Channeling that North American Alchemy

In A Safe and Sustainable World: The Promise of Ecological Design, Nancy Jack Todd whips up an amazing how-to/history on practical solutions to ecological and social imbalances, focusing on key biological details to the same degree that Affluenza focuses on the theory. The forces behind New Alchemy's gaian Ark-home cum greenhouse and industrial strength wind-powered pond-scrubber are convincingly identified as none less than healing powers of nature. How did they get there? The New Alchemy Institute members started by asking the question, "Was it possible to support Earth's population over time while protecting the natural world? And if so, how?" and conclude with an outlook of great hope that bodes extremely well for the you and I, assuming that such great ideas could amass the necessary will to broad scale action.

The greatest accomplishments of the holistic approach detailed in the book are often achieved in the context of a naysayers (who ranged from amused to desperate) through the tireless and continued efforts of an ever-growing community of scientists, artists, students, and children. The community approach was probably as integral to New Alchemy's success as was the vision of their leader (and the author's husband), John Todd. Also present as supporters of the Alchemy Farm in its beginnings were such idealogues as E.F. Schumacher and Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, who were both important for their work in the domain of philosophy of environment; at the Farm, these and all others who participated left their mark as a part of a beautiful synergy, much like the integrative work itself. Other books, like the Sierra Club's "Compost This Book!" impressed me with its practical and earth-friendly projects that solved challenging problems of equal ecological importance. However, New Alchemy leaves behind not just a nice mechanistic solution but an entire breathing biome, all its cycles restored and in harmony with living needs, including those of modern people.

Frightening fact: The World Health Organization estimates that 70 percent of cancers are caused by environmental factors. Cancer rates continue to rise despite Billions of dollars spent on research and treatment. Through ignorant or otherwise unintentional exposure to byproducts inherent in a corporate-controlled and economics-driven world, people are finally becoming a victim to what society has wrought. But Ocean Arks International, the contracting offshoot of New Alchemy's residual faith in natural efficiency, is working directly with these destructive entities and reclaiming unsightly waste pits as lush, abundant sanctuaries. They took stock of a sewage canal in crowded Fuzhou province and made it into a pond/walkway uniting bordering apartment communities, and they dared to transform the runoff from a Tyson, Inc. chicken farm into an energy-producing greenhouse replete with solar energy-storing fish tanks. No single person could have dreamed up the elegance of nature's own nutrient recycling program that drives these awesome solutions, but the Todd's have been imaginative enough to harness it for urgently necessary purposes. Their story comes to a close having learned and accomplished so much, and the timing is just right for renewed efforts by the next generation - yours and mine.

More Info:
John Todd's CNN Biography
John Todd and the New Alchemists on Design Outlaws

I'm happy to say my list of influential and important folks grows longer, along with great resources for further inquiry and exploration!

Luck strikes at the Ottobar; Friends I knew

You're at a smoky bar, seated on a simple bench by a wall, facing a band on a stage. Most of the patrons have already left for the night -- the second band obviously had the biggest following, and though the twenty-somethings had stuck around for the stunt, they weren't there for the music, really. You're bobbing your head to the beat and smiling to yourself about some clever lyrics when a girl walks by, turns to face you, and shows you a compact disc. By reflex, you put out your hand, experiencing an anachronistic moment like being sold something by a street hawker in China, maybe Spain. She again proffers it toward your hand and you hesitate, then accept, watching her walk out to the street, maybe to get a smoke, maybe on her way out. You wonder if you've just agreed to hold it for her or even to buy it, without really being able to hear over the poppy guitars, but she doesn't return. On second glance, the CD itself is something of a miracle - it's the new one, by that band you heard on the radio that you've been meaning to check out, just hadn't gotten around to yet.


That was my Friday night; and many of those patrons were kids from my high school home on break and in need of something to do. It's been absolutely awesome to be able to catch up with so many people after returning to the area and trying to re-establish some kind of network. Many of them have been people I only vaguely knew, but some of them are old friends cast aside that have been renewed under more mature, reciprocating circumstances. I'll just call it an unexpected benefit of having graduated and returned to living at home.

Some semblance of a plan

This update from the employment front:

I've been nominated to serve as a science teacher in the Peace Corps on an assignment departing in June (the earliest I could get)! My country hasn't been identified yet, but my recruiter has identified and placed me in a very large region of a developing continent in need of a volunteer. I contacted a former volunteer through a friend at CMU to learn more about her experience. Basically, she had an awesome time, falling in love with her [now] husband through letters during her service, felt she was an important and appreciated part of a community where she is still remembered, and she got in some all expenses-paid travel. By way of insuring that I'm pumped for my service opportunity, she pointed out some benefits of being a PC teacher that I hadn't thought of before:

• Teachers are very well-appreciated and given respect, as they are much less abundant; you know your work will have a positive community impact.
• Teaching is a well-defined set of skills that makes it easier to get a handle on what your job function is. Job satisfaction tends to be higher than other volunteers.
• You get the summer off, so you can travel far and wide, work on secondary projects of interest, or both!
• Your students will remember what you taught them long after you leave; sustainable learning and practices due to your efforts is virtually guaranteed!
  

Next steps:
Completing some very detailed health paperwork to get comprehensive clearance, and receiving my official invitation (equivalent to a job offer) to serve. Also, I'm going to look into attending some events with my parents to get them more comfortable with the idea of 27 months abroad, as well as getting them in contact with other parents of past/present PC volunteers.

In the meantime, for the next 7 months or so I'll be working as an intern on the BE SAFE campaign at the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice in the DC metro area. I'm jumping at the chance to work at a Non-Governmental Org and to concentrate on something close to my heart: hazardous waste! The basic goal is to protect health via pollution prevention (P2) policy and publication work. I'll probably get some experience in relevant environmental policy (RCRA/TOSCA/etc) and have fun researching and learning all kinds of details about waste facilities and how we unwittingly (uncaringly?) harm ourselves when we 'just throw it away'.

Take home message: There IS no "away," folks. Except for when I get on a plane in June for 27 months service off the continent of N. America - that reasonably qualifies as 'far away.' But by no means will I discourage anyone from visiting.

Present Relaxed

If Bob Ross was a woman with a wonderful philosophy of self, he would be here now, in a cute youtube video.














[photo from dearcrissy.com]