Treemo's recent activity
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Comment on Do you run your own blog for personal use? in ~comp
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Comment on What are you doing to reduce your impact? in ~enviro
Treemo Link ParentYes, Australian and it's about the same as everywhere. Some areas close to me are more 'erodible' due to soil composition and water flows but it's the silent threat that is present everywhere. If...Yes, Australian and it's about the same as everywhere. Some areas close to me are more 'erodible' due to soil composition and water flows but it's the silent threat that is present everywhere. If you prevent erosion, you hold water and nutrient in organic matter higher in the landscape which helps prevent desertification, declining yields, diminishing rainfall, salinity increases, habitat loss etc.
Vetiver is a tropical grass so the subtropics and tropics which tend to get heavy Summer rainfalls gain the most. It's a tool, and a very simple one, that flies in the face of the general thought that only technology or expensive solutions will save us.
Unfortunately, the uptake is low because 'natives are best' but when we don't have a lot of time left, we need to choose the things that work and work well. The native species come later.
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Comment on What are you doing to reduce your impact? in ~enviro
Treemo LinkI started in the horticultural industry, transitioned to tree planting and then arboriculture for a local government focusing on tree care and habitat creation while maintaining a small nursery of...I started in the horticultural industry, transitioned to tree planting and then arboriculture for a local government focusing on tree care and habitat creation while maintaining a small nursery of approx 2000 plants at home aimed at erosion control, then moved to an organic ecovillage and started working at a non-profit for Landcare where I am working on ecosystem repair (as well as many other not so important pursuits). I then decided to move my focus to more erosion and soil loss by starting a Vetiver Grass nursery which is about 12 months from completion and I will give away planting stock at 6x less than the current market rate to foster adoption in rural communities.
I believe land degradation, topsoil loss, watershed improvement, and tree planting are probably the best things for me to do to not only reduce my impact but improve what we have. Not eating meat, for example, is important but that's not going to restore the land that meat-eating destroyed. It's best we get out there and do it.
Plus little bits of everything everyone else listed...
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Comment on Lowering air pollution just a bit would increase life expectancy as much as eradicating lung and breast cancer in ~enviro
Treemo LinkThere needs to be a small spot of colour in the northern Queensland area of Australia to represent John Plant of Primitive Technology's risk of PM2.5 intake. Poorly designed and/or run...There needs to be a small spot of colour in the northern Queensland area of Australia to represent John Plant of Primitive Technology's risk of PM2.5 intake.
Poorly designed and/or run woodfires/stoves also represent significant pollution, wildfires not withstanding. There needs to be tighter regulation in more efficient and cleaner 'everything'. I was going to say 'woodstoves' or 'other forms of air pollution' but I think the science is clear, we really need to clean up every act.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tildes
Treemo Link“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to...“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.
To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made
PresidentModerator should on no account be allowed to do the job.”-Douglas Adams (modified).
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Comment on Study shows forest conservation is a powerful tool to improve nutrition in developing nations in ~enviro
Treemo LinkMore than two billion people in the developing world suffer from a lack of micronutrients—like vitamin A, sodium, iron and calcium. The result for children can be brain damage, stunted growth, and even death.
In response, food and farming programs have begun to consider how to do more than just increase production of staple crops, like rice and corn, to fight malnutrition. There is a growing global awareness that the fight against hunger requires getting people a larger range of nutrients needed to thrive.
The new study, led by a team at the University of Vermont's Gund Institute for Environment, examined data on children's diets from 43,000 households across four continents. They found that being close to forests caused children to have at least 25% greater diversity in their diets compared to kids who lived farther away from forests.
"This is a powerful, actionable result," says Taylor Ricketts, director of UVM's Gund Institute and senior author on the paper. "It's comparable to the impacts of some nutrition-focused agricultural programs."
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Study shows forest conservation is a powerful tool to improve nutrition in developing nations
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Comment on Hotter, drier summers in Australia mean longer fire seasons – and urban sprawl into bushland is putting more people at risk in ~enviro
Treemo Link ParentNot only what @Algernon_Asimov has illustrated, our agricultural and developmental land clearing rates are some of the highest in the world....Not only what @Algernon_Asimov has illustrated, our agricultural and developmental land clearing rates are some of the highest in the world.
This will exacerbate droughts, potentially damage the Great Barrier Reef (in QLD), and lose a lot of topsoil when we can least afford it. Whether or not people think land clearing is an issue who knows, but for an anecdotal experience, I work in the environment industry and several members of our team do not 'believe' or acknowledge climate change is a thing. It beggars belief, but there it is. If one can extrapolate that information across society, the actual amount of people that don't think climate change is a real threat is quite probably unreasonably high.
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Comment on Which password manager do you use and recommend? in ~tech
Treemo Link ParentKeepass2Android has 2 versions, an offline or online, or you can use online syncing in both (from memory). You set up the online version to use the Dropbox from the outset, it saves to the file...Keepass2Android has 2 versions, an offline or online, or you can use online syncing in both (from memory). You set up the online version to use the Dropbox from the outset, it saves to the file and then the desktop is synced also.
All you have in your Dropbox is an encrypted file. You can increase key iteration in the settings of Keepass which increases loading time but makes it more secure against dictionary attacks - https://keepass.info/help/base/security.html#secdictprotect
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android_nonet - offline version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android - onlineNote: I set that up years ago and have never had to change anything. There may be better options around these days. It still works so I have never done any more research except increasing the length and complexity of passwords.
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Comment on Gardeners in da house? in ~hobbies
Treemo Link Parenthttps://erinandstepheninnewzealand.blogspot.com/2010/04/cooking-with-possum.html The New Zealanders eat our possum whereas I've never heard mention of it here; invasive versus native. We have...https://erinandstepheninnewzealand.blogspot.com/2010/04/cooking-with-possum.html
The New Zealanders eat our possum whereas I've never heard mention of it here; invasive versus native.
We have normal rats and mice, Norway Rats I believe they are. The ye olde wooden ship rats.
I'm wondering if humans need to farm that they have to destroy the native wildlife around them to do it successfully. Covering 100% of your food needs seems like it requires significant hunting and destruction. Otherwise full exclusion over large areas.
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Comment on Gardeners in da house? in ~hobbies
Treemo Link ParentAt least duck is traditionally-edible! Possums aren't renowned for edibility and they are protected. They'll get a mango in seconds.At least duck is traditionally-edible! Possums aren't renowned for edibility and they are protected. They'll get a mango in seconds.
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Comment on Which password manager do you use and recommend? in ~tech
Treemo LinkI use Keepass on Windows and Keepass2Android on Android. Keepass lists ports on the website too if you want to change software for different looks as Keepass is functional but may appear dated to...I use Keepass on Windows and Keepass2Android on Android.
Keepass lists ports on the website too if you want to change software for different looks as Keepass is functional but may appear dated to some. I haven't used Lastpass but Keepass is used by my whole family synced through Dropbox (that's the only reason I have it) but there are other methods for syncing. Keepass2Android is more than adequate on the phone.
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Comment on Should we hide the vote count display? in ~tildes
Treemo Link ParentBecause on Reddit, once downvoting starts it tends to cascade? Not an issue here of course, but the hivemind can possibly dictate successful and unsuccessful posts without even intending it. And...Because on Reddit, once downvoting starts it tends to cascade? Not an issue here of course, but the hivemind can possibly dictate successful and unsuccessful posts without even intending it.
And that feeling can affect anxiety and therefore safety?
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Comment on Gardeners in da house? in ~hobbies
Treemo Link ParentWe have a multitude of different animals, ranging from a mix of marsupials; bandicoot, antechinus, possum, wallaby, kangaroo; feral deer and cows, and a huge array of bird life including the worst...We have a multitude of different animals, ranging from a mix of marsupials; bandicoot, antechinus, possum, wallaby, kangaroo; feral deer and cows, and a huge array of bird life including the worst of them all, the brush turkey.
The general consensus that gardening needs to be full exclusion. Structures need to be built to prevent access to animals. Just makes it expensive and if they find a hole, bandicoots and possums search for them, they can do a massive amount of damage.
Gardening is hard, enjoying the menagerie is amazing.
Iguanas sound interesting. We get goannas but they tend to hunt chickens/ducks and eggs.
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Comment on Gardeners in da house? in ~hobbies
Treemo Link ParentWe can't grow anything due to animals. It's just hard in general which is why good (easy) farming is either in niche locations or a scorched earth policy.We can't grow anything due to animals. It's just hard in general which is why good (easy) farming is either in niche locations or a scorched earth policy.
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Comment on Gardeners in da house? in ~hobbies
Treemo Link ParentCan you switch to 'staple' crops that grow in the hotter months? They may not be traditionally preferred but could provide you with sustenance if required? This blog was posted in r/permaculture...Can you switch to 'staple' crops that grow in the hotter months? They may not be traditionally preferred but could provide you with sustenance if required? This blog was posted in r/permaculture recently and features some of the warm weather species with a couple of extra in the comments (Tannia, Kangkong) - https://tropicalselfsufficiency.wordpress.com/2018/06/30/rapid-resilient-food-systems/
And some tropical seeds from our local gardening company may give you some ideas - http://greenharvest.com.au/SeedOrganic/SeedsHotHumidAreas.html
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Comment on Climate change best addressed (by) planting trees, or regenerating grasslands? - Savory Institute in ~enviro
Treemo LinkLetter and response from Allan Savory on 2/8/18 regarding trees, grasslands, and desertification.Letter and response from Allan Savory on 2/8/18 regarding trees, grasslands, and desertification.
To address desertification and climate change we have, as I pointed out in my talk, the following tools- 1. Technology in its many forms. 2. Fire to burn vegetation. 3. Resting the environment to allow nature to recover (conservation it is commonly called today). Apart from those 3 tools we now are only left with one other possibility and that is to use technology to plant trees, shrubs or grasses. That is the full human toolbox as we established when the US government engaged me to put some 2,000 scientists and others through a week of training in the use of the holistic framework in the early 1980s – and no one has come up with any other tool since.
Society, and thus all our organizations/institutions, vilify livestock, blaming them for causing desertification and climate change. Society, and thus all institutions, believe in technology solving all problems. Society and thus institutions believe conservation restores and regenerates biodiversity in all environments. And society/institutions also believe planting trees will reverse man-made desertification. Such deep beliefs are always supported by our institutions that lead opposition and rejection of any new counter-intuitive or paradigm-shifting insights.
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Climate change best addressed (by) planting trees, or regenerating grasslands? - Savory Institute
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Comment on A pragmatic guide to Climate Change in ~enviro
Treemo Link ParentPoor farming is responsible for a majority of the easily fixable degradation but stopping eating meat isn't going to restore degrading farmland, or recreating forest in a rapid enough time to be...Poor farming is responsible for a majority of the easily fixable degradation but stopping eating meat isn't going to restore degrading farmland, or recreating forest in a rapid enough time to be worthwhile. It will prevent further clearing which will be a boon so it's definitely required.
I think not eating non-regeneratively farmed meat is critical (I say that because I live in a climate that needs grass control to prevent fire while fields/pasture is being re-treed and it's better than glyphosphate or mowing and what the farmer does with their tithe is their prerogative), but getting out of the house and restoring degrading ecosystems is the next best step. By doing that, you can have a local impact on rainfall and fauna/flora habitat, get exercise, and feel good at the same time. It's desperately needed. Active photosynthesis is the current best tool that the human race has to reduce climate change. The small water cycle is broken the world over and feet on the ground is the only way to fix it.
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Comment on Scientists aren’t impressed with New York Times’ new story on climate change in ~enviro
Treemo Link ParentMy response was intended as a quick counter-jab. Just wanted to indicate in a short way that you are preaching to the choir. Zero hard feelings and I didn't take it as hostile. Your points were...My response was intended as a quick counter-jab. Just wanted to indicate in a short way that you are preaching to the choir. Zero hard feelings and I didn't take it as hostile. Your points were valid.
If Tildes was more content-filled, I probably wouldn't have bothered posting it as it is fluff compared to the original article but it has some merit in its limited point.
Github Pages.
Jekyll.
Photos and short comments about a grass.
Life is full-on so whenever I pull the camera out and have something to demonstrate.
No. Low-bandwidth and privacy conscious.
No.
It's not.
The only public group for the grass is on Facebook so I check there with no account.
Not really helpful but I wanted to demonstrate that Github Pages is an OK way to get content onto the web for free. There are plenty of themes for Jekyll to make it look however you wish, I prefer light and simple.