My Letter to the New York Times

Letter to the Editor                                                                                                5/28/13

NY Times

RE: Geoengineering: Our Last Hope, or a False Promise?

Op-Ed by CLIVE HAMILTON

Published: May 26, 2013

Which is more heartbreaking – that we’ve reached CO2 levels of 400 ppm or that the powers that be are once again considering untested action, this time on a global scale? How is an earth-loving activist like myself suppose to hold this in my heart? How is anyone supposed to hold this? I’ve cried, raged, despaired and still I take the next creative step. I’m deeply involved with my community in taking positive action that works to regenerate our ecosystem and provide sustenance for all creatures that inhabit this place called Joshua Tree, CA. We use the ethics and design principles of Permaculture to accomplish this and it works. We have to lobby our county and state governments to understand it and support it. It’s a velvet revolution. Can we survive what we’ve caused? No one knows. But we permaculture people are giving our whole hearts to the attempt.

Jill Giegerich

Permaculture Designer

Artist

Professor, UC Riverside

Wicking Bed Gardens

Wicking beds are the ultimate in water saving techniques for desert vegetable gardens. They're easy to build especially if you get a few friends on board to help. I'll be doing a variation on this when I put in my permanent garden as my mate and I permaculture our land. The one change I'd make is that I would sink the garden rather than use a raised bed technique as shown in this link. Sinking it will help keep temperatures more stable and will reduce wind damage. And, of course, it will be firmly inside a critter proof garden enclosure.

How to Make a Wicking Bed