Ecotopia

We spoke with David James, one of the founders of the original garden projects of the Butte Environmental Council, back in 1975. We met David James at the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Butte Environmental Council. He traveled from Grants Pass, Oregon, to attend the celebration as one of the people who was there at the founding of BEC in 1975. He and Paige Miser Gimbal—with the leadership of Annabel Lund–founded the BEC community gardens project. His story about that and his subsequent work these past 50 years compelled us to have him on Ecotopia.

David James is a self-described “horticulturalist,” but he also a gardener, a farmer, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, a mentor and a mega volunteer. We spoke about his work with the Butte Environmental Council’s community garden project and his work in Oregon, including service Oregon State U. extension service, with 4H, with gardening clubs and master gardener classes. He also created Greenleaf Industries in 1981, which raises literally tons of food and uses workers from the less abled community. And much more; David is a model of community engagement.

Listen to this excellent interview.

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Our guest was Eric Nilssen (along with co-host Susan Tchudi), who discussed “smart growth” in ourtown from their perspectives as members of Smart Growth Advocates (sgachico.net). Susan reviewed the history of SGA and Eric described his experiences as a member of Chico’s ad hoc committee on Growth and Development. They gave their views of how changing patterns of development in Chico could result in well-planned infill, new affordable homes and apartments, and neighborhoods designed for a range of people, closely linked, with shopping, parks, and gardens nearby.

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In this program we be talked about biomass and biochar with Thor Bailey, a Chico resident who has 42 years of experience working with green technologies and biomass energy. Thor discussed a number of issues swirling around biomass technology: what it provides, how the systems work, and some of the history of biomass projects in California.

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Our guests were Susan Schrader and Emily McCabe. Emily is a Durham native. Emily grew up in Durham, studied Society and Environment at UC Berkeley, interned for environmental nonprofits in college, and is now a California Climate Action Corps fellow at the Butte Environmental Council. 

Susan is a local domestic well user and environmentalist who is monitoring activities in our region due to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (including the newly formed Tuscan Water District). She has become engaged because she realizes that everything in our community relies on groundwater. 

They spoke with us about the nature of aquifers and the size of the Tuscan aquifer which serves our area. They they explained the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which California has created to do what its title implies: protecting groundwater from overuse. Next, they explained the specifics of the Vina Sub-Basin GSE and advocated for greater input and power from small farmers and domestic well user. Click on the link below to listen to this excellent interview.

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April 9, 2013

Tonight we are talking with the editor of a book that is an eye-opener, both visually and editorially. ENERGY: OVERDEVELOPMENT AND THE DELUSION OF ENDLESS GROWTH is published by the Post-Carbon Institute and Watershed Media; it’s coffee-table sized, with full color, wall-to-wall photographs, but also containing rich text by internationally renowned specialists.

With us now on the phone is Tom Butler, who is coeditor of this book with George Wuethner. Tom is editorial projects Director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology in Sausalito and president of the Northeast Wilderness Trust in Bristol, Vermont. Thanks for being with us tonight, Tom.

Listen to the Interview

–The cover of your book shows the Deepwater Horizon, source of the Gulf Oil spill, sinking in flames. Why did you choose that photo to illustrate your narrative of “overdevelopment and the delusion of endless growth”? (You obviously had hundreds of other powerful photographs to choose from—deserts, oil-covered birds, devastated marshland.)

–We think that most of our listeners know well that we are in the midst of an energy and growth crisis—neither is sustainable. So we’re ready to hear about what you discuss in Part I of the book, “taking a deeper look at the energy crisis,” [underline added] examining the “less visible . . . range of ideas and assumptions—the worldview—behind our energy choices.” (our underline, 7)

…Please tell us more about some of the “less visible” aspects of our cultural choices.

…How does world and especially western culture hide the delusion of endless growth?

…You cite California (35) as an example of a state that has done a pretty good job of conservation and per capita consumption. Yet our electricity use (and related fossil fuel consumption) has risen overall. How does this illustrate the conundrum (or dead end) of endless growth?

–You write of and advocate “energy literacy.” What is that? How do people become truly energy literate? Can this literacy change the world’s view of itself and its energy use?

–Getting back to the book, we were especially interested in your section, Part IV, called “False Solutions.” We don’t have time to talk about each of these, but perhaps you could tell us a little about (your choice of) false solutions:

…Drilling

…Nuclear power

…”Clean” coal

…Fracking

…Megadams

…Bioenergy

…Oil shale

and especially, if you’d like to discuss it

…Geoengineering. [Note: We recently interviewed a Northern California resident who is particularly alarmed about alleged “chem trails” and dispersion of aluminum and other metal products by commercial and military aircraft. We—Steve and Susan—are skeptical of some of the claims that are made about secret agencies poisoning the atmosphere. But in your book, the ETC essay on “Retooling the Planet” talks about the threat of more widespread geoengineering projects. <http:www.etcgroup.com.> Anything you can say to raise our geoengineering literacy would be appreciated.

–In Part VII you describe “What We Are For.”  Who is the “we” in “what we’re for.” How can you/we “reframe the discourse” in positive terms?

–We’ve already briefly discussed the idea of “ecological literacy.” How might that play out in terms of nonconfrontational or positivist strategies?

–As our time permits, let’s review (your choice of) other positive directions that people can take:

…Conservation

…Resilience

…Eco-Localism

…Beauty

…Biodiversity

…Family planning

–A huge question we regularly ask on this program: What will it take to bring about change on the scale that you are calling for? Do we have to go to the brink? over the brink? Will our politicians save us? Are people literate enough and smart enough to do the right thing voluntarily?

Are you an optimist?

—-We’ve been talking with Tom Butler, co-editor of ENERGY: OVERDEVELOPMENT AND THE DELUSION OF ENDLESS GROWTH. Before we go, we hope you will tell us a little more about yourself and the organizations that you work with.

…You are editorial director of the Foundation for Deep Ecology. What is the Foundation and what does it do? (What is “deep” ecology?) <http://www.deepecology.org/>

…You are also president of the Northeast Wilderness Trust. What are some of its projects? <http://www.newildernesstrust.org/>

…We’d also like to learn more about the Post-Carbon Institute and Watershed Media, publishers of this book. [We have previously raved about and given away our copy of CAFO: Confined Animal Feeding Operations, another book that seems an unlikely candidate for a “coffee table” treatment.]

Thank you, Tom Butler. The book is ENERGY: OVERDEVELOPMENT AND THE DELUSION OF ENDLESS GROWTH, published by Watershed Media and the Post-Carbon Institute. Thanks very much for being with us on Ecotopia.

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