Thursday, March 23, 2017

Upcoming post subjects

This is partially for me to remember my plans to post information on a few other subjects, but also a window into the future:

1) Gaia - Greek mythology Earth Goddess, James Lovelock and  Earth as an organism, Captain Planet, and the more increasingly pervasive reference to Gaia.

2) Animism - Ancient animism, modern animism, and my personal animism perspective

3) Conservation, Preservation, and Environmentalism

4) Community, Tribalism, and Bioregionalism

5) Systems Thinking

6) Transcendental Experiences

7) Fungi - from identification and edibility, to human evolution and medicine

8) Metaphysics

9) The Myth of Science vs. Religion

10) Captain Local and the Radical X-men: Scholarship and Permaculture for the Late Anthropocene (Might need to make this post its own page...)


These subjects and information are from my personal arsenal and do not reflect those presented by Daniel Quinn, though one may find clear relationships.
An important statement from Ishmael via Daniel Quinn, "There is not one right way to live". These subjects represent my way, as a reference to just one way.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Reading and Meeting

Taking a break for Summer! Start meeting again in September!

Happy Total Solar Eclipse Viewing!!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Anthropocene: Humans as a Geologic Agent leaving an everlasting stratigraphic record

The Anthropocene: Humans as a Geologic Agent leaving an everlasting stratigraphic record
**This is just a skeletal shell of this post [3/21/2017], I will work on this slowly to fill out. 

Introduction: 

Contents:
I. What is the Anthropocene? A concept of definition of the current geologic time
II. Is there data that support a Geologic case for the Anthropocene?
III. The Social Science and Environmental Perspective on the Anthropocene
IV. Some thoughts on the 'beginning' of the Anthropocene
      A. The Great Acceleration
      B. Agricultural Revolution
V.  Some additional resources on the Anthropocene
      A. Subcomission on Quaternary Stratigraphy - Working group on the 'Anthropocene'
      B. Generation Anthropocene Podcast out of Stanford
      C. 9 Big Ideas of Earth Sciences from American Geologic Institute [a Video Playlist]. Can also               visit the website.
VI. My Parody on the Anthropocene: A Fungi view from the Future
VII. My Personal Thoughts on the Anthropocene

I. What is the Anthropocene? A concept definition of the current geologic time.

Simply put, the 'Anthropocene' is a geologic time [age, epoch, period; yet to be decided] during which Humans have acted as a geologic force, which will be visible in the stratigraphic record. The concept is old, but the discussion and data are new. Various geoscientists have attempted to define a geologic time to set now apart from then, in context of globalization. My first geology instructor once called it the 'Xenocene', calling attention to the 'foreign' nature of the objects that will be found in rocks. One of my favorites is coined by Charles Schuchert in his book [cant remember the name, but hope to remember someday...] from 1929 in which he gives a geologic timescale chart (this is before radiometric dating) labeling the most recent time as the "Psyhococene: Age of Mental Dominance".

This is a really good and digestible article from The Guardian on the current progress on defining the Anthropocene.

This is an article from Geologic Society of America discussing the merit of the Anthropocene discussion.

The Future Earth Blog is a great internet-place to stay current on the Anthropocene discussion.

The group of scientists (Anthropocene Working Group) working on defining the Anthropocene (stratigraphically) gives this definition:
  • The 'Anthropocene' is a term widely used since its coining by Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer in 2000 to denote the present time interval, in which many geologically significant conditions and processes are profoundly altered by human activities. These include changes in: erosion and sediment transport associated with a variety of anthropogenic processes, including colonisation, agriculture, urbanisation and global warming. the chemical composition of the atmosphere, oceans and soils, with significant anthropogenic perturbations of the cycles of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and various metals. environmental conditions generated by these perturbations; these include global warming, ocean acidification and spreading oceanic 'dead zones'. the biosphere both on land and in the sea, as a result of habitat loss, predation, species invasions and the physical and chemical changes noted above.

II. Is there data that support a Geologic case for the Anthropocene?

Yes. The data are overwhelmingly clear that the geologic record of anthropogenic-geologic forces dominate this time. This is my favorite paper demonstrating the stratigraphic distinction between the Anthropocene and Holocene. This paper is a bit more recent (in relation to this blog; January 2017).

III. The Social Science and Environmental Perspective on the Anthropocene

Clearly, the idea that humans significantly alter the earth to the detriment of the global ecology has roots in the Environmental Movement of the 1960's (I wasn't there, but understand this to be true). Similarly, the scientific discussion of the Anthropocene has given the Environmentalist community a new buzzword to discuss, so we see this work being thrown around as concept rather than a time.

Here is one good article, shared with me by a Friend of Ishmael, discussing the Anthropocene in context of Psychology.

A great, short paper on the role of Social Sciences in defining the Anthropocene.

Published paper from Environmental Humanities discussing the trend and need for interdisciplinary discussion.


IV.



Monday, March 20, 2017

Permaculture: this B's way forward

Earth Care, People Care, and Fair-share

The concepts introduced by DQ and the knowledge I have gained in my own profession (Geology, Geoscience, or Earth Systems Science) have let me to solutions I think work for me as I think about my future, my families future, and the future of many bioregions.

I think Permaculture Principles and Practices, carbon farming solutions, and neo-tribalism is ONE way human will find as a way to live moving forward from the Great Acceleration.

DQ was solicited to write a segment in this book (you can read about this at the Ishmael site), which has inspired him to dedicated a full chapter of his in progress--The Invisibility of Success--book to Permaculture. I am excited to read this.

There are many, many, many great resources out there on Permaculture. Many books, websites, articles, institutions of learning and teaching, podcasts and most importantly many PEOPLE working with these principles to regenerate land.

I like these ones, though such a list is hard to compile because it leaves out so many!

Beginner Books for homeowner or community:
Toby Hemenway (rest in peace, ~Dec. 19, 2017) "Gaias Garden" and "Permaculture City".
Ben Faulk - "The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach"
Sepp Holzer's "Guide to Small-scale Integrative Farming and Gardening"
Juliana Birnbuam "Sustainable Revolution: Permaculture in Ecovillages, Urban Farms, and Communities Worldwide" (DQ wrote some for this...)

Text style books:
Permaculture Designers' Manual by Bill Mollison, know as one of the founders of modern permaculture methodology.
Carbon Farming Solution by Eric Toensmeier
Permaculture Principles and Pathways beyond Sustainability by David Holgren
Permaculture and Climate Change Adaptation by Dr. Thomas Henfre and Dr. Gil Penha-Lopes

Working with Fungi Books:
Radical Mycology by Peter McCoy
Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets

Websites:
Plant Buddies for companion planting.
Permaculture for Climate Change Solutions
Institute for Permaculture Education for Children
Album of Diagrams on Permaculture Design 
Permaculture Institute

Training's and Permaculture Design Courses: 
Earth Activist Training with Starhawk
Oregon State University's Introduction to Permaculture Course with Andrew Millison
Oregon State University's Permaculture Design Certificate Course with Andrew Millison

Natural Building:
Becky Bee's Cob Builders Handbook website
How to Start Building with Cob [PDF]
Straw bale housing


Podcasts:
The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann
Sustainable World Radio with Jill Cloutier

Magazine/Periodical: 
Permaculture magazine out of UK

Novels:
The "Fifth Sacred Thing" by Starhawk, and the recently released sequel "City of Refuge".




Background Resources

Some resources that provided inspiration for beginning this blog.

The ideas and concepts put forward by Daniel Quinn' motivational books (Ishmael, My Ishmael, Story of B, Beyond Civilization, among others) provide a framework of thinking about the human world in a different, more realistic, way. Page on ordering books and list of DQ's recommendations or other projects he has been a part of.
The Ishmael website is a bit outdated, but provides great links to materials for those investigating Quinn's work or looking for more.

Film: What a Way to Go: Life at the End of an Empire
To compliment this, there is also a full interview with Daniel Quinn from the making of this documentary.
New Tribal Ventures also provides this conversation on Food Production and Population Growth Part 1 and Part 2.

Background for beginning this blog.

Couple of FB post, providing the background for starting this blog:

Who I am.

Totalitarian Agriculture.

The Great Remembering.

What is going on here. 

GM foods as a techno-fix for Ag Problems.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

A Beginning for this B

This is a quick post just to establish this space. This blog is dedicated to Gaia and we will spend several our time here exploring ideas of past, present, and future laid out by several authors and scientific discoveries to inform us on a way Beyond Civilization.

We will explore together.

More to come.