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NEW SOCIETY BLOG
Interview with Lloyd Alter
Today’s blog features an interview with Lloyd Alter, author of Why Individual Climate Action Matters More than Ever. It includes the winning question from the giveaway!
Achieving Racial Justice and Equity Requires Conversation
Today, Fern Johnson and Marlene Fine share stories that didn’t rise to national attention. How many of these were you aware of?
Why You Can Grow Figs In Cold Climates
For some, the taste of a fresh, juicy fig brings memories of travel to warm, faraway places. However, if you live in a colder region - it’s possible to enjoy figs grown on your own property. In Growing Figs in Cold Climates: A Complete Guide, Lee Reich provides methods for cultivating figs in cold regions. Today, Lee explains why it’s entirely possible to grow figs in cold climates.
What Does ‘Climate Hypocrite’ Even Mean?
Self-confessed eco-hypocrite Sami Grover says we should do what we can in our own lives, but then we need to target those actions to create systemic change. Today, we share an excerpt from We’re All Climate Hypocrites Now: How Embracing Our Limitations Can Unlock the Power of a Movement on what Sami means when he uses the term hypocrite.
Understanding Power
For much of Richard Heinberg’s adult life, he’s been bothered by the questions of is it possible that we humans, or at least some of us, now enjoy too much of a good thing? Or is our problem merely that we don’t understand power very well and, therefore, misuse it? Today, he explores these questions and provides context for how we can better understand power.
Introduction to Power by Richard Heinberg
Richard Heinberg’s latest title, Power is an exploration of humanity's power over nature and the power of some people over others. Power traces how four key elements developed to give humans extraordinary power: tool making ability, language, social complexity, and the ability to harness energy sources — most significantly, fossil fuels. Today, we take an excerpt from Power that explains how Richard started on the journey of writing this book.
Individual Climate Action Does Make a Difference
How do we adapt our lives to reduce our carbon footprint? In Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, Lloyd Alter reveals the carbon costs of everything we do and provides practical tips for making significant reductions and not sweating the small stuff. Today on the blog, we take an excerpt from Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, where Lloyd explains how various forms of food waste impact our carbon footprint.
The Footprint of Food Waste
How do we adapt our lives to reduce our carbon footprint? In Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, Lloyd Alter reveals the carbon costs of everything we do and provides practical tips for making significant reductions and not sweating the small stuff. Today on the blog, we take an excerpt from Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle, where Lloyd explains how various forms of food waste impact our carbon footprint.
The 2021 Living Now Book Award Winners
We are thrilled to announce that three New Society titles has are winners of the 2021 Living Now Book Awards.
Why is Collaborative Decision Making Effective for Problem Solving?
Today on the blog we take a case study from Building Community by James Gruber focused on participatory decision making processes. Many people may question why this problem solving process is so important when we elect and hire leaders to make decisions for us.
Earth Rammed Construction: Building With Materials Found On Site
Since 1993, using rammed earth in construction for code-approved buildings has occurred in almost every province and proven themselves capable of enduring the harsh Canadian climates. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Rammed Earth Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide by Tim Krahn to discover more about one of the oldest construction methods on the planet.
A Case for Building Science
The two enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing in residential construction are poor heat and moisture management. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Building Science: Understanding Energy and Moisture in High Performance House Design by Jacob Deva Racusin, where Jacob unpacks why we need building science.
The Benefits Of Using Hempcrete in Your Construction Projects
Hempcrete, or hemp-line as it is referred to in Europe, is a promising sustainable building material. It is a green alternative to composites such as concrete, mortar and plaster. Today, we take an excerpt from Essential Hempcrete Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide, where Chris Magwood outlines some of the benefits of using hempcrete in construction.
Why You Should Consider Harvesting Rainwater for a Drought
Many places across North America are experiencing significant drought. For those who are not connected to city water, paying attention to water levels is critical. As efforts to conserve water ramp up, the foreword written by Peter J. Coombes from Essential Rainwater Harvesting reminds us of the importance of harvesting rainwater.
How to Make Your Landscape More Drought Tolerant
The East Vancouver Island Basin has been in a Level 4 drought since early July. The question of how to conserve water and protect the water tables, especially on the Gulf Islands is on many minds. Today, we take an excerpt from Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future by Susan Reed and Ginny Stibolt on making landscapes more drought-tolerant.