As most of our followers seem to have survived the covid scandal, I guess we had better get ourselves ready for some kind of rational response to the next existential threat to our authentic human presence here, which is the idea that we are the main cause of climate change!
Although we are told by numerous sources, that our use of fossil fuels, (or any kind of smoke emitting substances such as wood or biofuels), is causing the climate to change at an unprecedented rate, there is still no absolute proof that this is the case. Hundreds of top scientists are paid large sums of money to study climate models and produce results which indicate that unless we completely abandon our use of oil in the very near future, we will be personally responsible for the destruction of our planet.
Now I’m not a climate scientist and I’m not saying that we are making zero contribution to the rise in C02 levels which are presently around 420 parts per million, compared to 280 ppm (0.028%) during pre-industrial times. Climatology is a very complicated science to study and we are nowhere near understanding the full spectrum of information needed to conclude that rising C02 levels are the biggest threat to our species, or to the planet in general. We also need to be aware that if the percentage of C02 in the atmosphere falls below 200 ppm, then we will most likely kill off many forms of plant life! (Plants grow much better with more C02 which they convert into carbon and oxygen).
Obviously, we are guilty of causing many problems, like the destruction of natural habitats and the increasing loss of living soil due to inappropriate farming methods, increasing levels of airborne and waterborne pollutants from badly designed industrial processes, plastic waste and other harmful materials arriving in every corner of the planet, plus a long list of other avoidable errors we continue to make as we develop our modern societies.
In my humble opinion, the main problem we have in the world is ‘inequality’ and that somehow certain people are more important than others. (How the hell do we know this, if we maintain so many very talented people in severe poverty and don’t allow them to shine their exceptional light on our collective future?)
Developing countries are being forbidden to use their own natural resources to move forwards, as the new masters of the world consider how to control the growing population.
I sometimes feel that it’s time to get that skeleton out of the closet and at the same time, to present the biggest white elephant in the room! Things aren’t looking so good for a great many of our earthly brothers and sisters, so it’s time to move the goal posts in this game of universal chess, so that we have some chance of dancing in harmony with ourselves and our mother Earth. It’s also time to understand who we are and why we are here just now, in the extensive history of our planet. It’s true, we’ve come a long way from living in caves and eating berries, but we seem to have met a wall of restriction towards further spiritual development, due to greedy corporations and power crazy psychopaths, who wish to enslave their customers and feed us with whatever kind of crap they can imagine.
Of course, many people will follow the instructions from these unelected leaders, being afraid to do otherwise, but this is no time to become a sheep unless you really want to be. Somehow, we all have to see the same big picture and to understand that we can be an unstoppable force, if we choose to work together for our personal safety and for the sake of those who will join us in evolving our own idea of a Brave New World!
Here we are again with the same old story. What can we do to make things better for us in the next years to come and beyond? So far, my advice to most people has been to move out of the city with your family, or with a group of like minded people, and set up some kind of self sustaining community, in a place which can support such ideas.
In Ibiza for example, we have an enormous human potential from nearly every country in the world, and yet until now, we have been unable to mobilise ourselves into some kind of ‘Regenerative entity’, which could well set an example for the rest of humanity to follow.
Electric cars and wind farms are not a suitable solution, but for sure, if we look after our precious soil, then the planet itself will fix whatever needs to be regulated, in order to function better!
Ibiza still has many problems, much like other places, but we also have most of the solutions, right here under our feet. The history of our island is full of innovative ways to survive, even in harsh conditions. These days, those harsh conditions have been almost forgotten in our rush to become a modern and efficient tourist resort, generating financial wealth for those who have land and resources. Thankfully, things are changing!
Just like those Ibicenco ancestors who knew they could do better if they tried, some of them made it big time. Others just followed their traditional method of staying alive using whatever they had at hand and for sure we have a lot to learn from them too!
However, with the application of modern Regenerative Farming methods, we have noticed an increase in the quality of production, higher yields and lower financial inputs. These revised techniques can pay far more rewarding dividends to those who dare to try them.
Now we have no excuses left to follow ‘out of date habits’, without improving a few essential details, which would in turn attract more young and able farmers back onto the land. In brief, I believe that we have most of the solutions and data we need, to promote an agricultural revolution which could provide both food security as well as greatly improve our local environmental conditions!
Casita Verde Ibiza
Since writing my last blog for the autumn of 2023, the island of Ibiza has received very little rain and although we have enjoyed some wonderful weather during the last three months, we must be reaching a critical water shortage and may lose even more of our beautiful almond trees and other species of plants which cannot survive such an extensive period of drought.
Here in Casita Verde, even some of our hardy desert plants are looking dehydrated, with drooping leaves and a kind of sad look, which will only change when they receive a reasonable amount of rainfall. Even though we have large capacity water deposits and a mature ‘nature pond’ almost full of water, we will need a considerable amount of precipitation if we have the intention to plant food crops with a chance of producing something to eat. Right now, the only things we’ve planted this winter are a few kale and kohlrabi in our greenhouse, which has been modified to block sunlight from the South, in order not to cook the plants inside. Meanwhile, the main vegetable gardens remain empty, waiting to see if any rain is forthcoming.
Actually, as there are only two of us living here these days and we do very few events, I prefer to ride my electric bike down to the local products market at the San Antonio Coop each Friday and buy whatever we need, directly from the farmers who produce it. This also helps them to make a reasonable living from all their hard work keeping the local agriculture alive and growing.
With all the fine weather we’ve had in the last three months, I’ve managed to more or less finish completely the long list of repair jobs we had planned for the whole winter period.
This means that I’ll have time to go out and visit other projects on the island and generally participate in whichever interesting events we’re invited to attend. I can also begin to revive some of the projects I’ve had in mind for many years, such as an idea to promote the installation of an island communication system, just in case we get disconnected.
Back in 2001, I had an Idea, together with two old friends of mine, to make a kind of ‘Ibiza Intranet’ (Like an Ibiza Google for those who are members!). Back then, there were very few radio internet systems in operation, so the idea was way ahead of its time, like many others I dreamed about in the past. However, with the vast increase in Rural Internet facilities, I believe it could be a good moment to revive this idea and make some kind of secure communication system here on the island, just in case something happens out in the big world and we lose our connection to the traditional search engine services.
Imagine if we had a large computer sitting up on the mountain, with a daily back-up service, all powered by renewable energy systems. Using only radio signals, many island residents could connect to such a system and participate in loading that computer with all kinds of useful information, which would be essential in the case that we lost our contact to the outside world for whatever reason.
We’re still in regular contact with our Cuban friends in Casita Verde Granada and I see they still attract quite a few volunteers and are continuing well with improvements to the installations, so I hope some good ones turn up to help them out with all the jobs around the centre.
As for our cleaning programme with Ibiza Limpia, we go on keeping the roads around Casita Verde as clean as possible as well as denouncing piles of building materials and old cars which are often dumped in the quiet parts of our local country lanes.
Hopefully, in 2024, we will be able to offer some workshops about cooking with local products and building furniture with upcycled pallets etc, plus continue with our weekly offer of guided tours each Sunday.
For the moment, we wish you all a very happy festive season and a Regenerative New Year.
If you would like to visit our centre for a guided tour, or want to know how you can be a more eco-conscious citizen, please get in touch by email, sending your request to info@casitaverde.com, or calling our main office on 608838190 (English and Spanish)
With warm greetings from the mountains,
Chris Dews and the Casita Verde team