At 08:53 AM 2/2/2008 -0500, you wrote: >Here's a sobering article about how we sustain >or don't sustain all members of our communities. >Question: How can we ensure that >relocalization/sustainability strategies >(policies, economics practices, agriculture, >lifestyle, etc.) address this issue?
Hi, Elan. Yes, this is alarming and disconcerting, but not surprising. I wonder if urban poor are worse off than rural poor in this regard, where rural peoples often raise their own food, particularly vegetables? At any rate, here's a couple of suggestions, some of which might be obvious: Fostering of community gardens. I have heard of small urban farms in places like East Los Angles where the participants have grown much of their otherwise to-expensive-to-purchase vegetables, in the heart of terribly down and out neighborhoods. This would require extensive commitment from concerned and empowered individuals. Neither is easy to find in many communities. Community outreach by Cooperative Extension-type organizations to foster/develop/provide seed grants for food and diet education, gardening education, development of community gardens mentioned above, etc. With so many food crops being raised for biofuels, which is going to turn out to be a giant fiasco at the expense of the masses of taxpayers, the situation is going to get worse. Instead of raising vegetables it will be a lot more profitable to raise a GMO biomass for biofuel, like corn or soy beans, instead of table vegetables. This along with increased fuel/energy prices will drive the cost of vegetables up even more. So only those able to help themselves will be o.k. I'm all for urban gardening as I think it's a viable solution for many communities. Take care. TomTom Tom Shelley 118 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607 342-0864 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.myspace.com/99319958 P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The World Commission on Environment and Development, Gro Harlem Brundtland Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987 MY NOTE: Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as growth per se is not sustainable. And the term "sustainable" has to mean "for a very long time" (A. Bartlett). "The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives." Sioux proverb _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
