Happy Earth Day Invention: How to retree our planet quickly

April 21, 2010 by 2 Comments

wing_darts_2Retree the Planet

If you had to plant 1,000 trees in a matter of minutes, how would you do it?  Due to global warming and deforestation our planet Earth can use as many new trees as it can get – here’s a way we could plant millions of trees quickly.

Think lawn darts.  A sharp tip, a somewhat mature sapling in something test-tube shaped – packed with a lunch of nutrients and water – add to that a few feather quivers and you’ll have a short arrow, that is meant to be dropped from heights, and penetrate “plant” the sapling and give it a chance at life as a tree.

Now, pour these out of planes or helicopters, especially at hard to reach elevations.  Drop 1,000 – not all will live, and I haven’t figured out exactly how to disperse them in the most efficient manner, but the delivery device – tree-filled lawn dart.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from folks who like my idea and would like to help me implement it

Happy Earth Day 2010!

Albert Kaufman
https://albertideation.com

Your feedback welcome!

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Berm Portland

October 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Berm Portland

bermI have been thinking about this for years: to quiet arterial streets (and especially the homes that stand beside them, why don’t we install earthen (possibly planted) berms? I believe that this would be a great way to lessen the impact of car traffic in our City and beyond. So, I started a new site, Twitter.com/bermportland, for this cause/idea, and am seeking support – both financial and research, to prove that this would make sense to do on a grand scale.  I welcome your participation!

Photo credit and great background info here!

1.11.2021 – the Twitter account no longer exists, but this is still a great idea!

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Why do we continue to grow grass seed in Oregon?

July 8, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Why Do We Grow Grass Seed?growfoodnotlawns

 

 

For years I have been encouraging people to remove their lawns and plant food instead. As the economy continues to sour people are growing more of their own food, but for a long while I’ve been wondering about Oregon as a whole, and what we grow. After watching Food,Inc., I was again reminded about our State’s food production system, or lack thereof. The soil of the Willamette Valley is considered some of the best farming soil in the world – and in it we mostly grow grass seed and Christmas trees.

As the article “Bean Man” in the Winter 2009 issue of Edible Portland points out “Today 95% of what’s grown in the Willamette Valley is non-edible”.

Ellen Jackson writes: “As recently as 50 years ago, the assortment of fruits, vegetables, and grains produced in the valley provided the region with the means to feed itself, an important measure of social and economic stability. The once robust regional food system has floundered in favor of planting profitable non-edible crops like fescue, rye grass seed, and Christmas trees”

Beyond the questions raised by groups like Food Not Lawns about how growing grass leads to pesticide use and pollution of our waterways there’s the question of grass and allergies. During the grass cutting season many complain of a constant state of sneezing, headaches and other symptoms, and the experience seems to worsen over the years. This is great news for the makers of anti-allergy medicines, but why are we willing to grow something that people are allergic to?

Food Security. Then there’s the question of peak oil. If it’s true that we’re running out of oil, then it behooves us to start growing more of our food closer to home rather than paying to ship it from far away. In this regard, Jackson writes:

“Changing agricultural philosophies over time has meant a loss of experience and expertise in growing beans, grains, and other valuable food crops in the valley, which is two generations deep in grass seed farmers, many of whom are at least 60 years old. The Bean and Grain project recognizes that reclaiming the region’s past agricultural knowledge and reviving previous growing techniques are critical steps to breathing new life into the regional food system. Converting large parcels of grass seed acreage into plots for organic beans, grains, and edible seeds is the next order of business.”

I think we should follow the lead of the Bean and Grain project which is the work of farmer Harry MacCormack:

“The Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project is a step by step strategy to rebuild the local food system by increasing the quantity and diversity of food crops that are grown in the valley, evaluating deficiencies in the food system infrastructure, building buyer/seller relationships for locally grown food, incorporating the culture of community into the fabric of the food system, and compiling resources on organic and sustainable agricultural practices specific to this region. As the name of the project implies, central to the task is stimulating the cultivation and local marketing of organically grown beans and grains to provide a foundation for year-round food resources in the valley.”

As much as I’ve appreciated the Oregonian’s support for an end to grass-seed field burning during this legislative session, I think the real issue is growing grass-seed in the first place. I look forward to a healthy state-wide discussion of how our rich farmland is used and what makes sense long-term as we take into consideration changing fuel realities, global climate change and the need to strengthen our local food supply.

Oregon’s number 2 crop, Christmas trees, is also a crop that has a lot of problems associated with it – pesticide use (local watershed pollution), shipping trees in refrigerated trucks around the country, the carbon sequestration that is lost when the trees are harvested, erosion, the costs to municipalities to discard the trees (landfills…). This is another crop that needs a look at going forward. Considering that the planet is heating up, we might do well to pay Christmas tree farmers to just let the trees grow rather than cut them down as this article in today’s Seattle Times suggests for federal forests.

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The Summer of 2009

July 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Happy Summer 2009
Happy Summer – from AlbertIdeation!
Stasha's Roses


Hello, I wish for you a great summer, that life is treating you well, and that you, your friends, neighbors and family are healthy.  

I traveled to Sierraville, CA for a fantastic rebirthing workshop, recently. It was very inspiring and I intend to write more about my experience, soon. Here is a short paragraph from something that the leader, Leanord Orr, wrote:

“To practice the Presence of God means to live in a way that feels peaceful so that we feel our Divine Nature every day, making us feel loving, creative, and productive. The daily spiritual practices with earth (good diet, food mastery, and exercise); water (bathing); air (conscious breathing); fire (sitting with it); and meditation renew our divine energy.

My simple recommendation for today would be to learn more about earth, water, air and fire – I’ll say more soon 🙂

July 2nd, 2009: 5:03PM: 90 degrees – In Portland we’ve got stronger heat than normal: a good time to remind everyone to water new trees that have been planted in the last 3 years.fruit trees

  • 3 gallons 2-3 times a week is best
  • Ask your neighbors if they’ve watered their new trees, usually most people don’t mind if you water for them
  • register your tree (if it’s a fruit tree) with thePortland Fruit Tree Project or your local version – don’t have a fruit tree project for your City?
  • Drink lots of water yourself.

If you like what I do in the world and would like to support me financially, please click here to reach paypal. This is a convenient way for me to receive contributions  If you have another way you’d like to support what I do, please let me know, thanks.

In the heat people tend to sit in their cars, eat lunch, make a call, all the while idling their car.  This next piece from the City of Portland explains idling simply and kindly.  Copy, paste and distribute, por favor!

IT’S YOUR E-MISSION!

Have you ever left your vehicle idling for more than 10 seconds while waiting to pick up your child at school or while at the drive-up window at the bank? Most of us have. Here are some very good reasons to rethink this common habit:

Vehicle emissions are the largest contributing factor to air pollution. The combustion of fossil fuels releases several types of air pollutants that are detrimental to our health. These include sulfur dioxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other toxins contributing to the formation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels.

Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution. Children breathe 50 percent faster and inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults. Studies have shown a direct link between many respiratory diseases and pollutants found in vehicle exhaust. In fact, asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization for children under the age of 15.

Excessive idling is expensive. Over 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting your engine. Idling for 10 minutes a day uses an average of 22 gallons of gas per year, and gets zero miles to the gallon. Excessive idling is not good for your vehicle either. It can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust systems, whereas frequent restarting has little impact on engine components like the battery and starter motor.

For the children, for yourself, and for the environment, please remember to keep your emission down and turn off your car if it isn’t moving!

1-2-3 TURN THE KEY!
All my best from the City of Roses!If you would like to meet for a rebirthing session, please let me know.

‘Om Namaha Shivaya: “Aum” or “Om” means “Infinite Being.”  “Shivaiya” means “Infinite Intelligence.” “Namaha” means “Infinite Manifestation.” “Aum Namaha Shivaiya” is a very high quality thought.’  **

Happy Solstice, perfect weather and good thoughts to ya!

**Leonard D. Orr, The Owner’s Manual for Human Beings, Ignorance & Wisdom
AK https://depave.orgAK in PV

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Jan 2, 2009 – Connecting Organizers of Community Conversations for Connecting and Planning

January 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Connecting Organizers of Community Conversations for Connecting and Planning

Notes – Jan 2, 2009 – Connecting Organizers of Community Conversations for Connecting and Planning (event on Sunday, 1/11/09 in Portland info below.)

Jas: hosted community conversation. Had five areas: housing, shelter, food, finances, health, well being. conversation at Awakenings the week before thanksgiving. Reports came out of it – resource sharing website created by brian and a sense of regular gatherings coming together from abundance and sharing and helping each other: Art, healing, nurturing touch, food share, clothing share, networking needs board and a time for council to discuss what’s up for each of us. Event sponsored by several non-profits.
Also, as individual, been involved with community activism for decades, political management… neighborhood activist, chair of Multnomah county citizen involvement, etc. also a web designer and made neighborhood networking site. Wants to take that model and develop it for everyone. Urbanvillages.net

Sharon: new to this group. Working on the Vision into Action coalition – cross between city and community. Got 17,000 people engaged in sharing their vision. Now the coalition is a group of individuals and organizations working to move forward to that vision. Hybrid of city and community – interesting position. We need the City but it can’t be only the City. The three values from the community: community, equity and sustainability. The coalition is made of two full time staff people in the bureau of planning, a steering committee of 20 volunteers, a coalition of ? organizations. Event in early December had 150 people.

Rebecca: with Theodor, part of A Circle Group collective, offshoot of eco-psychology conference at Lewis and Clark last year. ACG interested in relationship building and social change, supporting activism. Everyone in group one foot in social work, counseling, therapy and another foot in community organizing. Interested in what helps groups thrive and what creates conflict – facilitate a process where orgs don’t get stuck. In the recent econ crisis, sent some emails asking how people are responding in an emotional way… this led to a community conversation at people’s coop with 100 people there. The energy in the room was very positive, hungry for community. People wanted more so we held another at st. francis church. 50-60 people showed up. Third one coming in late jan. people interested in relationship building and also training themselves to organized their own neighborhoods, communities, scenes. Social skills and information. Strong demand and hope.

Jeremy: CNRG co-chair and Portland Peak Oil – Peak Oil task force. Also permaculture designer. In his own house got all fruit needs last summer. Emergency response and sustainability has connections … going to expo gun shows and talking sustainabiliut

Albert: most recently thinking about Portland 3000. Part of sacred circle dance community. Rabble rouser. Started Freecycle Portland. Interested in helping catalyze this movement, transitioning from this society to one that shops less, makes less stuff. Transitioned own life out of consumption years ago and can support others now. Writes a lot on it.

Brian: working with Jas. Two things: food project, organizing local communities to grow more of their own food. Really interested in what others are doing. Looking at one block in a neigborhood and helping organize that block to grow more food. Help with seeds, worm bins, etc… share. Second: ran in southern Oregon 30 years ago—sharing network. People come together with different skills and share – no tracking and no accounting. Got 80 professionals to join in two weeks. Incredible response. Good way to spread people with high needs and low skills with this kind of economy. Plugged into a network of high producers, loosens the charitable act idea and more into co-supportive system. Will post to community support network: supportpdx.com . sections for food, shelter, health care, etc. social networking site. Post resources. Make requests.

Edie: economic downturn good for people consuming less stuff!

Howard: working as a writer at Ecotrust for 9 years. Touched on a lot of all the activities at Ecotrust – systems level type projects. Recent project: writing and editing an online journal called People and Place. Interested in what about what’s going on is replicable elsewhere, worth spreading. Upcoming issue of People and Place on that topic. Looking for writers. peopleandplace.net

Melora: work with ReCode – city and state level to change building codes to legalize sustainability and remove barriers to sus dev. More community networks so that the community can inform the city on what they want. Talked with Judith on facilitation training, getting those skills out to as man people as possible. Build basic foundation of communications. Personally into urban agriculture. People have fear because they don’t know where their food comes from, basic processes.

Jenny: here as a Cross-Pollinator. Spent the last two years listening and meeting with groups and people working on all types of grassroots social change, seeing redundancy… so many similar ideas and challenges but we don’t connect, link, talk, share, listen. Finding creative ways to do this. Through working at Southeast Uplift, City Repair and TLC Farm, connected with so many groups and now seeing network level patterns and opportunities. Also, was out of the country during election and economic collapse – missed it all! And was in Zimbabwe witnessing FULL systems collapse. Perspective.

Judith: at ONI – Effective Engagement Solutions. Try to come up with ways to systematically address places of conflict, engage civically for higher good focused on chronic issues between developers a land use chairs. Sene f what people don’t want to change. Restorative listening project, restorative justice principles looking at racism in NE Portland. Interested in what is it that makes us decide that you are the other and worth more or less than me, please to continue to perpetuate oppression. We have a lot more common in our interests and needs than separate but live in boxes. Project: six conversations on change with the neighborhood coalitions. Talk about what change means to all of us and our picture of the world. E example: historic preservation proponent talking about outer southeast small houses, unpaved – not “livable” like mount tabor houses but much more sustainable. Invite people to become critical thinkers and curious. Have us determine what govt does. Usually public involvement means that the ask each person or group what’s important but not prioritize together. Also interested in progressive fringe thinkers and groups to connect into city system so that they can shape policy more. Example: in black community the idea of consuming less hits a cultural issue about people having less historically. Talking with Melora about creative a network of facilitators. Was a mediator/facilitator or 20 years and good facilitation skills are undervalued – can make a really big difference.

Kate: works with Our United Villages.—local non-profit on N. Mississippi. Community outreach is three people – convene, consult and catalyze community building. Historically worked with one neighborhood at a time . now working with individuals. Hosting dialogues on improving race relations in Portland (all dialogues chosen by community). Second one tools for community building. Now in series called working together though challenging times – had two and next one is Jan. 10. Two more scheduled in southeast in diverse areas. Workshop on feb. 7. We do our work in ways that honor that some people want to get together to talk and others are project, action oriented… separate opportunities. Consulting: we are available to any individual or non-profit – we listen and see if there’s any way we can help. Maybe it looks like we give them a survey hat we’ve created or lessons learned or linking people together… any way to help. Free service.
Judith adds: OUV is funded through the ReBuilding center. RBC created so that the community work had a funding source that’s not outside. Social enterprise model.

Kerry: worked for 35 years with battered women and abused children. Concluded that without hands on mentoring and walking people through a process where people gain ownership in the things they want to change, they can’t change. They need to rewire themselves – give away ownership. Decided that watching people cycle in and out of the system is not rewarding and there has got to be another way. To be successful it must be open ended, not exclude. Poverty and violence will get worse unless people feel safe. Sharing food with community means less likely to steal it. There are so many languages that people use. Somewhere on the way we decided that we don’t have enough. Working with Judith on Restorative listening Project. Homelessness huge issue. Was at the homelessness protest at City hall. Saw Commissioner Leonard talking to someone who said “I have one question: if there was a natural disaster, what is the plan to take care of all you rich people? That would be a great solution for the immediate need.” It’s al one big system. We are all connected. If we don’t all succeed we all fail. If we can’t go to the gun show, then we lose a huge part of the population.

—————–

Our first Abundance Gathering (aka Hope Gathering) is coming up THIS
Sunday and we’d love for you to be there to help co-create this
community support event.  The two main initiators of this event (Jas
and Brian) have recently been manifesting Nirvana last weekend, but we
are looking forward to next weekend now and would love your help!

We have amazing people in our community who can help facilitate each
of the following areas. We are all artists, healers, facilitators and
networks.  Any one of us can help create the areas below.  Please
volunteer if you feel inspired to help create any of the following!

Food (and clothing) exchange / potlatch area

Networking Board area (should have paper and pens and a way for people
to post and respond to needs)

Healing and nurturing connections area (can anyone help haul mats and
blankets from Awakenings)

Art and self-expression area

We also need a facilitator for the Council at 4pm

Please reply to brian @ nanotech-now.com

Thanks!

jas

Come share in Abundance and Hope with Food, Art, Healing and Community:

Because when we share, we all have more!

ABUNDANCE of HOPE GATHERING
Sunday, January 11 ~ 1:30 – 6:30 PM
John’s Healing Oasis ~ 537 SE Ash #42

A month ago, we held a Community Conversation at Awakenings where over
50 participants focused on how we can come together as community from
a place of well-being and abundance to face the challenges and changes
ahead. Sacred Circle was one of the sponsors of that gathering, and
the report from that event is included below. A clear desire among
those gathered was to come together periodically to share resources,
our healing gifts, food and community.

Our first Abundance Gathering will be Sunday, 1/11, at John’s
Healing Oasis located at 537 SE Ash #42. Please spread the word!

We will designate separate spaces where we can enjoy food, engage in
art, share our healing gifts, and post requests and responses on a
networking board. There will also be a Potlatch Table where you can
leave food and clothing for others to take.

At 4pm, those who wish are invited to sit in Council together to
explore how we (individually and as community) deal with the huge
changes our society faces as we seek to live in greater harmony with
our fellow human beings and the planet.

Bring food, your artistic talent, your healing gifts, and an open mind.

If you have any questions, please call or email Jas or Brian.

See you next Sunday!

Also check out the new support website: https://www.communitysupportnetworkpdx.com (no longer active – 1.7.13

Contact Info:
Jas: jimjas at gmail.com / 503-544-3838
Brian: brian at nanotech-now.com / 541-840-8155

Portland

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A lesson from geese

November 21, 2008 by Leave a Comment

P. 93 Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing

A Lesson from Geese

Have you ever wondered why migrating geese fly in formation? As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. In a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent more flying range than if each bird flew alone. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and it quickly gets back into formation.

Like geese, businesses that share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier than those who try to go it alone.  We are no longer living in the age of the lone wolf entrepreneur, independent and proud of it.

When a lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. If business owners had as much sense as geese, they would realize that success depends on fusion marketing partners, working as teams, taking turns doing the hard tasks, exchanging leads, and sharing their marketing budgets.

book

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