Day 2 ‘Road to MA’ (Wed 16 June) Burbank>Bakersfield, CA

I sleep well and leave my overnight street parking slot in Burbank by early morning. My first stop is at Castaic for gas and breakfast, and then, when I see Pyramid Lake glistening in the sunlight to my left on route 5, I just have to stop again.   A view of Pyramid Lake from the visitor center How lucky is [...]

Independence Day

Sitting on the front porch of this Federal house on the intersection of two quiet country roads in upstate New York, I discover it was once a gentleman’s farm. Apparently he grew apples and tended poultry here in the summer, and in winter he went across country to California to farm there. East coast and [...]

Whats Up With LA Taking All of the Water?

JEN AND ROMY FREDERICK OFTEN TAKE OFF IN THEIR VW TO GO CAMPING AND WRITE ABOUT THEIR DISCOVERIES. HERE JEN WRITES ABOUT A RECENT TRIP EAST OF THEIR OAKLAND HOME. THANKS  FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR BLOG, JEN ….. In our recent jaunts to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, be it to go to the desert, the [...]

California musings … Part 2

I am struggling with what to write .. or rather how to express my thoughts in a way that others will find palatable.  Since passing the Santa Barbara line, there’s been a palpable change in the way people behave. It’s as if wealth breeds fear and suspicion (for example, since when is taking a photograph of [...]

Quote of the Month

“In the coming years we will have to move thirteen of the major twenty coastal cities uphill, and we will have to do it collaboratively.” Elisabet Sahtouris

Shifting soil …. and power

Today I received this Facebook update from Contra Costa County Climate Leaders Program: Cities are finding that shifting soil, exacerbated by extreme swings in weather, has led to an unprecedented number of foundation failures in houses across the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/garden/04foundation.html It reminded me of our drive south of Monterey on Route 1, in the stormy weather, where the [...]

Chile earthquake – the earth is moaning

Another earthquake, this time in Chile. Is this one important enough for us to take notice? When are we going to start moaning to our governments that we need to take more urgent action on environmental issues and climate change? Are we yet listening to the earth moaning?

No Impact Project

After Colin Beaven’s book was published and he’d received interest from most big media in the USA and around the world, he was contacted about starting a project to spread his example further afield. The No Impact Project was born and if you watch the video below it explains how you can join the NO [...]

No Impact Man

We have just attended an event in Moraga sponsored by four local environmental community organizations. Following some locally produced appetizers, a little wine tasting and some good conversation about local action for a more sustainable local economy and healthier environment, we all gathered to watch a documentary – NO IMPACT MAN – which follows Colin [...]

Energy saving news from Ukiah

We met Hannah Bird last night in Ukiah at the Mendocino Environmental Center radio station and just watched a broadcast from her on youtube. We’ll share her video with you a little later … as youtube were doing some work on their website at the time we wanted to post the link here … and [...]