das loft

Fantastic new documentary: What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire, directed by Tim Bennett and produced by Sally Erickson. I know I seem to say this every time there's a new movie about the collapse of civilization, but this time I mean it more than ever: This film is imperative viewing for everyone. If there's only one movie recommendation you will take away from my blog, please let it be this one. I'd even go as far as saying, don't bother reading Ishmael or the Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight – just see this film.

If you can't afford to pay for the DVD but you still want to see it, let me know and I'll lend you one of the DVDs I've ordered.

Sally and Tim's blogs are also very much worth following. Here is an excerpt from Sally's latest posting:

For now I will just share one woman’s experience, and my response:

[...]

I have a small story of my own to tell. Over the past few years, I have grown increasingly frustrated with what seems are my own paltry and insignificant efforts to contribute to the saving of the planet. I have tried many ways (prayer, consulting the trees, consulting ancestors, therapy, begging, pleading to anyone and/or anything) to discern what my role should be.

But all I have heard is silence…

[...]

….that is until I saw your movie. The night after watching it, I tossed and turned until finally at about 4:00a.m. Then an idea emerged. I am going to send 50 copies to people I know and ask that they, if inspired and so inclined, will “pay it forward” and send it to 3 other people and request the same of their receivers. I hope they will purchase an additional 2 copies to keep it circulating at a fast pace. I know this is still a very small step, but I have a lot of energy around it so I am going to assume that it is my inner voice telling me to act.

[...]

Your film is so powerful. I don’t see how anyone could view it and not break out of denial and be moved to act.

Well, believe it or not, people do view it and manage to stay in denial. The wounds of Empire are deep and people are understandably numb, cynical and afraid to feel. But there are also lots of people who view it, and view it again, and again, because they don’t want to be in denial. They want to be awake and in action. They want to step into a larger, more meaningful story than that of Empire. Sometimes these are people who one might not expect. Sometimes people we would expect to feel supported and empowered by our film are instead threatened and angry, because we are not selling easy, hopeful, or only slightly inconvenient answers. It is heartening, though, how many people we hear from who are deeply appreciative. Like you, having seen the movie, they feel supported, empowered and affirmed in the midst of the mainstream culture that says they must be crazy to be so concerned.

Labels: civilization collapse, eye-opening, global warming, ishmael, movies, peak oil, sustainability

I've started a blog about my urban biointensive garden, and I'll try to keep it updated in detail. Please pass around to whomever might be into living sustainably in the city. If you don't see much happening on das loft, it might be because all my attention is going there. :)

Labels: gardening, sustainability

All of you probably know this already, but the Cowboy Mimes are going to be playing at the Press Club this Sunday, at 9:30pm. It sounds like we'll have a fairly decent turnout, but it is a tiny club. I haven't been able to dedicate much time to jamming or practicing, so I won't be playing the keyboard yet. But I will be playing shakers and other percussive toys, and singing harmonies.

And I just had a huge pile of compost dumped onto my backyard. I guess this means I'm serious about gardening here this summer! Well, I really am. I'll to do whatever it takes to fit vegetable gardening into my busy schedule. Seriously, I have to walk the talk. I feel very strongly about it. I think we should all begin taking our individual oil addictions into serious question, especially in light of the already underway effects of climate change and peak oil. Otherwise we're pretty fucked, friends, and we don't have to be.

Plus, freshly picked lettuce, basil and tomatoes are just unequaled.

Labels: climate change, cowboy mimes, gardening, music, peak oil, sustainability

Yet another lecture on peak oil by Jim Kunstler, this time to the Commonwealth Club of California. It's a good listen. He's a pretty good speaker. It's posted on the Global Public Media website, here. Here's a direct link to the MP3.

Labels: eye-opening, lecture, peak oil, sustainability

This is a beautiful website, and very inspiring for those of us who want to build our own ecological dwelling (which happens to include most people I know):

A Low Impact Woodland Home:

You are looking at pictures of our family home in Wales. It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 put in to this point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).

Labels: organic house, self-sufficiency, strawbale, sustainability