The Great Drought

[Jana]

Since The Secret movie came out people are going Law of Attraction crazy here in Boulder (me I am helping to fuel the flame by making laminates to sell in the store because some are getting it all wrong)...I told a guy about Oz and the drought, and he thinks that the Aussies can make it rain by using their minds like the American Indians did...clear example of infantile oceanic uroboric grandiose inflationary syndrome. I mean to say, sometimes I would like to scream, and if I did I would scream FREECKING IDIOT!

Anyway here is my slightly more sober and less grandiose approach to Oz's burningup problem:

RESPONDING TO DROUGHT
Hearing about Australia’s ongoing and increasing drought (letter from Mike in Oz lower in this post) I thought I would throw some ideas together than might help. The goats of course are a nono, you have got to get rid of the goats.
If the latitude of the rainfall band has shifted north toward the equator with Global Warming there is not much we can do about that. However there is a lot that can be done on a more local scale. Primarily to encourage more rainfall, to conserve the rain that does occur and to prevent the erosion of soil. Permaculture has most of the answers: To plant the marine hills with indigenous trees to draw rain in from the ocean. To furrow and ledge hillsides to help water seep into the land and prevent runoff. Planting of valley hillsides and catchment areas to prevent soil being washed into rivers, and using jute-mesh and ground cover plants to the same effect.

Several arid plants might be advantageous for Australia to grow in order to stop increasing desertification and to provide income for farmers. These include:
NEEM: Neem or Margosa is a botanical cousin of mahogany. Neem is a fast growing tree that can reach a height of 15-20 m and is used for everything from cancer and malaria to insecticide and which all parts of the plant can be turned into profit. Neem also helps stop desertification.
JOJOBA: Jojoba "oil" is a natural mimic of the oil secreted by human skin; it is not subject to oxidizing and in fact is an anti-oxidant and will never become rancid. Today, 40000 acres of jojoba are under cultivation in the southwestern U.S. The seed-oil has been used in lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and as a replacement for sperm oil in manufacturing of inks, varnishes, waxes, detergents, resins and plastics.
CHAPARRAL, Larrea divaricata: for a wide range of conditions from asthma, venereal disease, arthritis, rheumatism, tuberculosis, colds, stomach disorders and skin infections, eliminating parasites to cancer, especially melanomas and leukemia. Chaparral is a natural chelator that helps to remove toxins from the liver and pancreas.
YUCCA: The Saponins in Yucca root support structural health due to their influence on joint health, used to treat joint pain caused by arthritis, and to reduce inflammation in the joints, digestive tract cleansing. Poultices or baths were used for skin sores and other diseases as well as for sprains. Reduces urea and ammonia in farm animals.

Wolf Berry-Lycium berlandieri is another drought tolerant species that could be commercially grown. And olive trees could be grown as olive leaf is invaluable for neurological disorders and opportunistic infections like candida. Graviola or sour sop is also gaining interest as a cancer cure. Echinacea and Aloe are other medical herbs suitable for arid conditions. Milk Thistle might also be another viable crop— When times get tough and humanity degenerates they actually need to be eating the weeds that grow on exhausted land ie: gorse flowers, thistle seeds, sorrel, http://www.weeds.org.au/



SCHAUBERGER~LIVING WATER

"For Viktor Schauberger, a forester who studied water all his life, "living water" meant a specific kind of water. At its highest quality, it has a temperature of 4°C and on clear cold nights can carry its greatest load of logs. He found that water responds to forest and shade and advised that water courses should not be straightened. A natural watercourse builds up an energy that flows within the stream in the opposite way and can be seen as a channel of light within the stream. Trout or salmon travel upsteam with this energy flow.

Schauberger said that water, a living, naturally spiraling substance can also die; unfortunately we are now seeing the dying of many rivers of the world. If living water is the only healthy kind of water to drink very few have access to such water. Schauberger devised a way to put the spiral back into water and to transport it in piping that continued this form." 82, The Divining Heart, Patricia C. and Richard D. Wright

http://www.eco-restore.com — Offers cutting edge ecologically oriented technologies and restoration services. Water vitalizing/filter systems, organic/biodynamic agriculture supplies, sustainable energy solutions, natural science books including all of Viktor Schauberger's work, and much more.

Alexandersson, Olof, Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy; Newleaf, 2002

Schauberger, Viktor, Energy Evolution (The Eco-Technology Series); Gateway, 2001

Schauberger, Viktor, The Fertile Earth: Nature's Energies in Agriculture, Soil Fertilisation and Forestry (The Eco-Technology Series, Volume 3; Gateway, 2001

Living Energies: Exposition of Concepts Viktor Schauberger by Callum Coats $30.00 A must-read if you want to understand, research and apply naturalist technologies. Comprehensively analyzes natural implosion and explosion, and regenerative and degenerative processes.

Hidden Nature by Alick Bartholomew $35.00 This book is his most recent distillation of Schauberger’s work. It strips away the complexity and gets right down to Schauberger’s main themes. Alick was the original publisher bringing Schauberger’s works into English. Accessible and relevant, it shows how Schauberger’s work can be effectively used in dealing with today’s environmental challenges.

The Schauberger Keys– compiled by Alick Bartholomew. $4.00 ‘The Keys’ came from notes Bartholomew made while writing. This booklet is more a summary of Viktor’s worldview than of his research, but contains meaningful distillations of key concepts. How electro-stress and natures forces affects you and how to take steps to neutralize environmental stress increasing your earthly vitality.

The Eco-technology Series – bv Viktor Schauberger (translated and edited by Callum Coats) $20.00 ea. / $75.00 set This expounded 4-volume series explores Nature’s energy systems in such depth and truth that these are the books we read over and over again. Callum Coats’ translations of Schauberger’s works open the doors of perception for anyone who is actively interested in working with Nature’s designs!

Vol 1: The Water Wizard – The Extraordinary Properties of Water

Vol.2: Nature as Teacher – New Principles in the Workings of Nature

Vol.3: The Fertile Earth – Agriculture, Soil Fertilisation and Forestry

Vol 4: The Energy Evolution– Harnessing Free Energy from Nature

WATER//PERMACULTURE//GLOBAL RESPONSE

http://www.fullcirclellc.com --NYC company-humanitarian aid, emergency response, permaculture, large scale environmental projects. Outstanding contributers!!! Paul Brant, Andrew Jones

http://www.permaculture.org.au --Associated with Bill Mollison, Tagari farm, Geoff Lawton.

http://www.organicgem.org --Enzymatic Digestion of waste


FROM MIKE IN BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA

From Mike in Oz:
just got back from the outback.
North-western New South Wales.

Im sorry to tell ya,
but
The Darling river is dead.

I spat across it at one point, a big throaty
at Wilcannia
My grandmother saw paddle steams at Wilcannia, taking wool to Adelaide.
I saw a green puddle

The roos had gone, in years past were mobs
No mobs now , just a few by themselves
I've never bothered to count kangaroo before, there were just so many.
Roo numbers have been replaced by feral goats.
I've never seen so many goats before. Never! And I've been going back for twenty years or more.
Goats cause deserts

On the road the most common thing transported : water-tanks. When will they be useful?, when it rains! But there hasn't been rain for months, years in some places. Id be buying more beer, not water- tanks. The beer can be drunk now at least.

I stood in a dust-storm as it overtook Broken Hill and knew that all the soil in the air meant land stripped bare somewhere, the land impoverished. Goated. Like what happened to Greece and Turkey - too many Goats!

Beside the road are notices for sales : rams are going cheap, mutton prices will fall for a while. Some farmers are turning to GOATS! Actually encouraging the animals as substitutes for sheep.
Again: goats cause desert, they break up the soil with their cloven feet, denude the vegetation and bread like rodents.

The Darling feeds into the Murray River which waters the 5th city of the land.
A dead Darling means half the Murray is dead too, 15% of our agriculture comes from this region.
Dead water dont flow which is perfect for mosquitos. Think Malaria, think Ross River Fever. Avoided swag sleeping anywhere near "water". Then the Flies, flies by day and mozzy by night. I wore a fly net over my hat at all times, but still got to swallow a few flies EVERY day. yum

The land is Goating fast. More than that even: its only just starting. So lets talk more of the goating goats:

The goats are destroying aboriginal cave paintings as they climb high and rub the oils from their fleece into the cave walls. The age of these works is immeasurable.
But the traditional owners have decided after debate amongst the tribes, to not cause further desecration by intervening themselves. The cave paintings will die like the land. Let it pass, a thing of sublime value, too subtle and powerful to bear ignorant intervention by non traditional blacks.

So they watch, these river blacks as the world is destroyed around them. How strong are they that they can act with such dignity at such loss (such with-holding being one with their tradition), while letting go. Knowing they will be stranded forever cut off from the spirit of both tribe and identity, the land not recognising them and they not recognising the land.


it will be our turn soon, unless we do something (about the Goats)


BAN THE GOAT.

Hope for rain


October 2006


News Article: No limit to drought relief for farmers
October 14, 2006
The federal government will continue providing drought-stricken farmers with financial aid for as long as they need it, Treasurer Peter Costello has pledged.

Mr Costello did not name a figure but said the total bill would "go a lot higher" than the $1.25 billion already spent on drought relief for 53,000 farming families since 2001.

He said it was "a shocking situation" but warned only rain would break the drought.

"The commonwealth government has already provided assistance of $1.25 billion for farmers who are in exceptional circumstances: that's income support, it's interest rate subsidies," he told reporters in Sydney.

"This program will continue to run on as long as there are farmers that need that assistance.

"Obviously it's going to go a lot higher than the current $1.25 billion. We will only know when the drought is finished."

Mr Costello also said he would look at whether people claiming drought assistance had to complete too much paperwork, and whether they were waiting too long to receive payments.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile on Saturday warned the Nationals federal conference in Canberra it could take Australia five years to recover from the drought.

Mr Costello said he hoped it would not take so long, but urged caution.

"The last drought was in 2002 - that was a one-in-100-years drought. Some farmers have not yet come out of that," he added.

"For them this has already been going three or four years. I hope we do come out of it early.

"But the only thing that breaks a drought is rain, and rain is outside our control."

© 2006

[Richard on Maui]

Outstanding first post from the woman in Boulder, Colorado!!!

[Cornonthecob]

Twas very interesting indeed!

One thing about farmers....I haven't met one yet who is doing something about trying to improve their land. I know there must be some out there doing so....but have yet to meet one.

[frosty]

mmmmmm goats may be harder on the land than the natives like roos but they are no where near as destructive as sheep or cattle and everyone knows horses do the most damage ........

just my observations as someone who has kept all of them

and I went through the Wilcannia area in the droughts of the early 90s and sheep had totally denuded everything and then dug for the roots

back then there where thousands of roos all trying to eat along the road verge at night - the only thing the sheep hadnt eaten ......... we had to travel at night one night and spent all our time dodging from one side of the road to the other to avoid roos......

we were in a F350 towing a gooseneck with a horse onboard so had to go slowly but even so he developd a haematoma on his chest from coming up against the bar as because we had to brake to avoid roos

the roadtrains just mowed them down but we werent big enough or callous enough .......... but even so the dog was able to spend several days under the vehicles in doggy heaven licking up roo bits from those we just couldnt avoid !

eventually we just had to stop on the side of the road just east of Wilcannia and wait for dawn .......... now where safe to unload the horse so he had to sleep onboard ........... next morning he developed travel sickness from humidity and bacteria due to that and we had to camp at Nyngan and get a vet out from Warren ! expensive mistake ...... but the horse was ok and won several national titles the next week in Dubbo

but it was lucky we travelled over a week before the comp

frosty

[kathleenmc]

Hi Jana,

Interesting post.

You know, there is so much more to do with living here in Aus' that you may be not aware of.

This is a land that has minmal rain, in most of its country, all the time.

Goats are only a snippet of the problem....yeh sure ban the goat, but we have a dozen or more other ferral animals doing just as much damage...and it's not as though we've been sitting around twiddling our thumbs on what to do about it. Vast sums of money, people power and technology has gone into trying to eradicate this problem.

There's a huge trade in feral goat meat to the African and Middle East markets that some enterprising farmers are now using (and making a living!) to combat the goat.

Then there's the human factor. People are waking up to the water crisis because what else are they gonna do when it's not there? That's slowly starting to change as people become educated in better farming practice.

Permaculture and other alternative landuse practice is slowly infiltrating the farming community. With this current climate of crisis if farmers don't change how they use the land their farm enterprise often fails and they hand it back over to the bank. (Which by the way has been continually happening since the white settlement of Australia a bit over 200 years ago).

We have one farmer here called Peter Andrews who is converting farms to better water use (after years of ridicule). He was just an ordinary guy who had a great idea about landuse which he put into practice and years later it's paid off. He finally has some cred' as his properties are now still green while all around him other farms are dry.

http://www.naturalsequencefarming.com/nsfpeter.htm

He's using keyline type principles for saving water on the land.

http://www.keyline.com.au/

Peter is just one of many people here in Aus' trying to make a difference.

There's a couple of hundred dedicated Permaculture teachers, trainers, practitioners and consultants passing on what they know to the general public here in Aus and the rest of the world. That type of teaching is growing expidentially and in a couple of years I forsee it becoming the norm to learn about how to live sustainably on your part of the planet.

This forum is already from Bill Mollison & Geoff Lawton's website.

That DVD 'The Secret' is certainly doing the rounds. Everyone I know down here in my part of the country has watched it. I wonder what that will do to the collective human psyche? Something positive I hope, we definitely need it.

What's happening in Boulder? Many Permies there? How is alternative technology and landuse practice used in your part of the planet?

Kathleen

[ecodharmamark]

G'day Jana

Welcome to the PRI Forum.

This is a little 'Timeline' that I put together sometime ago, it may help to explain why it is that Australia is in the predicament it is today.

Australia
120,000 years ago
Lake George Basin area, NSW
Aboriginal Australians 'farm' the land using fire, a knowledge of climate change, the culling of wildlife, the harvesting of wild fruits and vegetables, the collection of natural medicines, fibres and other methods of sustainable land use. A huge knowledge bank forms with regards to the sustainable use of water. Many nations of people are able to exist upon the driest, oldest and most weather-beaten continent on earth.

30,700 years ago
Lake Mungo, NSW
Underground ovens being used by local people.

30,000 years ago
Cuddy Springs, NSW
Bread making activities undertaken by local people.

16,000 years ago
Shaws Creek (near Yarramundi), NSW
Sustainable farming practices being employed by local people as evidenced by hearths and stone tools.

1401
Darwin, NT
International trade between the local people and Chinese sailors as evidenced by a 15th C Ming Dynasty statuette.

1780
East Coast of Australia
Cook navigates along the East Coast of Australia and claims possession of the entire land beyond.

1788
Sydney Cove, NSW
Arrival of First Fleet, the raising of the Union Jack and the introduction of killer diseases/viruses.

1789
Sydney Area, NSW
Small pox epidemic decimates the local (Eora) people.

1790
Sydney, NSW
Colonialists almost starve due to an inabilty to understand how to 'live off the land'.

1795
Sydney, NSW
First plow used and thus the destruction of an already fragile soil-structure begins.

1836
Victoria
Major Thomas Mitchell arrives in Victoria and the war that follows between the new settlers and the original inhabitants of the grassy plains see dozens of Europeans killed and literally thousands of Aboriginal people slaughtered during the next 17-years.

1839
Victoria
Severe erosion, massive dust storms and extinctions of both flora and fauna

1852
Bendigo, Victoria
Every tree for 100-miles felled to fuel the rapacious mining industry.

1859
Barwon Park, Victoria
24 rabbits released with the intention of providing 'sport' for the Landed Gentry.

1860-65
Across Australia
Drought.

1865
Barwon Park, Victoria
14,000 rabbits shot. Government declares rabbits a 'pest' and decrees that "all rabbits on your proerty must be destroyed".

1870
Macedon, Victoria
Government establishes first forestry nursery to try and halt the denuding of the forests and the subsequent problems with erosion.

1876-77
Across Australia
Drought.

1888
Across Australia
100-years of European occupation causes the Aboriginal population to be reduced from 300,000 to less than 80,000, and renders much of the useless to conventional (European) farming practices. Drought and severe erosion continue to ravish the land.

1902
Across Australia
Drought.

1905
Birth of P.A. Yeomans

1914
Across Australia
Drought.

1922
Across Australia
Drought.

1925
Across Australia
Drought.

1927
Across Australia
Drought.

1937-38
Across Australia
Drought.

1940
Birth of Peter Andrews. Drought.

1943-45
Across Australia
Drought.

1954
P.A. Yeomans publishes The Keyline Plan. This work is mostly ignored by the Government and farming industry.

1957
Across Australia
Drought.

1958
P.A. Yeomans publishes The Challenge of Landscape. Once again a brilliant work is mostly ignored by those that had the power to turn the devestation around.

1966
P.A. Yeomans publishes Water for Every Farm. This detailed blueprint for how Australian farmers and land managers can 'drought proof' the land mostly falls on deaf ears. A pattern of drought is now firmly entrenched in the driest continent on earth.

1967
Across Australia
Drought.

1971
P.A. Yeomans publishes his 'little green book' The City Forest. In it he calls for a 'revolution' of both thought and practice concerning the planning and development of urban centres in Australia. The revolution fails to materialise and another opportunity to halt the destruction of a once great land is missed.

1972
Across Australia
Yes, you guessed it, DROUGHT!

1974
P.A. Yeomans work is finally recognised for the brilliance that it is with the granting of the Prince Phillip Design Award, however the destruction of the land continues.

1977
DROUGHT!
Peter Matthews acquires Tarwyn Park, a heavily salt-encrusted, drought-ravaged and erosion-degradated former horse stud and spends the next 20-years repairing the land by employing his own Natural Sequence Farming techniques.

1982
DROUGHT!

1983
DROUGHT!
NSW, Victoria and SA
Melbourne is blanketed by a thick layer of dust after massive dust storms follow the devastating bush fires of Ash Wednesday.

1984
P.A. Yeomans dies.

2002
DROUGHT!

2003
DROUGHT!

2004
DROUGHT!

2005
DROUGHT!

2006
DROUGHT!
Peter Andrews is named Senior Australian of the Year, but has his message been listened to?

There are a great many people doing a great many things in this part of the world to help repair the damage, not least many of the people who post here on a regular basis. But if we are ever to achieve the desired outcome, that is to survive as a species in a happy and peaceful manner, then there is much that we need to continue to do. If we leave it up to 'others' - politicians, industry leaders and the like - then we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past.

We, the people of this country (indeed this earth!) need to head all of the warnings of the past. We need to take action now to halt further decline of the very systems that sustain us. No longer can we ignore the fact that our natural systems are on the brink of collapse. Are we up to the task? I believe we are. Will we take on this monumental job? Only time will tell.

The sins of the fathers are visited on the children unto the seventh generation.

Cheerio, Mark.

References:

Muru Mittigar Museum
http://www.murumittigar.com.au/history/index.html

Peter Andrews - Natural Sequence Farming
http://www.nsfarming.com/andrews.htm

A Homage to P.A. Yeomans
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... omage.html

[Jana]

Gee thanks guys. I just felt the need to start down that dusty road after Mike sent me that letter...I know you are all working on it. I am from NZ living in Boulder, there is a progressive move toward sustainability here, some forward thinking companies, solar research and such...the main problem is that Americans have not been shaken adequately into crisis, so their thinking is still more along the lines of how can I get mine and still be reasonably moral. Buckminster Fuller should be taught in every classroom in America, along with Permaculture, but this country is generally either full of disembodied intellectuals or dumbed down masses. Agency and creative thinking have been eradicated from the American psyche by the "fat" years and the fact that the country is run by corrupt politicians. Americans have yet to get flaming mad enough to break through their ennui.
“The conventional is insane. Conformity decentalizes identity and drowns creativity.” Dan Bartlett
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside as while we live.” Dan Bartlett


I myself have become disembodied intellectual over the last few years having had a major kundalini awakening and writing a book on the biology of kundalini, because there was nothing out there in spiritual literature that made any sense or could be "used" by someone going through an awakening. That book is online at http://www.biologyofkundalini.com

My life's vision is up at http://www.myfacilitate.net/jana/
in the piece about setting up living-learning institutes around the Pacific basin—Amarnia Centers
My highest vision is Solaris...a solar powered completely non-polluting city but that technology is way too futuristic to use now, but I am going to continue to flesh out that vision and seed humanity with the idea.

Now my book is finished I want to pull myself away from endless philosophical navel gazing and start some action in the real world. First is a business that will earn me the money to do some projects, but I am still looking for a business partner. One thing I want to do is propagate and breed plants, but that might be a ways away yet.

Meantime my money making venture is not going to be plants, my plant venture comes after that as part of the true work. I already have a couple of products lined up (made in Taiwan), I hope to hear back from a possible partner next week or else I will keep on looking for the right person.

Gooood to hear from you all!
XJ

[Jana]

Oh and I didn't say, this same guy that said Aussies should "think" away the drought said that they must have been doing something bad to bring it one themselves. I suprised myself by not bopping him on the nose then and there...and telling him he brought it on himself.

In Oz:Hemp could be grown in vast quantities both for its seeds which are an excellent source of protein, and to provide the fiber for land-stabilizing purposes. Dates also could provide a source of income for desert farmers.

Any of you guys know of any passive systems for removing salt from water, perhaps using sunlight, has permaculture ventured into this?


"When you reach a fork in the road, take it". Yogi Berra

Steps to taking the fork in the road:
1. Recognize that you are on a predetermined trajectory and falling asleep at the wheel.
2. Summon some curiousity about the possibility of change and novelty.
3. Sit on that flame of potentiality until it burns a hole in your trousers.
4. See yourself actually doing something different for a change.
5. Fantasize about alternative futures, and alternative yous.
6. Remain alert and scan for possible upcoming forks in the road.
7. If you see a fork take it without hesitation, just to see where it goes.
8. If it turns out to be a shitty fork collect data and use that information to refine your fork huning skills.

[9anda1f]

Some studies regarding desalination using renewable energy sources have been done. One such is outlined here:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1134990

Which got me to thinking. I have seen focusing solar steam generation devices that use an array of 12" x 12" mirror tiles, such as might be applied to a household wall. Each of these mirrors is placed upon a framework and individually aimed at a common point (the focus). That point is plumbed with suitable high-pressure piping that leads to a steam turbine. The framework is rigged to a solar tracking fixture. With such a device, steam can be generated to drive an electrical generator. (reference an old Mother Earth magazine).

So... what if the water used was salt water? The steam would still be created and drive the electrical generator. Plus, the steam is purified water! When cooled, it would be basically distilled water. There would be some issues with salt water corrosion, but I think they could be overcome.

Would be a kind of nesting of functions, no? Any merit to this thought?

(Also, a big thanks to all on these forums for all the thoughts and ideas your valuable posts generate!)

9anda1f

[Jana]

http://www.nrel.gov/ —National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO

Or a lab at the University here in Boulder are experimenting with a mirrored dish, a glass cylinder in the middle to focus the light on the water...for spliting hydrogen and oxygen. Apparently you still need a catalyst: . "For decomposition the light is absorbed in a photoactive catalyst which allows the water decomposition to occur through redox electrochemistry, at the catalyst surface." AJ Nozik, National Renewable Energy Lab

Victor Schauberger made electricity off of the electropotential of spiraling water I think, I have to start reading all his material.

Here is one of my inventions which I thought of at a Bill Mollison workshop in NZ in 1989. It is a way of heating water passively with the sun. It consists of a spiral tube of thermal-tolerant glass formed in a cone shape. Filling the inside of the cone is iron sand, which heats to a very high temperature under the sun. Water is run through the tube, and the system could be made passively driven or pumped if necessary. The size and number of this conical units on ones roof would differ with the different heat-sunlight hours of ones locality...diameter of the glass tube could also regulate the heat generated in different environments.

Recently I thought of creating spiral fins on the inside of the glass tubing in order to spiral the water around to get further surface area heating of the water...I imagine that some form of energy generating system could be achieved by using solar heated spiraling water; but I have a feeling that Schauberger found 4°C to be the temperature where water had its highest potential.
The problem with my solar cone heaters is algae growing on the inside of the tube, however considering the high temperatures this might not be a problem. I intend to make a prototype of this contraption one day.