Category: Food

Saving Bees with Mushrooms

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Here’s an unusual article about something we might dismiss as non-essential to “Sustainable Living.” However, over a third of our food supply is dependent on bees.  Comments afterwards about what we might do, individually.

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The mushroom dream of a ‘long-haired hippie’ could help save the world’s bees

 

Evan Bush

The Seattle Times

Oct. 6, 2018

 

SEATTLE—The epiphany that mushrooms could help save the world’s ailing bee colonies struck Paul Stamets while he was in bed.… Keep reading

Thriving Urban Farms

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One aspect of sustainable living we rarely see in the news is food production … especially in relation to more healthful foods.  As the federal government seems primarily influenced by major corporate donors, and as the agribusiness corporations prefer to remain as they have been operating, in terms of products and profitability, change most likely must come from local endeavors.  If food shortages do occur, and as it takes time for new crops to grow, it’ll be too late to remedy the situation then.… Keep reading

Sustainability’s Biggest Issue

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Reading about all the different issues related to our ability to sustain life on Earth as we know it can become bewildering. One day we read about lead poisoning in our water systems and the next about failing power systems. It’s fair to ask, at some point, “What do I do about all this?”

In developing a Net Zero sustainable community, I’m finding that providing solar power involves little more than adding sufficient photovoltaic panels to our roofs – including power for cars.… Keep reading

Crop Loss

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Here’s a research report about the impact that global warming is having on crops. It’s brief, and also a solid piece of research.  Comments afterwards.

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Warming, crops,

and insect pests

Crop responses to climate warming suggest that yields will decrease as growing-season temperatures increase. Deutsch et al. show that this effect may be exacerbated by insect pests (see the Perspective by Riegler).

Insects already consume 5 to 20% of major grain crops.… Keep reading

Global Warming Urgency

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Here’s a solid piece of research about what’s beginning to be seen as just another “same ole problem that we’ve been hearing about forever, but that hasn’t stopped me from living well.” For me, it’s a bit like being warned that our boat is heading for a waterfalls that we can’t yet see.  So we act a bit like MAD’s Alfred E. Neuman … “What? Me Worry?”  But by the time we do see the actual waterfalls, it’s then too late to do anything about it.… Keep reading