Volume VIII No.2 $1.50 No Advertising
Page 2 RAIN November 1981 Dear RAINbeaus: I was interested in the review by Scott Androes of Understanding Inflation by John Case. I felt that important and deeper issues were being overlooked in the review. My comments, as well, relate to the spectrum covered in your excellent journal. The tendency, in all the problems we work with, 1s to define them in such a way that we can use traditional tools on them-even if traditional tools are valueless in solving the problem-because we fear new approaches (they often mean that we must redefine ourselves), and we are more comfortable with the familiar, if impotent, thoughts of today. Mr. Case's book defines inflation, and proposes solutions for it which are well withVol. VIII No. 2 Your Attention Please - RAIN will not be printed next month. Instead, as a special holiday gift, we will send you our latest publication. Applying what we know to our home turf, we've come up with in traditional views. Inflation indeed has something to do with trying to get a larger share of a smaller pie, but legal-economic solutions for inflation tend to ignore its roots: greed and apathy. In other words, inflation-like environmental destruction or war-is primarily a moral problem, and solutions that ignore this pre-eminent aspect will fail, in the end, to solve the problem. Moral problems are not solved by nonmoral forces. And morality cannot morally be imposed upon people. Indeed, it cannot even realistically be imposed, for no humanly directed, exterior force can remold the heart. Thus we are left with a situation where change is necessary, and yet it cannot be imposed. RAIN some ideas for a sustainable Portland that we think will interest all RAIN readers, and may serve as a model for creating sustainable communities elsewhere. -RAIN Only a new and comprehensive vision, only a rebirth of the traditional virtues, in clothing suited to today's conditions, will serve. For me, that vision is contained in the Baha'i Faith, and the startling solutions it proposes. Perhaps you would do a series on moral approaches to problems, and dedicated to exploring some visions which have had practical consequences, such as that of King Ashoka of India (ca. 300 B.C.), or the Imam Ali (ca. A.D. 1650), and those visions that are moving today's mountains. David W. House Aurora, Oregon November 1981 Journal of Appropriate Technology RAIN Magazine publishes information which can lead people to more simple and satisfying lifestyles, help communities and regions become economically self-reliant, and build a society that is durable, just, and ecologically sound. RAIN STAFF: Laura Stuchinsky, Mark Roseland, Carlotta Collette, John Ferrell, Kevin Bell, Steve Johnson, Steve Rudman, Nancy Cosper, Scott Androes, Tanya Kucak. Linnea Gilson, Graphics and Layout RAIN, Journal of Appropriate Technology, is published 10 times yearly by the Rain Umbrella, Inc., a non-profit corporation located at 2270 N.W. Irving, Portland, Oregon 97210, telephone 503/227-5110. Copyright© 1981 Rain Umbrella, Inc. No part may be reprinted without written permission. Typesetting: Irish Setter Printing: Times Litho Cover Photograph: Ancil Nance
Dear RAIN: Unfortunately, Reaganites might escape from your excellent article on slippery-slide economics ("Invofuntary Self-Reliance, RAIN VII: 9) . Given the supposition that the government must protect free enterprise, as Reagan asserts, then it is the job of government to protect the free competition which is , the basis and very meaning of "Free Ent.erprise." Yet the government gives huge subsidies to certain enterprises and not others, like unlimited liability to Nuke Plants, money for water projects, oil wells, NASA, and a host of monopolies. Thereis no "free" enterprise here, only "monopoly" enterprise. The only possible logical route is to stimulate those enterprises which are being shortchanged on the capital pyramid. Because those at the top have more money, they can WORK -----------·------ Our Jobs, Our Health, Our Lives, Our Fight: Report of the First National Labor Conference for Safe Energy and Full Employment, October 10-12, 1980, Pittsburgh, PA, 1981, 35pp., $1.00 (bulk discounts available), from: Labor Committee for Safe Energy and Full Employment 1536 16th St. NW Washington, DC 20036 202/265-7190 "Let the word go out today to the nuclear industry and to the Government that representatives of powerful unions met in conference this weekend and that we are determined to create a' new social force that will throw its weight into the fight for a safe energy and full employment future. When we mobilize our ranks in a spirit of militancy and solidarity, there is no force on earth that can stop us." -Jerry Gordon, Conference Chair Who says labor is pro-nuke? Coal miners, auto workers, steel workers, railroad and garment workers, machinists, teachers, government employees and electrical workers came together last fall to demand invest and stay ahead in the race against inflation. It would be absurd for the government to su~sidize all business equally, although this is the practical outcome of Reagan's simpleminded view. Hence, we must ask, which are the most profitable businesses being hurt by the private value of capital? We arrive now for logical justification, according to Reagan's view, Neighborhood Renewable Resource Community Development Loans. The Quantum Leap explained: It is only the exclusive capital value which inhibits Neighborhood Renewable Respurce Community Development. With a loan structure that is free, re~ewables are always the most competitive. Indeed, the most profitable and the most environmental always meet at some exact ACCESS an end to further dependence on nuclear power, guaranteed jobs for those now employed in the nuclear industry, and a rapid switchover to a_ safe energy, full employment future. All told, 55 unions from 33 states were repre·sented. Watch out, Con Ed, we shall not be nuked! -MR RESOURCES Research for Action: A Guidebook to Public Records Investigation for Community Activists, by Don Vilarejo, 19801 112 pp., $7.50 plus $1.25 p&h from: California Institute for Rural Studies P.O. Box530 Davis, CA 95616 Research for Action shows citizen activists how to build a case agaimt vested interests by documenting exactly how the interests are vested. Who's on what board of directors? Who owns what real estate? Who contributed large sums to whose campaign? In a clearly-presented, step-by-step manner, the book shows how to locate needed information in county courthouses, state agencies, and local libraries-and how to interpret November 1981 · RAIN Page 3 point in the future, e.g., for solar it's 15 years, for water, it can be five, for wind, it's a little higher. Intensive, organic gardening is actually priceless. Non-renewables will meet in the cold, dark deathly eternity of an infinite price. As non-renewables reach an infinite price, there will be a time that alterµative technologies can charge a near infinite price, thus the cost of property can be paid inversely to the price rise of non-renewables. Property then is free when non-renewables reache infinity, and so, things being what they are, will everything else be free. (Free to those who have renewable technologies.) David Wright Boulder Creek, CA · official documents which may initially seem to be.written in some extra-terrestrial dialect. Research for Action demystifies the process of digging out public information and mahs the point that public records are exactly what the words imply: resources available to all of us to protect our rights and further our efforts to build a just society. - JF 1980 Index to Alternative Magazines, by Applegate Computer Enterprises, 1981, 110 pp., $5.95 plus $.75 p&h from: Applegate Computer Enterprises P.O. Box288 Applegate, OR 97530 Here it is: ready access to articles and reviews in your 1980 back issues of RAIN, Small Farm journal, Co-Evolution Quarterly, Mother Earth News, Home Energy Digest, Countryside, and Organic Gardening. The Index to Alternative Magazines is arranged by subject and its clear format and extensive cross-referencing.make it possible to quickly locate the article you need, even when you don't have an exact recollection of a title or contents. The Index will certainly be in regular use at the Rainhouse-and lots of other places around the country. Thanks to the Applegate Computer folks for a Jaluable reference tool. We'll look forward to future editions. -JF .
Page 4 RAIN November 1981 Letter From El Salvador Ricardo Navarro is President of the Centro Salvadoreno de Tecnologia Apropriada (CESTA) in San Salvador, El Salvador. CESTA is a non-profit independent organization, in charge of promoting the implementation of technologies appropriate to the social and economic conditions of the country. A technology is appropriate ifand only if it .eontributes -to the liberation of the oppressed people in the world. Reprinted with permission from the May/June 1981 issue of Science for the People, $10/yr. (6 issues),897 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139.
NO NO NAIROBI: Renewables For The Third world? The UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, held in Kenya in August, was virtually ignored by the U.S. presswhile the European and world press covered it extensively. This article comes from a participant who thinks we ought to know what our U.S. delegation said for us. ___c_MR by Gary Gallon Environment Liaison Centre Any chance of success for the Nairobi Plan of Action a~ the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held in Nairobi in August was s.cuttled by the hardline stand of the Reagan U.S. delegation. The delegation would agree neither to a new institution, nor to a new funding mechanism to support a United Nations follow-up program. Other donor nations were interested in supporting both, if an agreement courd be reached. The major stumbling block was the institutional arrangement. The best compromise would have been to give the responsibility for the Plan of Action to the UN Committee of Natural Resources which reports to the Economic and Social Council, and to expand the membership of the Committee to include all nations which sit in the UN General Assembly. Currently, the Committee has a limited membership which favors the industrialized countries. The compromise was opposed. · There were two key reasons for the U.S. stone-wall position. First, it reflects the Reagan administration's new financial posture of cutting back funds on all social and aid assistance programs while increasing its military expenditures. Secondly, it reflects the Reagan administration's decision to depend upon military might to solve world problems rather than on the United Nations system. The U.S. Government's interest in the U.N. has shifted to neutral. The U.S. made a feeble attempt to show some cooperation with developing countries when it unilaterally announced it was doubling its U.S. AID (Agency for lnternatfonal Development) contributions to renewable energy.programs from U.S. $35 million to $70 million. It was a small amount and only a reshuffling of old cash. The U.S. NGOs (non-governmental organizations) representatives did not waste ~my time in condemning the U.S. stance at the Conference. Outraged by the avoidance and stalling tactics of the. delegation, the U.S . NGOs called a press conference and issued a statement detailing the Reagan administration actions which have scuttled U.S. renewable energy programs at home and overseas. Several U.S. Congressmen visiting Nairobi at the time joined in the criticism, revealing the depth of division among the U.S. people over the anti-development, anti-renewable energy stand of the new President. In the meanwhile, the International NGO Forum on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, also held August in Nairobi, brought together 650 Non-governmental organization representatives from 63 countries to discuss ways NGOs could improve their energy programs. Eleven panels and 75 workshops were held to discuss activities ranging from the technologies of bio-gas to methods for lobbying governments. · November 1981 RAIN Page 5 NGOs were responsible for strengthening the Nairobi Plan of Action statements on women, the environment and NGOs. The NGO n~wspaper, RENEWS, became the eyes and ears of the Conference, reaching through the bureaucratic smoke and exposing key issues. Ten editions were printed. Sets are available for U.S. $15 · from the E.r:.C., P.O. Box 72461, Nairobi, Kenya. The Forum, in conjunction with the Kenya NGOs Working in the Field of Renewable Energy (KENGO), held a "Fuelwood March" August 11. One thousand peovle paraded through the streets of Nairobi, arriving at the steps of the Conference Center where they were met by Kurt Waldheim, t.he UN Secretary-General, and Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Falldin of Sweden, and Prime Minister Seaga of Jamaica. The march impressed upon the Conference delegates the importance of the world's second energy crisis, depletioh of firewood and charcoal. Nuclear power was not supposed to be a part of the Conference deliberations. It had been kept out ·of the agenda on purpose, apparently because governments were afraid of the political uproar and public opposition. The NGO Forum agreed not to focus on the nu- ' .dear issue. However, it turned out that the'atomic interests were at work. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had convinced the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Seaga, to 'propose that the U. N. responsibility for renewable energy be given to IAEA. He proposed this in his speech to the Conference. In the meanwhile, other government representatives promoted nuclear'power as the most ,viable source of energy to replace oil, and played down the prospects of renewable energy being a major replacement source in the near future. The NGO Forum responded by holding a workshop on "Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy." It c'ondemned the promotion of nuclear power, listed the numerous problems associated with its use, and noted that even after 30 years of generous R&D funds, nuclear was still not a viable source of energy. The workshop also outlined the accumulation of research and development funds in nuclear, leaving little for renewable energy .0 0 Gary Gallon was the Coordinator of the International NGO Forum on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. He spent four years in Nairobi as the Executive Director of the Environment Liaison Centre. The U.S. Government's interest in the UN has shifted to neutral. '.There is an area of conservation that many governments are reluctant to talk about. It is in the field of military activities. Few of us realize how much energy is u.sed to build, arm 1 arid fuel national armies. The most conspicuous consumers are, of course, the United States and the USSR. But others are laying 'out mote and more for military·purposes. These include France and South Africa, and Third World nations such as Brazil and Pakistan. OPEC nations have been especially busy converting the money transferred from oil sales into non-productive military purposes. It takes almost a year's supply of petrol used by a tank to build a tank. Large amounts of energy are used from extraction and processing of the steel all the way to fabricating and assembling the .body. The same goes for navy battleships and fighter planes. The production of nuclear warheads consumes more energy by weight than any other weapon. Military exercise and naval ship movements from ocean to ocean wastes even more precious energy resources. Governments will show that they are serious about solving the energy crisis when they'begin to plug the energy drain created by unnecessary military activities.
Page 6 RAIN November 1981 -----------·------- ECONOMICS The Politics of the Solar Age: Alternatives to Economics, by Hazel Henderson, 1981, $5.95 from: Anchor Doubleday 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 This is an exciting book. At last someone has articulated so many of the concerns I've been trying to grapple with and done so in a holistic, encompassing way. In fact, I passed up my first opportunity for a high peak climb in the Cascades to write this review.... Henderson examines such phenomena in our society as increasing rates of inflation, structural unemployment, the failure of macroeconomic management, growing tax revolts, unsustainable resource-intensive pathologies of material abundance and waste, and the forces pushing toward greater energy and capital intensity, yet still concludes that "we do.not know enough to be pessimistic." Indeed, in this social, ecological, and spiritual critique of industrialism she convinces us that those who have the greatest interest in maintaining the status quo are the ones who have most cause to cry that the sky is falling. The rest of us need to get on with the job of reconceptualizing our situation and redefining our problems. She reminds us that value systems and ethics, far from being peripheral, are the motivating forces in all economic and technological systems. Industrial societies must face up to the unsustainability of their value systems rather than view their "problems" as deficiencies of nature. Industrial cultures need now to restructure their knowledge by turning to the repressed, alternative ways of viewing and th.inking of their subordinated groups because it will be almost impossible to find innovative ways of handling today's crises (econon:ilc, social or ecological) from within the dominant culture. They must shift from an excessive yang-oriented value system emphasizing instrumental rationality, empirical knowledge, competition,·expansion and aggression to reviving the yin qualities and the nurturing, cooperative, cohesive patterns. Henderson sees this shift already happening at the grassroots level in the growing counter-economy, where ingenuity, improvisation, and entrepreneurial spirit flourish. Here people are bartering and cooperating with their neighbors rather than competing for dollars. One of the beauties of this monumental work is that Henderson makes no pretense that the task before us will be easy. Indeed she maintains: ACCESS The deeper dilemma in shifting out unsustainably imbalanced patriarchal societies lies in their very long traditions . ... Thi~ whole set of "masculinized" values is now deeply associated with male identity, and thus any attempt to dig deeper, to this more.fundamental level of social analysis, is extremely . threatening personally and is usually energetically resisted, denied, reversed, or repressed, with all the classic defense mechanisms described by psychologists. The question is, says Henderson, "How are we going to 'get through the '80s ?" Part of the answer for me is "With this book al-· ways close at hand." -Mary Vogel Mary Vogel works with Oregon Appropriate Technology in Eugene, OR. The Zero-Sum Society, by Lester C. Thurow, 1980, 230 pp., $4.95 from: Penguin Books · 625 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10022 A zero-sum game is any game where the losses exactly equal the winnings . ... The problem with zero-sum games is that the es.sence of problem solving is loss allocation. But this is precisely what our political process is least capable of doing. Thurow is a pr9fessor of economics and management at Massachusetss Institute of Technology, an economic columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and served for a short while on the editorial board of The New York Times. In other words, he's very credible, and his book has been well received by the . likes of Time and Business Week. It's this background that makes the book so interesting. Tackling a lineup of hairy subjects (energy shortages, environmental pollution, lagging production, rampant inflation, growing unemployment, and government regulation) Thurow claims that, in every case, we run up against the same issues of direct redistribution. "Every increase in the relative income of one group.is a decrease in the relative income of another group. The gains are exac;tly counterbalanced by an equal set of losses." People are not demanding more, says Thurow. They're demanding parity. Unless we can figure out some way to face this problem head on, "our society is going to both stagnate and be split along group lines." The goal, says Thurow, "is to change the structure of the economy so that the entire economy generates the kinds of jobs that are now open to white males and ensures that there are enough of these job opportunities to go around." Thisj s quite a challenge from someone who is a firm believer in the market mechanism. "The market efficiently adjusts, but to an inequitable set of demands. It is as if we had an efficient street sweeper who was sweeping the wrong street." Be that as it may, Thurow acknowledges that the rate of unemployment for blacks simply cannot continue to be twice that of whites, nor can the fact that women still earn oI)ly 60 percent of what men earn be tolerated for the next forty years as it has been for the last forty .. What's the next move? The time has come . . . to admit that the pursuit of equity and equal economic oppor:.. tunity demands a fundamental restructuring of the economy . ... The only solution is to create a socialized sector of the economy designed to give work opportunities to everyo,ne who wants them but cannot find them elsewhere. Once again touting his belief in the economic system (if only it would work!), Thurow concludes with a plea for political accountability and blames the two-party system. "Our'problems arise because, in a very real sense, we do not have political parties ... somehow we have to establish a political system where someone can be held accountable for failure .... Every politician with his or her own platform is the American way, but it'is not a way that is going to be able to solve America's economic problems ~' ' It's late in the game, don't you think? Time to change the score. -MR GARDENING Growing Food in Solar Greenhouses, by Delores Wolfe, 1981, 192 pp., $10.95 from: · Doubleday & Company Inc. 245 Park Ave. · New York, NY 10067 Before you design and construct your vision of a solar greenhouse "for year round food production" read this book. It will be painless, quic;k, even pretty, and the grounding (so to speak) it will give you will either discourage you outright or provide just the balance of information you'll need. This will be just as true whether you've never gardened at all (but think it would be "fun" to raise some tomatoes in January) or if you garden extensively and think the greenhouse will be a simple addition to your spread. The thing is, greenhouse gardening is a pretty complicated, time consuming, and occasionally frustrating endeavor that is all too often viewed unrealistically. Wolfe's bonk takes you month by month through the annual cycles in greenhouse growing. The contrasts and comparisons with outdoor gardening are especially useful
From: Solar Greenhouses to the experienced gardener who will probably worry (and justly so) over light intensity and duration, carbon dioxide depletion in these well sealed structures, and disease and pest contn)l in this "best of all possible worlds" for slugs, white flies and mites. Novices will value the sections on soil, nutrients, propagation and the growing seasons under glass. I was pleased to see the solid section on growing fruit in the greenhouse. Fruit growing "out of season" was one of the major goals of eighteenth century innovators who dreamed up greenhouses-then called "Orangeries" or "Limehouses" or "Pineries" (for pineapRles). Few contemporary greenhouse books even ~ention fruit production; so Wolfe fills a need there. I was also pleased to see her stress recordkeeping. If you think of solar greenhouses as systems that need tuning, adjustments and general maintenance, you'll find monitoring your experiences a definite advantage. You'll be less likely to repeat errors if you've kept track. I've seen several introductions ~o solar greehhouse gardening but few as comprehensive as this one. Between January and November are covered most everything you'll need to know to get producing, and December offers a practical bibliography to guide you further. -CC · "Gardening in Fertile Waters, by Carl M. Baum, New Alchemy Quarterly, No. 5 (Summer 1981), $2.00 from: New Alchemy Quarterly 237 Hatchville Road East Falmouth, MA 02536 , I.had pretty much dismissed hydroponics several years ago; 'the heavy energy subsidies required to maintain ideal growing conditions plus the predominant use of inorganic, chemical fertilizers didn't s.eern to make for an "appropriate" technology. Furthermore, given how little is known about the makeup of soil, the very idea of trying to chemically imitate it appeared somewhat preposterous. According to the New Alchemists, however, there's another side to the story. By combining hydroponic plant culture with fish culture, not only can hydroponics be practiced organically a,nd effi- · ciently, but "fertile waters deserve perhaps as much attention as the compost bucket when it comes to reusing waste nutrients." Hydroponic gardening has some distinct advantages over conventional, soil-based agriculture. Hydroponics conserve water and· fertilizer nutrients; circumvent the problems of nutrient fixation, leaching and runoff in soils.; are less prone to soil-related diseases November 1981 RAIN Page 7 and weeds (reducing the need for pest control meaures) ; can be considerably cheaper and less labor-intensive than soil culture; and (the greatest advantage), can prod~ce s'uperior crop yields. Hydroponics is an attractive option where space, water, nutrients and capital are limited, such as in arid regions or urban areas. "The basic technology is relatively simple and highly amendable to small-scale, amateur use, whether in a window garden or a bioshelter. It appears particularly attractive from an ecological point of view if significant quantities of food crops can be grown with the nutrients contained.in domestic garbage (composed and worked by earthworms) and waste waters or, in the case of a bioshelter, fertile fish pond water that might otherwise be discarded to the environment. Hydroponics is also quite compatible with passive solar heating strategies in its use of water, an ex- .cellent thermal storage medium. A sunwarmed nutrient solution gives a definite 1 growth advantage to hydroponic plants over those in cooler soil beds." I I l The Solar Sa'/ad Bar - a hydroponic planter fed with the fertile water from a window side solar-algae pond containing fish. In tests at the New Alchemy farm, celery, tomatoes, lettuce and basil all produced yields that compared favorably to soil-based yields. While the.taste of one winter celery crop was thought to be "strong," it did not, fortunately, taste fishy. Included in the paper is a bibliography for further reading. The article leads off the first issue of the former New Alchemy Newsletter, now the expanded New Alchemy Quarterly. The new publication promises to be wonderful! -MR
Page 8 RAIN November 1981 One night this summer a friend and I were camped out in an alpine meadow on Mount Jefferson. We were beginning to drift to sleep, watching the stars, more numerous that I'd ever seen, counting satellites as they made their passages, when my friend launched into one of those irresistible meta-· physical m_onologues. "We are here in this mountain valley in Oregon, United States, Planet Earth, on the outer edge of our galaxy. That enormous moon is a miniscule member of the cosmic society. Our galaxyall the stars we can see and many times that number- is just a tiny part of the system of many,·many galaxies. ... The miracle is that we are at once more a marvel than we can let ourselves fathom and yet more minute than is comfortable to think about." The question I keep coming back to is why it-is so brain-wrenching for us to stretch our understanding in either direction. From where comes the prohibition against imagining and realizing our way into harmony and out of destruction? Coincidence brought me these three books at once, and as I read them I bega!l to move back and forth between them, recognizing threads that laced from one to the other and back again. Whether the subject is the mind! body, or the planet/person, or the fully imaginable cosmos, the questions and often the answers are the same. If I were to desig!l (l curriculum in, say, "Whole Systems Visualizing," I'd probably include each of these books-not because they are especially new and singular in their content, but because each of them synthesizes so much information so well. -CC Shikasta, by Doris Lessing, 1981 (paper- ' back edition),.365 pp., $4.95 from: Vintage Books-Random House 201 E. 50th St. New York, NY 10022 If you can make the psychic leap from our pinhead status in the astral plane to our systems management role on spaceship earth, and then can move back and forth in time from the planet's birthing to its return to dust, you will be able to accompany Doris Lessing on her accelerated journey through time. Shikasta, subtitled Personal, Psychological, Historical Documents Relating to Visit by ]ohor·(George Sherban) Emissary (Grade 9) 87th of the Period of the Last Days is, as you can imagine from that "Last Days," not an optimistic book. It's about the fall from order and reason, the direction of the descent into mental confinement and planetary dissolution. It is almost too close to the bone to be fiction, only true science fiction in its supra-historical sprawl. It's the story of a planet, Shikasta, which en route to harmony and some perfection, is disturbed, turned back from its goal. It's the tale frO"m an early forgetting; I had to tell these unfortunates that due to circumstances entirely beyond their control and for which they bore no responsibililty at all, they would become less than shadows of their former selves . ... It was as if I had been given the task of telling someone in perfect health that he would shortly become a moron, but,that he must do his best to r.e..: member some useful facts, which were a . . . b .. . c.... . Through deliberate deceit; The qualities prized in "public servants" on Shikasta were, almost invariably, the most superficial and irrelevant imaginable, The Future lryiagining and could only have been accepted in a time of near total debasement and falseness. This was true of all sects, groupings, "parties": for what was remarkable about this particular time was how much they all resembled each other, while they spent most of their energies in describing and denigrating differences that they imagined e·xisted between them. To the planet-wide trial of the white races; I open this trial with an indictment. That it is the white races of this world that have destroyed it, corrupted it, made possible the wars that have ruined it: ... There is even the hint of a new beginning (a lead into volumes 2 and 3 of this trilogy?); I have understood that the vague blank look is from the past. It is not what we are now. Do you think it is not so much we forget things that are awful 1but that we never really believed in them happening? This book is so wide in its understanding of space and time, so ecological in its description of interdependencies, and so consistent in its pursuit of political histories that construct (or destruct) political futures that you will want to read it more than once. Lessing's artful elegance with words makes the-reading a joy. Your Body Works, edited by Gerald Kogan, Ph.D., 1981, 180pp., $9.95 from: And/Or Press, Inc. P.O. Box 2246 Berkeley, CA 94710 Margaret Mead listed, among the best things you can do for yourself, having yourself ana- , lyzed. I tend to agree, finding the journey across the continents of our personal pasts at least as exciting and educational as global or cosmic searches. But the trick to that journey (as in any travel) is finding a good guide (therapy, after all, comes from the word nurse, as in nurture). Given the amazing growth of therapy as an industry with all the brand-name competition of the marketplace, it is often difficult enough just to choose a "school," let alone a single practitioner. Your Body Works offers brief descriptions by
We Spend Most Time Is The One We Get -Joel Schatz leaders in each "school" of their approach to inner space exploration. In reading them I found less contrast than similarity and welcomed a sense of camaraderie over competition. It seems to me (and this is why I grouped this with these other books) that this body/mind separation is a critical factor in our more total separation: human beings from the rest of nature. The Western way of operating in the world has always been forward-moving forward, going toward a distant goal, never looking back-especially in American society. People in Western societies in general are especially unaware of the back half of the body . . .. While forward energy has led to high achievement, it actually is a very weak stance. It's off balance. The forwardleaning individual or culture can easily fall on its face.'·' I think that the certainly noble and often self-righteous struggle to keep us from destroying virtually everything we're conscious of must begin, like charity, at homein the body. It is at once an intimate and universal task. Learning from within and building a society that "could tolerate gentleness and pleasure in life, that would shun violence and to whom war would be anachronistic . .. has never been fully tried yet. Only by allowing human character structure to become healthy will we at last actualize healthy human and political institutions." Grf!en Paradise Lost, (formerly Why the Green Nigger) by Elizabeth Dodson Gray, 1981(1979),166 pp., $7.95 from: Roundtable Press Four Linden Square Wellesley, MA 02181 In Gre·en Paradise Lost, Elizabeth Dodson Gray takes on cultural and scientific rhetoric that puts "man" (not women or children) at the top of a hierarchy which is seen as structured to serve man. She suggests, "It is difficult for us, trained as we have been in the male culture, to understand the order there is in a diversified system which is non-hierarchical." In a fascinating survey of religion, philosophy, physics, biology, and psychology, she outlines new theories to refute this anthropocentric perspective. FroII1 Lewis Thomas' The Lives of a Cell (New York: Viking Press; 1974) through Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics (Berkeley: Shambhala Publications; 1975), from poetry and her own journal-like narrative of a summer at the ocean, she outlines a world view that is part quantum physics, part transcendentalism, and part something several steps beyond christian stewardship. '"Why,' some will ask, 'is responsible stewardship over nature not an adequate safeguard?' Because so long as stewardship carries with it the illusion of superiority or noblesse oblige· (as it does now), it is simply benign paternalism." The book is a montage of diverse perspectives made all the more interesting by their coming into contact with each other. From: Your Body Works. November 1981 RAIN Page 9 - - ------- FUNDRAISING ------------ -·---- The Grantseekers Guide: A Directory of s.ocial and Economic Justice Projects, by Jill R. Shellow, 1981, 313 pp., $5.00 from: National Network of Grantmakers 919 N. Michigan Ave., 5th Floor Chicago, IL 60611 Community-based organizations have always had a difficult time finding funding sources for their projects. But the funding picture has never seemed so bleak for social change groups now that established agencies-many of which are being forcibly weaned off the government grant spoutare also madly scrambling fqr private sources of bucks. Don't give up trying yet! The 1981 Grantseekers Guide contains over 100 foundationand corporate--giving programs particularly interested in funding change-oriented projects from grassroots groups. The Guide is the successor to the Directory of Change-_ oriented Foundations published by the Playboy Foundation. An in-depth profile of each national or regional grantmaker is provided as well as a useful index broken down by stat~s . A variety of shor.t introductory chapters are also included on topics such as "Proposal Writing Tips," "Gaining Tax-Exempt Status" and the "Potential of Corporate Giving." Finally there's a good annotated bibliography and listing of1fundraising and tech1 nical assistance resources. The National Network of Grantmakers-a voluntary association of individuals involved in organized grant-making and sharing a commitment to social and economic justice projects-plans to update the Guide in 1982 based upon com- . ments from their grantseeking constituency. My fear is that too many of the too few ·responsive funding sources listed will be inundated with good proposals they'll be unable to fund. There still is a great need for community, self-help groups to gain entry into the traditional private ~ector. Given the new federal tax incentives, corporations can now give up to 10 percent of their pre-tax net income to non-profit organizations. Nevertheless, the Grantseekers Guide is a highly recommended research tool for any serious community-based fundraiser. -SR
Page 10 RAIN November 1981 TRAVEL A Pilgrim's Guide to Planet Earth #2, · edited by Parmatma Singh Khalsa, 1981, 320 pp., $8.95 from: Spiritual Community Publications Box 1080 San E.afael, CA 94915 If you're going to be traveling outside of North America, pick up a copy of this book to find out where the good bread and good From: A Pilgrim's Guide TRANSPORTATION vibes are. You'll learn where to go in most foreign cities and towns to make connections with the New Age community there-bookstores, monasteries, restaurants, ashrams, foods tores. For armchair travelers, the book conveys a wonderful sense of the specialness of each place. A puppy-dog-tail-wagging enthusiasm permeates the whole boo~. It looks good, too, with nice graphics·and scattered inspirational quotes. Areas of the world where tourists haven't made much of an impact get less coverage. China, for example, gets only one page, and such valuable resources as the New Alchemy-Farallones Institute China Tours aren't mentioned at all. -TK Train Trips: Exploring America By Rail, by William G. Scheller, 1981, 254 pp., $7.95 from: The East Woods Press East and McMillan Publishers, Inc. 820 East Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203 · If you think trains are an appropriate form of transportation that ought to be revived in this country, try voting with your pocketbook next time you go traveling. This book will help. It offers a brief history of modern passenger rail service in the U.S. followed by a description of the present system (Amtrak) and extensive notes on the cities that Amtrak travels to. The travel notes would have a hard time competing with a standard U.S. travel guide since any book that attempts to describe the highlights of 40 major cities must do so sparingly. Still, the book should suffice for the person who plans to visit several cities by train. What really makes this book worthwhile is that it succeeds in restoring to train travel some of the romantic charm that it had in the days when trains were given names like The San Francisco Zephyr, the Empire Builder, the Silver Star, and The Sunset Limited. -SMA "Murder of the Sunset Limited," by Frank Browning, pp.·16-24, June 1981 issue of The Progressive, (monthly, $17/ yr) from: The Progressive 408 West Gorham Street Madison, WI53703 This article briefly but succinctly details the decline of America's passenger trains and asks the all important question "why are all other indus.trialized nations enthusiastically improving their passenger rail system while the United States is not?" The answer has something to do with the prerogatives of .private railroad companies. (Railroads are nationalized in many of those other coun-· tries.) Southern Pacific, in particular, 'Catches heck for its hostile and uncooperative attitude towards Amtrak. -SMA
ARTS The Woman Behind the Image, by John Stewart, 1981, 27 minutes, color, 16mm. Sale: $450. Rent: $45. (Request two weeks in advance with an alternate rental date.) Available from: John A. Stewart Productions P.O. Box 13607 Portland, OR 97213 503/236-9430 "Women and men-it's an impossible subject, because there can be no answers. We can find only bits and pieces of clues. Maybe, today, we're planting the seeds of more honest relationships between women and men." -Duane Michals The Woman Behind the Image is a film of the times. It is a documentary which cuts into the moment-in the way a still photograph does-and shows us a slice of one person's life-Judy Dater. Most serious photographers know her name and her work; others perhaps just know her work. Her images are striking, provocative and demand response from the viewer. Judy Dater is on the cutting edge of photography as much as Edward Weston was in his time or Imogen Cunningham was in her time. Her recognition is coming sooner in life, however. She's a young, beautiful woman-whose honest straightforwardness is attractive and powerful. Her photographs are the same. The film examines her life at a point when she and photographer Jack Welpott are separating. She is examining the role of work and relationships and shares her struggle to balance the two, so one does not exclude the other. Through this dynamic of timing, the film has transcended its beginning as a documentary about a fine photographer, and has become a film which is humanistic and universal. Many levels of thought and feeling are aroused through the transitions from full frames of Judy's evocative portraits representing a spectrum of society that we do not usually see portrayed, to ;mages of her sharing personal, honest and intimate feelings about her life, childbearing, and her work. John Stewart thoughtfully moves from photograph to photograph, each reflecting as much ~bout Judy Dater as the things which she says in the film. Theimages require response and reflection upon our lives in a way that most photographs rarely achieve. Weaving sensitive music, and precise movement from the photos to her shooting session, from conversations with her friends to her dialogue with the film maker, there is provided an experience that hits home for me in many ways. As a photographer, it inspired me to begin to photograph again; as a woman, it drew a strong feeling of connection in discovering that someone whom I have long admired is also dealing with work/artirelationships/childbearing and keeping them in balance. This is an exquisite film which nurtures the growth of our visions in these November 1981 RAIN Page 11 times. -Linda Sawaya Linda Sawaya is a former editor of RAIN. Photo of Judy Dater by Filmmaker John A. Stewart© 1981 Imogen and Twinka ©Judy Dater
Page 12 RAIN November 1981 THE TREE ENTE by Laura Stuchinsky "Forests are the fastest-disappearing ecosystem on this planet. There's a lot of wealth there and it's real easy to exploit it. Bu~ once you exploit it, if you don't take some of the wealth and plow it back in, as with farming or any continuous operation, it's going to decline in productivity. It's going to go back in the ecosystem succession from coniferous forest to hardwoods to brush to brush-burn rocks to sandstone to desert." -Gerald Myers (Forester) in Tree .Talk For centuries our technology has been based on a seemingly endless supply of wood-wood used for houses and tools, for railroads and bridges, for heating and cooking. Not until the late 1800's did the country diversify its nearly exclusive reliance upon wood. Despite the introduction of steel and iron, the demand for wood has continued to rise. After the Civil War, growing industry demands for wood prompted the timber industries to move west and south in search of bigger and more plentiful trees. By 1876 the largest lumbering operations had moved to the white pine forests of the Great Lakes Region-Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. By 1947 the virgin forests of the West Coast, the redwoods of California and the Douglas fir of Oregon and Washington had become "logger's paradise." As the industry moved westward, dozens of small companies collectively became a great industry, on a par with the railroad and iron industries, gradually consolidating into large holdings and sawmills. The tillable open land left in the wake of this westward movement became farmland, while the less-profitable land became open prairie. With this reduced quality wood, it is projected that new housing will need to be replaced every generation. Through the 1950's the demand for wood, particulary high after the post-World War II housing boom, absorbed the rapidly . expanding production level of developing industry. By the 1960's the effects of this stepped-up production became apparent: privately-owned, old-growth timber was on the verge of becoming extinct. In order to maintain the supply of timber, public lands held out of production thanks to the wilderness conservation movement of the 1900's (led by John Muir) were thrown open for harvest. By the early 1960's public land accounted for more than a third of the timber harvested in the United States. Forestry had become a matter of public policy, rather than the sole domain of private industries, with a conservationist movement once more on the rise. In response to increasing worldwide demand for timber, intensive forestry practices were introduced to maximize timber yields. Today, foresters are taught that it is the function of forest management to replace "old-growth" timber-upwards of 100 years oldwith fast-growing trees. The rate of production in "overmature" trees begins to decline as decay sets in, while young trees are at the peak of their growth cycle. With this logic, old-growth timber has become a "waste of productive land." Modeled after standard farming practices, intensive forestry management ("tree farming") is practiced through "even age" monocultures. Stands of a single tree are planted all at the same time to simplify management and harvesting: Clearcutting is an integral part of even age monoculture, creating a clean slate to pegin a new forest. Site preparation follows the clear cut, accomForestry Be) plished by burning, manually removing, or plowing the old growth into the ground. In the last 10-20 years, herbicides have become the preferred treatment for removal of less-profitable hardwoods and "competitive" brush that might shade intolerant species such as the Douglas fir. The rotation of harvest is accelerated by genetically improved, fast-growing seedlings that are chemically coated before planting with mixtures such as thiram or B.G.R (Big Game Repellant) to repel animals. Insecticides, pesticides, and artificial fertilizers follow. Second-growth timber differs substantially from old-growth timber. Because of its size, old-growth timber is more difficult to fell, increasing the risk of harm to neighboring trees. It is also more often damaged by rot. On the other hand, the quality of secondgrowth is substantially poorer. The fine grain of old-growth takes centuries to develop. Second-growth trees are knottier, and yield a high percentage of sapwood, lacking the strength and durability of heartwood. The timber industry has adjusted to the poorer quality of timber being produced, gearing production towards higher percentages of glued and pressed products. With this reduced quality, it is projected that new housing will need to be replaced every generation. Criticism of new forestry practices has been mostly aimed at herbicides. Yet herbicides are symptomatic of a far greilter problem: poor forestry management. Selective harvesting techniques which · degenerated into "high grading" (taking the best trees and leaving the rest), as well as extensive clearcutting and an increase in wild fires, created millions of acres of unproductive forest land dominated by brush. Not until 1976 and the National Forest Management Act was there a concerted effort to restock these problem areas. Phenoxy herbicides have been introduced as a preferred method of preparing land for reforestation. The price, many ecologists argue, for high-yield, intensive management is in the long-term productivity and survival of our forests. Pure stands of single species are rarely found in nature. A basic ecological principle is that genetic diversity creates stability. Single stands of species, particularly those exposed to constant pesticides and insecticides, become more susceptible to infestations and disease as more resilient strains of bacteria and animals develop. Reduction in seed diversity, through scientific manipulation of preferred species of trees, holds no guarantee that the fast-growing varieties will produce a genetic line better adapted to environmental )
November 1981 RAIN Page 13 ~RPRISE SYSTEM ;, ' , '"" yond Herbicides .
Page 14 RAIN November 1981 stress than what has evolved naturally over millenia: Studies of modern agriculture conclusively demonstrate that monocultures cause erosion problems, deplete soil nutrients and encourage weed proliferation, all leading to greater dependencies on artificial supports. Our forests (and farms) are among the most productive in the world, but at a substantial cost. Millions of tons of top soil are lost to erosion each year through clearcutting (expo_sing the soil to wind and water), roadbuilding and landslides . Fires, both natural and intentional, volatilize over 90 percent of the nitrogen in the soil. Rapid forest rotation, accomplished through brush-killing herbicides, eliminates the soil's natural recovery cycle. Foresters have become caught up in control rather than prevention, literally "losing sight of the forest for the trees." "It started right here when the county sprayer was spraying this roadside with a hose, right where my kids were fishing. Nobody paid any attention to the spraying. We thought it might be for mosquitoes, . .. nobody even knew what it was used for. The sprayer insisted it was safe and only killed plants, but there were our kids, already sick to their stomachs and eyes burning . ... We wanted to believe him. Nobody wants to believe their kids have been poisoned. But when they were really sick that night and when we came down to the river the next day and everything was dead ... everything. The songbirds in their nests, and the fish floating belly up, the ducklings washed up against the shore, the crayfish, everything. I mean it was appalling. We called them up,'cause we thought they made some horrible mistake and put the wrong thing in that truck and they said: 'Oh no. Oh no, it's just a coincidence. It couldn't be the spray. It only kills plants'." -Carol Van Strum Founding Member of CATS (Citizens Against Toxic Sprays)-OR Each year more than 40 million pounds of phenoxy herbicides are used to kill unwanted vegetation on roadsides and along power lines, on rangelands and farms, in forests and on school yards across the United States. Some of the phenoxy herbicides that have been used in forestry include 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D, Silvex, Roundup, Krenite, Picloram, Atrazine and Amitol. Different formulations are more effective on particular "target" species, but most grasses, conifers and certain legumes are fairly resistant. Application methods for herbicides vary according to topography and target species. In the South most spray is applied on the ground, while aerial spraying is more common in the hillier regions of the West. Drift from aerial spraying has been noted as a problem; coastal air currents can cany the spray over 22 miles. The University of Washington has been studying extensive damage to grape crops (gnwes are particularly sensitive) over 80 miles from the spray site. Phenoxy herbicides function by attacking the hormones which regulate cell growth, causing the plant to grow abnormally and then die. Aside from its own toxicity, many of the phenoxys contain contaminants, unavoidable byproducts of their manufacture, that are among the most deadly chemicals known to humankind. TCDD, or dioxin, is capable of producing lethal and sublethal chronic effects (such as kidney abno1malities, cleft palates, clubfeet and congenital hip deformities) in dosages measured in parts per trillion. Recent research at Australia's Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, reported in the Los Angeles Times, has shown that sensitivity to herbicides' toxic effects varies. Overall, their study concludes that humans appear to be three times more sensitive to dioxins than baby chickens or rats. A representative of Dow Chemical, manufacturer of 2,4,5-T, has acknowledged that the company was aware of the presence of dioxins in 2,4,5-T as early as 1964, but argues that if used properly the risks are so "infinitesimal" that it is not a practical consideration. Because dioxin is toxic at such low levels, has no antidote, and appears to accumulate in body fat, opponents-including well-respected scientists-feel that no safe level has been determined. Several studies, including one in which Dow participated, concluded that dioxins have now entered our food chain. At the present time, 2,4,5-T and Silvex are undergoing cancellation hearings in Washington, D.C. Midway through the trial, Dow and the EPA have requested a recess to negotiate a compromise. The chance of 2,4,5-T and Silvex becoming available for commercial use once again is strong, due to current administration attitudes. Meanwhile, new research on 2,4-D (the most heavily used herbicide on farms and forests) points to the dangers of this formulation as well. A report by the South Okanagan (Canada) Environmental Coalition, The Other Face of 2,4-D: A Citizen's Report, (Se·e RAIN IV :10: 16), the first major review of scientific literature written for laypeople, indicates that: •The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Canadian Food Laura Stuchinsky and Drug Directorate and the Dow Chemical Company all produced test results on 2,4-D showing that 2,4-D, its various formulations and one breakdown product produce birth defects (teratogenic effects) in mice, rats and hamsters. The authors assert that mice are good indicators of teratogenic potential in humans. •It has been discovered that 2,4-D can contain the potent HCDD, TCDD and other higher isomer dioxins (whose effects are largely unknown). •Insect pests have been shown to increase in 2,4-D treated crops and some plant diseases may become more prevalent. "In general, 2,4-D reduces the overall health of the environment to which it is applied." A mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D made up the controversial Agent
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