Kristin Pedemonti: Bringing Joy To Everyday Moments

In this short TED talk audition, Kristin Pedemonti urges us to say, ‘Yes!’ to opportunities for joy. She suggests that seemingly small insignificant acts of sharing joy can be much bigger than we think. Don't forget - always carry bottles of bubbles and your "free hugs" sign with you wherever you go.

Atamai Village

The Atamai permaculture community was set up on the principle that it takes a village to live sustainably - it is too difficult to do it on your own. Members of this community have come together to deal with the impacts of climate change, energy shortages and the social and economic challenges that are likely to follow these changes. "You don't want to wait until the signs are so obvious because then it is too late."

Website: Atamai Village (New Zealand)

Eco Homes: Small Holdings In Wales

The Tir y Gafel ecovillage aspires to be a replicable model for low-impact development in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Nine families lived there at the time of this filming. They are self sustainable: living off the grid, producing food, having built low impact houses using alternative energy sources.

They are taking advantage of legislation in Wales which allows low impact sustainable communities to go build eco-small holdings on open countryside. Under the TAN 6 Policy Guidance (Welsh Assembly Government), there is now a planning framework which accommodates low-impact development. Think of it as getting a little help and encouragement from the government to live off the land. And bring the land BACK!

Using permaculture techniques, they are making marginally productive land into maximally food producing land. They are aiming for a 40% increase in productivity. They have plenty of volunteers who simply want to learn the techniques to be able to live this way. Says one resident: "I don't think governments are going to provide the solution to the challenges. I don't think our economic system or our corporate structures are going to provide the solutions we need. I think solutions are going to come from people."

Website: Lammas

Regreening The Landscape With Fukuoka's Seed Balls

The Center of Natural Farming in Greece is a permaculture paradise inspired by the teachings of Japanese philosopher and the founder of Natural Gardening, Masanobu Fukuoka. It was started in 1998 by Payanitis Manikis, and is located 2 kilometers from the city of Edessa. No soil is tilled, no artificial fertilizers or pesticides are used, and hundreds of different plants and animals live side by side in natural symbiosis and harmony.

A remarkable part of this video is where see the result of the thousands of seed balls tossed by volunteers from the center into barren hills of southern Greece that were destroyed by fire, around the 5 minute mark. Very inspiring to see first a little green action, then a landscape covered in green thanks to Fukuoka's amazing creation.

Seed balls are seeds encased in a clay ball that hardens enough so that it can be tossed without falling apart. When the rains come, it becomes wet enough to begin germinating wherever it landed. Now those hills are blooming again. Good ideas travel all over the world!

Why In The World Are They Spraying?

People around the world are noticing that our planet's weather is dramatically changing. They are also beginning to notice the long lingering trails left behind airplanes that have lead millions to accept the reality of chemtrail/geoengineering programs. Could there be a connection between the trails and our severe weather? While there are many agendas associated with these damaging programs, evidence is now abundant which proves that geoengineering can be used to control weather. In this documentary you will learn how the aerosols being sprayed into our sky are used in conjunction with other technologies to control our weather. While geoengineers maintain that their models are only for the mitigation of global warming, it is now clear that they can be used as a way to consolidate an enormous amount of both monetary and political power into the hands of a few by the leverage that weather control gives certain corporations over the Earth's natural systems. This of course, is being done at the expense of every living thing on the planet.

See also: What in the world are they spraying?

Kin's Domain & Kin's Community

This is the first of a series of videos on how to build a kins domain by actually documenting building two Kins domains in Dolan Springs, Arizona. A Kins domain was popularized worldwide from a 10 volume series of books by Vladimir Megre called The Ringing Cedars Series.

Website: Eco-Harmony Kins Domain
Website: Ringing Cedars Of Russia

See Also:  Creation - Das Dies - Co Creation Of Do No Harm Communities

Lawton's Guide To Permaculture Design

Here’s another 5 part series which demonstrates the diversity of considerations which lead to diversity of crops and foods in permaculture forest-gardens. At least watch the last two parts for a system overview and tour of an actual eco-system which demonstrates the concepts described in the first three parts.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5

Crystal Waters Ecovillage

An introduction to Crystal Waters covering permaculture design, innovative housing design, intentional community living and land restoration. Crystal Waters is situated in rural south east Queensland Australia. Filmed in 2001-2002.

Website: Crystal Waters

Pam Warhurst: How We Can Eat Our Landscapes

What should a community do with its unused land? Plant food, of course. With energy and humor, Pam Warhurst tells at the TEDSalon the story of how she and a growing team of volunteers came together to turn plots of unused land into communal vegetable gardens, and to change the narrative of food in their community.

Young Greeks Create Rural Community

On the slopes of Mount Telaithrion on the island of Evia, a group of young Greeks have left the busy city and created a self-reliant rural community. Their goal is to eat only the organic produce they grow themselves, to free themselves from the national electricity grid, and to exchange what they grow or make instead of using money. The project, whose ultimate goal is to create a school for sustainable living, was the idea of four Athenians who met online back in 2008 and bonded over their dissatisfaction with the daily grind of city life.

The Story Of Change

It's not easy to change a dysfunctional system that puts corporate profits above the health and happiness of people. It takes more than just "voting with our pocketbooks"; it takes political involvement. In her latest film, Annie Leonard gives us a simple formula for social transformation: CHANGE = a big idea + collective identity + action.

Stephen Ritz: Green Bronx Machine

A whirlwind of energy and ideas, Stephen Ritz is a teacher in New York's tough South Bronx, where he and his kids grow lush gardens for food, greenery -- and jobs. Just try to keep up with this New York treasure as he spins through the many, many ways there are to grow hope in a neighborhood many have written off, or in your own.