective organic-approved mollases-based spray that works for husk fly (next season). For now, we will live with the reduced crop and the frustration.

Autumn is a busy time in the orchard and garden. Harvesting, sowing cover crops and spreading straw mulch.

The straw is important. In The One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka says that the spreading of straw is critical to soil fetility and allows you to farm without tilling the soil (thus saving the topsoil). I find it to be contemplative and life-giving--for the land and for me.

Ideally, I would grow everything I need right here--and that would be the way of it if we were sustainable today. I would like to grow straw myself, but the land needs mulch before I can seed, so I am buying someone else's straw this season. My hope is that next year I can sow some barley, oats and alfalfa between the walnut trees and then allow the animals to graze it directly. By grazing, the goats and sheep will keep down the weeds and will enrich the soil. The remainder, I will scythe, dry and store for the winter. That's the plan.

And today I worked. (WORK by it's purest definition: Force times Distance) I moved 50 bales of hay from the shed to the orchard where I plan to place it in the form of a labyrinth. (My neighbors may already think I am nuts, this will likely confirm their suspicions. ) In any case, this hay is unsuitable for feed, with too many stems and weeds, and too little nutritionaly value, so I am ordering from another source. Because the hay has too many weed seeds to spread, I will allow it to compost in the bale. I figure--why not walk a labyrinth while I wait? My state of mind will definitely improve, and thus perhaps my farming ability as well.

One step at a time.

Earth Regeneration

2005-09-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I have been camping in the Cazadero Hills the past couple of weeks, participating in a course in regenerative ecological design (permaculture) with an amazing group of people. I can honestly say that this process of ecological design is one of the most hopeful things I have encountered. This is beyond sustainability, this is about our human capacity and responsibility to renew depleted and ravaged places. Its about bringing fertility to depleted soils and creating better human communities in the process.

I will be integrating what I have learned over the next weeks and months and years and will share my insights as appropriate. For now, I am re-entering life at Dancing Tree People orchard and garden and need to begin building winter housing for the animals... with natural materials, of course.

With so much destruction afoot in our world, it feels quite empowering to obtain new skills in self-sufficiency and community-building.

If you would like to learn more about this course, go to the E.A.T. website.

Cultivating the Real Gifts

2005-08-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

When I embarked on this journey toward sustainability, I fully engaged the most scientific and rational part of myself. Slap a few solar panels on the roof, recycle waste, use a solar oven and grow a few organic crops and I would be well on the path, right?

What I have learned is much deeper. It is difficult to put into words, but I will attempt to do so.

It is this:

If one wants to live in harmony with the planet, to accept ones position as a part of nature rather than a consumer (taker) of Earth's gifts, then an internal shift is required.

This is a change in a way of BEING. Much of what I have been taught about myself--how to be happy, how to survive, how to relate--must change. Despite what i have been taught by popular culture since infancy, I do not need more things to make me happy (in fact paradoxically, the more I have, the more elusive happiness becomes). And despite the fact that heros are rewarded and individualism is worshiped in our culture, the most important gifts in the next few decades may well be relationships with neighbors and the cultivation of local community.

Why do I say this? Because one cannot possibly have all the skills, or resources, or tools, or creativity or time to be fully sustainable on their own. Even if you could afford it, you would not have the time or strength working alone. And, more importantly, the vision of such a life is unappealing. One needs a life-giving and sustaining vision, a spiritual sustenance, in order to let go of the false promises ingrained so deeply within us.

As it turns out, our ability to forge relationships and our own creativity are probably our most important individual gifts.

As I harvest the first of our organic vegetables and contemplate the season ahead, I drink in the beauty of the landscape around me here in Lake County...., I am grateful for all I have been given. From the land and trees, to the community of life, and the community of people here. We have all that we need for the times ahead. May we accept that which is entrusted to us and make it better for our community in the generations to come.

It's About the Soil!

2005-03-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished a two day intro to permaculture course from the solar living center in Hopland and I am so jazzed. I was one of the oldest people in the course--most of the folks were under 30--many from all over the world, mostly the western U.S. There will come a day when these permaculture skills and philosopies will be critical for survival (both physically and spiritually). For the young, corporate jobs will become more scarce--and far less satisfying. We learned skills--NOT just for sustainability, but for regenerating our soils and our depleted Earth.

"The ultimate end to a growth economy is the same as an analagous growth: cancer. But for national economies, the victims are nature, soils, forests, people, water, and quality of life. There is one, and only one, solution,and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing the natural world,and train all our young people to help. They want to. We need to give them this last chance to create forests, soils, clean waters, clean energies, secure communities, stable regions,and to know how to do it from hands-on experience" --Bill Mollison

The sacredness of preparing the beds and creating the soil for life became SO apparent. At our place in Upper Lake, I am finding that my two resources that most matter are (1) time and (2) soil. I am just beginning the soil-building and permaculture process here... and have such a long way to go for the place to be thriving and healthy and teaming with lush and abundant food. I find that the act of engaging in this process is centering and creates tremendous hope and transformation of spirit. Earth can regenerate, Earth can heal, and I can be a part of it.

I have decided to get educated. The courses I am taking will lead to a "Permaculture Certificate," which will enable me to teach others. Permaculture is based upon 3 ethics: (1) Earth Care--the land, soil, water and wildlife (2) People Care--Care for oneself and others and (3) Return the Surplus (Take only your fair share)

In this, I find energy and hope--in real action.

Lake County Community Sustainability

2005-03-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

Just after the election, I decided to sponsor a "Meet-up" in this local area to meet folks that cared about peace and community democracy. I had no purpose in mind and no agenda really, I just wanted to meet some local people and personally avoid spiraling into despair after this last election. We had our third monthly meeting last night and I showed the movie: The End of Suburbia. This movie talks about the profound impact of reaching Peak Oil production on our North American way of life.

After the movie, we talked about the advantages we have here in Lake County as Peak Oil manifests itself in the economy and food/energy/oil prices: where locally grown food and local economies are significant advantages as oil becomes too expensive to use. Some acknowledged that focusing on local economy and sustainability is one of the best strategies to promote Peace and to counteract the politics of empire.

I was amazed by what happened. This group somehow magically coalesced into something exciting and energizing. The result of the meeting was that we decided to become a forum for furthering the discussion of local sustainability. Many shared an interest in sustainable practices: alternative energy, locally grown food (or growing your own), biodiesel, limiting consumption of goods etc.

We decided to rename the group from Community Democracy to something that is more non-partison The best I could come up with is "Lake County Community Sustainability Group" (any ideas?) The purpose of our group is to share ideas and experiences, and to promote actions and policies, related to preparing ourselves local community for life after Peak Oil.

About LakeFuture.org

2005-02-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

About LakeFuture.org

Who are we?

LakeFuture.org is a website and collection of individuals dedicated to sustainability in Lake County. The website is sponsored by Dancing TreePeople Orchard and Garden and by Denise Rushing, LakeFuture.org organizer. Denise also sponsors a yahoogroup LakeFuture@yahoogroups.com for those interested in a dialog about sustainability and from time to time promotes or organizes informal sustainability educational events and meetings in Lake County.

Who participates?

Concerned local citizens of the Lake County region who wish to connect with others and work together to consider and plan for a sustainable future for our local area and individual lives.

Why?

We are currently connected and dependent upon a global economy that depletes finite resources and damages ecological systems. Many of us desire a change to a simpler life: more connected to our place in the natural world and more in tune with our community.

The purpose of LakeFuture is to network with others and to empower our community and each other to make changes that lead to more healthy, secure and meaningful lives.

What can be done?

We need to create a local economy based upon the principles of abundance and sufficiency, responsibility and life-giving actions.

Ultimately we must ensure clean water, high-quality food, renewable energy sources, ecological shelter and meaningful livelihood. Healthy communities result from individuals with courage and vision to make changes in their own lives in accordance with these values and we want to support each other in making these changes.

Interested individuals sponsor workshops or get-togethers from time to time. Locations vary and will be announced via a group email list.

Next Steps ?

Keep track of progress and learn of future events by signing onto a group list at:

LakeFuture-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Networking

If you are interested in joining this local grouplist, please send an email to lakefuture-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Be sure to indicate who you are, where you live and how you heard about our group.

Or contact LakeFuture for more information.

Welcome to LakeFuture.org!

2005-02-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to LakeFuture.org: Lake County Sustainable Future, located in Lake County, California.

This website is dedicated to promote sustainabilty and associated efforts in Lake County. We support concerned, local citizens of the Lake County region working together to plan for a self-reliant, sustainable future for our local area and individual lives.

Many are concerned that we are dependent upon a global economy that depletes finite resources and damages ecological systems. We desire a change to a simpler life: more connected to our community and more in tune with our place in the natural world.

The purpose of this website is to promote conversation, dialog and networking with others who are interested in creating a local economy without sacrificing the common good in Lake County. Together, we can empower our community and each other to make changes that lead to more healthy, secure and meaningful lives.

Group List: Local Sustainability information and Networking

If you are interested in joining a local sustainability group list (hosted by Yahoo), please send an email to lakefuture-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Be sure to indicate who you are, where you live and how you heard about our group.

This group is for local sharing of sustainability information and related events.

More About Lake Future.