As a building energy use professional and ecologist, I have been appalled at the invention and use of the term ‘net-zero’. Here is an article which lays out the problem with it. Read and be informed!
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
Building Energy Performance Simulation Modeling Training
I helped train 10 professional architects here in Pretoria in building energy performance simulation modeling using DesignBuilder software. Thank yous to the University of Pretoria Department of Architecture for use of their classroom facilities, to the Pretoria Institute for Architecture for arranging attendees, and to the Fulbright Specialist Program for bringing me to South Africa to share my knowledge and experience.
Fulbright Specialist Award to South Africa
I received a Fulbright Specialist Program grant back in 2017. Under the three year grant I was eligible for up to two assignments during the grant period. My first assignment was to Bolivia. South Africa was scheduled to be my second then COVID-19 struck. I was pleased to hear from Fulbright that the opportunity to go had reopened. #southafrica #pretoria #fulbright #teaching #university
Localization for Climate Chaos Adaptation in Bolivia
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Masters of Neoliberalism, Capital Accumulation, and Globalization Meet
Once again the masters of neoliberalism, capital accumulation, and globalization meet to maintain business as usual. This year they’ll focus on 1) co-opting climate chaos; and, 2) quelling resistance from the baking/drowning/burning/starving peasantry.
How Non-Native Plants Are Contributing to a Global Insect Decline
Life on earth is 3.8 billion years old. Homo sapiens has only been around 200,000 years. A small fraction of that has seen non-native plants spread, yet look at the impact. We must cease the destruction emanating from our anthropocentrism. We must become as students before our teacher Nature.
Industrial food for profit = highly vulnerable food production system
Industrial food for profit has resulted in a highly vulnerable food production system. Now with climate chaos upon us, we must diversify our food crops. No more monocultures!
Energy Conservation versus Energy Production
Energy conservation (benign) could offset production (destructive). But no. Capitalism demands production, extractivism. Nature then pays the price. What we do to nature, we do to ourselves, as we are nature. The latest report of the IPCC Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), points to the importance of integrating ‘indigenous and local knowledge’ in research and adaptation. Now even scientists understand that our dominant epistemology is a failure. The sooner we listen to this truth telling, the better. We can then change our behavior, rearrange our priorities, and begin to mitigate the worst effects of climate chaos.