Free to Bee: NYC lifts its ban on beekeeping.

I am linking to an article in Positive News by Sarah Wilkinson. It baffles me that we have governments making it illegal for us to live sustainably... Without these pollinators (bees) many plants don't reproduce, not to mention the food provided directly by bees. We should demand that our governments give tax incentives or even outright JOBS to people who are pushing society toward sustainability and self-reliance. What happened to our much anticipated green jobs revolution? Did the money go instead to support the endless wars on terror and drugs? Maybe if people were given better options for meeting their needs in meaningful ways we would see dramatic reductions in terrorism and demand for illicit drugs as a natural byproduct of this shift. Imagine the changes we could bring to the lives of the people trapped in inter-generational poverty in our inner-city neighborhoods if we enabled them to become urban farmers and gave them vacant lots in troubled neighborhoods for cultivation and/or to utilize as local farmer's markets. This would be a huge step forward from people being harassed by city governments for growing food within our urban food deserts.

Thankfully, this development (NYC's ban lift) may indicate that we are seeing the beginning of a larger understanding. I am hopeful that our global economic trouble will force governments to completely overhaul their economic policies and begin shifting toward cooperation and sustainability and away from military and economic conquest. A recent article in the NYT by Thomas Friedman indicated that he thinks we will soon see a serious decline in warmongering in the US.

I am very encouraged by international competitions like the US Dept. of Energy's Solar Decathlon, which challenges 20 teams of college students (mostly US students) to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. This event allows some of our best and brightest up and coming designers and architects a high-profile platform on which to display their cutting edge concepts in comfortable sustainable housing.