Cleaning Up The Mess
Ten days of life-changing knowledge
Submitted by Cleaning Up the Mess on Mon, 2012-07-30 16:26Last week Kenyan-born Erle Rahaman-Noronha who has a BSc in Applied Biochemistry and an MSc in Zoology from the University of Guelph, Canada told us of the origins of Permaculture. This week, Rahaman-Noronha tells us in detail what the Permaculture Design Course entails.
Last week I explained how permaculture which has its origins in the ’70s describes a holistic system which connects many components on an agricultural site, has grown and evolved into a practice (permanent culture) that is embraced by urban communities—growing food and harvesting water and sunlight in their backyards—rural communities seeking empowerment, self-sufficiency and retention of their cultures and university communities seeking to bring a change in the status quo.
Permaculture: Healing mother Earth
Submitted by Cleaning Up the Mess on Mon, 2012-06-18 15:23Permaculture was originally an agricultural term (permanent agriculture) created in the 70s to describe a holistic system that would connect many components on an agricultural site, and that after its initial setup, would provide its owners with all their needs and eventually become a sustaining artificial ecosystem much like a natural forest.
This view still applies, but over the last 40 years, permaculture itself has grown and evolved into a practice (permanent culture) that is embraced by urban communities growing food and harvesting water and sunlight in their backyards; rural communities seeking empowerment, self-sufficiency and retention of their cultures; and university communities seeking a change in the status quo.
It is preparing the population to deal positively with the changes that are upon us from an exploding population, resource depletion, an oil and energy addiction, global warming and climate change. In trying to write about what permaculture is, I decided the best way was to talk about the permaculture design course (PDC), the backbone of permaculture, what it covers and how it is applied on our farm.
London 2012: the ‘greenest’ Olympics ever
Submitted by Cleaning Up the Mess on Mon, 2012-06-18 15:05On 27 July, the curtain rises on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. London makes history in being the first city to host three Olympic Games and promises to be the greenest ever. This is according to today’s guest columnist British High Commissioner, ARTHUR SNELL who tells us just what this means.
With memories of the spectacular opening ceremony to the 2008 Games in Beijing still clear in our minds, it is easy to understand why the Olympic Games is considered by many to be the greatest show on earth. The opening ceremony for London 2012 promises to offer its own brand of razzmatazz, after all its concept is choreographed by British film director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting), but the real story to London 2012 is the assertion that the games will be the first truly sustainable Olympics in their history.
Reducing the carbon footprint
Submitted by Cleaning Up the Mess on Mon, 2012-06-18 13:19In the second of this two-part series in Guardian Media ongoing Cleaning Up The Mess space, Minister of Housing and the Environment Dr Roodal Moonilal, tells us that the Government’s application of solar power as renewable energy in police surveillance bays is just the start of T&T’s transition to a low carbon society.
The application of solar power as renewable energy in Police Surveillance Bays (PSB) represents the first significant undertaking of its kind on a national level. It demands considerable co-ordination, planning and collaboration among the many stakeholders for proper execution.
Police surveillance bays powered by sun
Submitted by Cleaning Up the Mess on Fri, 2012-06-15 17:18
In the first of this two-part series in our ongoing Cleaning Up The Mess space, Housing and the Environment Minister Dr ROODAL MOONILAL tells us T&T has begun transitioning to a low-carbon society, starting with the application of solar power as renewable energy in police surveillance bays.
The Cabinet of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago approved the construction of Police Surveillance Bays (PSBs) along the Uriah Butler and Sir Solomon Hochoy highways. Consistent with its Medium Term Policy Framework for the period 2011 to 2014 regarding transitioning to a low-carbon society and promoting green technology, Cabinet also approved the application of solar power for the PSBs.
