Book Review: The Blood of the Earth: An Essay on Magic and Peak Oil

...peak oil. And for the record, she also scorns Halloween. What do magic and peak oil have to do with one another? Quite a lot, actually, if you believe the author, John Michael Greer. And if you read The Blood of the Earth: An Essay on Magic and Peak Oil you’ll probably come to agree with him, because in this book, as in all of his writing, Greer is remarkably lucid, straightforward and persuasive. Blood of the Earth is unlike any other book you’ll...

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Of Gnomes and Peak Oil

...have it I stumbled on CNN commentator David Frum’s delusional editorial, “Peak Oil Doomsayers Proved Wrong,” at the same time as I discovered Renaissance physician, alchemist and philosopher Paracelsus’ treatise, On Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies and Salamanders. They have a few things in common. First, Frum’s notion that oil has no limits: Predictions that the world would imminently “run out of oil” have been worrying oil consumers since at least the 1...

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A ceramic oil lamp

...ike jar lids and Altoids tins, and I use rancid and otherwise questionable oils to fuel them — oils which I would otherwise throw out. This ceramic lamp more fancy than the little lamps I’ve made previously. It’s based on the standard-model Mediterranean oil lamp which was ubiquitous throughout the ancient world. Ancient Romans had cheap terra cotta lamps in this shape which were stamped with the names of popular gladiators–the ancient equivalent...

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Non-Toxic Cleaning for the Home

...with another lint-free cloth, polish the steel with a few drops of mineral oil or baby oil. Rubbing alcohol also works well, but must be used in a ventilated area and away from flame. Deep cleaning For tough cleaning jobs, like a greasy stove, or just anything which is very smelly and dirty, mix up about 1/2 cup of washing soda in 1/2 gallon of warm water. Use this to wipe down surfaces. Soak baked on grease in the same solution or sprinkle some s...

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Salsa Dancing in a World Without Oil

...concept that is catching on like wildfire in the UK. What Can We Do about peak oil and global warming? The answers are in our neighborhoods and communities. Through the Transition concept, we take a positive, forward-thinking view of what the future will hold for our area in the time beyond oil. Sunday, Sept. 14, 6pm – Movie “The End of Suburbia” followed by community discussion Saturday, Sept. 20, 9am-5pm – “Designing the Transition” – a full da...

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