Biodiversity is the variety of life in all its forms, levels & combinations.  To maintain the biodiversity of the Gaian organism is of vital importance because each species represents a node of connexion in the complex web of Life which sustains us.   At the moment our industrial & highly consumerist civilization is responsible for the disappearance of some 200 species per day.    These are converted into human biomass on a daily basis, but we're destroying the foundation that support our own survival.    So there is a big job to do.  In this class we explore some direct ways of increasing biodiversity at a local level, like seed recuperation, habitat protection, & starting to change our diet in a conscious way so that it adapts better to the indigenous ecosystem of our region, instead of trying to adapt nature to our whims.

2. wangari maathai "Until you dig a hole, plant a tree, you water it & make it survive, you haven't done a thing. You're just talking" “ The essential role of the environment is still marginal in discussions about poverty. While we continue to debate these initiatives, environmental degradation, including the loss of biodiversity and topsoil, accelerates, causing development efforts to falter.” Kenia, 1 April 1940 - 25 September 2011

5. Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, from the genes to species and populations to the complex ecosystems in which they live

6. 14 million species is an an estimate of the biodiversity of the Earth we've only documented 1.7 million habitat destruction & pollution play major roles in destroying animal & plant species 2004 team of scientist estimated that 15 to 37% will extinct due to global warming

8. Importance of Biodiversity Climate change will severely test ecosystems' resilience , & resilience is a factor of biodiversity

9. we are all "odd-balls" And it is our weirdness interacting with other people weirdness that CREATES BIODIVERSITY CULTURALDIVERSITY

10. a Social Model (RC) owning class working class sexism classism racism adultism/ageism isolated BY OPPRESSIONS (which are combinations of PATTERNS) ISOLATION is the pattern we perceive but INSIDE each group there is also tension The Oppressions (inner and outer) don't allow us to appreciate a care for our diversity

11. Internalized Oppression External Oppression (institutions & people who limit & batter us from outside) (patterns that limit & batter us from the inside) LOTS OF PRESSURE!! eg. adultism sexism racism classism ... > we attempt to ‘liberate’ it by acting as oppressors whenever the opportunity presents itself (= PERPETUATES the pattern) > or we anesthetize ourselves (drugs of any kind: it's their function = PERPETUATES the pattern)

12. Biodiversity it's a matter of the four quadrants

18. Combining a wide variety of species underpins any good design

19. A Herb Spiral is lots of complementary varieties in one place

20. Grow your own locally adapted varieties to enjoy

29. many types of nursery tree nurseries especially VITAL & easy

31. nurseries of perennials are particularly important

32. How to Grow $500,000 on One Acre, and Peace on Earth

33. Anna Edey Since 1976 Anna Edey has made one astonishing discovery after another, which she has been developing ever since under the name Solviva Solar-Dynamic Bio-Benign Design.

34. Anna Edey Stacking Chickens for Heat & CO2 Passive Solar Water filled temperature buffer walls www.solviva.com

35. Our more humble efforts at FincaLuna I Started with seedlings on the ground (whole terrace for business production)

36. Temporary for because still observing, observing, etc. & more humble efforts at FincaLuna II & now working up to the super-duper definite article (after 10yrs of observation :) Nursery in Zone 1 normally, this quite important in our case

37. Victorian Greenhouses Research Project!

38. PolyTunnels Cheapest Easy to build Strong

39. & Ultra-Modern 100% Recycled 'double-glazed' Sun-resistant

47. How Dr Ingham saved the World a horror story This bacterium was going to be released ; it had all of the necessary approval. It was only a matter of proper marketing and shipping. It was only by virtue of a random review by an independent scientist (Dr. Elaine Ingham, a professor at Oregon State University) that it was caught in time. the Environmental Protection Agency was the only overseer for all biotech releases, and their policy was to test new bacteria in sterile soil . The problem here being that the real world ... soil is anything BUT sterile.

53. Vandana Shiva physicist, environmental activist, feminist, and author of many books. “ It is time to learn from the mistakes of monocultures of the mind and the essentialising violence of reductionist thought. It is time to turn to diversity for healing.”

54. = 9 seeds She established Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmer’s rights, and directs the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy. Navdanya was created 20 years ago, with the goal of saving seeds

55. Diversity creates harmony, and harmony creates beauty, balance, bounty and peace in nature and society, in agriculture and culture, in science and in politics. Grandmother's University Organic Farming Earth Democracy Seed Sovereignity Food Sovereignity Land Sovereignity Water Democracy Women for Diversity