Earthworks Eco Village Invites Participation

Written by Contributor Friday, 05 February 2010 00:07

I always wanted to be part of a community that was doing it the right way and was dealing with our social, economic and environmental issues in an enlighted manner. That dream is finally on the brink of coming true, as myself and a small group of other people set out to create Earthworks Eco Village with this very vision in mind. One that integrates the best practices for sustainable and healthy living. By making eco enterprise development and eco education a primary focus, Earthwoks also hopes to be the seed for many more communities like it.  Rather than have us interpret this amazing initiative in community design, we thought we would let the visioneers of Earthworks speak for themselves so here is a sample from their most recient newsletter:

IT'S THE RIGHT TIME
We have been overwhelmed by the interest in Earthworks Facebook page and we want to thank all of you who have taken the time and effort to contribute to our discussions about the potentials of creating a self sufficient and secure community of like minded people. We all know that between climate change and peak oil alone that we are in for some significant changes to the very fabric of our society. This is the right time to be preparing for those changes. Earthworks is designed to provide a platform on which we can walk our talk about how we can be living on this earth. Earthwalk can also provide for the long term energy and food security for our families and our community..

In this newsletter we will outline the unique opportunity that we are creating with the Earthworks Eco Village project.

Beyond conscious consumption

Written by Trent Rhode Friday, 03 July 2009 13:02

The idea of a “conscious consumer” has always rubbed me the wrong way. Not the “conscious” part of the equation, mind you – it’s the “consumer” side of things that gets to me. Even in the most positive light, a consumer is still just that: someone who consumes things.

Although, according to a 2003 poll, 71 per cent of “American consumers” would purchase socially and environmentally responsible products if they were easy to find, we need to go even further.

I believe we can be much more than consumers in this world, and many other people are beginning to see things this way as well. I believe we can give back to the earth, and create a net positive impact on the world, if we work towards this end. In fact, this is the only way our species can survive, at this point.

Designer and architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart noted in their book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, that we are accustomed to thinking of industry and the environment as being at odds with one another.

But McDonough asks, “What if humans designed products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity? That are so intelligent and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight in, not lament?”

A Profile of Peterborough’s Ecology Park

Written by Ecology Park staff Friday, 03 July 2009 10:06

The Ecology Park in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, is a beautiful example of a community of people who banded together to create a vision for demonstrating their ideals in ecological landscaping and gardening. Ecology Park has inspired countless people and has forever changed the landscape of Peterborough, literally. The following article gives a brief idea of how the park was founded and continues to flourish.

The Ecology Park has grown from a simple demonstration food garden started in 1991 to a five acre showcase of ecological landscaping. Located on city parkland in Peterborough’s Beavermead Park, it has become a place to see models of healthy landscapes, to learn concepts and skills for managing land in sustainable ways, and a source for materials such as plants and natural soil amendments.

Maintaining our urban forests

Written by Peterborough Green-Up staff Thursday, 02 July 2009 18:30

While we usually think of forests and cities as two very different places, trees have a huge effect on how well cities function, and on the health and well-being of the people who live there. In fact, the trees in our cities are an “urban forest,” whose true worth we’re just beginning to understand and value.

Consider an aerial view of your city or town in the summer. When you look down from a bird’s eye view, the tree canopy covers much of what you see. The canopy is made up of islands of green leaves and branches that cover the streets, buildings and parkland.

With greater understanding of the benefits of urban trees, many cities are setting targets of 40 per cent for their total tree canopy coverage, as recommended by American Forests.