Eaarth

Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben (available at libraries near you) was a little disappointing, but only because I expected more, based on his Scientific American, April 2010 interview. It's not a bad read, but it's no page turner.

It is full of tales of thawing tundra, warm acidic oceans, lost glaciers and snow packs, lost ag land, and declining harvests because of the "global warming".

There is a fine exposition, though, on how how Vermonters are becoming locavores and rediscovering the art of community.

Along the way we are told that polycultures produce more food per hectare than monocultures, a single calorie of energy used to produce 2 calories of food, but today, 10 calories (of oil) are needed to produce 1 calorie of food, a barrel of oil contains 11 years of man labor, and that each of us goes through 60 barrels per year, YMMV, that this isn't the same world that we grew up in, or that the world's food crops developed in, and that the food production per hectare hasn't increased over the last

25 years, in spite of Monsanto's best efforts.

The most important observation that I found was that over the next century, many people will be returning to the land, either as farmers, laborers, or gardeners. The problem is that these people have no experience in growing crops. As I see it, that is where we come in. We are already advising people, and each other, about how to grow food. This is a service that will only become more needed.

So hang in there wrecked gardeners, your planet needs you.

Reply to
Billy
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Here is a familiar author for you.

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've not read it yet.

Reply to
Bill who putters

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond

is a wonderful, wonderful book, a real page turner. Maybe the most instructive chapter is Chapter 11 that discusses the island of Hispanola, the two countries within it, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, and what their respective fates have been.

By and large, though, "Collapse" chronicles the bone head courses to destruction, be it the Norse not adapting to the environment of Greenland, as the Inuit did, because of cultural arrogance, or the religious momentum that lead the inhabitants of Easter Island to destroy their environment while awaiting their own "Rapture". What was the guy, who cut down the last tree on Easter Island, thinking?

If you are looking for a very good book for over the winter, "Collapse", or Diamond's other book "Guns, Germs, and Steel", would be good choices.

Reply to
Billy

I admit, there is a limit to how much doom and gloom books I can read. Yes, I recognize the world is collapsing. I will do my best to go green. I find it now best to focusing on changing my life style. I find books on self sufficiency, cooking, food preservation and water management more to my liking.

I was not impressed with Eaarth. A dull read.

Fall is here, I have a few more chores to do do in the garden for winter preparations, pruning, pulling up up the flower beds and rearranging bulbs.

For winter reading and entertainment will be: Chocolate and confections by Peter Greweling.

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Reply to
Dan L

Here is a book for you Dan L.

"A treasury of Great Recipes" circa 1965 By Mary and Vincent Price

Library of Congress Catalog card number 65-10310

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Reply to
Bill who putters

A 1965 classic by Vincent Price. The average used price seems to be going for $100 depending on condition. Prices ranging from $20 - $200. I am not a book collector in anyway. I do have over a thousand books that I have purchased new over the years. But I will say, half of my books are out of print. Out of curiosity I have looked at eBay and found many of my books are five to ten times what I originally payed for them. I treat my books with great care. None for sale. Selling my books would be like selling my soul.

Reply to
Dan L

"Collapse" is actually mildly optimistic. GG&S is much more historical and not about the future because the forces that Diamond posits as shaping cultures have been largely overtaken by technology and globalism. I found his ideas on the origins of domesticated species and the influence of such on subsequent development on the societies that did the domesticating to be very powerful and thought provoking. Neither need to be read from cover to cover in sequence so if you feel like dipping into a certain topic you can.

David

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

I didn't find it dull. I just thought that there may be more practical information, especially on polycultures. I certainly would recommend the book to anyone who is unaware of the effects of "Global Warming".

spread with apricot jam. Easy to cook, and a pleasure to eat.

Reply to
Billy

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