Tag Archives: urban gardens

What Wicking Beds Offer water challenged gardeners

By Mike Gall

Quadra Island’s demo wicking bed system is up and running. This educational demonstration gardening system explores how small landholders, senior citizens needing raised beds, or renters may experience growing abundant, nutrient dense food within the smallest possible footprint while using the least amount of water. The technique is widely used in Australia and other low rainfall regions or where access to water is restricted during dry summer months. The beds themselves are constructed from reused Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) totes and integrate a passive water storage technique eliminating water evaporation. Plants draw water from their root systems instead of soaking in from surface watering. 

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Reality 102: Realistic Responses To Today’s Problems

The podcast and article that follow expresses opinions not necessarily shared by the Cortes Radio Society, its board, staff, volunteers or membership.

Editor’s note: Reality 102 with Rex Weyler was the conclusion of a two part series at Cortes Island’s Folk University. This session was recorded and broadcast over Cortes Radio in the regular Cortes Currents slot on November 13, 2019. Rex asks what are realistic responses to the problem of overshoot. He asks the same question in the article below; the embedded podcast is Rex’s Folk U presentation.

At the University of Minnesota Dr. Nate Hagens teaches an honours course called “Reality 101: A Survey of the Human Predicament.” Hagens operated his own hedge fund on Wall Street until he glimpsed, “a serious disconnect between capitalism, growth, and the natural world. Money did not appear to bring wealthy clients more well being.” Hagens became editor of The Oil Drum, and now sits on the Board of the Post Carbon Institute and the Institute for Integrated Economic Research.

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Vancouver Has Made Significant Progress

By Roy L Hales

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In 2009, Gregor Robertson was elected mayor of Vancouver after campaigning to make it the greenest city in the World. Two years later, the Economist ranked Vancouver #2 in North America. In 2013, Vancouver was chosen as the planet’s first Global Earth Hour Capital. The judges were impressed by the city’s overall holistic approach to climate action. According to the city’s sustainability director, Amanda Pitre-Hayes, Vancouver has made significant progress.

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