Spirit of the Times 2011 November Web

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Permaculture

AN EXAMPLE OF A SUSTAINABLEGRASSROOTS MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE

AeroponicEcocycle

A DelicateBalance

Where Nature

Meets Innovation

Review

Joining the Dots

Local FoodNetworks

The Importance Of

Bringing Food BackTo The Community

The Role of Veganism in aSustainable Economy

Purism:To what extent is it possibleor desirable to be a purist?

OCCUPY MELBOURNE

Solutions for Sustainability - TheGrassroots Connection

Digital Copy: FREE

Hard Copy: $5Issue #2

NOVEMBER 2011


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Contents

November 2011/ Spirit of the Times Magazine2

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Letter from theEditorIn this, our second issue of Spirit of the

Times I must begin with an apologyfor lateness! Due to the teams recentinvolvement in many projects and events,not least the budding Occupy Movement,we have been flat out in their efforts to makewhat difference we can in the advocacy ofsustainability, equality and democracy.Nevertheless, tireless commitment of awonderful group of collaborators hasgiven us this latest issue, packed full withinformative solutions for sustainability.

Each of our bimonthly issues aims topresent global issues primarily within anAustralian context, delivering informativearticles regarding contemporary issues,discursive analyses, social commentary,critical thinking, and book and film reviewswith content relevant to the aims and ethosof sustainability. Each issue presents itsown theme; and this one is Solutionsfor Sustainability The GrassrootsConnection.

It is in this, our second, issue, thatsustainability measures such aspermaculture, community food networksand veganism are explored with regardto their respective merits as grassrootssolutions that can be implemented byanyone with a desire to have a positive

impact on the world around them.We hope that you will find this an entertainingand informative read, and that you will findinformation worth sharing!

Regards,

Kari McGregor & the Spirit of the Timesteam

Any feedback regarding current articles or

enquiries about future submissions is to be sent

to: [email protected]

Please indicate whether you would like feedback

to be passed on to the writer of any given article,

and/or published in the next issue. Thank you.

WOMAD Earth Station

FestivalAndrew Cooper, KariMcGregor, MatthewDelchev, Michael Kublerand Tamara Otelloreport on insights tosustainability from theinaugural WOMADEarth Station Festival atBelair National Park inAdelaide.

Permaculture: Joining theDots

David Holbertonexplains the connectionbetween permacultureand sustainability.

Aeroponic Ecocycle:Where Nature MeetsInnovationChris Wilkinsdemonstrates howinnovative measuressuch as aeroponics canmimic natural processes.

To What Extent is it

Possible or Desirable tobe a Purist?SnuSnu philosophicallyaddresses the extentto which it is possibleor desirable to be apurist with regard tosustainability-orientedactivism.

Occupy Melbourne AnExample of a Sustainable

Grassroots Movement for

ChangeJade Elise commentson experiences of thegrassroots Movementfor sustainable socialchange from OccupyMelbourne.

Documentary film review:A Delicate Balance

The Role of Veganism ina Sustainable Economy

Kari McGregorinvestigatesthe relationshipbetween veganismand sustainabilitywith regard toeffective resourcemanagement.

Local Food Networks- The Importance ofBringing Food Back to theCommunity.Jared Moore analysesthe benefits ofcommunity-based foodnetworks.

Information

Analysis

Comment

Review


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3Spirit of the Times Magazine/November 2011


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Urban Food Production andSustainability

(Friends of the Earth, Permaculture AssociationSA and Community Gardens Network)

In a world in which more than 1 billion people willgo to bed hungry tonight something seems notquite right when one learns that in Australia most

urban growth is occurring right on top of our mostfertile agricultural land.

It is necessary for us to be able to reconcile ourseemingly inevitable urban growth with our ever-increasing need for food production, and for thesake of learning it is important that we turn tosome of our neighbours in countries both near anddistant for examples. Havana, Hanoi and Shanghaiare examples of cities that produce almost all oftheir food needs from within the city itself, thusdemonstrating a range of strategies that are alsorelevant here in Australia.

Urban food initiatives need to function as support

for rural farming, as with increasing urbanization wecannot depend wholly on rural farming. In additionthese urban food initiatives can also function toreconnect communities, not just produce food.A few examples of urban food initiatives areincreasing in popularity and uptake.

Guerilla gardening

The concept of guerilla gardening is a novel one ofconverting unused city spaces to productive food-producing gardens. The concept is beginning totake off in Australia as people recognize the needto reclaim land for the necessities of survival.

Community gardens

Communities are coming together over food in a

variety of different ways. Some community gardensare more focused on home food production, someon seed exchange, some on kitchen gardens, andsome on school gardens for the benefit of futuregenerations. Community garden directories areavailable to help people find gardens close to theirhomes in which they can participate.

Parklands are well suited to community gardens,and in Adelaide where there is 760 hectares of greenspace, only 0.1% of which is currently used for foodproduction, there is great potential for sustainableurban food initiatives. Currently in Adelaide tennis,cricket and lawn bowls use 10 times more spacethan food production. It has been estimated that50 hectares, which is about 6% of the parklands,could produce 15 million dollars worth of lettuce.This is, indeed, food for thought.

Food orchards

An initiative from Friends of the Earth, food orchardsare a new way of communities sharing producebetween their members.

Informal produce sharing

Quite possibly one of the most powerful urbanfood initiatives is that of informal produce sharingbetween neighbours and within communities.As this phenomenon becomes more popularcommunities are finding themselves increasinglywell-connected as well as self-sustaining.

Community-Supported Agriculture

Providing affordable food that is socially just andenvironmentally sustainable, Community SupportedAgriculture helps spread the risks associated withfood production between farmers and consumerswhile connecting urban consumers with ruralproducers. In this way more money goes directly to

October 21st - 23rd 2011 marked the inaugural WOMAD Earth Station Festival which took placein Belair National Park in Adelaide. WOMAD, traditionally a world music festival, has takena more intellectual and sustainable direction for its Earth Station spin-off, providing not onlyworld-class music, arts and food, but also presentations from speakers representing numerousorganizations and communities around the world all with a shared focus: sustainability. Thefestivals attendees were capped at 2000, demonstrating the priority of sustainability over profits,and five Spirit of the Times volunteers from South Australia were among the lucky attendees. Itis their words which report on the message of Earth Station.

WOMAD Earth StationA festival of like mindswith the shared goalof sustainability

Farming the City

FEATUREDARTICLE

Kari McGregor Mathew Delchev Tamara Otello Andrew Cooper Michael Kubler

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the farmer, creating a more sustainable system offood production.

Food co-ops

Adelaide is witnessing an increase in the number ofurban food co-ops. Some co-ops charge a nominalannual fee to members, and then provide cheapsustainable food year-round.

Rooftop gardens

One of the drawbacks of the citys limited spaceis fast becoming a benefit with the rise of rooftopgardens demonstrating the potential for food-production spaces within the heart of the city. Theurban heat island effect is both useful for growingfood and also mitigated by the cooling effect offood production.

Community mapping

A community mapping exercise was featured as partof the urban food initiatives drive for inspiration. Amap was provided onto which audience members

were encouraged to post sticky notes markingurban food production initiatives that are currentlyin progress, those which are in the planning stages,and those they would like to see come to fruition. Anexample of communities deciding for themselveshow they will sustainably support themselves is agreat leap in terms of the power of networking andutilizing the resources of a community for the goodof the future.

Loaves and fishesHow to feed 9 billion mouths?

(Answered by Graham Brookman, JudyCarman and Scott Kinnear)

Graham Brookman, one of Australias foremostpermaculture designers and teachers speaksof the need to re-skill the worlds population

in sustainable food-production practices for thesake of our very survival.

According to recent statistics the worlds populationincreases by 1100 people per hour. It is in this waythat we are approaching 7 billion people. Some

experts claim that if all of those 7 billion were to livein the manner to which Australians are accustomedwe would need three earth-like planets in orderto support us. And its not stopping there wereexpected to reach 9 billion in the forseeable future,consumption is ever-increasing, and we do nothave another earth to go to.

Brookman refers to our population as deskilledregarding the science of sustainability. We literallydo not know how to feed ourselves anymore,and with very little funding going into agriculturalresearch we are not anywhere near solving the

problem of how to feed our increasing numbers.Brookmans suggestion is for us to design our wayout of the problem. If we were to create a society

to live by ethics and principles we would achieve alevel of sustainability that can support our growingnumbers.

Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, the originators ofthe permaculture concept, created it as an appliedsystem for sustainable human development,inclusive of both traditional knowledge and modernscience. Permaculture design principles arelong lasting, multifunctional, and place elements

together in a way that they support one another in aweb of interconnection. In this system waste itemssuch as sewage, green waste, and waste food areall recycled, and therefore reused, meaning thatnothing is actually wasted. It is also imperativethat food grown be diverse in order to avoid thedisasters threatened by too narrow a range of foodcrops.

Brookman asserts that in the future cities will needto be able to feed themselves as farmers will not beable to meet the increasing demands of a growingpopulation with their supply. However not all land

can be used to feed people as much of it needsto be left for biodiversity, a critical factor in anyecosystem. This means that cities will need to bedesigned to be built upwards and not outwards,and the space managed effectively.

Above all it is important that we re-skill people tobecome effective permaculturalists. The use ofpeople-power, and not industrial agriculture isnot only more sustainable, but highly effective as

people can actually produce a lot of energy, andcertainly enough to meet the needs of our survival.

Judy Carman, director of the Institute of Healthand Environmental Research Inc, has chosen todevote her life, since retiring at the age of 45, to theinvestigation of the effects of genetically modifiedfood on peoples health in pursuit of an answer tothe question of whether GM food is safe to eat, andwhether it can assist in the endeavor to feed ourever-growing population.

The process of genetically modifying food involvestrying to get a plant to make a protein, which is

achieved via using DNA from other sources, bethey plant-based or animal-based. Some of thechanges made could be potentially toxic.

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According to Carman claims that geneticallymodified foods can solve the problem of how tofeed an ever-increasing population are far-fetched.Claims that plants can be made drought-tolerant,for example, are extremely difficult to substantiateas the process of making plants drought-tolerantrequires a large number of genetic changes withmany genes needed to work in synergy. Withpresent GM technology genes can only be inserted1 or 2 at a time, rendering such complex processesthe stuff of future science at best.

Generally GM food is engineered to be herbicide-resistant, or to produce its own insecticide. Theproteins which achieve these effects are physicalmodifications to the plants structure, remain insidethe plant, and cannot be eliminated. This meansthat they are present when these foods arrive atthe table, and regardless of how little we knowabout their effects on health they are ingested withvarying levels of awareness as to their presence.

The most commonly genetically modified crops

grown in Australia are corn, soy, cotton (for oil) andcanola (also for oil). These crops are commonly apart of our food, and are even more commonplace inanimal feed, thus finding their way into our diets viathe food-chain. These GM foods are also ubiquitousin processed junk foods and many imported fooditems. Animal products generated from animals fedon GM feed do not have to be labeled by law. Neitherdoes highly refined processed food. Neither doesrestaurant food. In this way it is almost impossiblefor us to know whether we are consuming GMfoods, so they become almost impossible to avoid,

even for the conscientious consumer. The cross-contamination of non-GM crops with GM crops isalso a major issue that is threatening to destroythe organic food industry and the range of choicesavailable to the more discerning consumer.

In order to determine the safety of GM foods forhuman health clinical trials would be necessary,post animal studies. It is likely that some readers willbe shocked to learn that, according to Carman, nohuman safety studies have ever been carried out,

and the majority of animal testing has been highlyinadequate. For example, FSANZ (Food Standards

Australia New Zealand) documents look at GMversus non-GM crop comparisons examining onlyamino acids (which make up proteins), and not

whole proteins. This leads to an inaccurate pictureof the reality as synergistic effects are untested. Inaddition average sample sizes in GM testing areapproximately 7 animals a sample too small tobe able to detect differences unless major. Thestark reality in such testing is that figures such asa 25% death rate of animals studied is clinicallysignificant but not statistically significant, meaningthat in small-sample studies it is almost impossibleto determine whether GM food is, in fact, safe atall. There is also no official or legal definition of fail/pass-points in studies regardless of how large thedifferences are. Therefore, as an example, if rats(fed once only with an amino acid only, not theactual genetically modified food) dont die withinthe space of 4-7 days the item is considered safefor all human consumption! These studies oftenonly measure death rates, not rates of disease,meaning that only the most extreme form of safety(or lack thereof) is being tested. Some animal testsonly last for as long as 3 months, which is nowherenear enough time to test for long-term diseases

such as cancer or reproductive issues, meaningthat a large sector of pathology is going untestedby the science.

Carman impresses upon her audience that furthertesting is needed under much more stringentscientific conditions and with much greaterintegrity before GM food can even be consideredto have been properly tested, let alone deemedsafe for human consumption. At present it can onlybe concluded that there is no evidence that GMfood is a viable solution for feeding our growingpopulation.

Scott Kinnear of the Safe food institute, whichpromotes organic food and is currently fundingsome of Judy Carmans work, works with naturalsystems design in organic permaculture andbiodynamic food production. According to Kinnear,high yields of more nutrient-dense foods can be

produced using organic methods of farming.

It is this emphasis on nutrient density that iscritical when it comes to feeding an ever-growing


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population. The nutrient-poor food that is all-toocommon these days is related to obesity in thatpeople are still hungry even after they havefinished eating due to having notsatisfied their nutritional needs.It is, therefore, less a matterof quantity and more one ofquality as 2kg of nutrient-dense food per personper day is sufficient forour needs. It is simplythe distribution that isout of balance.

In order to redressthe balance Kinnearpoints out that a shiftof consciousnessis necessary. If weare to feed our ever-growing population thenwe need to move awayfrom industrial agricultureand focus on small-scaleorganic food production wherebyproduction can be maximized from a small spaceof land by growing large number of plant species. Itis this variety that will provide the range of nutrientsneeded to feed our population.

In addition to production, consumption must also beconscious and conscientious. Every food-buyingdecision one makes has an impact further downthe line. This means, according to Kinnear, thatwhen purchasing food one must buy with dignity

and respect, and consider the far-reaching effectsof ones purchases.

It is thus that we will defeat the monopoly ofnutrient-poor foods grown for the purpose of profitsnot health. If Monsantos de-facto slogan were tobe no food shall be grown that we dont own, thenperhaps ours should be sustainable nutrition, notprofit-driven.

Greening in thecommunity

Case studies

(Presented by Stephanie Bolt, Cate Blanchett& Andrew Upton, Scott Kinear, and Tim Jarvis)

Stephanie Bolt Environment Manager atAdelaide airport presents a reassuring pictureof how even the most resource-exploitive

of our practices can be managed sustainably.Bolt is responsible for overseeing the airportssustainability, environmental compliance, andwildlife management programs, and has beenworking on a range of programs over several

years to bring the airport the point of maximumenvironmental sustainability.

Bolt refers to a networked global community of

airports which benefit from global benchmarkingas a point for comparison and, therefore,

motivation for development. This globalnetwork has an environmental site

within their website to demonstratehow airports have adopted the

sustainability message,providing transparentreporting to their patrons.Tools such as GreenStar and neighborratings covering arange of different

types of buildingsare encouraged as a

way of benchmarkingthe sustainability of the

airports construction.

In addition, Adelaide airport,under Bolts supervision,

maintains the ethos of thinkingglobally whilst acting locally. When

dealing with carbon offsetting, creditsare purchased not just for any sustainable

development program in the world but aredirectly relevant to the community, contributing tosustainable development projects within Adelaideitself.

In dealing with public skepticism regardingenvironmental sustainability Bolt advises that anyperceived risky, expensive or difficult optionspresented can be guided through with long-termvision. It is short-term vision that gets people stuck

with the status quo, so it is necessary to examinethe long term benefits and costs, and set tangibleexamples that can illustrate the relative benefits.

Bolt also finds that the mainstream media caneither be an ally or a hindrance in the strugglefor positive public opinion regarding renewableenergy initiatives, as non-expert mainstream mediareporting is largely dominated by myths over facts.Filtering information through the mainstream mediais difficult due to most information presented nothaving a scientific basis. It seems to Bolt that thereare not enough people in the know at high enough

levels to dispel myths, and that this is what is neededto increase the percentage of renewable power.It is necessary that people have access to factsand tangible examples of successful sustainabilityprojects in order to build positive momentum fromwhat has been achieved so far.

Cate Blanchett & Andrew Upton are the ArtisticDirectors of the Sydney Theatre Company, and arecommitted to conveying a message of sustainabilityto audiences around the world. Blanchett andUpton comment that more people seem to betrying to stop things rather than start them, but that

this perhaps has a lot to do with paranoia and poorcommunication. When there is internal ownershipof changes made within a community there is anembrace of those changes. Upton refers to his

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own community in which anxiety over a solar-panelproject motivated people within the community toget together and dialogue in order to negotiatethe issue. The anxiety over the proposed changeshad been in danger of unpicking the project, butthe reassurance that came to the community as a

result of communications saved the project, andthe community were rewarded with a sense of

ownership of the sustainable changes that ensued.Blanchett comments on public opinion and ourcultural relationship to sustainable practices,referring to our dependence on oil and relatedproducts as being an addiction that we as asociety are not even aware that we suffer from. It istherefore necessary for society to become awareof this dependence and find ways to approximatethe perceived benefits of such products in orderfor the perceived radical changes to appear lessdaunting.

When questioned as to why she put herself on theline with regard to the carbon tax debate, knowing itwould be such a divisive issue, Blanchett respondsthat there is a need for leadership. She points outthat with the issues currently facing us that wecannot wait for leadership and change - that it iswhat we do in our individual lives that really countsand that those who have access to true sciencehave an obligation to uphold the message and livewith integrity.

Scott Kinnear, organic food movement advocate,provides a case-study from his own community,

which is a wind-powered community whose wind-power resources are entirely community owned.The success of this community project was notspontaneous, but the result of five years of planningvia dialogue within the community. It was thecommunity development and connection that led toboth the adoption of the project and the involvementof the local people in making it happen. Even theerection of the actual wind turbines was celebratedwith a community-organized picnic, demonstratingthe strength of the communitys bonds.

Kinnear also explains how RED energy leads to

community funding. Companies buy and sell on theenergy produced by the communitys wind turbines,and for every bill paid on time channels $12.50back into the community. In this way the community

has so far raised approximately two million dollarsto reinvest in sustainable development.

Kinnear comments on where he sees somerenewable energy companies as having gonewrong in their approach. Some large wind turbinecompanies, for example, have not handled theircommunication well especially at communitylevel. Therefore they have not been effective inconvincing people of their message, certainly not

as effective as the fossil fuel lobby has been. Whenit comes to communicating the message to thepublic it is important to engage on the front footwith honest answers and solutions, and not to giveoxygen to non-factually-based opinions emergingfrom paranoia and misinformation.

If you want to change public opinion, accordingto Kinnear, you must engage with narratives. It isimportant to communicate the message that theenvironmental situation will get much worse without

change. However, when it comes to business,people are driven by cost. Therefore it is necessaryto identify how businesses can save money andthat this can be achieved via sustainable andwaste-reduced practices, not by simply usingcheaper products as green products and servicescurrently are not cheaper but savings can bemade in conjunction with sustainable practices.Companies can also benefit from public opinionby marketing themselves as doing the right thing.When enough people talk to enough people theworld will change, Kinnear asserts, as what we buystimulates investment. We need to communicate,

think, and buy wisely in order to inspire and build


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momentum in change.

David Holmgren, Bill Mollisons co-founder of thepermaculture Movement, takes the concept ofcommunity self-sufficiency even further, inspiringdiscussion about energy dissent within communities.Such energy dissent entails communities using lessenergy and water, using their own land effectively,and managing the ways in which food is grownand purchased at community level. Such a level of

community consciousness and empowerment is apowerful emerging phenomenon.

Tim Jarvis is an environmental scientist andadventurer committed to finding pragmaticsolutions to major environmental issues. He hasestablished a practical version of a think-tank,which he affectionately nicknames a do-tank aform of open source ideas-building to which anyonecan contribute via the website, which functions asa collective receptacle for ideas that can make theworld more sustainable.

An inspiring case-study presented by Jarvis is ofa carbon neutral city being built as a satellite ofShanghai. Urban agriculture, solar and wind energyare beginning to take off in China with Shanghai, asan example, producing 75% of its food from withinthe city itself. As a contrast, in the UK most food hasbeen flown in from thousands of miles, rendering itsconsumption vastly inferior in terms of sustainability.Although China is guilty of putting up new coal-firedpower stations in far greater numbers than wouldsuggest a leaning toward renewable alternativesthey are, ironically, leading the way in sustainabilityin so many other ways.

Jarvis comments that as an environmentalist onecannot expect to simply walk into a boardroomand get listened to, even when detailing suchpractical cases as the aforementioned. It is usuallymore effective if one manages to sneak in thebackdoor as a leadership or motivation expert, forexample. It is also important to remember that it isfutile trying to turn corporate types into greenies we need to simply focus on getting results, whichto sustainability advocates means sustainablesolutions while to the corporates it means savingsor profits.

The fact that we are still debating the issue ofrenewable energy means, in Jarvis view, that thefossil fuel lobby seems to be winning. We have allforms of renewable energy available but it is notyet in the grid. Jarvis points to a need for federallegislation in order to motivate companies tointegrate a renewable element into their budgets.So much vested interest money goes into keepingthe renewable energy debate raging for longenough for companies to get returns on their long-term investments while stalling the changes thatwould damage their prior investments. It is vital that

we redress this balance.

When it comes to informing either the public orcorporations it is important to remember that


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people are generally time-poor and misinformed.They do not have the time or energy to figure outhow to do things the right way. Disinformation andthe perception that renewable energy is moreexpensive, for example, inhibit the progress ofsuch initiatives. Jarvis also reminds us that onecan waste a lot of energy on the recalcitrant, whichis not worth it because such people are at the far

end of the spectrum and not willing to move. It is,instead, far more valuable to focus energy on thosewho are ready and willing to make change, andthe rest will follow once tangible examples becomemore available.

Powering the futureBeyond fossil fuels

(Presentations from Matthew Wright, FrankBoland and James Larratt)

Matthew Wright. 2010 young environmentalistof the year, and representative from BeyondZero Emissions presents a picture of a viable

transition to a zero-emissions future within thespace of only ten years. Beyond Zero Emissions(BZE) proposal involves a stationary energy plan,transport system, and zero-emissions buildings.370 billion dollars is reportedly the funding neededto push the plan through, and this being under 3%of GDP about what we spend on importing motorvehicles annually it seems viable.

Wright explains that going zero-carbon in the space

of ten years presents a 67% chance of avoiding a2 degree temperature increase. These are not thebest odds, but the alternative is clearly worrisome.

Beyond Zero Emissions stationary energy proposalconsists of 60% solar thermal with storage and 40%wind power. Solar thermal energy is generatedusing a molten salt mix, which is basically industrialfertilizer. When a solar thermal power plant reachesthe end of its life the molten salt can be used asfertilizer, or simply re-used elsewhere in anotherpower plant.

Transport, according to BZEs plan, includesemissions-free trains similar to an already existingEuropean project involving a 3000km very fast traintrack/corridor in Spain. Every Spanish city either

has one existing or under construction. In additionsolar-powered cars have been produced whichare of far greater efficiency than those fuelled withanother alternative fuel source, ethanol.

People need to engage in order to remove thepolitical barriers to change. BZE have establishedprograms that the public can become involvedin, including their public-speakers program andvolunteer programs. BZE are aiming to delivertheir message through presentations in schools,businesses, and rotary clubs, etc. in order to getthe can do message out there.

As regards the transition period between ourcurrent energy era and the zero-emissions futureWright proposes the controversial plan of transitioncoal leading to transition renewables, which is acheaper and more efficient option than the newgas plants, planned to last 6 years although yet tobe built, proposed by companies posing natural

gas as an alternative energy source. The realityabout gas, little known to the public due to a lack ofmedia reporting and a political system addicted todonations from business interests, is that it producesthe a similar level of emissions as coal, and is not,therefore a viable clean energy alternative. Wrightsassertion that continuing with coal until renewablealternatives have been fully phased in is both morecost-efficient and more direct appears sound whenfaced with the comparatively distracting alternative.

Frank Boland of Infigen energy explains the impactof wind power in Australias renewable energy

transition. Globally Australia numbers 15th in worldwind power rankings, and is expected to climb.

South Australia is home to 54% of Australias windfarms, and is currently powered by 20% renewableenergy as more and more wind farms are installed,displacing gas and coal as the default energysources. As an example of how much of SouthAustralias energy comes from wind at any givenmoment a random date was picked and the dataextracted on 21st September 2011 at 3:15pm53% of South Australias energy came from windpower! Infigens wind power projects are currently

powering 11% of the state, with the reason forSouth Australia being chosen over other statesbeing the concentration of good wind sites on thesouth coasts.

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Infigen hope to roll out plans for further wind-power sites by scientifically investigating whichsites are most appropriate in terms of wind powerconcentration at peak energy usage times acrossthe country.

James Larratt, a representative from Energy Matters,one of Australias leading solar photovoltaic anddomestic renewable energy companies, outlines thepotential of solar energy to revolutionize Australias

energy sector. Energy Matters focuses on deliveringaffordable renewable energy to the business worldprimarily, recognizing that this is a fulcrum for tippingthe balance for renewable energy consumption.

Larrat outlines Energy Matters plan to get solarPVinstalled in both commercial and domestic buildings.One aim is to get solarPV onto factory rooftops,considered to be the ideal location for this type of energysource. The main reason why solarPV is not being widelyused in this capacity at present is due to the capitalhurdle that all businesses have to consider. Investingin solar panels is often considered unviable due to the

requirement for an investment in 20-40 years worthof electricity upfront. However, as Larratt explains, notonly is it necessary to have a long-term view regardingall forms of electricity production, solarPV is also cost-effective in that it can beat the variable cost. It is onlyinstallation and connection that may cost more, andthis is only the case at present. Renewable energy isguaranteed to be cheaper in the future simply becausefossil fuels are running out.


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The impact of climatechange on biodiversity

Professor Lesley Hughes of MacquarieUniversity explains how climate change hasaffected biodiversity, What is expected in thefuture if we continue to develop as we are,and what action can be taken to mitigateour effects.

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Ways in which specieshave reacted to themodest amount ofclimate change so farinclude the following

Species are moving to coolerplaces

e.g.Butterflies in northern Europeare moving more than200km towards the poles.

Species are movinguphill

e.g.In Alpine Australia snowgums, wildhorses and wallabies are found higherin the mountains.

Coral diseases thrive whentemperatures increase

e.g.Diseases are knocking out corals ascompletely as bleaching can.

Marine species of birds andfish are establishing coloniesfurther south in Australia

e.g.One particular type of sea urchin hasmoved into Tasmania in search of coolerwaters and is doing so well there, consuming

so much of the kelp that other species rely on,

that many of these other species are becoming

disadvantaged.

Animals are beginning tomigrate earlier in the year

e.g.Butterflies, migratory birds, andlizards are spending longer in oneplace and departing later.

Species that rely oneach other are becomingdislocated from one another

e.g.In the Netherlands oaks areproducing leaves earlier in spring.Caterpillars are keeping up with this change

by laying their eggs earlier. However, birds

are still functioning according to their usualpattern because their hatching depends on

day-length. This means that the system is out

of synchrony, leading populations of birds to

plummet causing disruption of the food chain.

Heatwaves aredrastically affecting

species due to adisproportionateincrease in hot weather

e.g.In 2002 in just one day over42 degrees in NSW 10-13% ofblack flying foxes died in the space of a day due

to overheating. On 6th January 2010 just one

day with a temperature of 48 degrees hundreds

of Carnabys cockatoos simply dropped dead,

indicating the massive impacts that changes ofjust a few degrees over average has.


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Business as usual is predicted,via computer models, to incur thefollowing results:

According to Professor Hughes the futuremay visit us in two possible forms. Themore positive future will only occur if we

manage to control greenhouse gas emissionswell. However, the other, less promising future,associated with a business as usual approach,is more likely if we do not make drastic changes.

Professor Hughes explains the further impactsincurred by the changes outlined. Why we shouldcare is not so much a question we need to ask, butthe answers bear outlining for their gravity and theextension beyond the interests of environmentaliststo the sphere of economics.

Simply regarding economic interests costs ofbetween 18 and 54 trillion dollars per year are

incurred in damage. The worlds annual GNP is inthe region of 18 trillion dollars, indicating that eveneconomic rationalists should be paying attention tothe financial impacts of a loss of biodiversity.

On a level of less interest to economists, but of evengreater importance, our society treats biodiversitywith little regard, somehow disconnecting from thefact that but it is our life support system we simplywill not survive without it.

As regards Australia, loss of biodiversity is an issueof great concern. 7-10% of global biodiversity is

in Australia, with 93% of reptiles endemic, 94% offrogs and 92% of flowering plants. Australia hasalready lost more than 5% of plant species and issuffering the highest rate of mammal species

Coral bleaching is only arecent phenomenon with a0.7 degree increase over thepast 20 years

e.g.An increase of just 1 degree over theusual maximum causes the coral tothrow out the algae that photosynthesize them,resulting in bleaching. 1979 saw the first recorded

bleaching on the Great Barrier reef, with the worst

recorded bleaching occurring in 1998, in which

16% of the worlds coral was lost in just one hot

summer, and in 2002. The first ever recorded

bleaching of the Ningaloo Reef, off the coast of

Western Australia, was recorded in 2006.

Oceans are now 30% more acidic than before the

industrial revolution

Coral is growing massively slower than in the

past, an occurrence unprecedented in 400 years

of records (coral growth rates can be counted in a

similar way to tree rings)

More and more species are likely to be affectedsimilarly to those effects already witnessed, thusimpacting ecosystems and communities in turn

examples include:

A four degree increase in temperature is likely tocreate the following changes in conditions:

Each decade sees a loss of 10%+ of snow in theAlpine zone; It is likely that there will be no snow leftby the end of the century

Coastal wetlands are declining

In Summary:

One species of ring-tailed possum has disappearedfrom Far North Queensland due to temperatureincreases lasting more than a few hours causingit to drop dead due to poor internal temperaturecontrol.

Some best-case scenarios in wet tropic Far North

Queensland involve total loss of optimal climate forvertebrate species.

Cairns is expected to become like Weipa in capeYork, and at most extreme like Jabiru, thereforebecoming unable to store the same biodiversitythat Cairns stores.

Snowy mountain communities are moving furtherand further upwards, and some are not able tosurvive at all, leading to a wholesale restructuringuntil complete loss is incurred.

Mangroves are moving inland, displacingfreshwater wetland.

The Costa Rican toad is likely to be the first speciesto become extinct due to climate change.

Every degree of warming will incur the loss of 100-150 bird species.

Adelaide is likely to develop a climate similar toKalgoorlie in Western Australia.


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extinction in the world, with one third of extinctmammals being Australian. These are notworld records for Australia to be proud of. Withapproximately one million years needed for aspecies to evolve, and faced with the possibilitythat it can take only weeks, days, or even hours fora species to become extinct due to a heatwave itis clear that we cannot afford further increases intemperatures.

In outlining the need for action Hughes wastes notime in reminding us that our own survival is ourvested interest and that it is we who are ultimately atthreat from our own inaction. As regards computermodeling for future scenarios we tend not to thinkbeyond the year 2100 not only because suchmodeling becomes less accurate, but also, andHughes states this only partly tongue-in-cheek,because it is, quite frankly, just too frightening aprospect.

If we hadnt created other environmental problemssuch as land-clearing, among other devastating

actions, our species would be more resilient inthe face of climate change. What we need is toimplement conservation measures more effectivelythan we have managed before, and allow speciesecological corridors for change and adaptation.It is also imperative that society return to the levelof zero emissions as soon as is viable, in orderto mitigate the disasters we have predicted alltoo clearly. We have the knowledge, science andtechnology all that seems to be lacking at presentis political will, and we cannot wait any longer.

Whose planet is itanyway?(As answered by Avi Mahaningtyas and PeterBurdon)

Avi Mahaningtyas of Reducing Emissionsfrom Deforestation Degradation (REDD),an Indonesia-based NGO, explains how

environmental sustainability projects and policiesmust not be dominated by politicians and thecorporate elite, but must also involve civil societyand the indigenous population in particular. Thequestion of how to involve the non-elite, especiallythe indigenous, however, is a difficult one to answer.

In Indonesia, in particular, the question of how weare going to save our remaining forests is a pertinentone as Indonesia has 133 million hectares of forestland, closely following Brazil and the Congo as themost forested countries in the world. The salvationor destruction of these forests presents, without adoubt, a massive contribution to climate change.Currently the Indonesian economy is witnessinga clash between the perceived need for palm oilproduction and natural forest habitat preservation,particularly regarding threatened species such asorangutans. Trying to communicate to governmentsand corporations that animal habitats are important

is extremely difficult, as economic priorities rarelytake such matters into consideration. It is, therefore,imperative to get through to people via the media,particularly social media, in order to get informationinto public discourse where it cannot be ignored bythe government.

Mahaningtyas comments that a top-down approachis insufficient, and that the need for action needs to betranslated to those who are able to take such actionsto make a difference, and not just communicated ata political level. Local communities also need to beaware that they are acting not only for the benefit ofthemselves, but holistically, for or everyone/thing.A shifting of perspective is occurring in that whencommunities use the word us they are referringto all components of the ecosystem, and not justthemselves as human elements of society.

Empowering communities is a necessary step in thestruggle for sustainability, asserts Mahaningtyas.However, it is also about recognition. Communitiesmust be able to represent themselves and notjust be represented by NGOs as intermediaries.Indonesian society has developed in recentdecades. In the past people were, reportedly, morerepressed and did not value individual sentiment.Now people are learning to represent themselvesand their communities, and are taking responsibilityfor choosing who will represent them effectively.Its a journey, according to Mahaningtyas, not a

destination, and much more needs to be done.We only see the world in our own lifetime andcannot comprehend how it may feel in the future.It is important for us to question whether people inthe future will feel that their situations are natural tothem, and then, in turn, reflect on what it is we areviewing as natural now, and what should, in fact, beconsidered acceptable. Ultimately the questionsfall to the stewards of the land, who are not justpoliticians and corporations, but empowered civilsociety. The local peoples questions include: whatis the benefit for us in preserving the landbase?

and why do we have to be the guardians ofsustainability while people in developed countriescan continue to use air-con and fancy cars? Theseare valid and relevant questions, and ones thatthose of us in privileged developed economies

6.


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should be reflecting on in our efforts to assimilatethe values of sustainability with those of equality

and democracy.

Peter Burdon of Adelaide law school is a memberof the University of Adelaide Research Unit forthe Study of Society, Law and Religion (RUSSLR).Burdons response to the question of whose planetis it anyway? is a philosophical one framed in ourlegal and cultural understanding of property andownership.

When one thinks and talks in terms of property, asthe legal mind does, it occurs that nature can beowned and exploited for human benefit. In Australian

culture property law supplies foundational ideasabout the land and our place in it. It is, therefore,important for us to understand the cultural ideasbehind ownership and property.

The idea that land can be divided into distinct

parcels of private property is taken for grantedwithin our culture. The land is subdivided, mineralsare owned, even the air is owned. Our home istreated as our castle, signifying a concept ofdominion over space. All of this is true in the legalsense, but ignores the fact that all of these individualelements are part of an integrated ecosystem. It isprecisely this fragmentation of ecosystems that is,according to Burdon, in the way of environmentalsustainability.

Burdon refers to our cultures anthropocentricworldview as an optical delusion of humanconsciousness whereby we come to see ourselvesat the centre of existence, and buy into the ideathat nature is here to serve our purposes. Thisconcept is traceable throughout western history,right from its beginnings in Ancient Greece. It isthis concept that renders nature devoid, in ourmindset, of intrinsic value, with everything existingfor a purpose to serve humans. Burdon quotesJames Hillman in saying even to think that weare separated from nature is somehow a thinkingdisorder. Interconnectedness, despite beingour proper relationship to nature,is a concept that the legalcommunity has been slow topick up on.

However, Burdon outlinessome examples wherethe culture is shifting. TheEarth Charter, signed byalmost 5,000 NGOs is an

It is not just we humans who are

to benefit from environmentalsustainability; it is already recognizedthat our species is dominating to adetrimental extent. It must be understoodthat we are part of a system and haveresponsibilities to take care of it all, not

just rights to take from it.


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international law document which states that tomove forward it must be recognized that we areall one community with a common destiny. Whatis needed, according to the Charter, is a culturalshift toward a global society founded on respect fornature and human rights, and a culture of peace.When such ecological statements make their wayinto the constitution legal practice cannot act incontradiction. It is, therefore, no small achievementthat a number of South American countries includingEcuador, Peru and Colombia, now recognizethe rights of nature by law. In Europe the culturaland legal zeitgeist is also changing. Germany,Switzerland and Austria, in which there is a higherdegree of public involvement in democracy,recognize, via their constitutions, intrinsic valuein life and ecological limitations to human rights.This means, in practical terms, that one cannotnow have property rights without stewardship theresponsibility to take care of the land. In Australianculture it seems we exploit the land because weview ourselves as having no responsibility, only

ownership.When Burdon is asked for whom we are saving theplanet his answer has far-reaching consequences.It is not just we humans who are to benefit fromenvironmental sustainability; it is already recognizedthat our species is dominating to a detrimentalextent. It must be understood that we are part ofa system and have responsibilities to take care ofit all, not just rights to take from it. When it comesto advising policy makers Burdon comments thatunless communities understand and respond,policies will not be effective. It becomes necessary

to communicate in language that resonates withthe people affected. As we in Australia do not haverights in the sense that the United States constitutionoutlines for Americans it is more relevant here to talkabout responsibility and duty of care, concepts thatresonate much more within our culture.In Australiasome communities are coming to recognize theirresponsibility for protecting the landbase thatsupports us. Examples of this recognition includecommunities rejecting fracking for natural gas inorder to protect their landbase. Companies cannotgo into those communities because there is no

willing workforce to carry out their exploitation of thelands resources. This is an example of a bottom-up advance, with the people, rather than the legalsystem or the government, functioning as thecatalyst of change. With our elected representativesfailing to think in terms of collective responsibilityfor protection of our landbase, thinking only interms of the dollar-value trade-off in preservationversus exploitation, it becomes apparent that thereis a need for change to come from the bottom up.It is genuine participatory democracy where realchange has occurred throughout all examples ofpositive action for environmental sustainability.

When Burdon is asked to defend his position ofpromoting community-based change he is pointedto the tragedy of the commons, in which exploitation

and neglect occur due to a lack of internalizationof responsibility. Burdon responds that thistragedy is an inaccurate perception of community-based collective responsibility because, in trulyinterconnected systems, negotiation takes place.It is actually fragmentation of society that causes

the problem of neglect as the carving up of landand the separate responsibilities that come withit causes disregard for ecological corridors. Moreproperty rights, when this understanding is takeninto consideration, do not help.

However, community-based bottom-up changeis difficult in isolation. Community spirit is anecessary catalyst for change, and such spiritis being promoted and nurtured by groups andnetworks such as the Transition Towns network, andFriends of the Earth, who are working to empowercommunities. The key here is not feeling isolated,

but knowing that one is connected to a greaternetwork that collaborates for the greater good.


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Permaculture:

Joining the Dots

INFOARTICL

EDavid Holberton


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A solution for HEREand NOW

Permaculture will be a tectonic plate-scalesolution for the future. The discipline sitsright underneath the bedrock of culture and

community, providing a calculator to crunch allavailable environmental data, and process it in a

meaningful way that directly confronts the globalissue of food security and energy waste.

If you are new to permaculture or have heardthe concept but are unaware what permacultureencompasses, then watch these documentariesright away: Farm for the future, and The PermacultureConcept. This is where I began only a few monthsago, and recently I travelled to Tasmania for a two-week intensive Permaculture Wwoofing program withpermaculture founder, Bill Mollison (www.tagari.comfor anyone interested in signing up).

All knowledge of global problems and understanding

their root causes is wasted if one is not taking onestep further and making changes in ones own lifethat resonate with how to become detached fromthe system that generates not only inequality andhatred, but also perpetuates our helplessness torecognize and take action regarding real, viablesolutions.

Our comfort with the current social culture is likeany other addiction. We are so hooked on themeagre comforts of developed society, that, formost, we will argue in favour of it, exposing theextreme short-sightedness in understanding how

those comforts were made possible, and most willcome to understand they are not comforts at all, buta resting place for our ignorance.

In a world where it takes more than 10 joules ofenergy to consume and convert 1 joule of energyfrom digested food; in a world where global foodproduction produced enough food to feed 12billion people in 2010, although over half the globalpopulation are destitute for subsistence with tensof thousands dying every day; in a world wherethe agricultural methods of food production arealigned to profit and causing the slow, systematicdestruction of the environment through groundtoxification and erosion, something is very, verywrong.

For the initial permaculture principles to work wemust design our agriculture to suit the land andlocal environment. If we continue being arrogantand changing our environment to suit the human,then we pay the price in energy consumption whilewe forfeit the opportunity to observe and learn fromour greatest teacher, nature.

The sum of all permaculture principles effectively

go with and help to guide the flow of the prevailingenergies; fire, water, wind and earth, for anywhereyou observe to be meeting and blocking energyhead on you expend an amount of energy equal to

the force pushing on you, and you go nowhere. Itis best to get out of natures way and let it do the jobthat it has been successful at for a few billion years,while observing it, learning from it, and guiding it.

In clearing forests for construction, energy, andagriculture we lose much more than the treesthat have been felled. The forest environment is asymbiotic relationship between plant and animal,all providing a necessary mutually beneficial

function to the overall forest ecology. Permacultureobserves this relationship and can optimally mimicthe forest environment with specially chosen plantsand animals to produce an abundant food forest.

Another area that permaculture has been verysuccessful with is making bridges and connectionsto all surrounding disciplines to land ecology.Where traditional schooling teaches you to removethe subject, dissect it, separate it into its constituentcomponents, it is this manner of thinking that makesmonoculture and the opportunity for exploitation bypests possible, whereas in permaculture there is too

much information in the environment for pests to beable to get a successful hold in plague proportions.

The result of putting permaculture principles intopractice is a completely sustainable energy-independent agriculture that, on a modest scale,can contribute much of the household food budgetand turn system waste into useable energies,realizing that pollution is just an unused energyof any system. Permaculture can be adapted tothe balcony of a one-bedroom flat, or the primaryintention for the yield and production of a multi-acrerural property.

The term permaculture was coined by Bill Mollisonas a permanent agriculture or a permanentculture, realizing that, under the current methods,we have set the stage for the entire depletion of thehuman species worldwide.

The pessimist will complain and react whilefailing to make the appropriate connections andassociations between information and solutionswhere the optimist will learn from the pitfalls, pickup some tools, and start re-building an informative,fruitful, and prosperous humanity.

Part of the change people are realizing all over theworld, made apparent from many of the challengespresented through the first decade of the 21stcentury, is recognizing and defeating our learnedhelplessness that is meshed into the fabric ofculture and government schooling.


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What isAeroponics?

Aeroponics is a type ofHydroponics with thedifference being the

way the water is delivered tothe roots of the plants grown.In hydroponics the roots ofa plant are submersed fora period, or sprayed. Withaeroponics the roots arecontinuously hanging in anideal mix of air and water.

Why is itbetter?

The water is turned tomist 0.5 3 micron size.This allows for the hair

roots to uptake the water andnutrients much more quickly.The roots actually releaseCO2 and uptake oxygen.This method allows for 100%access to oxygen and 100%access to water and nutrients.

+ Worms = evenbetter

With the addition ofcompost worms weare able to add an

even greater spectrum ofmicronutrients. We also createa viable crop from stockingcompost bins with worms,which are very high in proteinand are therefore an ideal fishor crustacean food, as well as

Aeroponic EcocycleWHERE NATUREMEETS INNOVATION

INFOARTIC

LE

Chris Wilkins


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Is it unnatural?

Most hydro systems rely on bottles of NPK (nitrogen,potassium, and phosphorus). This is like growing achild on protein and carbs; it can grow big and strong,

but without a complete diet it will not be healthy. Therefore,in aeroponics, we make our own nutrient-dense compost offood scraps, garden leaves, etc, mimicking nature to create acomplete plant-food, with which we make a tea bag to infuse

the water with which the plants will be fed.

Light

P

lants require mostly blue light to grow and red light to flower. Innature they receive a full spectrum. With the addition of blueand red LEDs to natural light, we can drastically accelerate

the speed at which the plant can grow. Ideally we would usesulphur plasma light, but the technology is still too new at presentfor this to be feasible.

Aquaculture

The small amount of fresh water (ideally rainwater) that the

system consumes should be fed through an aquaculture tank.The tank serves to provide a habitat for fish and crustaceans

as well as providing ammonia in the water which, once it travelsthrough the system, converts to nitrogen (the most vital plantfood). The fish and crustaceans can be fed on the worms or onfood scraps, both of which are present for composting purposes.Both the fish and crustacean products sell for around $20 per kiloand taste superb, reflecting the completeness of the ecocycle.

Optimal photosynthesis

Plants are considered autotrophs, meaning they synthesizetheir own food. This process is done by absorbing light andcarbon dioxide combined with water and, in turn, making

glucose which facilitates growth. The prehistoric earth hadextremely high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere which the plantshave progressively absorbed from the air and stored under theground. By providing a CO2-rich environment for the plants theythrive even more. During the composting cycle CO2 is given off,and this can be piped into the greenhouse in order to further

facilitate production.


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A combustible fuel

During the composting cycle carbon dioxide and methaneare produced. Methane, in the correct concentration, isflammable. Once this CO2/methane mix has passed over

the leaves of the plants only methane and oxygen should remain,making a perfect combustible mixture, capable of driving a smallengine or to heat water. The byproducts are more CO2, which canbe used in the greenhouse for the plants, and water vapor.

Try it yourself

An areoponic ecocycle is relatively simple to replicate ina relatively small space with the right tools and materialsfor only a small cost. The ecocycle mimics that of nature,

contributing to the natural cycle even within the confines of theotherwise limiting urban life that characterizes most of modernsociety. There is no reason why we cannot all live sustainably withthe information and resources available to us.

Local FoodNetworks:the importance of

bringing food back to the

community Jared Moore (QLD)

ANALYSIS


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In recent times the face of foodhas changed. Food, to me,is a celebration of life; you

are taking something that wasonce living, plant or animal, intoyourself, and it is providing yousustenance. Eating is one of themost intimate pleasures that weenjoy as humans. Preparing andsharing food with someone hasbeen, since ancient times, a verydistinct personal experience.

Eating and drinking is atthe forefront of every socialgathering, and so you wouldexpect that the quality offoods would also be of greatimportance. People go totheir local supermarketand browse through themeats, and the fruits andvegetables, carefullyselecting the ingredientsfor their next few meals,expecting that they arepurchasing fresh nutritiousfood. Unfortunately this is oftenvery far from the case.

From Farm to Fork - theadventures of a supermarkettomato

If you have ever picked a warmripe tomato off the vine and

taken a bite you are aware of theamazing flavour that bursts inyour mouth. It is an extraordinarytaste and texture explosion,unrivalled by many other fruits.When you buy a tomato in asupermarket, the taste is almostnon-existent. Many people ask,why does a supermarket tomatohave no flavour?

The answer lies in two very similarwords produce and product.

Produce refers to food thathas been grown with nutritionalvalue in mind whereas productrefers to food that has beenmanufactured as a commodity toturn a profit.

When a tomato is grown for salein a supermarket, it is a product.In many cases it is grownhydroponically, from geneticallymodified seed, by farmers whoare underpaid. It is treated with

insecticides and fertilisers withthe intention of producing large,seemingly perfect, fruit withdiluted nutritional value. Then

it is harvested while still greenand transported to a warehouse,stored for anywhere up to 3weeks before it is reddenedwith ethylene gas and thentransported to a distributioncentre, where it is sorted andgraded and then transportedagain to the supermarket. Thefruit you buy has travelledthousands of kilometres, is oldand usually goes bad before iteven gets to your fork.

W h a tyou are getting is merely arepresentation of the fruit itself,and carries almost none of thenutrient that it otherwise would

without this process. You couldeat a wet photo of a Tomato andhave the same experience oftaste and get roughly the samenutritional value.

This is only one example of theinefficient and corrupt fooddistribution system. You canlook at almost any other fooditem and find similar examplesof inefficiency and ruthlesscapitalism at work. This is where

community food networks comein, to save the day and put realfood back on the table.

Community Food Networks

One day on a particularly longdrive back from Airlie Beach toCairns, my partner and I decidedto pull over at a roadside stall,to buy some fruit and veg.The farmer was present at thestall, and he regaled us with astory that I think will stay with

me forever. He explained thathe was a banana farmer whogrew a myriad of other fruit andveg, and for thirty years he had

been selling his produce to thesupermarkets. He said that in thebeginning it was very good thesupermarkets were happy withwhat he produced because heproduced good yields of qualityfood which kept the customershappy. He was also happy withwhat the supermarkets paid forhis produce. Everyone seemedto be happy.

He then went on to say thatover the years the face of thesupermarkets changed, andbefore long they were no longerhappy with his produce. Theywanted bigger fruit with lessflaws; they wanted him to spraywith all sorts of chemicals,with the threat that they wouldnot purchase his produceotherwise; they started topay him less and less, whilecharging more and more at the

checkout. Because he believedthat he had no other option hewent along with the changes,perhaps believing it was justa rough patch and that thingswould improve.

But things did not improve. Hisprices were driven down furtherand further until he was making

a loss on every crop and havingto get government assistancejust to keep his farm running.He suffered, his family suffered.Nobody was happy anymore. Inhis own words he decided to tellthe supermarkets to get lost. Hestopped supplying them.

Since then he has been operatinghis roadside stall, selling less butmaking more money for himself.The fruit and veg that we bought

from him that day were notperfect in appearance, but youcould taste them. They tastedbeautiful and real, like produce,not product.

As more and more farmers havebeen pushed into destitution,many farmers markets havestarted to emerge all around thecountry. Most of them are fairlyconventional markets, operatingwithout the corporations playing

middle-man and taking themajority of the profits.


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It is widely acknowledged thatenvironmental sustainabilityin terms of mitigating and

preventing climate change,overuse and destruction ofour water resources, and thedegradation of our landbase isa pressing issue. It is also widelyagreed that practices such asreducing greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions, limiting water usage,and moving away from ourdependence on petrochemicalswhilst making concerted

efforts at revegetation arenecessary measures that mustbe implemented for the sake ofenvironmental sustainability.

However, as regards thecauses of many of the issuesof environmental sustainabilitythat we face it seems there is anelephant in the room. It is nowwell understood within the field of

science that the sustainability ofour environment and our speciesis directly related to, amongother factors, our culturally

perpetuated dietary habits. GHGemissions, water consumption,land degradation and scarcityare all directly related, in largepart, to our consumption ofanimal products, suggesting thatin order to manage our resourceseffectively an animal-product freelifestyle, although controversial,may be the most sustainable way

forward for a resource-basedeconomy.

GHG emissions in relation toanimal-based food production

The Role ofVeganism in a

SustainableEconomy

ANALYSIS

Kari McGregor


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Annika Carlsson-Kanyamaand Alejandro Gonzlez reportthat one of the main factors inanthropogenic (human-caused)climate change is the contributionto greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions, such as carbondioxide, methane, and nitrousoxide, from animal agriculture.

According to a study by Herreroa

et al, global GHG emissionsattributable to livestockproduction are estimated to bebetween 8 and 51% of the total.This variability suggests, on theface of it, that there is a lack ofconsensus among scientists.However, organizations such asthe International GovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC)and the Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) are in close

agreement, with variation mainlyarising according to whetherthe emissions total includesall, or only some stages in theproduction of animal-basedfoods.

Gowri Koneswaran and DanielleNierenberg refer to a 2006 FAOreport that identifies animalagriculture as a major threat tothe environment, responsible for18%, of human-caused GHG

emissions, which is higher thanthe transportation sector. Thisfigure is conservative comparedto the findings of many impartialstudies including WorldwatchIntstitutes 2011 study whichpitches the figure at 51%when all factors contributing toproduction are accounted for.With approximately 56 billionland animals being rearedand slaughtered for humanconsumption annually across

the globe, and this figure beingexpected to double by 2050,it is easy to see, howevercontroversial it may be, that a

reduction in our consumption ofanimal-based foods is not onlypossible, but would likely have aprofound effect on emissions.

Koneswaran and Nierenbergpoint to various studies indicatingthe relative emissions levelsassociated with various fooditems, finding that legumes, a

staple of many vegan diets, aresome of the lowest emitting foodswhereas beef, cheese, and porkare among the highest. High levelsof emissions associated withfoods produced from ruminantssuch as cows are explainedmainly by methane emissionsfrom enteric fermentation. Animalprotein production, according toDavid Pimentel, requires morethan eight times as much fossil-fuel energy than production ofplant protein, while only being1.4 times as nutritious per kg,indicating that huge reductionsin such fuel consumption, and itsassociated GHG emissions, canbe achieved via a vegan diet.

Usage and degradation of waterresources related to animal-based foods

In Australia, according tostatistics from Urban EcologyAustralia, of the total annualuse of 22,186 gigalitres (GL) ofwater, the largest percentage

is consumed by the agriculturalsector, which accounts for theuse of 15,502 GL, or 70% of thetotal. 38% (8,360 GL) of this water

is used for livestock and pastureswhereas, by comparison, fruitand vegetables, which accountfor the majority of humannutritional needs, only accountfor 6% (1,320 GL) of the totalagricultural water demand.

According to leading climate-change economist Sir Nicholas

Stern, animal-based foodproducts are a wasteful use ofwater, placing huge pressureson the worlds resources. Whilea vegan diet requires only 1,140litres of water per day, an animal-based diet requires more than16,000 litres of water a day.

A recent study by Andrew Joyceand colleagues flags livestockproduction as a major contributorto global water shortage issues,

being responsible for more than8% of total usage. In Australiathe dairy industry uses thelargest percentage of irrigationwater in the Murray-DarlingBasin. In addition the livestocksector is a major contributor towater pollution, contributing todamage through animal wastes,antibiotics and hormones,fertilizers and pesticides usedfor feed cereals, and sediments

from eroded pastures.In comparison to the production ofvegetable-based protein, animal-based sources of protein requireconsiderably greater use ofwater resources, and contributegreater levels of waste.

Landdegradationin relation toanimal-basedfood production

Herreroa et al report onanimal agriculture asbeing a large contributor

to land degradation due to forthe conversion of wooded areasto grazing land or cropland forfeed production. Emissionsresulting from this deforestation

are estimated at 2.4 billion metrictons of CO2 annually. Areas ofthe world particularly affected bydeforestation due to land-clearing


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for animal agriculture includeLatin America, where cattle

ranching is the reason providedfor the greatest proportion ofdeforestation.

Desertification is also responsiblefor a percentage of CO2escaping into the atmospheredue to reduced productivityand vegetative cover. Thisdesertification, according toHerreroa et al, is exacerbated bythe animal agriculture sector.

Livestock are also directly orindirectly responsible for soilerosion, as determined by theecologist David Pimentel. Soilloss in the United States is at anaverage of 13 tons per hectareper year on lands where feedgrain for livestock is produced.Pasture lands are being erodedat a pace of 6 tons per hectareper year on average. However,on overgrazed pastures soilerosion may be upwards of 100tons per hectare per year, andwith large percentages of pastureland (levels of 54% in the U.S.)being overgrazed this is highlyconcerning.

Scarcity versusabundance

I

n the words of David Pimentel,professor of ecology in

Cornell Universitys College ofAgriculture and Life SciencesIf all the grain currently fed tolivestock in the United States were

consumed directly by people, thenumber of people who could be

fed would be nearly 800 million.This figure is no minor revelation,representing approximatelytwice the current population ofthe United States, suggestingthat the notion of scarcity isone associated with inefficientresource management, ratherthan an empirical fact. Pimentalelaborates that nearly 40 percentof the worlds grain is being fedto livestock rather than being

consumed directly by humans,creating much cause for concernwith our ever-growing population.

A great deal more food can begrown on any piece land whennutrients, in the form of foodcrops, are not being filteredthrough animals. According to

Ingrid Newkirk, founder andpresident of PETA, it takes three

and a quarter acres of land toproduce food for a person whoeats meat and dairy products,while food for a vegan can beproduced on a fraction of thatspace - just one sixth of an acreof land. Vegfam, a UK-basedcharity specializing in fundingsustainable plant-food projects,estimates that whereas a 10-acrefarm would be able to support60 people by growing soybeans,

24 people by growing wheat or10 people by growing corn, itwould only be able to supporttwo people by raising cattle.

Vegan WaterConsumption


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Veganism as asustainable foodparadigm

When all the evidence istaken into account thereare a great many reasons

why one should consider a changein dietary habits for the sake ofsustainability.

It is possible that, with advances inrenewable energy resources andtechnology, that GHG emissionslevels associated with animal-basedfood production can be significantlylowered in the future. However,issues of land use, degradation,water consumption and scarcity offood resources due to the inefficiencyof filtering nutrients through animalsbefore consumption are notmitigated by such measures. These

issues are inherent flaws in a food-production system based on animalproducts and can only be managedmore sustainably by reductions inconsumption levels.

If resource management is to betaken seriously as an intrinsic factorin a functional resource-basedeconomy in which sustainabilityand equality of resource distributionare inherent values then perhapsit is time that veganism be taken

seriously as a sustainable foodparadigm for the future.


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When we assess whetheror not we should bepurists it is helpful to first

take a closer look at ourselvesand determine whether weare living consistently inaccordance with our principles.Most of us may uphold a fewkey principles naturally, as wehave been incentivized to doso from personal experienceand conditioning. In additionwe may aware of peripheralprinciples which complement

our central principles, but arenot fundamental to adopting theideology, hence, for whateverreason, the majority of us havenot been able to prioritize themas consistently.

This may be due to behaviouralor subconscious suppressionof the imperative, reflecting ourdiscomfort with drastic changeor the breadth of moral fortitudewe have not learned to adaptto readily. It may also be dueto genuine analysis, or fromthe perspective of an alphapurist, defensive rationalizationof the peripheral issue as

being of less importance tothe core objectives, despitewhether or not evidencesuggests otherwise. Onepossibly contentious exampleis advocacy of veganism in aresource-based economy, forto be consistent with the coreprinciples of compassion andsustainability, we must eliminatethe 51% of greenhouse gasesfor which livestock farming

is responsible and figure outmore humane ways to fulfill ourappetites.

It is helpful, however, toconsider the circumstancesand intentions of the peripheralslacker regarding why theyare unable to live up to thepurists holistic standards. Theywere likely conditioned into acompletely different lifestyle.They may be trying their hardestto live up to principles which areas second nature as breathingto the purist. They may simplybe ignorant or apathetic. Theymay be fully aware, but unable

to follow through due to lack ofknow-how and motivation. Thepurist fallacy has its roots instagnant intolerance and elitism;however the positive polaritymay manifest through self-

discipline and actively being arole model to others.

We should only attempt tobe purists in areas whereall other options have beenverified as unethical, illogicalor implausible, henceirreconcilable with compromise,though our judgment may stillbe fallible. Strategically, wemay strengthen our chances ofcollective solidarity if we retainsome patience and flexibilityregarding peripheral principles,at least in the earlier stages oftrying to implement our centralprinciples.

In the context of a sustainableeconomy, a commonly raisedargument is that scarceresources, such as a waterfront

home, can only be allocatedefficiently with the use of moneyor a merit system. Ideally, bythat stage, we would hope that

Purism

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most people would not be sofussy and materialistic, coupledwith the likely probability ofbeing able to use high speedrail systems to efficiently reachnearly any destination. However,there is still the possibility that anegotiation will not be made, andour ability to compromise maythrow a monkey wrench in thenotion that only a market systemwill be able to rationally allocatethese resources. As a last resort,it may be possible to introduce acase-based merit model, whereall participants get together todemocratically design uniqueconditions for which they wouldlike to compete for the prize. Thismay take the form of communitycredits, game-show inspiredchallenges, or scissors paper

rock (usually the final decidingfactor for items in limbo at swapparties!). Such a compromisestill stands in stark contrast to thecurrent monetary paradigm,where everyone is forcedto compete for their basicnecessities, not just luxuries,regardless of whether theyagree with the fairnessof the conditions of pay.Obviously such trivial

strategies would not be used if theobjects in question were neededfor large scale, community-based, scientific purposes. Thisis just a suggestion, but it doesdemonstrate a gray area inwhich a so-called purist can stillstay true to his or her principles,while partially accommodatingdiffering values.

Essentially, if one is to takepride in their purist position, itis not enough to criticize theother parties for not knowingany better. Perhaps insteadof viewing the issue as one offrustrated Pygmalion projectsand disappointment, we couldview it as an opportunity formutual growth and assistancein our areas of weakness. Where

a purist may need to be open tonew ways of achieving common

goals, a floater may need to reinin their complacency or lack ofconsistency in the pursuit of socialchange. This begs the question,how do we even measure such apurist quotient in the context ofsustainability? The bottom line iseven the most consistent purist isjust as vulnerable to hypocrisy asthe rest of us, and they will likelybe held more accountable if theyhave made it a habit to crusadetactlessly in a manner whichalienates the very people theyare meant to be inspiring.


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My name is Jade Elise, andI have been involved withMelbourne chapter of the

Zeitgeist Movement a globalmovement for sustainabilityadvocacy for just over a year.Its a great bunch of people, withmany diverse, talented minds.When the Occupy Wall Streetmovement started, I was deeplymoved by the inspirationalmessage these people werespreading, and I knew we had toget on board. So when I saw thatOccupy Melbourne was forming,I pledged support from ZeitgeistMelbourne.

Many of us became quiteinvolved in the organizing andplanning for Occupy Melbourne,and I personally coordinated thepromotions and first aid teams.It was wonderful to be a part ofsuch a dedicated, unified groupof purely altruistic souls! Everyonegave an amazing amount oftheir time, effort and resources,and were functioning as a fullycoherent movement within a few

days.When we finally startedoccupying our City Square,the feeling of positivity andcooperation was palpable! Wehad a well-equipped first aidtent, an unbelievable kitchen withfood donated by supporters andlocal businesses, a free storewith donated clothes and shoesthat anyone could take from oradd to, a wonderful free library, a

legal team comprising qualifiedlawyers and legal observers, anda fantastic media team who keptthe world updated on our situation

with livestreams and social mediaposts.

We fed not only ourselves, butalso homeless people andcurious passersby, and found

blankets and tents for whoeverneeded them. We provided ashoulder to cry on and an ear tolisten to anyone who wanted toshare their stories of struggle withthe current economic system, andthe inequalities they experiencedon a daily basis.

No money was used the wholetime, clearly highlighting theviability of a community setupwithout the need for currency.

Many occupiers were receptiveto the ideals of The ZeitgeistMovement, and many aconversation about FractionalReserve Banking and ResourceBased Economies was had!

Sadly, using dubious council by-laws, the Mayor of Melbourneutilized riot police, pepper sprayand horses to forcefully evict usafter 6 days of peaceful, positiveoccupation. I was subjected to

police intimidation, and witnessed

first-hand the horror of unprovokedpolice brutality, scenes that willstay with me forever. It was aclear example of the corruption ofthe system we find ourselves in,a system designed to instill fearand keep us from expressing ourdiscontent, while protecting thosewith wealth and power.

Zeitgeist Melbourne are proudto be a part of this amazing,inspirational movement, and standin solidarity with those all overthe world who are suffering fromcorporate greed and inequality.

Jade Elise


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Three years in the making,A Delicate Balance is asuccinct production by

Sydney-based Australian film-maker Aaron Scheibner, featuringcandid interviews with someof the worlds leading expertsin a variety of fields, includingmainstream researchers, doctors,nutritionists, cattle ranchers,environmentalists and politicians.Nominated for Best UnreleasedDocumentary by the AustralianFilm Critics Association, thisfilm is highly informative foranyone concerned about theirhealth, the environment, and thedelicate balance we must find inour symbiotic relationship withnature.

A Delicate Balance predominantlyexplores the effects of theconsumption of animal proteinon both the human body and theenvironment. The film aims to helpviewers make informed choicesto reduce their own negativeimpact on both the environmentand their personal health.

Scheibner paints a grim picturewith statistics showing that

disease, particularly in theeconomically developed western

world, has been escalating overthe last 50 years resulting inone in two men and one in threewomen being diagnosed withcancers at some time in theirlives. Every person today hasbeen touched or will be touchedby the loss of a loved one toillness and premature death. Ina time when modern medicineand science have made suchenormous advancements, Aaron

Scheibner aims to leave viewerswell- informed as to some of thecauses of chronic diseases, andoffer suggestions for how humanhealth can be improved in relationto a minimal environmentalimpact.

There are many ways of reducingour impact upon climate changeand other forms of environmentaldamage. In A Delicate BalanceScheibner treats information

regarding the impacts of our foodchoices as both empowering anda responsibility we must assumeif we are to make the necessarychanges toward sustainability.A Delicate Balance explores theways in which meat productionis contributing to contemporaryissues such as water shortage,starvation and poverty. Thepremises of this documentaryare that is it a) necessary for usto know where our food comesfrom, and b) what impact itsproduction is having on the world.This documentary identifies theeffects of animal agriculture uponthe environment in a way thatholds us all accountable for ourchoices.

A Delicate Balance was madein order to help reduce theunnecessary, yet escalatingloss of human life, to reduce

the unnecessary suffering ofanimals across the planet and tohelp empower people to makeinformed choices for the benefit

of environmental sustainability.Scheibner believes that oncearmed with information we are ina position to implement practices

in our own lives that will contributeto us becoming the change wewish to see in the world.

Documentary review:

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For the love of life not the love of money!

Documents

Spirit of the Times 2011 November Web