~ - . ' l, ... •' RAIN January/February 1985 Volume XI, Number 2 Dead End Road? Building a New Economy A.T. Education Programs Community Computers
Page 2 RAIN January/February 1985 RAIN Volume XI, Number 2 January/February 1985 Staff Rob Baird Ben Bishoff Brenda Jamsgard Steve Johnson Alan Locklear Steve Manthe Katherine Sadler F. Lansing Scott Jeff Strang Contributors David Biddle Ann Borquist Bruce Borquist }. David Colfax Ellen Ghilarducci Debbie Habib Kim Knorr Bev Koch David Mozer Kris Nelson CarolAnn Oldershaw Pamela Parker Kim Stafford Mary Vogel Graphic Design Susan Applegate Printing: Argus Printing Typesetting: Irish Setter RAIN magazine publishes information that can help people lead simple and satisfying lives, make their communities and regions economically self-reliant, and build a society that is durable, just, and ecologically sound. RAIN is published six times a year by the Rain Umbrella, Inc., a nonprofit corporation located at 3116 North Williams, Portland, OR 97227; 503/249-7218. Subscriptions are $25/year for institutions, $15/year for individuals ($9.50 for persons with incomes under $6000 a year). For additional information on subscriptions and publications, see page 39. Writers' guidelines are available for a SASE. Editorial and advertising deadlines are two months prior to publication date. RAIN is indexed in the Alternative Press Index and New Periodicals Index. Members of the Rain Umbrella Board of Directors: E. K. MacColl, Mimi Maduro, Maggie Rogers, Steve Rudman, Sumner Sharpe, and Michael Wells. Copyright © 1985 Rain Umbrella, Inc. No part may be reprinted without written permission. ISSN 0739-621x. Cover: Cape Horn on the Columbia River, 1984. Photo by Terry Toedtemeier RAINDROPS RAIN in transition again? It's true, but it feels like we have this one under control, and that we will come out of it better than ever. There are some changes under way. We will tell you more about them when thing are firmed up. Steve Johnson, one of RAIN's founding fathers, has gotten back in the action. He helped us get this issue together, and will be filling in as editor for at least the next couple of issues. Also, Mimi Maduro, a long-time RAIN friend and member of our Board of Directors, provided editorial assistance for this issue. Also, alert readers may notice the absence of our usual guest bioregion report, "Voices of Reinhabitation." With the current staff and current workload we simply cannot afford the time to actively solicit these reports from around the country. However, we are still interested in this feature and will gladly accept submissions. If you are interested in providing a report on the activities in your bioregion, contact us and we will send you our guidelines. Thanks to all the people who have sent us letters in the last two months. We have printed some of them here, but we got many more than we could publish. It's good to get feedback. It helps us stay relevant. LETTERS Our agency is very interested in receiving queries from prospective authors (among your readers) who have book ideas regarding the topics addressed by your newsletter. We work with all major publishers, and we work with clients who have promising book ideas whether or not they have previously had books or articles published. If you know of anyone who is now working on a book or who is interested in doing so, please ask him or her to send us a query letter that includes a summary of the book idea, outline, targeted readers, and the writer's background. We do not need to see a manuscript or sample chapters initially. Rainer Luedtke Literary Agency 9417 Great Hills Trail Suite 3037 Austin, TX 78759 Take a look at RAIN September-October, page 11, second column, about 11/z inches from the bottom of the page. The statement is made that bamboo boasts a higher tensile strength than steel. That is such a fantastic assertion that it should have sent you running for a reference book. Steel averages 23,000 pounds per square inch tensile strength? Don't believe it. Steel really ranges from 75,000 to 460,000. Even cast iron is twice as strong as bamboo. What is meant by an average tensile strength for steel? The average of the high and low? In that case about 260,000! Take the weakest steel-it is three times the strength of bamboo. You can verify the numbers in the Chemical Rubber Handbook in any library, or borrow one from a chemistry major at most colleges. Now if you want to talk about strength on a per unit weight basis, that is something else. Bamboo would rate pretty high. But for concrete reinforcement where weight is not a hindrance you had better stick with steel if you really want strength. Now when the article speaks about 170 times less energy than the equivalent steel-take another look. What is the equivalent steel? The fictitious 24,000 pounds per square inch steel, or real steel, which at its weakest is three times stronger than bamboo? I think that you should run that 170 number down to 55 times less energy ... F. M. Walters Bethesda, MD Those are fine, well researched articles on bamboo in the September/October RAIN-nice work! Here's an ad for the bamboo bicycle produced in 1895 (copied from King of the Road by Andrew Ritchie, Ten Speed Press). If Max's Pot or the Aprovecho Research Center wanted to start producing bamboo bicycle frames, I'd be happy to help with a marketing plan. I'm not sure if bamboo bikes are still produced in Asia, but a friend of mine once saw one in use-in New Hampshire! John Dowlin Philadelphia, PA
I saw your ad in Clinton Street Quarterly, and since I raise bamboo nursery stock, I had a friend pick up a copy for me the same day. I wish you had told me! .. . in our culture we have no bamboo tradition. Consequently its rapid growth in the shooting phase is cause for.alarm ... bamboo must be harvested! My metaphor is to an old apple tree-another thicketgrowth plant. If you don't prune and harvest the fruit, you get an unsightly mess. So it behooves all of us interested in bamboo to adopt a grove of untended bamboo and thin, fertilize, weed, and harvest shoots. The best article I know of on bamboo is "Bamboo for Northern Gardens" in the July '79 issue of Horticulture Magazine. On painting bamboo, Portland's O"';n Wing K. Leong has written How to Paint Bamboo (pub. Chinese Art Studio, 332 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204). The book includes a section on bamboo in oriental culture that is one of the best I've read. · As far as tools for fine work with bamboo, the only source I know is Woodline The Japan Woodworker, 1731 Clement Avenue, Alameda CA 94501. For horticultural interest in'bamboo, the American Bamboo Society, 1101 San Leon Court, Solana Beach, CA 92075 (619) 481-9869, is a non-profit organization promoting all knowledge of bamboo. The P~cific Northwest chapter can be contacted through my partner Ned Jacquith (1507 SE Alder, Portland, OR 97214) or at 1002314th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98177 (206) 783-2252. A friend lent a copy of the September/ October 1984 RAIN to me. I was surprised and saddened to see that your issue on art in everyday life did not contain an article on photography. If one can get past the shallow objection that photography is mechanical, one can see that it is an art generated and controlled by individuals. It is highly decentralized, and, if one has the good sense to include .the common photograph~ it is an art practiced by millions world-wide. I hope your omission of photography is just an oversight, and not evidence that only the overly-romanticized, traditional· crafts, street painting, and agitprop theatre count for you. Mary Lou Marien LaFayette, NY I think RAIN has reached a new level with the publication of Michael Marien's article on "The Transformation as Sandbox Syndrome" and Roger Pollak' s article , on solar power in the November/December issue. For years I've thought that RAIN was a nice journal, full of good words and gardening tips, but rather unrealistic in just the way Marien describes. It wasn't the only such periodical · around, of course; lots of whole-earth books and mags spouted the sa:me optimistic brand of bubbly that he deplores. The New Left had a lot of it, too. I call it the "Jericho Syndrome": all you have to do is march around blowing trumpets and shouting slogans and the walls will come tumbling down. Now with the election ofl984 behind us, we can finally realize that it ain't gonna be Thanks for adding to the swell of the Bamboo Revival. ' that way. I was also delighted by the Pollak Rick Valley article. I've paid my dues for the Solar Portland, OR Lobby for years, but I'm glad. to be made ' ~ THAN STEEL!~ BA JV( BOO ,, ! C•l•IOIUH 1'011 ''"· l'•troniud b1 lh• Nobilit1. THE BAMBOO CYCLE Co., Ltd., 59, Holborn Viaduct, London, E.C. . ' I Ii II II I Ad for a bamboo bicycle produced in 1895 (sent to RAIN by a reader) January/February 1985 RAIN Page 3 aware that photovolt~ic cells depend on rare raw materials and that th,ey can't be put together on a Sunday afternoon with Boy Scout carpentry equipment and skills. The alternative technology needs the main technology and feeds off it, and we aren't going to abandon the main technology and live like Andean peasants-at .least not enougl;i will volunteer to do so that will make a difference here in Ronald Reagan's Ame.rica. Congratulations on telling yourselves and your readers some hard truths. In your eleventh year, your magazine has truly come of age. Noel Peattie Editor of SIPAPU Winters, California Roger Polla,k's article on "Solar Power" (November/December issue) paints a fairly narrow picture of our !>Olar future. Perhaps, it should be more accurately entitled "The Politics of Active Solar." While I sht;ire Mr. Pollak's frustrations with profit-hungry entrepreneurs that proliferate the "renewable energy industry," doesthis detract from the value of using renewable sources of energy fo provide increased local jobs and a more environmentally-sound energy alternative? It's certainly pr.eferable to more acid · rain from coal plants, strip mining the Rockies or producing larger piles of plutonium. I must take issue with your belief that renewable energy developments have shifted towards "high-tech, capitalintensive" solutions. In·Oregon and California, there has been a recent movement towards simpler and lower-cost alternatives, such as passive solar water and space heating. This movement is likely to accelerate as solar tax credits fade from view. Why not applaud the virtues of passive solar design, daylighting and superinsulation? Not~ing more than proper building orientation, south glazing and weatherization can greatly reduce our energy needs in the future. I believe you will do your readers greater justice by providing them new insights on how to develop conservation and renewable resources, that provide a means for moving towards a more sustainable and ecologically sound society, than you do by stressing the pitfalls of active solar businesses. Allen L. Brown Portland, Oregon "Ecology of Everday Life" by F. Lansing Scott in the November/December issue must be commended. There is abundant learning available from questioning what we do and how we live. S.cott's questioning approach is right on. Larry and Marge Warning Oysterville, Washington
Page 4 RAIN January/February 1985 ~=-~- .. - -=---.. -. --~--=-~~........---'""'."""""~-~~==~= '~t~?~;~~~,~~:~"~MJi~~~~~,, Military Spending Drains Rural Economies by J. David Colfax Although rural Americans have not been heavily involved in recent efforts to reduce military spending, an analysis of recent federal taxation patterns reveals that they bear a disproportionate share of the growing military tax burden. In 1983 nearly eighty percent of what are 'defined as "heavily rural" Congressional Districts lost tax'dollars in the balance of payments to Washington. And because these lost tax dollars are spent in nonrural districts, primarily to finance military projects, rural America is being drained of tax dollars that are needed for local programs and services. Moreover, the situation has been worsening dramatically since 1980. In 1983 America's rural congressional districts sent eight-and-a-half billion dollars more to Washington than they received back in programs and services (see Table 1). Only a few rural congressional districts benefitted from cu~rent federal spending, primarily because they contained large military installations. The three largest net gain rural congressional districts contain Fort Hood ("the free world's largest training base"), the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and the Seymour-Johnson Air Force . Base, resp~ctively. In contrast, a half dozen rural congressional districts each lost over $400 million to Washington in 1983. Where do these rural tax dollars go? Most .are spent in TABLE 1 Net Losses and Gains, Federal Tax Dollars, 1983 (millions of dollars) All (65) Rural Congressional Districts -$8,493,697 Net Loss RCDs (51) 78.5% Net Gain RCDs (14) 21.5% Largest Net Loss RCDs Largest Net Gain RCDs MNlst -OR 2nd IA 5th IA 6th N134th ,, " $460.7 443.5 426.8 414.5 406.0 TX 11th MDlst NC 3rd KY 2nd NH 2nd $658.7 544.2 539.2 297.7 271.8
_areas which contain large military-relqted industries and bases. For ex;ample, j'ust five non-rural congression-, al districts-Newport News, Norfolk, Fort Worth, and two in St. Louis-each receive between one-and-a-half and two-and~a-half billion dollars more than their citizens and corporations pay out in federal taxes. These 1 five districts alone absorb more than the $8.5 billion that the rural congressional,districts lost in 1983. Fifty-one rural congressional districts, many of which are poor and underdeveloped, are being drained of their resources in order to fund military contracts and programs in just four urban an~ suburban areas. As Table 2 shows, rural congressional districts in the Midwest fare the worstr with 90% of them suffering net losses, compared with70% of western districts. · Interestingly, the flow of tax dollars out of rural congressional di·strics is not significantly related to the party affiliations of their congressional representatives-:- Democratic districts fare only slightly better than Republican (Table 3). If current federal spending priorities continue-and there is little evidence'that they will not-the fifty-one net-loss rural congressional districts will carry an even greater tax burden in the future. In just three years, 1980-83, their net losses have increased by a third, and the rate of loss is increasing. .What are the implications of this accelerating drain of rural tax dollars? First, it contributes to the decline of local health, social welfare, and education programs. When their own tax dollars are not returned to these rural congressional districts, local officials are forced to devise ways of compensating for these losses or to cut needed programs and services. In almost every instance, it is easier to cut programs than to locate alternative sources of funds. Second, with the loss'of local tax dollars to other TABLE2 Net Loss, Rural Congressional Districts, by Region, 1983 Percent Northeast 75.0 Midwest 89.5 South 75.0 West 70.0 Total 78.5 TABLE3 Net Loss, Rural Congressional Districts, by Party Affiliation of Representative Republican Democrat Percent 82.6 76.2 No. 6 17 21 7 51 No. 23 19 January/February 1985 RAIN Page 5 congressional districts, capital is unavailable for local self-help projects, and rural economic development· programs go unfunded. A detailed study of one impoverished, largely rural county revealed that less than onehalf of one percent of all of its federal tax dollars came back to the county to support economic development programs. With the loss of local tax dollars to oth~r congressional districts, capital is unavailable for local self-help projects/ and rural economic development programs go unfunded. Third, critical rural infrastructures-bridges, roads, and highways-are inadequately maintained and left unimproved because of the lack of local funds. Clearly, federal policies are having a severe and growing impact on the nation's rural congressional districts, and much of this is the result of economic imbalances created by military'spending policies. Rural communities cannot afford to lose their limited resources, and congressional represent~tives who fail to recognize the profound and perhaps irreversible consequences of the tax dollar drain on their districts need to be made accountable by their' constituents. D D , Notes The methodology employed in this study was developed by James R. Anderson, in Bankrupting America, available from Employment Research Assodates, 400 South Washington, Lansing, MI 48933, for $3. A detailed analysis of the effects of federal spending on one near-rural county is found in Down the Federal Drqin: The Impaet of Military Spending on Mendocino County, by Don Lipmanson and J. David Colfax, available · . from Save Our Local Economy, Box 246, Boonville, CA 95415, for $2. ' . · I am grateful to George Rucker, Research Director of . Rural America, for providing me with information on "Heavily Rural Districts," which are defined as those in which a majority of the voting age population lives in nonmetropolitan areas and outside of cities of10,000 or more. Classification is based on 1980 Census data. /. Davzd Colfax is a consultant and free-lance writer, and · the co-author of the "Save Our Local Econpmy" Initiative which appeared on the Mendocino County ballot in November. © 1984 f. David Colfax
Page 6 RAIN January/February 1985 ' . War Tax Resistance by Bruce and Ann Borquist Each year at this time increasing numbers of Americans come to grips with an ugly dilemma·: they pray for peace, yet pay for war. Between 30% and 60% of our income tax goes to war-related activities, depending on who's counting. Low estimates leave out impo.rtant sectors, like the Dept. of Energy budget for nuclear weaponry, while high estimates include interest on past wars and veterans' benefits. Pick a number. For most people,. fear (of the IRS, the Russians, and others) tips the scales between morals and expediencyand they ante up again. But war tax resistance is on the increase, and Washington (and the IRS) is taking notice. This article shares two people's experiences with the issues and methods of war tax resistance, and how our government has reacted to them. War tax resisters are an incredibly diverse group, one that seems top.ave come together by need rather than choice. They span the political and moral spectrum, and often have more differenczes than similarities. Their common objection to the payment of war-related taxes is based on one of at least two major positions: one constitutional, the other moral. Constitutional war tax resisters base their objections solely on constitutional, common, and case law, usually in that order. This is a comparatively small group that reflects a wide spectrum of positions. They are usually based on legal interpretations of the role of governments and of money in society. It seems the vast majority of war tax re.$isters do so on moral grounds. They range in persuasion from fuzzily ethical to passionately religious. Arguments are based in some way on the feeling that war is murder and murder is wrong. Of course, this description oversimplifies·the issues and misrepresents nearly everyone. However, it does illuminate the diversity and the intensely personal nature of war tax resistance. It is not a "bandwagon" cause that sweeps people along in:a groundswell of enthusiasm like the anti-Vietnam war and environmental movements of the last two decades. Most war tax resisters we kno'w are up against a very scary machine called the IRS, and ~hey are alone and unarmed. They are usually quiet, calculating, even hard; people as a result. The number. of mass marches and organized groups is small compared to the numbers of people engaged in laying their dollars on the line in this movement. - · } There are as many methods of war tax resistance as there are positions on it. Thankfully, a numper of manuals have been ptinted in the last four years that give a good overview of the options and their various risks (see Resources below). While some extend their resistance process to taxes on telephone use, tobacco, and alcohol, and the·avoidance of savings bonds (remember war bonds?); most attention is spent ori responses to the biggie: income tax and the 1040 form: · No-risk methods of resistance include living lightly on incomes below taxable levels and the ,enclosing of a letter of protest with the 1040 form. Medium risk options include "war tax" deductions, c;redits, or adjustments
on the form that alters the amount of tax owed or the refund due. These ;esult in civil p~nalties-usually fines (see "Our Case" below). _ · · · High-risk actions involve the possibility of criminal penalties. These include refusal to~pay all or part of the tax.due, tampering with withholding~ a blank return, or no return at all. All options for avoiding or changing withholding involve possible fraud charges-a felony. Recently, federal judges in Portland agreed to award a mandatory yeat in jail to anyone convicted of.criminal fraud in tax cases. The Plessage: plan ahead how serious you want to be in your war tax resistance efforts, and adopt a method with acceptable risks. An hour with a sympathetic, experienced tax attorney may be money . well spent planning your ac.tion, especia.}ly if it results in a registered letter addressed to you from the IRS. ' . It is nof a '~bandwagon". cause that sweeps people alo!'-g in a groundswell -of enthusiasm . .. .·Most war tax resisters we know are·up against a very scary machine called lhe IRS, and they are alone and u~armed. War tax re~istance other tha'n through-protest letters is serious business. All involve potentially high costs in financial and psychological terms and the loss of some of your easy freedoms. There is a no more alone feeling than to get a penalty notice-or a personal visit-from the IRS. At that point you are sure the FBI has your back door staked out and is just"waiting for a signal to break it down. This is no mistake; we are all well trained in this reaction. Why then do increa$ing numbers of seemingly good citizens take these risks? The motivations, the methods, and the people are diverse, but they all have in common a willingness to take action to prevent the simplicity which Jonathan Schell describeµ as "the simplicity of nothingness. We-the human race-shall cease to be." · Our Case Our expepences with war tax resistance involve two . different actions in the last two years. We have been forced to le~rn a lot about IRS procedure and the law through experiences'probably similar to many other war tax resisters. We have done war tax resistance in an attempt to be consistent with our religious faith. As Christians we try to live the "music" of the Gospel, not just the words. There are people who profess Christian ethics because they are tax resisters (i,e. because the Gospel provides a good argument for the cause); we, on the other hand, are resisters because we are Christians (i.e. this is ortly }anuary/February 1985 RAIN Page 7 one way in which we l~;ye oµt our faith). We would not have begun t_ax resistance if not for our Christian beliefs. Of most interest now is what we did on our 1982 tax return. Following one metho.ci described in detail in several books below,, we computed our total fax due accurately (no "war tax deductions" or credits), calculated 50% of that amq,l;lnt, and added that to the refund legitimately due us..This was done by altering line 56 to read "amqunt paid to an alternative fund (see attached letter)" · and putting the50% figu,re there. We also enclosed a copy of the check 'Yhich paid50% of our tax due to Portland Peace Investors Alternative Fund. In our attached letter we explained t_hat we had paid 150°/o of our taxes (100% to the IRS, 50% to PPI) and were requesting 50% plus our "legltimate" refu~d back. In this way we were practicing tax resistance, not evasion, since we had actuallyfedirectedfunds rather than pocketed them. Until 1982, the Il~S would have considered this an error, corrected our return, and sent the refund w~ 1showed was legitimately due (though in at least one case the requested 50% refund was actually issued). Enter Internal Revenue Code Sec. 6702. Enacted by Congress in 1982, Sec. 6702 as currently applied by the IRS is a major constraint to conscientious war tax resisters who have chosen medium-risk protest methods. Ostensibly designed to punish flagrant abuses of the 1040 form (profanity); libertarian responses ("gold standard" deduction and fifth amendment returns), and blank returns, it has been applied more.rigorously. It states that if your return is either blank or obviously doesn't contain enough information to use in verifying your self-assessment, and, if you .did this for frivolous
Page 8 RAIN January/February 1985 reasons or just to delay the IRS, you pay a $500 fine. It - costs you 15 % ($75) even to have your appeal heard, for which you have 30 days to prepare. The penalty specifically has no relationship to whether you paid your taxes in full or not, only that you took a "frivolous" position apparent on the face of the return. This would almost, if not always, apply only to religious or politicial dissidents. Most other cases, such as padding deductions or understating income, wbuld not be apparent on the face of the return, but only after an audit. There a_re penalties and procedures already in place for underpayment or failing t<;> file; what Sec. 6702 dqes is to radicalize war tax resisters who choose to . make statements by their return in a non-criminal way. Our case is currently being argued in federal district court on both constitutional and statutory grounds. All administrative appeals were exhausted to no avail, so legal action against the IRS to recover the penalty and argue against the standards for its application was the only recourse. Of course, we are spending many times the penalty on this effort. We contend that Sec. 6702 by its _very nature penalizes free speech, our freedom of religion, and our rfght to petition our government for redress of grievances-all First Amendment guarantees. A number of cases are now working their way through the federal court system challenging the application of Sec. 6702. In March of this year, one case prevailed (Jenney v. U.S.) in Northern California that has impor- , tant lessons for future action. The Jenneys claimed a large miscellaneous "conscience deduction" on Schedule A that reduced their total tax due by 44%. The judge ruled that they did not file a "frivolous income tax return" as penalized by the IRS because they included in their letter an analysis of how the deduction affected their return. They in essence stated what their total tax was both with and without the deduction, and acknowledged that the amount without the deduction as the "proper" calculation. The principle established in Jenney v. U.S. is that if you provide sufficient information for the IRS to judge the "substantial correctness" of your self-assessmentwhether on tl~e form on in a attached letter-Sec. 6702 does not apply. If in addition you underpaid, collection procedures of course still apply, but at least you will not have a "frivolous" penalty to pay in addition. We hope to demonstrate through our challenge in_ federal district court several statutory and constitutional errors in Sec._6702. We argue on statutory grounds that the penalty was misapplied in our case since we did provide enough information in our return and attached letter to judge its cO.rrectness. That is one benefit to,the "alternative payment" method of tax resistance: "self assessment" has already taken place (by the IRS' own definition) on the "Total Tax Due" line above this section; whereas a war tax deduction or credit affects the amount shown as due. · More important~ though, are our Constitutional challenges. We contend that Sec. 6702 by its very nature penalizes free speech, our freedom of religion, and our right to petition our government for redress of grievances-,..-all First Amendment guarantees. Due process is denied, we argue, in the requirement of prepayment in order to appeal. Lastly, we believe that the penalty is selectively enforced and that we were denied equal · protection under the law. An IRS regulation on administrative appeals specifically denies·this right in cases , where actions were taken on moral or religious grounds, which means that if we had filed our "frivolous" return from motives of greed we would have had many appeal options that were, in our case, denied. This has been a long, sometimes discouraging struggle, but we have received constant encouragement from our pastor, from Senator Mark Hatfield, and from tax resistance support groups in Portland and across the nation. We hope that our actions will contribute to the passage of a law (such as the World Peace Tax Fund) that would allow conscientious objectors who ethically cannot participate in destroying life not to be forced to ·pay others to do it for them. Our greatest hope, however, is that our stand on war taxes might bring our nation even an inch closer to halting and.reversing the madness of the nuclear arms race. q D Ann and Bruce Borquist were on the staff of RAIN in 19821983. Note: Just before we went to press we received the following notice in the mail. "The War Tax Resistance National Ad Campc,zign is collecting signatures for placing in newsprint media in 1985. For sign-up sheets or information on war tax . resistance/redirection and life-sharing funds contact: War Tax Resistance National Ad Campaign, 402 South Glendale, Ann ·Arbor; MI 48103." ·
BOOKS , The following is not meant to be an exhaustive list of definitive works on war tax resistance, but a selection of those that have clarified our thinking on the subject, -Ann and Bruce People Pay For Peace: A Military Tax Refusal Guide, by William Durland, 1982, 120 pp., $4; Conscience and the Law: A Court Guide for the Civilly Disobedient, edited by William Durland, 1982, 120 pp., $5. Both from: Center on Law and Pacifism Box308 Cokedale, CO 81032 Handbook on Non-Payment.of War Taxes, by the Peacemakers, 1981,_64 pp., $7.50 from: The Peacemakers Box627 Garberville, CA 95440 Guide to War Tax Resistances, by the War Resisters League, first edition, 1981, 120 pp., $6 from: War Resisters League 339 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10012 Creating Peace: A Positive Handbook, ~y Larry Langdon, 1982, 64 pp., $3.95 from: Larry Langdon Publications 34735 Perkins Creek Road Cottage Grove, OR 97424 For people who want to help create peace between the US and' USSR, but have no · idea where to begin such an enormous task, this is one of the most relevant handbooks I have seen. It begins with small acts of personal empowerment, such as writing letters to our president and the Soviet premier, complete with. sample.letters. Also included are many concrete and positive suggestions that are within almost everyone's capabilities and budgets, if not singly then as a group, which is more fun anyway. One of my favorite suggestions is telephoning Russia, w.hich costs $4.50 for three minutes and is a great group project. The book ends with a "Feedback ' . I Form" from Mr. Langdon, who w.elcomes comments, critcisms, suggestions, and stories of personal peaceful experiences. -KS , Resources -for War Tax Resistance . What Kind of Guns Are They Buying for Your Butter: A Beginner's (;uide to Defense, Weaponry, and Military Spending, by Sheila Tc;>bias et al, 1982, 428 pp., $15.95 from: · William Morrow and Company 105 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10916 Nuclear Weapons and the American Churches: Ethical Positions on Modern Warfare, by Donald L. Davidson, 1983, 208 pp., $20 from: . Westview Press 5500 Cen,tral Avenue Boulder, CO 80301 The Fate of the Earth, by Jonathan Schell, 1982, 244 pp., $2.50from: Avon Books 959 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10019 'ACCESS: Peace Nuciear Free Investment, by Nuclear Free America, 1984, 8 pp., inquire for price from: Nuclear Free America 25ll Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 · War tax resistance seeks to divert government dollars from military use. Another approach to resisting military production is to divert money from corporate weap· ons contractors through boycotts and · divestment of stock holdings. Nuclear Free Investment discusses both of these strategies and their respective roles in the campaign against nuclear weapons. The guide profiles the top 50 nuclear w~apons contractors and lists alternative, socially re$ponsible investment advisors and funds.-FLS January/February 1985 RAIN Page 9 ' ORGANIZATIONS World Peace Tax Fund 2121 Decatur Place, NW Washington, DC 20008 War Resisters League 339 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10012 Center on Law and Pacifism Box308 Cokedale, CO 81032 Mennonite Central Committee , 100 Maryland Avenue, NE · Washington, DC 20002 Conscience Military Tax Campaign (U.S.) 44 Bellhaven Road Bellport, NY 11713 Peac~makers Box627 Garberville, CA 95440 Fellowship of Recondliation Box 271 - -Nyack~ NY 10960 Peacemaking in Your Community: A Handbook for Local Organizers, edited by Dan R. Ebener, 1984, 48 pp., $3.50 from: Fellowship Publications Fellowship of Reconciliation Box271 Nyack, NY 10960 Since the beginning of World War I in 1914, Fellowship of Reconciliation has · been a leader in the work for peace, social justice, human and civil rights, and disarmament. This paperback booklet contains a number of informative and inspirational essays from American members of FOR on the establishment of local peace groups. Although primarily focused on providing information about FOR and local FOR organizing, it also features sections dealing with wprking in groups, organizing committees, working with volunteers, fundraising and media outreach that should be useful to anyone starting a local orgar:iization of peacemakers. A banquet of knowledge and experience available for a few bucks. -SM
Page 10 RAIN January/February 1985 A. T. ·Goes to Grad School by David Bid~le In.the lesser developed countries.(LDCs), where c·apital intensive development schemes have contributed to the current foreign debt crisis, leaders are becoming more interested in developing indigenous resources through appropriate technologies. The success of winged bean technologies by the Dian Dasa group in Indonesia, the tremendous potential of palm oil manufacturing techniques brought about by "TOOLS" in Cameroon, and a great many other financially successful ·projects around the world are slowly giving appropriate technology (A.T.) a new-found credibility. Yet there are few professionals well trained for development planning in the Third World. Each country and region has its own set of constraints to development-cultural, environmental, and economic. Technologies rriust be tailormade for people. Professionals are needed who understand how to combine solutions to all these constraints without jeopardizing existing social systems and networks of economic interaction. · The first generatiort of planners who sought to instigate more appropriate forms of development than giant dams and state-of-the-art factories is perhaps best exemplified by E. F. Schumacher, Julia Porter and George McRobie, the founders of the International Technology Development Group (ITDG). These people took conventional economic methods and technology assessment and molded them to fit the needs of A. T. development. They also recognized that for international development to succeed and for appropriate technology transfer to become the mainstay of planning, the second generation of advocates and planners would need to learn A. T; development skills as systematically as possible before they went out into the field. Lucy <;:::reevey and Stephen Feldman of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pe'nnsylvania (Pen~) turned this.idea into a reality. In January 1984 they launched the Appropriate Technology and Energy Management for Development (ATEMD) graduate studies program. The first graduate program of its type in the U.S., it offers four diffetent degrees: D M. S. in Appropriate Technology for Development,- stressing (!ll aspects of basic human needs-shelter, . water, health, .food production, and so on; D M.S. in Rural Technology and Industrial Diversification, emphasizing technology choice and assessment from an engineering perspective, but consid~ring socioeconomic issues as well; D M.S. in Energy Use and Management considers energy management in terms of conservation and costeffectiveness. D Certificates ii) either Appropriate Technology for Development or Energy Management for Development for non-degree candidates. This emphasis allows LDC countries to send planners to Penn for a one-year, relatively low-cost education. · George McRobie, author of Small Is Possible, has joined the staff as a visiting lecturer for spring semesters. McRobie, who is presently on the board of both A. T. I~ternational (a non-profit corporation funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development) arid ITDG, is probably the leading spokesperson for the appropriate technology movement. Last year he taught two classes in ATEMD: "Technology Choice and Social Development" and "Alternative Energy and Environmental Development." The A. T. movement has come a long way since Schumacher and McRobie began their work on the Indian subcontinent nearly 30 years ago. Students in ATEMD are being trained to use computer models and to develop data bases for planning and program management.
January/February 1985 RAIN Page 11 Creevey teaches courses in planning methodologies and other staff members teach topics such as ecoriomies of scale, location theory and employment effects of various technologies. Feldman (also the director of Penn's Energy Center) and his st~ff teach courses in energy management principles for boiler efficiency, cogeneration and solar energy. During the past 15 years the success or failure of A. T. has not so much been determined by technical viability as by how technologies are integrated into existtng cultures and economies. Solar stoves have failed for the most part in India because Hindus believe evil spirits will enter food cooked in the open. When the Tennessee Valley Authority implemented their massive so~ar hot water program they ran all other solar contractors in t~e region out of business. Providing students with adequate training in all aspects of technological development helps avoid these kinds of problems. help fill the gap between conventional Western economic policy makers and direct action groups such as the Peace Corps and the United Nations. In the final analysis, ATEMD students are afforded a unique opportunity their forebears at Farallones, VITA, A.T. International, and Friends of the·Earth did not get. They are receiving training without tl~e constraints of specific progr~m budgets, values, and technologies. Students are taught tools 'to make rational decisions and to plan development in such a way as to bring together notions of financial planning, microeconomics, non-formal education, and technical assistance. During the next two decades, A.T. will not so much be dependent on technical innovation as on program development. Specialists who are sensitive to the 1;llUltiple constraints ofimpoverishment and ·drastic socioeconomic change are the appropriate technology of the future.DD The professionalization of A. T. advocates is slowly . bringing this once "marginal" field into the mainstream of international development. ATEMD graduates can . David Biddle is a graduate student in Energy Management and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. .ACCESS: College A.T. ProgramsOne of the questions we get asked most frequently is, "Where carz I get college training . in appropriate technology?" Instead of continuing to answer all those questions one by one, we thought we'd tell all our readers at once by publishing the preceding article and the following access. Please note: The following list of programs was adapted from a list put together by A. T. International two years ago. When we called ATI, we were told that the list had not been updated. So if you have more current inform'ation for any of the~e programs, or if you know· of similar programs not listed here, please let us know and we will update our list. -BB Jordan College TMEN 360 West Pine Street Cedar Springs, MI 49319 Appropriate Technology (B.A., B.S.). This program trains students in ecology, . energy utilization, food production, and construction design. Christian religious classes are also offered to allow students to do mission work in conjunction with appropriate technology work in developing cou.ntries. Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC 28778 International Oevelopment Program (B.A.Y. Course work in areas such as appropriate technology and economic development I . prepare students for an eight-week practicum working on a community project in Latin America. This program can lead to a degree or be taken as a oneyear study by outside students. In exchange for room and board all Warren Wilson students work 15 hours a week on college projects. College of the Siskiyous Siskiyou Joint Community College District 800 College Avenue Weed, CA 96094 Appropriate Technology (B.A., B.S.). The theme of this program is self-sufficiency in the North American environment. The campus includes a "homestead" demonstrating log construction systems, various agricultural techniques, biomass fuel production, and other appropriate technologies. Washington University Department of Technology and Human Affairs Campus Box 1106 St. Louis, MO 63130 Technology and Human Affairs (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.). This program examines technological change in the u.-S. and developing ·countries with emphasis on the economic, management, and policy aspects. The program is closely associated with the Center for Development Technology, which does work in energy technology, appropriate technology for international development, and other interdisciplinary areas. Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 Earth Studies Program (B.S.). This program builds on six basic course concentrations: earth ethics, communications, renewable natural resources, biological agriculture, bio-regional adaptation, and shelter. Facilities include renewable energy demonstrations, woodlot management plots, and organic farming experiments. Emphasis is on those methods and technologies applicable to the North Carolina area. World College West PO Box3060. San Rafael, CA 94912 Applied Environmental Systems (B.A.). This degree provides the opportunity to ~tudy global ecology through one year of study in western culture, one year abroad, usually in Mexico or China, and two years of study in Applied Environmental Systems. Course work concentrates on food production, shelter, and energy systems.
Page 12 RAIN January/February 1985 . ACCESS: International A. T. Mazingira, bimonthly, $25/year, from: Tycooly International Publishing Limited 6 Crofton Terrace Dun Laoghaire 1 Co. Dublin_, IRELAND Mazingira, "the international magazine for environment and development," is an excellent magazine, supported by the United Nations Environment Program. Good quality photos, dear and relevant articles, and concise synopses of current issues combine to make this magazine well worth reading from cover to cover. Here's a sample of article subjects from a recent issue: implications of the developed countries' convenience food movement for the Third World; Bangkok's population problems; the pesticide problem; and a review of Peter Taylor's book, The Smoke Ring-The Politics of Tobacco. -JS Appropriate Technology for Health, inquire for price from: World Health OrganizationCH 1211 Geneva 27 SWITZERLAND If I wete still doing development work in the Third World, I can think of no other periodical I'd rather receive than this one. Published by the World Health Organization, Appropriate Technology for Health presents a'wide variety of useful information and interesting discussions in the traditions of E. F. Schumacher and Rene Dubos. It mainly addresses the needs of primary health care workers, b1:1t should be fascinating reading for anyone interested in small-scale technologies, planetary/ personal health, or wisdom from differ~nt cultures. Appropriate Technology for Health reminds me of RAIN: it's conversational, easy to read, has·a nice balance of graphics and text, contains pertinent access information, and is printed mostly in black and white (suitable for toilet paper and compost). Highly recommended.-JS A.T. International 1331 H Street NW · Washington, DC 20005 A. T. I~temational is a private, non-profit, development assistance organization. In collaboration with indigenous organizations, it helps plan, manage, and finance appropriate technology programs for the rural poor in underdeveloped countries throughout the world. The emphasis is , on developing programs that will become commercially successful and soon wean themselves.from the need for outside assistance. ATI receives most ofits funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). -FLS · Farmers ofFive Continents, by Don Paarlberg, 1984, 109 pp., $13.50 from: University of Nebraska Pres~ 901 North 17th Street Lincoln, NE 68588. Farming has traditionally been viewed as a simple and noble way to make a living, a livelihoodthat sustains human life. But now even Americans realize that there is. nothing simple about.it; low market rates and high interest rates are forcing U.S. farmers to file for bankruptcy and sell off family fa:r:ms at an unprecedented rate. In "Farmers of Five Continents" author Don Paarlberg visits 19 farms in 12 countries to observe, question, and assess each country's farming system. Each country has its own chapter in the book portraying the different scales of farming. There are the farm-city communes throughout mainlan~ Chin~, and in Java leftover estates from Dutch colonists are still maintained, though a smallholds system is also being instituted. Paarlberg notes the growth of part-time farming in Taiwan and the struggle over modernizing farming techniques in Upper Volta. Other countries covered include Bali, Brazil, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, Portugal, the SoViet Union, and the United States. Paarlberg's standard for judging a specific farming system lies in its "economic performance, ecological sound-· ness, and political acceptability." However, Paarlberg never-really deals with the issue of ecological soundness. In El Salvador, for example, he praises the intercropping of corn and beans for its superior adaptation to the hilly countryside. In one sense it is ecologically sound. This same system relies on regular application of pesticide also, and Paarlberg condones this. He neither mentions its repercussions nor discusses any viable alternatives to its use. By observing the population growth in each country Paarlberg raises questions about the ability of each country to feed itself in the future. He describes the coercive family planning program in China, and the resistance to that idea in modern India. The author asks many good questions, but answers few of them. However, the author engages the reader in his project and his interviews reveal his sensitivity to other cultures. If the book had focused on half as many countries the work would have more depth and accuracy; more than one farmer per country could be interviewed and not just those in management positions. This book is a well-written, though very general overview of current international farming practices. -CarolAnn Oldershaw Improved Cooking Stoves in Developing Countries, by Gerald Foley and Patricia Moss, 1983, 175 pp.,·s20 from: Earthscan 1319 F Street NW Washington, DC 20004 Deforestation is a serious problem in many developing countries. Hopes for improving the dismal fuel situation in much of the Third World have rested on programs promoting more energyefficient cooking stoves. This book analyzes these programs from a broad and critical perspective. Both past programs and plahs for the fut ure come under scrutiny. I was pleasantly surprised because the author's research covers more than just the technical aspects of stove design. It also carefully and thoroughly analyzes use of appropriate · materials, local preferences, and effect of stove design on lifestyle. This wellillustrated publication asks many of the right questions about the secondary functions of traditional stoves such as space heating and insect repelling, which may not be fulfilled by more energyefficient versions. It even includes a history of civilization's use of wood as a fuel, which helps make this report a valuable resource for anyone interested in the prospects and pitfalls of applying appropriate technology. -Clay Dennis Clay Dennis has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell and is presently a student at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University.
January/February 1985 RAIN Page 13 Building a New Economy: Three,Models They say good things come in threes. That was certainly the case when the following three articles ~ame in the mail within the same week. One had been requested, the other two were unsolicited surprises. They cried out to be run together-each was a kind of progress report on a different system of community-wide coordination for building local economies. We had · given each program brief mention before when it was just beginning (ARABLE-RAIN X:2, page 32; Earth Ban~ RAIN X:2, page31, and RAIN X:4, page 26; LETS-RAIN X:S, page 18); each is now entering a new stage in its development and is worthy of a fu.ller description. Each offers us a model of how we can work to build our local economies in a manner consistent with social and ecological responsibility. ' Although each is still.too new to be considered a "proven" model, all three seem to be on their way to success. Such success would herald a new level of maturity and sophistication in the movement for community-based, ecologically-sound social change.-FLS The Association for Regional·Agriru,lture -Building the Local Economy (ARABLE) by Mary Vogel Instead of searching for means to accelerate the drift out of agriculture, we should be searchingfor p,olicies to reconstruct rural culture, to open the land for gainfu.l occupation to larger nu"':_bers of people, whether it be on a fu.ll-time basis or a part-time basis, and to orient all our actions on the land.towards the three-fold idea of health, beauty, and permanence. E. F. Schumacher · Small.Is Beautifu.l ARABLE, the Association for Regional Agriculture Building the Local Economy, is a novel community investment program creating a rural-urban partnership in the southern Willamette Valley area of Oregon. Organized as·a nonprofit membership association, ARABLE helps provide access to credit.for member borrowers , . within the local agricultural economy. Beyond that, by •increasing coordi~ation among growers, marketers, processors, and consumers, ARABLE hopes to increase the market share for local agriculture, keep urban food dollars in the local economy, maintain and create jobs, and encourage a stable balance between urban and rural econo.mies. Now bei~g launched after 18 months in formation, it has the potential to become a national model of an important means of support for the endangered family farm.
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