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NEW SOCIETY - New Titles, May 2004 to December 2004
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December, 2004
Last Newsletter of the Year
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| Dirtbag pretty!
Although it may be hard to believe, some of the prettiest houses in the world are made from bags of dirt. Just take feedsacks and fill them with your local dirt, stack them up in whatever weird and wonderful ways you choose, then plaster them – and there you have it: beautiful and affordable housing.
Another in our Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series, this book is painstakingly illustrated in fine detail, as well as including a delightful color section.
- Check out the Contents
- Read the Foreword by Lynne Elizabeth, and the Introduction GO!
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| A More Connected
Way of Living
Isolated nuclear families are a poor excuse for ideal human habitation. We are social animals, meant to live in community with others, however hard that may seem from the distorted view of reality we see through the lens of western civilization. Intentional communities and ecovillages are two ways of avoiding the fate of the nuclear family. Cohousing is another: tried, tested and very popular with those who live in cohousing communities.
To see just how popular, check out The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community, which we are delighted to be re-releasing mid-December. One of the best authorities on the subject available, this completely revised and fully updated edition tells you all you need to know to build a better society one neighborhood at a time.
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Public Participation,
21st Century-style
You've probably never heard of "trans-organizational systems," I suspect – but that's what's going on when a mix of people from government, non-profits, and the community get together to try to fix local problems. Otherwise known as stakeholder groups, the convening of such groups is becoming more and more common in situations where authentic public participation is needed.
With over 20 years experience of working with groups like this, Joan Roberts outlines why and how to develop such organizations, and how they can most effective in her new book, Alliances, Coalitions and Partnerships: Building Collaborative Organizations.
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PEAK OIL AND SOLUTIONS
Food for Thought for the Holidays
"We should not imagine that renewables can be built up fast enough to enable a "soft landing" in which we maintain a recognizable suburban way of life, but with our clothes dryers and riding lawnmowers running on PV instead of electricity from coal or natural gas. We must prepare for an entirely different way of life." — Richard Heinberg
The Party's
Over Powerdown
"Just maybe, along the way, we can discover a quality of life that we have been missing, and fill the void that we have been attempting to fill with exploitative consumerism."
— Mike Ruppert Crossing the Rubicon
(With thanks to HopeDance magazine: http://www.hopedance.org/)
KUDOS
Rocking the Boat — Crossing the Rubicon.
Mike Ruppert's exposé of the Bush administration and 9-11 continues to get rave reviews as these short takes from Amazon reveal:
- Ruppert Nails Cheney; When Does the Treason Trial Start?
Go…
- An Intimate Look at the Cheney-Bush Junta
Go…
One of the most radical books -- Dumbing Us Down
The Media Ecology of the Educational System
Go…
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| They Rule – and how!
They Rule aims to provide a glimpse of some of the relationships of the US ruling class. It takes as its focus the boards of some of the most powerful US companies, which share many of the same directors. Some individuals sit on 5, 6 or 7 of the top 500 companies. It allows users to browse through these interlocking directories and run searches on the boards and companies. A user can save a map of connections complete with their annotations and email links to these maps to others. They Rule is a starting point for research about these powerful individuals and corporations. Check it out at:
http://www.theyrule.net
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November
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| New Society Publishers, PO Box189, Gabriola Island, British Columbia V0R 1X0, Canada |
November, 2004
A BEST-SELLER IN THE MAKING…
Produced in
record time and released on the fly in late September, Crossing the Rubicon:
The Decline of American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil, by
Mike Ruppert looks like it's on the way to becoming a best seller. The
book rated very highly at Amazon during much of October, garnering over
50 5-star reviews, and over 10,000 copies have sold in less than a
month.
Meanwhile
these great new books are hot off the presses…
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| Change the World – one room at a
time!
Need empowerment? This is
what the Honorable Claudine Schneider, former US congresswoman and
author of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation, says
about Green
Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time, by David
Johnston and Kim Master:
"At a time when every American is feeling helpless about affecting
change and seeking ways to make a difference, along comes Green
Remodeling -- one of the most empowering, comprehensive how-to
books ever! Yes, we can change the world for the better by the way we
remodel our home."
An encyclopedic how-to of all you need to make your home green,
Green Remodeling is easy-to-read, well-illustrated, and comes
complete with checklists, personal stories, expert insights and an
extensive resource list that will guide a homeowner through any
remodeling project, room by room.
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| Building Biology
You've probably noticed
that 'new house' smell whenever you enter a new or renovated home. If
so, beware! Your nose is a good indicator that all may not be well
– especially if you are the one moving into the new house. As
Wendy Gordon from the Green Guide Institute says:
"If after cleaning your house, a question lingers: "it smells clean,
but is it safe?" – then stop right here. This is the book for
you! Homes that
Heal: How Your Home Could be Harming Your Family's Health, by
Athena Thompson is filled to the rafters with sensible and simple ways
to create a safe and healthy home for you and your family."
Find out about the links between the buildings we inhabit and the
rising number of childhood asthmas, autism, cancers, learning and
behavior problems by reading this new book. Find out about the science
of Building Biology. It's all contained in this fact-filled, useful and
very accessible guide.
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Victims,
Villains and Heroes
Victims, villains and
heroes are all characters in the "drama triangle" of conflict and
confrontation which undermine so much workplace productivity and poison
our relationships. Seeing conflict through the eyes of such characters
really helps to understand it, so that we can move toward experiencing
the joy of resolving conflicts collaboratively. One high school teacher
– Lloyd Kornelsen – puts it this way:
"As a peace studies and world issues teacher, I use the drama
triangle as a template to help students deconstruct war propaganda,
recognize the impact of language on escalating international conflict,
and understand the motivations of others and ourselves…"
Using refreshing examples as well as humor, The Joy of Conflict
Resolution: Transforming Victims, Villains and Heroes in the Workplace
and at Home, by Gary Harper is a user-friendly guide to better
understanding where we go wrong.
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TRAVELS
New Society Publishers has
been on the road a good deal this past year, attending a variety of
events from Green Festivals to renewable energy and sustainable living
fairs to green building conferences. At all of these events, we have
been impressed by the sheer vitality of this burgeoning movement
– and by the numbers of participants. The Washington DC Green
Festival, for example, brought more attendees to a first time city
event than any Green Festival before: 15,334 people in total. We
strongly recommend the Green Festival in San Francisco on the weekend
of November 5-7 if you can make it – and we'll be there! An
earlier event, the MREA (or Midwestern Renewable Energy Fair) –
one of our all-time favorites – featured Richard Heinberg, author
of The Party's
Over and Powerdown who
spoke to a hushed throng, as this report indicates. Go…
Global Overshoot
– The Living Planet Report 2004
WWF International released
its Living Planet Report 2004 in late October, confirming ecological
overshoot. Data for the report was provided by the Global Footprint
Network, led by Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, coauthor with William Rees of
Our Ecological
Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. More…
KUDOS
Wholistic solutions to
community problems – The Key to Sustainable
Cities.
This
review of The Key to
Sustainable Cities by Gwendolyn Hallsmith appeared in Planet
Drum Pulse, Fall 2004, by Sebastian Africano:
Go…
Growth Labeling –
Better NOT Bigger
Author Eben Fodor (Better NOT Bigger: How
to Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve Your Community
reports that Benson, Arizona is facing some phenomenal growth - two
subdivision totaling 27,000 new homes are planned, as well as a
Wal-Mart! The following review of his appearance in the community
appeared in the Sierra Vista Herald.
Go…
Chefs are national
treasures – The Sustainable Kitchen
Stu Stein and Mary Hinds book, The Sustainable
Kitchen continues to receive rave reviews. The following are
taken from the authors' website
Go…
Abe Lincoln's Bathwater
– The Water You Drink
The following review appeared
in Alternatives Vol 30 No 4 – Sept/Oct 04:
Go…
Destined to be a classic
– The Joy of Conflict Resolution
The following review appeared
in Conflict Resolution Network Canada
Go…
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| What
is Humane Education?
Faced with unprecedented
world problems, young people today require approaches to their
education that deviate significantly from the past. We need to not only
present crucial issues to them in a straightforward way, but also to
empower them to make a difference, to act for change, for social
justice, and for an approach to life in general that is
values-based.
This is humane education: an approach to learning that addresses the
values and behaviors that perpetuate suffering, oppression, and
destruction. It offers young people deeply meaningful education about
the issues of our time, teaching them to be critical and creative
thinkers, inspiring their reverence and respect, and empowering them to
be conscientious decision-makers.
Zoe Weil, also the author of Above All Be Kind, is
a pioneer in the field of humane education, and many will welcome her
new book, The Power and
Promise of Humane Education.
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Copublishers at New Society,
Judith and Chris Plant were interviewed by Michael Toms of New
Dimensions Radio about 18 months ago. The interview, "Publishing Toward
a Sustainable Society" was well-received and has inspired numerous
excellent conversations since with those who heard it. It – and
much else – is available from New Dimensions --
www.newdimensions.org -- as Program #3003. Michael Toms is author
of A Time for
Choices.
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Web | Contact Us
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May |
| New Society Publishers, PO Box189, Gabriola Island, British Columbia V0R 1X0, Canada |
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September, 2004
The lazy days of summer have already changed to fall frenzy, reflected by a bevy of new books coming off the presses at New Society…
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The point of no return?
The Rubicon signifies a point of no return. Peak Oil and 9/11 are two such points that signal so profound a change in the course of world events that no one will remain unaffected.
Crossing the Rubicon: 9/11 and the Decline of American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil by Michael C. Ruppert is a detective story that gets to the innermost core of the 9/11 attacks. It places 9/11 at the center of a desperate new America, created by specific, named individuals in preparation for Peak Oil: an economic crisis like nothing the world has ever seen. A crucial book to read before the US elections in November, it will be available mid-September.
- Read the full announcement of the book Go…
- Read an excerpt: Wargames — Chapter 19 Go…
- Read the Table of Contents Go…
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The Tarpaper Raft
Power-down \ \ n. 1. the energy famine that engulfed industrial nations in the early 21st century; 2. the deliberate process of cooperation, contraction, and conversion that enabled humanity to survive …
The issue of Peak Oil has evolved dramatically in the media from being an almost taboo subject just as little as a year ago to becoming – appropriately – the agenda-setter for the rest of the 21st century. Helping that process along considerably has been the work of Richard Heinberg, through his book, The Party's Over. While the latter focused primarily on the problems surrounding Peak Oil, his new book – Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World, now available – focuses more upon the options and solutions available to us in an oil-scarce world.
- For more on the Tarpaper Raft Go...
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Sustainable Building as Appropriate Technology
Natural building has caught on in North America in a big way, in part because of the relief it provides from conventional – and often toxic – construction materials, and in part because people can do it themselves. In the less privileged world, it is an essential component of an overall strategy for truly sustainable building that cuts costs and empowers people.
In this contribution to Building Without Borders: Sustainable Construction for the Global Village edited by Joseph Kennedy, David Bainbridge discusses the key elements of sustainable shelter. Go…
The Power of Wind
It'll Blow You Away
Wind power is one of the oldest and cleanest renewable energies available to us, and it provides a jumping off point into several different subject areas for those teachers who want to use the real world as the basis for their teaching activities. This article by Marcee Camenson and Michelle Finchum is taken from the just-released Teaching Green — The Middle Years: Hands-On Learning in Grades 6-8 edited by Tim Grant and Gail Littlejohn. For all those who value the excellent work of Green Teacher magazine in providing invaluable advice and resources for teaching green, this book is a must.
Peek Inside
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Bullshit SUVs
Mexico is leading the way in terms of the future for SUVs…
PARTNERS
Wholesome Living
This article on Ecovillages, by Jonathan Dawson, appeared in Resurgence #225. It explores the diversity among ecovillages around the world, including the Ecovillage at Ithaca, New York and the Global Ecovillage Network. Keep your eyes open for New Society's Ecovillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture, by Liz Walker – for release next spring. Go…
KUDOS
Relocalize economies! —Powerdown
Tilting at Windbags — Somebodies and Nobodies
No Fences = Better Neighbors — Superbia!
Back to Nature — Rural Renaissance
Socializing Boys — Boys Will Be Men
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Cookbook teaches how to use local ingredients
In Dan Hays' review of The Sustainable Kitchen by Stu Stein et al in the Statesman Journal from Oregon, he writes: "This exceptional cookbook not only presents some of their best recipes, it also helps the reader understand how to use local ingredients in fresh and exciting ways. That is what the "sustainable" in the title refers to – the ability to use what is readily available during each season of the year."
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Visit Us on the Web | Contact Us | NSN July/August
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NSN May/June | NSN March/April
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| New Society Publishers, PO Box189, Gabriola Island, British Columbia V0R 1X0, Canada |
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July/August, 2004
We are experimenting with a new format for the next few newsletters, making them shorter and more tightly focused. Please send us any constructive feedback!
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Freedom from Fossil Fuels!
The town of Övertorneå in Sweden envisioned a future where the town would be 100 percent free of fossil fuel use for energy and power. Fifteen years later, its vision became a reality — saving it $375,000 in the process. This is just one of the many startling sustainability success stories collected together in The Natural Step for Communities: How cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices, by Sarah James and Torbjörn Lahti — recently released. For the full story, "Changing to Renewable Energy Sources" -- chapter 5 of the book — see more.
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Solar Energy Rules!
With the end of oil on the horizon, we'll all be looking more closely at renewable energies in the near future. Photovoltaic systems — or PV for short — have a lot going for them, but there's a lot to learn about designing and installing them successfully. Who better than Solar Energy International to bring you up to speed? They've been organizing PV workshops for many years, and have now written 'the bible' on the topic: Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual -- just off press. This "Overview of Photovoltaics" — chapter 1 — will get you started.
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Protecting Order in the Gulf
Those who have seen Michael Moore's new film, Fahrenheit 9-11, will appreciate that there's a longer history to US involvement in Iraq than the events of 9-11. Nafeez Ahmed has written about both Iraq and 9-11. Here, he adds depth to Moore's excellent documentary, outlining the creation of Saddam Hussein by the US administration, and the strategic reasons for US involvement in the region — from his book, Behind the War on Terror: Western Secret Strategy and the Struggle for Iraq. Chapter 4
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The Peak Oil Bandwagon
Richard Heinberg, author of The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies was recently asked to write an Afterword to the Italian edition of The Party's Over (French, German, and Arabic versions are also in the works). This is an expanded version which focuses on gathering signs of an impending global oil production peak, and recent events surrounding the American-British invasion and occupation of Iraq. Watch for Richard's sequel, Powerdown: Options and actions for a Post-Carbon World due for release in September.
PARTNERS
EARTH TALK: From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: What is the environmental impact of sewage from boats and ships on our waterways? -- Eileen Macaw, Traverse City, MI
Answer
MOTHER EARTH NEWS
A Rural Renaissance
A Chicago couple abandons city life to create a new model for sustainable country living.
By John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist
This article appeared in the June/July 2004 edition of Mother Earth News.
More…
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The Sick House Survival Guide by Angela Hobbs "is one of the smartest books on this topic I have had the pleasure to read… Without rancor she has utilized logic and common sense to aid others and demonstrate the absurdity of mainstream medicine's failure to grasp the importance of the environment on health."
—Katherine Duff, Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, April 2004
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Visit Us on the Web | Contact Us | NSN May/June | NSN March/April | NSN February
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May/June, 2004
Expose Bush
It doesn't take a genius to realize that the forces of truth, justice, and democracy are up against a stacked deck in this critical election year. Find out how to expose George Bush by following the link to our friends at the Ruckus Society.
Whether it's war profiteering, forests, the climate, civil liberties, the draft, verified voting, union busting, drug policy reform, or a whole range of other critical issues, Ruckus will be partnering with our organizational allies to get results. We've got a plan too and we need your support! Ruckus will be working this year to expose the Bush agenda.
Bumper Stickers, Haliburton and Halibacon
Following the Bush Bumpersticker suggestions for election year in our last newsletter, one author-reader, Eben Fodor (author of Better NOT Bigger: How to Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve Your Community), wrote in to suggest another:
"Re-elect Halliburton!"
Meantime, our active Ruckus friends are on to this too, with their Hallibacon Porkfest campaign. More…
The NO-CARB Diet for 2004
And yet another creative author-reader, Gwen Hallsmith (author of The Key to Sustainable Cities: Meting Human Needs, Transforming Community Systems) suggested how to lose some weight this year with a special diet:
The NO-CARB Diet for 2004
- NO C-heney
- NO A-shcroft
- NO R-umsfeld
- NO B-ush
- and "Absolutely NO RICE!"
Drive to Survive
Actor Denis Weaver's Institute of Ecolonomics has organized a Drive to Survive to Promote Alternative Fuels and "Drive Hydrogen Home." The cross-USA journey in hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles began May 1. More…
HOT OFF PRESS
Linking the restaurant with the locale
Following on the success of Hollyhock Cooks: Food to Nurture Body, Mind and Soil, we're pleased to announce the release in May of The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests and Oceans, by Stu Stein, with Mary Hinds and Judith H. Dern — an exciting cookbook that features fresh, locally-grown ingredients. Including substitutes for different regions so that you can use recipes no matter where you live, this book's philosophy is firmly rooted in how to make fine dining a sustainable proposition. Read all about "The Concepts of Sustainable Cuisine", or take a look at what others have been saying about the book.
21st Century Homesteaders
Releasing mid-May, we're excited to be publishing Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life, by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko. -- a wonderful update on what it means to do a modern-day 'back-to-the-land' escape from the city, although you'll also find, predictably, that it's not so much an escape as a major adventure. John and Lisa are becoming renowned for the funny and helpful documenting of their efforts, and they're also active in many of the sustainable living and renewable energy fairs across North America. Here you can read about The White Buffalo (2mb) – or how they found a solar hot water guru to help them with their own water heating installation. And this is how people like Jim Hightower, David Orr, Alisa Gravitz and Paul Ray regard their lifelong experiment.
Timbers Unorthodox
If you don't have the time or desire to learn traditional timber framing skills, but want to erect that timber frame somehow, Rob Roy's latest book -- Timber Framing for the Rest of Us: A Guide to Contemporary Post and Beam Construction, by Rob Roy -- is for you … and it's available now. A major addition to the literature, this book describes how to use those hardware store fasteners in your building project. Check out this excerpt from the "Building Techniques" chapter or see what people think about Rob's avant-garde work…
Animal Action
Already available, we're pleased to add So You Love Animals: An Action-Packed, Fun-Filled Book to Help Kids Help Their Animals, by Zoe Weil to our education and parenting titles. Originally published by the American Anti-Vivisection Society, you'll find loads of activities in this book that will really inspire kids – and Zoe's warm and non-judgmental approach is so refreshing especially for kids.
ON THE HORIZON
Earthbag Building
Due off press in early summer, we're thrilled to be working with Kaki Hunter and Doni Kiffmeyer on their book Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques. Doni and Kaki have sunk their souls deep into this unusual building technique, as those who have attended workshops with them, or who have seen their slideshow presentation, will attest. Lavishly illustrated, it's the last word on playing with dirt and producing amazing low-cost buildings at the same time.
Teaching Green
Also for release in the summer is Teaching Green – The Middle Years: Hands-On Learning in Grades 6-8 from our friends at Green Teacher magazine. Adding to Green Teacher's two previous titles, this promises to be the resource that teachers have been waiting for teaching about the environment, ecology and all things green.
PARTNERS
THEFT OF LIFE – from Resurgence
This article is from the horse's mouth, so to speak – Percy Schmeiser – who is the Saskatchewan farmer in legal battle with Monsanto. See also related NSP titles Farmageddon, by Brewster Kneen and The Eco-Foods Guide, by Cynthias Barstow.
A story of the struggle against Monsanto and the corporate takeover of our genetic inheritance.
By Percy Schmeiser
I am a seed developer from western Canada, where since 1947 my wife and I have been developing a strain of canola that is resistant to certain diseases that we have on the prairies. I am also a seed saver, like hundreds of thousands of farmers around the world who save their seed from year to year to plant and harvest.
Besides being a farmer, I was also mayor of my community for over a quarter of a century. And as a member of the government, I always worked on agricultural issues for the betterment of farmers.
In 1998, without any prior knowledge, Monsanto laid a lawsuit against me alleging that I had infringed their patent by growing their genetically modified canola without a licence. It was a real shock to my wife and me, as we had never had anything to do with Monsanto. More…
Choosing Safe Lumber -- from Mother Earth News
The need to be aware of safe building materials is the subject of our Natural Building line of books, as well as the focus of several other NSP titles such as Prescriptions for a Healthy House, by Paula Baker-Laporte and The Sick House Survival Guide, by Angela Hobbs. This article deals with the topic of treated lumber.
Choosing Safe Lumber
By: Lynn Keiley
Is your deck or fence made from arsenic-treated wood? Learn how to test your existing structures and where to find safe alternatives in the future.
For years, the wood industry told us that wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was perfectly safe, even as studies indicated that treated timbers expose us to arsenic, a known carcinogen linked to skin, bladder and liver cancers.
Lulled by wood companies' misleading assurances and seduced by CCA-treated wood's potential to last longer than untreated wood, people used this pressure-treated wood to build everything from decks to fences to raised garden beds - even children's play equipment. More…
Earth Talk – from E-Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: Do urban gardens significantly contribute to our food supply?
-- Wayne Chow, New York, NY
Answer
Dear EarthTalk: I've been hearing that wind power is going to play a significant role in our energy future. What's the story?
-- Dorothy Raffman, Norwalk, CT
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BLUE is looking for short fiction, extracts of novels, poetry, lyrics,
polemics, opinions, eyewitness accounts, reportage, features, information and arts
in any form relating to eco cultural- social- spiritual issues, events and
activites (creative and political). Send to Newsdesk.
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