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Written by Katie Liljedahl
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Sunday, 22 March 2009 23:35 |
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There is a saying that sums up our delusional insanity and it is this, “Get out in nature.” An appropriate response may sound something like “How can I get out of something I am?” Besides an unusual stare and an uncomfortable silence, the experience of saying this may feel quite wonderful. Nature is not for the Sierra Club. It is not for tree huggers, or mountain climbers, or vice presidents that shoot their friends. It is us. All of us. We were not plopped here by aliens. This may seem obvious at first, but when you look at how we perceive nature it gets a little unclear. At the risk of feeling like a total jack ass, try and say this out loud, “I am nature.” I don’t have nature or get in nature. I am nature.” |
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Written by Carrie Clough - Chef
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Saturday, 07 June 2008 23:45 |
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It is strange to consider the “Local Foods Movement” a movement. How did we become so disconnected from our local environments? For those who have traveled to towns in Europe, some of which are much larger than Santa Barbara, one of the most meaningful parts of the vacation is enjoying the local food. As a Santa Barbara resident, have you ever considered what our local delicacies might be, other than shellfish from the harbor or wine from the Santa Ynez Valley? I think it is worthwhile to pretend like you are a tourist from time to time to determine what it is that makes Santa Barbara unique, other than the weather and the architecture. Food, in my opinion, is one of the greatest expressions of culture. And just what is Santa Barbara culture? Fortunately, we are diverse group of individuals and communities, each bringing different cultural heritages into the melting pot. I think that is extraordinary. There is a strong tradition of Mexican, Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine here, which is balanced by Asian Fusion, Rustic French and Middle Eastern cuisines. All of these cuisines share something vital in common: A close, intimate connection to the land. I’m inspired by all of them, though particularly Spanish and Middle Eastern cuisines of late. |
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Written by Roy Prince
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 10:57 |
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Local Carbon Credits & Carbon Offsets
Towards a localized sustainable Santa Barbara |
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Written by Roy Prince
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 09:18 |
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Recently I had the pleasure of visiting with a friend who abides in a 300sf downtown studio - and loves it! |
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Written by Owen Dell
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Saturday, 24 May 2008 11:19 |
THE SUSTAINABLE GARDEN
by Owen E. Dell ( www.OwenDell.com )
Reprinted, with permission, from Pacific Horticulture, Winter 1998. (www.pacifichorticulture.org) Part One- A POLEMIC
| Those who would take over the earth
And shape it to their will
Never, I notice, succeed.
The earth is like a vessel so sacred
That at the mere approach of the profane
It is marred
And when they reach out their fingers, it is gone.
Lao Tzu (The Way of Life, ca. 550 b.c.) | There’s something terribly wrong with gardens. We apply harsh chemical fertilizers to make plants grow, then we laboriously cut them back and haul the trimmings to the dump. We plant things that aren’t suited to local conditions; then we wonder why our water bills are so high and gripe about having to spray for in-sects. We struggle with weeds when an inch or two of mulch would stop them. We poison our surroundings with pesticides, chemical fertilizers, the exhaust from power equipment and other unnatural substances, virtually none of which have been adequately tested for human or animal toxicity. We destroy forests to make decks, and mountains to make paths, and rivers to make gravel. We plunder nature and force our bounty into unnatural forms that require more and more resources to keep them going, becoming more unstable and consumptive as they mature. To add insult to injury, we create crudely imitative "naturalistic" gardens that make a mockery of that which we have destroyed to create them. |
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