Well known journalist George Monbiot needs little introduction. Many know him from his regular Guardian column and those familiar with his work understand that he is an activist with an agenda. This statement isn't a condemnation, merely an observation: I have an agenda also and I hope everyone reading this has one too. I began reading Regenisis with the knowledge that Monbiot’s vision of the future is profoundly at odds with mine, but nevertheless with a commitment to keep an open mind and read with as little bias as possible.
Totally with you on this. I just read Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as one of Joel Salatin’s books, by the way, so this dovetails well with my current thinking.
I read this book for the similar reasons to those that you presented here, feeling like I had an obligation to be familiar with what he his arguments and what he was proposing. I found the book a difficult read, I think especially because I was so engaged in and felt a connection with the first chapters. I cannot imagine that trying to completely remove ourselves from the nature that we are completely a part of (like it or not) could ever be a good idea. I think that putting our food and health in the hands of tech companies and governments is one of the most dangerous suggestions I can imagine. As usual, those that have the least and have the most to lose will be the biggest losers in this scenario. Thanks for writing this review, I will be passing it along.
I've been in the private fisheries management biz for a number of years and have developed a non toxic, sustainable method of management; eliminating industrial pesticides from, aquaculture, recreational and sporting waterways. Riparian and fluvial turf and soil management has become a necessary adaptation in addition; for overall quality of the privately owned lands I work. I use a nano silica based water cleansing and food chain builder to stimulate diatoms to take up nutrient pollution and actually grow aquatic animal weight instead of harmful algal blooms and invasive weeds. There's never been a client displeased with the results and peace of mind. Same thing with the turf formula by the same company. These inputs aren't needed in already balanced lands and waters, well managed by master farmers. But are amazing recovery tools for heavily damaged lands and water. Celebrities and wealthy people own ranches all over our region, across 4 states on my route and have no clue once they have the properties how to manage these new toys and investments. They often have a staff that comes for hire with the property and and are often alarmed at the amount of toxic chemical involved in the conventional method. An alternative is in high demand in these types of markets. Everyone from ranch owners to HOA's with waterfronts or marinas. The side effect of diatom stimulation in water is oxygen production and more nano silica available for a natural balance to come about later as inputs are scaled back. The turf and crop fertilizer is an alternative to industrial chemical ag. The nano silica base is applied to plants foliar fed. There's no runoff and silica with plants boosts drought tolerance and pest resistance, drastically reducing the use of pesticide, fungucide, etc. I've helped landowners eliminate the use of Roundup or Ortho on their properties and gardens and I grow tons of fish every season in their lakes, ponds and streams. Ive eliminated the use of all pesticides in my biz and will never have a pesticide applicators license again. And most importantly never be exposed to the stuff myself ever again. I'm ranting all about it Stephen King style on my Substack page.
Websites for nano silica fertilizer tech info: aquaritin.comnualgi.com - oxygen and food production, carbon and pollution remediation.
Today’s article at Brunette Gardens, “Have the courage of your convictions” about fighting for and or patiently waiting out people to come around to reality. Hugely inspiring! It’s like reading religious text with people like Lisa on Substack. And of course your work too Ms. Cady! The words relate to the day we read them. Like a divine force read our minds.
I'll be the wrench in your writing. ;) First off, I haven't read the book, though I have read one of his books and am somewhat familiar with him. I read Feral a few years ago, it was much more of a UK slant and I thought it very interesting because I wasn't aware of some of the ecological issues the UK faced.
I think you are rather simplistic in relying on farmers to know their land to quantify soil. Farmers are farmers, they may be good at growing whatever crop they produce, but they aren't soil scientists. It's also simplistic to not take into account indigenous cultures and how devastating they were to megafauna prior to European colonization in the Americas. Many people prefer this kumbaya perspective of native cultures without considering for a moment they too are humans who have exploited the landscape at some point in time.
I'm curious why you called environmentalists techno-optimists? I definitely do not see tech involved in decoupling ag from nature. Again, I think you are incredibly simplistic in "learning from indigenous and peasant cultures that have retained sustainable relationships with their land..." because to me this sounds like you are meshing together all of those cultures into one without taking into account the historical facts for many of those cultures on their own land. Peasant cultures deforested the British Isles and much of Europe.
Looked up some of your names at the end, I recognized Diana Rodgers from her podcast. I was once vegetarian for a few years and also very into the permaculture and somewhat paleo movements. I have heard the rigmarole from both groups. There's a middle ground but also a ground that removes humans as the center of conversation.
Have you read anything by Benjamin Vogt? I highly recommend his book A New Garden Ethic---it isn't about meat or soil but it's about the human primacy we've placed on our ecosystems.
Anyway, I will be checking out Monbiot's book from the library so that I can come back and discuss this with a little more information than what you've shared here. Hopefully I can come back sometime this spring and chat more.
Thank you for reading George's book so I wouldn't have to! Did he talk about food waste? I believe it's at about a third of food produced is discarded even though it is edible. Maybe too simple a solution; not fancy at all.
Nato shot down the Chinese balloonery, alien ballooney tunes, and now we will have a ballooney war, good luck with that!
Another nuttin´ burger, tank you, sank you very much, nom nom nom!
My silent screams might be a perfect soundrack to the next Plandemic MAGAphoned!
That is why I must be the good guy, right? Do not try this at home, as Beavis and Butthead would advise!
Being the good guy among so many bad guys really freaks me out, gives me the creeps! And then I testify on the inflated Weaponization of BullSkirt in the Dungeon Subcommittee hot spa meeting .... go figure!
Totally with you on this. I just read Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as one of Joel Salatin’s books, by the way, so this dovetails well with my current thinking.
I read this book for the similar reasons to those that you presented here, feeling like I had an obligation to be familiar with what he his arguments and what he was proposing. I found the book a difficult read, I think especially because I was so engaged in and felt a connection with the first chapters. I cannot imagine that trying to completely remove ourselves from the nature that we are completely a part of (like it or not) could ever be a good idea. I think that putting our food and health in the hands of tech companies and governments is one of the most dangerous suggestions I can imagine. As usual, those that have the least and have the most to lose will be the biggest losers in this scenario. Thanks for writing this review, I will be passing it along.
I've been in the private fisheries management biz for a number of years and have developed a non toxic, sustainable method of management; eliminating industrial pesticides from, aquaculture, recreational and sporting waterways. Riparian and fluvial turf and soil management has become a necessary adaptation in addition; for overall quality of the privately owned lands I work. I use a nano silica based water cleansing and food chain builder to stimulate diatoms to take up nutrient pollution and actually grow aquatic animal weight instead of harmful algal blooms and invasive weeds. There's never been a client displeased with the results and peace of mind. Same thing with the turf formula by the same company. These inputs aren't needed in already balanced lands and waters, well managed by master farmers. But are amazing recovery tools for heavily damaged lands and water. Celebrities and wealthy people own ranches all over our region, across 4 states on my route and have no clue once they have the properties how to manage these new toys and investments. They often have a staff that comes for hire with the property and and are often alarmed at the amount of toxic chemical involved in the conventional method. An alternative is in high demand in these types of markets. Everyone from ranch owners to HOA's with waterfronts or marinas. The side effect of diatom stimulation in water is oxygen production and more nano silica available for a natural balance to come about later as inputs are scaled back. The turf and crop fertilizer is an alternative to industrial chemical ag. The nano silica base is applied to plants foliar fed. There's no runoff and silica with plants boosts drought tolerance and pest resistance, drastically reducing the use of pesticide, fungucide, etc. I've helped landowners eliminate the use of Roundup or Ortho on their properties and gardens and I grow tons of fish every season in their lakes, ponds and streams. Ive eliminated the use of all pesticides in my biz and will never have a pesticide applicators license again. And most importantly never be exposed to the stuff myself ever again. I'm ranting all about it Stephen King style on my Substack page.
Websites for nano silica fertilizer tech info: aquaritin.com nualgi.com - oxygen and food production, carbon and pollution remediation.
Today’s article at Brunette Gardens, “Have the courage of your convictions” about fighting for and or patiently waiting out people to come around to reality. Hugely inspiring! It’s like reading religious text with people like Lisa on Substack. And of course your work too Ms. Cady! The words relate to the day we read them. Like a divine force read our minds.
Very interesting. I barely know Monboit from a few articles I've read in The Guardian. Now I know a lot more. Thanks for this.
I'll be the wrench in your writing. ;) First off, I haven't read the book, though I have read one of his books and am somewhat familiar with him. I read Feral a few years ago, it was much more of a UK slant and I thought it very interesting because I wasn't aware of some of the ecological issues the UK faced.
I think you are rather simplistic in relying on farmers to know their land to quantify soil. Farmers are farmers, they may be good at growing whatever crop they produce, but they aren't soil scientists. It's also simplistic to not take into account indigenous cultures and how devastating they were to megafauna prior to European colonization in the Americas. Many people prefer this kumbaya perspective of native cultures without considering for a moment they too are humans who have exploited the landscape at some point in time.
I'm curious why you called environmentalists techno-optimists? I definitely do not see tech involved in decoupling ag from nature. Again, I think you are incredibly simplistic in "learning from indigenous and peasant cultures that have retained sustainable relationships with their land..." because to me this sounds like you are meshing together all of those cultures into one without taking into account the historical facts for many of those cultures on their own land. Peasant cultures deforested the British Isles and much of Europe.
Looked up some of your names at the end, I recognized Diana Rodgers from her podcast. I was once vegetarian for a few years and also very into the permaculture and somewhat paleo movements. I have heard the rigmarole from both groups. There's a middle ground but also a ground that removes humans as the center of conversation.
Have you read anything by Benjamin Vogt? I highly recommend his book A New Garden Ethic---it isn't about meat or soil but it's about the human primacy we've placed on our ecosystems.
Anyway, I will be checking out Monbiot's book from the library so that I can come back and discuss this with a little more information than what you've shared here. Hopefully I can come back sometime this spring and chat more.
Thank you for reading George's book so I wouldn't have to! Did he talk about food waste? I believe it's at about a third of food produced is discarded even though it is edible. Maybe too simple a solution; not fancy at all.
Regeneration is the only way to save this planet from going up in flames ....
Iceland, definitely Iceland!
I gotta go to Iceland one more time to chill the fook out!
Iceland the way you have never seen or even imagined, all in the DELUXE Special Limited Edition!
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/iceland-in-bloom
Yes, actually, I am the worst kind at saying no, you do not want to know, lol!
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/in-a-heartbeat-so-heart-breaking
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/the-fugue-operation-redline
Nato shot down the Chinese balloonery, alien ballooney tunes, and now we will have a ballooney war, good luck with that!
Another nuttin´ burger, tank you, sank you very much, nom nom nom!
My silent screams might be a perfect soundrack to the next Plandemic MAGAphoned!
That is why I must be the good guy, right? Do not try this at home, as Beavis and Butthead would advise!
Being the good guy among so many bad guys really freaks me out, gives me the creeps! And then I testify on the inflated Weaponization of BullSkirt in the Dungeon Subcommittee hot spa meeting .... go figure!
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/hope-nope-dope-cope
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/monks-or-monkeys-or-mtfs
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/membership-mandatory-the-enabling