During the months of February and March I traveled across Bolivia having meetings with mostly public sector actors, as well as giving presentations. I met with Ministers, Vice Ministers, university Rectors/Vice-Rectors, a Governor, a former mayor, numerous local officials, and representatives of several NGO’s. The discussions focused on environmental problems and potential solutions. They ranged from the biggest most visible problems, such as deforestation from fire and mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining, to contamination of surface waters, destruction of aquifer recharge zones, and development encroachment into sensitive, protected areas. Also discussed was the ineffectiveness of government to protect public health and safety from hazards, including the absence of environmental jurisprudence, as well as their inadequate disaster readiness resulting in increased injuries and loss of life and property. Several initiatives are being explored to bring resources to bear on these problems.
I Have a Dream
I hope to live so long so as to see a comparable sign somewhere here in the USA having staked out territory free from the subjugating, precarious, dehumanizing, kleptocratic, capitalist, fascist, police state we are living in at present.
Luis Lopezllera Mendes Presente!
My dear friend and mentor Luis Lopezllera passed from this life the end of October. Luis was the kindest, gentlest, most positive person I believe I have ever met. We met in Mexico City in 1986 in the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake through the Partners of the Americas when San Francisco was ‘partnered’ with Mexico City. On that first trip to Mexico, Luis introduced me to the urban slums where masses of poor people were living in makeshift housing on dirt floors. We then worked together on and off over the next few years focusing on my bringing microcomputers and internet access to the NGO community in Mexico and throughout the region.
Luis was a great man, a true realist, a stellar human being. There are very few people you meet in life who are truly humble, largely behind the scenes, doing transformative work. Luis was one of them. Luis had a vision of a better world and he worked tirelessly to achieve it. Through his organization, Promocion del Desarrollo Popular, he had great effect upon many people and movements. If you search on his name, you will get an idea of the scope and reach of his life and work. Example.
Luis you are already now and for a long time to come will be sorely missed. You are present in our hearts and minds.
Penned Article Gets Reprints
An article I penned last month has gotten quite a bit of circulation. Here is one such reprint.
Localization: Bringing about Buen Vivir to address climate fluctuations and globalization
Globalization: Structural Violence & Precarity Institution
The largest trade agreement ever – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – starts today. Globalization continues apace disrupting local, national and regional economies, expanding the precariat, neutering local community control, wiping out self-reliance & self-sufficiency knowledge and skill sets, and creating unsustainable dependencies for essential goods and services. The real tragedy of this economistic zombie death march however is what climate chaos impacts will do over time. As supply chains fail, states and their populations will reel in crisis. What is needed is localization, the opposite of globalization.
Localization is the Appropriate Response to Climate Chaos
Touring Bolivia giving lectures about localization expressed as ‘ecopueblos’ as a response to climate chaos in an effort to cease migration to the cities. Working with UNDP, the private sector, government, academia and civil society groups. We all need to be on the same page in this effort! #climatechange #environment #climate #climateemergency #globalwarming #climatechaosmitigation #climatechaosadaptation #climatechaosresilience
Crisis Gardening: Fresh Food Fast
Food security should be job number one for everyone right about now. As our food supply is under increasing threat, taking matters into your own hands (by working with the soil and nature’s forces) can provide both food and sanity. You’d be amazed how much food you can grow in a small amount of space and how good you’ll feel working with living things. What are you waiting for?
Calexit
I have long been an advocate for California’s secession from the union. Recently some pro-secession folks hired a mariachi band to play in front of an ICE director’s McMansion.
Farmers Build Fire Resilience
Having a background in both agriculture and disasters led me to develop course materials for an on-line course for farmers and ranchers on how to prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from, projected increased incidents of wildfire. While the course was inspired by the record-setting conflagrations in northern California of 2017-2018 which impacted small farmers and ranchers, attendees are from a number of states and Canada.
Becoming a Spokesperson on Deep Adaptation
Christian Stalberg, human habitat relocalization and biomimicry evangelist in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. Professional backgrounds in: energy efficient buildings; disaster readiness; villagification; farming; appropriate technology; telecomputing; construction; cooperatives; intentional communities and ecovillages. “Because of climate chaos, we are all vulnerable to lifeline (e.g. food, water, energy) failures, and should be prepared.”
– from Source a Spokesperson on Deep Adaptation by Jem Bendell