Sound Of Sirens

These song-lyrics are quite contemporary in my book, although they tell a story from 1649. They tell you about the beginnings of privatization, they tell you ‘what went wrong’ and make you think about what today is being considered normal: ‘buying and selling the earth for private gain’. They also tell you about a different way, about resistence and community.

The World Turned Upside Down
Lyrics and Music originally by Leon Rosselson
(Billy Bragg performing ‘The World Turned Upside Down’)

In sixteen forty nine, to St George’s Hill
a ragged band they called the Diggers came to show the peoples’ will
they defied the Landlords, they defied the laws
they were the dispossessed, reclaiming what was theirs

“We come in peace” they said, to dig and sow
we come to work the lands in common and to make the wastegrounds grow
this earth divided, we will make whole
so it will be a common treasury for all

The sin of property, we do disdain
no man has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain
by theft and murder, they took the land
now everywhere the walls spring up at their command

They make the laws, to chain us well
the clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell
we will not worship, the god they serve
the god of greed who feeds the rich while poor man starve

We work, we eat together, we need no swords
we will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords
we are free men, though we are poor
you diggers all stand up for glory stand up now

From the men of property, the orders came
they sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers’ claim
tear down their cottages, destroy their corn
they were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on

You poor take courage, you rich take care
this earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share
all things in common, all people one
we come in peace, the orders came to cut them down

Find more information on the original ‘Diggers’ and a group that named themselves after them in the late 60s in San Francisco.

Again the States…
On Saturday, September 27, a national mobilization will be launched to say, “I’m ready for the green economy.”, ready to tackle the climate crisis by building a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.
Green Jobs Now is a National Day of Action that will empower everyday people to stage hundreds of grassroots events throughout the country. There will be a special focus on low-income communities, communities of color and indigenous people.
Right now, there are millions of people ready to work and countless jobs to be done that will strengthen the economy at home. There are thousands of buildings that need to be weatherized, solar panels to be installed, and wind turbines to be erected. There are communities that need local and sustainable food and people ready to farm the crops. There are public transit systems and smart electricity grids in need of engineers and electricians. Americans are ready to build the new economy.

And guess how they will launch it:
There will be block parties, house parties, teach-ins, living room discussions, public programs with food, music, poetry. It is up to you. As long as the event is positive and fun, the possibilities are endless… and they make it easy for you to join!

The great thing about the States is that beside the most ignorant politicians and the most unethical corporate system you will find a lot of people with a sense of self-responsibility and creativity who put ideas into action.

For example….

‘The Sustainable Living Roadshow (SLR) is a caravan of educators and entertainers who tour the country in a fleet of renewable fuel vehicles to empower communities and individuals to utilize sustainable living strategies for a healthier planet. Visiting k-12 schools, university campuses and community festivals across the United States, the caravan sets up off-the-grid eco-carnivals with experiential learning villages, featuring workshops, speakers and entertainment.’

Read into their principles and ethics, it’s inspiring! Have a look at the diversity of offerings/elements, it’s fun! Makes me want it to happen in Germany…

As flashy as the title may sound, let’s give them another flashy name, let’s call them renegades of architecture. Working with what is there (which is mostly considered garbage) they are creating sustainable and affordable housing. As Michael Reynolds, the architect who builds ‘earthships’ since the seventies (with much opposition of local authorities, so that you wonder about their interests…) put it: ‘I don’t care about anything but the fucking planet!’

Earthships are earth-sheltered autonomous buildings made of tires rammed with earth, which are usually arranged in “U” or horseshoe shaped modules. Each tire is rammed full of earth manually using a sledge hammer. Windows on the sunny side admit light and heat. The open end of the “U” shaped structure faces South in the northern hemisphere, and North in the southern hemisphere, so that the house will catch maximum sunlight in the colder months. An Earthship is designed to interface with its environment wherever possible and create its own utilities. (via Wikipedia)

See the trailer of the documentary ‘Garbage Warrior’ by Oliver Hodges, featuring Reynolds and his struggles.

Also: These buildings are affordable and you can participate and learn how to make them more and more all over the world. Google ‘earthship’, search for it on youtube, check out our links - and spread the word! Again: This is do-it-yourself stuff! You don’t have to wait. You just find some people and you can take on the responsibility to create a more sustainable future now…

How to find Earthships and Garbage Warriors:
Brighton Earthship (England)
Earthship Austria
Earthship Biotecture (US)
Earthship Biotecture (Europe, site in french and english)
not too far from Earthships: Bubble Buildings (german, english, spanish)

Vortrag und Diskussion in Berlin
Donnerstag 29.5.08, 17-19 Uhr
Universität der Künste,
Hardenbergstr. 33
1. Stock, Raum 102

U- und S-Bahn Zoologischer Garten

Seit den 1970er Jahren gibt es Community Gardens in New York City. Trotz der steigenden innerstädtischen Grundstückspreise, sind sie als Landnutzung und Institution bis 2010 gesetzlich gesichert. Ihre Entwicklung als gemeinschaftlich genutzte innerstädtische Freiräume wird vorgestellt und in Hinsicht auf die bislang ungesicherte Situation von Gemeinschaftsgärten in Berlin, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit der Räumung des Rosa Rose Gartens in Friedrichshain, diskutiert.
Waiting for development?

17 Uhr: Vortrag, Edie Stone, Direktorin der Green Thumb, New York City
17.45 Uhr: Vortrag, Frauke Hehl, Gemeinschaftsgarten Rosa Rose, Berlin
anschließend Diskussion.

Einführung und Gastgeber:
Professor Dr. Gert Gröning, Institut für Geschichte und Theorie der Gestaltung (GTG)
Moderation:
Carolin Mees, Doktorandin „Community Gardens in der South Bronx”

Mehr zu Urban Gardening findet ihr hier.

Die Energy Watch Group veröffentlichte im Mai ihren neuen Bericht. Ausserdem ist heute, am 22.5.08 der Rohölpreis so hoch wie noch nie. Und in den letzten 12 Monaten ist der Preis um 100 Prozent gestiegen. Eigentlich ein guter Grund sich entsprechende Sound Of Sirens Artikel nochmal durchzulesen.
Hier ein kurzer Auszug aus dem neuen Bericht der Energy Watch Group:

Die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse

Peak Oil ist ‘jetzt’

Seit einiger Zeit tobt eine heftige Debatte um das weltweite Ölfördermaximum („Peak Oil“). Institutionen mit großer Nähe zur Energiebranche, wie etwa das Consulting-Unternehmen CERA, betreiben eine Kampagne zur „Entlarvung“ der „Peak-Oil-Theorie“. Die vorliegende Studie gehört zu einer langen Reihe von Arbeiten, die innerhalb und außerhalb der ASPO (Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas, etwa: Vereinigung zum Studium des Fördermaximums von Öl und Gas) entstanden sind und zeigen, dass das Ölfördermaximum keinesfalls mehr als „Theorie“ bezeichnet werden kann, sondern eine Realität ist, die sich bereits vor unseren Augen abspielt.
…Den Analysen unseres Szenarios zufolge ist das weltweite Ölfördermaximum 2006 eingetreten…
…Die wichtigste Erkenntnis ist, dass die Ölförderung nach dem Peak einen steilen Rückgang erleben wird.

Ok, this is about the media and its functions. Again: I do not claim to be an expert, call me a generalist, however, let’s see how far we get.

I’ll start with a quote of a beautiful essay by Donella Meadows, a professor, biophysicist, systems analyst, organic farmer, author, journalist and inspiration in the movement for sustainability. The essay is called ‘Dancing with Systems‘ and this particular part is about ‘Honouring and protecting information.’

A decision maker can’t respond to information he or she doesn’t have, can’t respond accurately to information that is inaccurate, can’t respond in a timely way to information that is late. I would guess that 99 percent of what goes wrong in systems goes wrong because of faulty or missing information.

If I could, I would add an Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not distort, delay, or sequester information. You can drive a system crazy by muddying its information streams. You can make a system work better with surprising ease if you can give it more timely, more accurate, more complete information.

This is an interview with Chris Johnstone, a psychologist, specializing in the psychology of change.
It was held on the day of the unleashing of Transition Town Lewes in England. Johnstone feels inspired by communities creating their own energy descent plan and gives an insight into the Transition Towns Initiatives and its larger context.

Find the other parts of the interview.

Find more Sound Of Sirens articles connected to Transition Towns.

Please be aware of that. And please be aware that socalled free trade is an invention that destroys lifes, cultures and our planet.
Also we do not have to go to the rain forest, to India or North America, the same thing is happening in Finland, where indigenous people are being marginalized and robbed of their rights, land is being taken and robbed of its resources, governments are backing corporations.
Watch this documentary: Last Yoik In Sami Forests?, check the website: www.elonmerkki.net

The shift, the change will come through us, through people who speak up, who demand their rights, who create lively cultures and lively democracies, who think and act as an interdependent world family, looking for ways from being dependend consumers to responsible producers.

We have to replace the well being of corporations again with the wellbeing of real people and real societies. We have to create and build new self-governing economies. Connect which each other, learn from each other.
Know more: Vandana Shiva on zmag.org
Connect: CivWorld Interdependence Day,
Find support: Post Carbon Institute (Assists societies in their efforts to relocalize communities and adapt to an energy constrained world.)
Transition Towns (Local responses to the challenges of climate change and peak oil. Relocalization, Network and Support)

First of all, I have to tell you that we had difficulties in deciding wether to write in english or german. Still have…So if any of you would like to know more or get some german input, let us know. Otherwise we’ll keep it english. We are in the process of meeting/exploring/exchanging with people working in similar areas or with similar interests, and there is a lot of great stuff happening in the UK, so here we go.

These are some of the activities on our list:

There will be a talk with Toni Spencer of the Schumacher College:
An Ecology of Making: A Community of Things
An exploration of crafts, design and the aesthetics of sustainability

a talk with Vandana Shiva:
The transformation of Societies. What comes after development?

There will be practical input like a pruning workshop, loads of permaculture and other projects to visit, we will participate in a Transition Town Training in Totnes and then head to London, meeting people from an acting school and more. That’s the rough outline. We will see what emerges around it…Maybe we’ll just enjoy spring for a minute!…

We’ll let you know about all that right here!…

See, the thing is: I like gathering things I consider beautiful. These ‘things’ can be objects or images I saw, thoughts I found, ideas, activities, whatever. And then I like to go and share what I find…This project by Åsa Sonjasdotter is many things at the same time: It is about art and activism, about self-empowerment, about agriculture (past and future), about the beauty of diversity, about the beauty of people, about questions of sustainable living and cultivating, about the preservation of indigenous knowledge and culture, about europe and regulations, about personal experience, engagement and learning…you name it.

I find her work with this project deeply inspiring, educational and beautiful.

Now you take a look (www.potatoperspective.org).

Augenscheinlich ein koffeinhaltiges Getränk, sowie ein kommerzielles Produkt. Jedoch steckt hinter der schwarzen Brause ein um Nachhaltigkeit und Fairness bemühtes Kollektiv mit Ideologien, Meinungen und charmant-eigensinniger Sturheit. Premium als Konzept? Wir haben nachgefragt und Uwe Lübbermann, einen Initiator des Projektes zu Wort gebeten.Das Interview entstand Ende Januar / Anfang Februar 2008 und wurde als eMail-Dialog geführt. Viel Spass!

Hallo Uwe!
Danke, dass Du dich zu einem Interview mit Sound Of Sirens bereiterklärt hast. Erzähl’ doch bitte für die Unwissenden unter uns vorweg kurz etwas über Premium Cola! Was ist die Idee, worum geht’s?

tag max … mit “kurz” meinst du eine sms-version? :) premium ist auf den ersten blick nur eine cola ohne logo auf dem etikett, die in
ganz bestimmten läden zu haben ist und die sonst kaum jemand kennt. wer sich die zutaten dann etwas genauer ansieht, findet aber zb “konsequenz” - und wer noch genauer nachguckt findet zb ein blog, in dem premium freiwillig produktionsfehler veröffentlicht, weil hersteller von nahrungsmitteln das tun sollten. die idee hinter premium ist nichts weiter als der praktische versuch, wirtschaft und moral konsequent zu verbinden - so wie es ein haufen enttäuschter konsumenten eben tut, wenn sie durch zufall plötzlich eine eigene marke aufbauen können.

Du deutest mit dem Begriff “Zufall” an, dass die Gründung von Premium Cola zunächst gar nicht geplant war und aus einer Bewegung entstand, die sich damals lediglich gegen das neue, abgemilderterte und massenmarkttauglichere Africolarezept gewehrt hat. Als es dann doch mit der eigenen Cola-Marke losging - haben sich Du und deine Mitstreiter dann zusammengesetzt, um einen Businessplan und eine Satzung oder eine Art Codex auszuarbeiten?

Geschichte, Kraft, Geschmack, Aufrichtigkeit, Konsequenz, Leben.

so ungefähr. gewehrt haben wir uns ja vor allem gegen die unehrlichkeit der neuen afri-besitzer, die das rezept nämlich heimlich verändert hatten. das war nur einer von vielen fehlern, die afri und die normalen unternehmen aus unserer sicht laufend passieren - einen chef haben der pauschal recht hat ist auch so eine sache. wir wollten daraus lernen und natürlich alles besser machen. ohne ahnung von getränken und der branche geht das auf keinen fall, also haben wir alle beteiligten mit ins boot geholt und jeden sonntag abend im pudel klub diskutiert wohin die reise gehen soll. daraus entstand dann unsere kollektive arbeitsweise, alles mit allen beteiligten abzustimmen - und zwar auch mit den kunden.

einen businessplan gab es nicht, weil premium kein business sein sollte; die cola am leben halten und möglichst moralisch sauber steuern, das war der kern. als eine art kodex haben wir damals sechs begriffe definiert: geschichte, kraft, geschmack, aufrichtigkeit, konsequenz, leben. klingt irgendwie gestelzt, hat aber besonders zu anfang gut geholfen - bei vielen streitfragen musste man zb nur eben gucken, was die aufrichtigste oder konsequenteste lösung wäre …

“alles mit allen Beteiligten abzustimmen” - Damit sprichst Du den zentralen Punkt eines sich in der Geschäftswelt immer weiter verbreitenden Themas an: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - nämlich das Einbeziehen der Belange aller Beteiligten, vom Chef, über Zulieferer/Dienstleister, Mitarbeiter, bis zu den Kunden. Bei den meisten Firmen ist CSR jedoch