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NEW SOCIETY BLOG — Book Excerpt
Introduction to Power by Richard Heinberg
Richard Heinberg’s latest title, Power is an exploration of humanity's power over nature and the power of some people over others. Power traces how four key elements developed to give humans extraordinary power: tool making ability, language, social complexity, and the ability to harness energy sources — most significantly, fossil fuels. Today, we take an excerpt from Power that explains how Richard started on the journey of writing this book.
Individual Climate Action Does Make a Difference
How do we adapt our lives to reduce our carbon footprint? In Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, Lloyd Alter reveals the carbon costs of everything we do and provides practical tips for making significant reductions and not sweating the small stuff. Today on the blog, we take an excerpt from Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, where Lloyd explains how various forms of food waste impact our carbon footprint.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Climate Change, Sustainability
The Footprint of Food Waste
How do we adapt our lives to reduce our carbon footprint? In Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, Lloyd Alter reveals the carbon costs of everything we do and provides practical tips for making significant reductions and not sweating the small stuff. Today on the blog, we take an excerpt from Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, where Lloyd explains how various forms of food waste impact our carbon footprint.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Climate Change, Sustainability
Why is Collaborative Decision Making Effective for Problem Solving?
Today on the blog we take a case study from Building Community by James Gruber focused on participatory decision making processes. Many people may question why this problem solving process is so important when we elect and hire leaders to make decisions for us.
Tags: Book excerpt, Community, Education
Earth Rammed Construction: Building With Materials Found On Site
Since 1993, using rammed earth in construction for code-approved buildings has occurred in almost every province and proven themselves capable of enduring the harsh Canadian climates. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Rammed Earth Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide by Tim Krahn to discover more about one of the oldest construction methods on the planet.
A Case for Building Science
The two enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing in residential construction are poor heat and moisture management. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Building Science: Understanding Energy and Moisture in High Performance House Design by Jacob Deva Racusin, where Jacob unpacks why we need building science.
The Benefits Of Using Hempcrete in Your Construction Projects
Hempcrete, or hemp-line as it is referred to in Europe, is a promising sustainable building material. It is a green alternative to composites such as concrete, mortar and plaster. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Hempcrete Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide, where Chris Magwood outlines some of the benefits of using hempcrete in construction.
Why You Should Consider Harvesting Rainwater for a Drought
Many places across North America are experiencing significant drought. For those who are not connected to city water, paying attention to water levels is critical. As efforts to conserve water ramp up, the foreword written by Peter J. Coombes from Essential Rainwater Harvesting reminds us of the importance of harvesting rainwater.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Climate Change, Sustainability
How to Make Your Landscape More Drought Tolerant
The East Vancouver Island Basin has been in a Level 4 drought since early July. The question of how to conserve water and protect the water tables, especially on the Gulf Islands is on many minds. Today, we take an excerpt from Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future by Susan Reed and Ginny Stibolt on making landscapes more drought-tolerant.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Gardening, Sustainability
How to Use Yarrow for Medicine
In the summer months, you can often find yarrow and it’s pretty white flowers blooming all around you. Yarrow has a very long history of being used as a medicinal treatment for a range of ailments. Today, we take an excerpt from The Artisan Herbalist where Bevin Cohen explains the background of Yarrow and how you can use it as medicine.
Tags: Book excerpt, Gardening, Homegrown City Life
Sourdough Scone Recipe
Today on the blog, we share a recipe from DIY Sourdough: The Beginner's Guide to Crafting Starters, Bread, Snacks, and More by John and Jessica Moody for sourdough scones! With berry season in full swing and fresh fruit stands popping up this scone recipe is sure to be a favourite all summer long.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Cooking, Recipe
Hardy Greens for Your Garden
If you are a seasoned gardener, or frequent farmers market shopper, chances are you’ve come across shoulder season greens. These greens can be planted very early in spring and again in late summer for a winter crop. Today, we take an excerpt on hardy greens from The Food Lover’s Garden by Jenni Blackmore on some of the greens that you might want to consider adding to your garden.
Coconut Milk Kefir Recipe
Today on the blog, we’re sharing a recipe for coconut kefir from The Art of Plant-based Cheesemaking: How to Craft Real, Cultured, Non-Dairy Cheese, Revised and Expanded Second Edition by Karen McAthy. This recipe is one of Karen’s favorite things to make just for its own sake. With a bright, tangy flavour with light effervescence, you can add coconut kefir to smoothies, salad dressings, vegan cheesecake or even use it for leavening biscuits!
Tags: Book Excerpt, Cooking, Recipe, Vegan
The Most Important Relationship in Your Life
Across many cultures, language attempts to describe the difference between being an individual and an entity intrinsically interconnected with everything else. To do so, we often see the words "I" and "self" used to distinguish these different states. Today, we take an excerpt from The Web of Meaning where Jeremy Lent explains the divergence between I and self.
Tags: Book Excerpt, Conscious Community, New Books
How Cattle Handle Heat
Last weekend, we welcomed the first official days of summer with the summer solstice. As temperatures rise, have you ever wondered how cattle handle long days in the heat? Today on the blog, we explore this with an excerpt from Homesteading Cows: The Complete Guide To Raising Healthy, Happy, Cattle on how cattle handle the heat.