Responsibility

I have longed believed the principle that if something is wrong and someone has the ability to do something about it, they have the responsibility to do something. Like the neighbor that ignores the occasional black eye on the beautiful woman next door, we are doing the same injustice to our planet and our legacy by simply meandering through our lives and waiting for someone else to take the action that we can and should do ourselves.
Many arguments can be made for the responsibility of large corporations and governments to take massive action against global climate change and destruction of our environment. And those arguments are valid and important. They need to be made and they need to be said. And we should all be active in getting those organizations to take that action. However, history has shown time and again that large organizations only take massive actions when they are forced to. Unfortunately, climate change is both subtle and palpable. While it will take quite some time for an extreme global shift in climate, the obvious signs are here now and are already having devastating effects. If we wait long enough for a large scale catastrophe, it will likely be too little, too late. But we can make massive change happen now. If we all start small, these same small steps will quickly add up to massive change.
As an example, adding some solar panels to your roof along with a small vertical wind turbine will greatly reduce your home's carbon dependency. Working to get your entire neighborhood to set that up is a bigger step. Once this is done, an entire community can participate. And then a city and then a state, etc.
And what better way to create a lasting legacy than building a truly sustainable community. This can and will easily lead to a sustainable planet.
Let's start with us. Let's start now.

Hydroponics: It’s not illegal anymore

It still surprises me the reaction I get when I mention hydroponics. I’m used to getting a lot of slack from coworkers and friends about being a vegetarian treehugger. I’ve even become used to being accused of a being a pothead since I’m such a “hippie” already. So given hydroponics’ history, I should probably expect adverse reactions from the omnivore, SUV driving, carbon burners that I associate with. I did think that with the introduction of the Aerogarden on TV and in the malls that hydroponics would get a better reputation. But, the Aerogrow International people know much more about advertising than I do, and they’ve left out “hydroponics” in their literature and explanations.
With that as the case, it doesn’t mitigate or change the benefits of hydroponic gardening. NASA even has instructionals online to teach how to grow food hydroponically and a few videos online as well. They see it as a viable way to produce food in space and in future colonization efforts. Well, if it’s good enough for space, it should be good enough for the rest of us.
With apartment vacancy dropping in the Denver metro area, looking to hydroponics for your gardening needs is more relevant than before. Most apartments don’t have a backyard space that can be used for gardening and, while guerilla gardening has its high points, it’s not likely to be as fruitful as one might need or want.
The yields of a hydroponic system can be much greater than with ordinary soil yields. For instance, in the U.S., we are able to grow an average of 6-10 tons of potatoes per acre. With hydroponics, we could grow 62.5 tons per acre. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics - Douglas, James S. Hydroponics. 5th ed. Bombay: Oxford UP, 1975. 1-3.)
One thing that may be standing in the way is perceived cost. There’s no need for that to be a boon at all. You can easily start out with minimal equipment and start-up cost and get your garden going quickly. You may even have what you need in your apartment already. Just open up your imagination and get creative with the jars and other containers you have lying around. And they’ll be much better off growing food for you than sitting in a landfill.
Hydroponics is by no means a new technology, but it certainly has practical applications in today’s world – especially considering the potential environmental impact.

Welcome!!

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Enjoy! :)