Interview with a Tipi Dweller

Mark Warren is a naturalist, composer, novelist, and director of Medicine Bow, a "primitive school of earthlore." In the summer of 1989, a streak of lightning scorched his house and everything inside, so he moved into a tipi. He tells his story in Two Winters in a Tipi, to be published by Lyons Press in May.

The barn you lived in was struck by lightning. You lost all your work.

When I went back and saw my house, there was one pile of rubble that was still glowing bright red. That’s where my piano was. On top of it were all my music compositions and my novel. That was my first novel. I had hundreds of music compositions. There were no copies.

That must have been devastating.

That's exactly the word. But you also feel freedom at the same time that you feel victimized.

And you decided your next home would be a tipi?

I remember when the first big ice storm came to north Georgia. Trees turned to crystal. They were all bowing and creating a convergence above me. I remember thinking what a beautiful shelter this is, all these trees leaning toward me. I wanted to have my own version of trees leaning together above me.

Late in the book, a raccoon wanders into your tipi and dies by the fire.

I had a few encounters with what was probably that same raccoon. I would roam the forest with my bow and shoot at shadows, leaves, inanimate objects, and I encountered him and spoke to him for awhile. A week later, he came through the door. I thought he might have had distemper or rabies. But there was something very melancholy about his behavior, and it was so cold outside. I picked him up and brought him closer to the fire. The next morning he was dead. It turned out he had come there to die.

Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us or the Environment

In the last one hundred years — a mere blip on the geologic time scale — the world has seen amazing scientific and technological advances. From the electric cars on our highways, to the genetically-altered foods on our plates, every aspect of our life is touched by technology. What's more, scientists and inventors promise to find solutions to the many environmental problems that we now face. . . . Or will they?

In their new book, Techno-Fix, Michael and Joyce Huesemann warn that our confidence in technology and belief that it will save us is "suicidal" and that many of our inventions are causing more harm than good. A bit like David taking a shot at Goliath, the two are taking on the current system.

Huesemann says he doesn't hate technology, he just wants it to be used for something good. "We need to shift science and technology in a new direction because our best scientists are busy building better weapons and increasing corporate profits, while only a very small fraction are devoted to solving environmental problems or making us environmentally sustainable. Our federal government spends $70 to 80 billion each year for national defense research, compared to about $2 billion for environmental research."

He says that instead of addressing the root causes of our problems, we use "techno-fixes," which only address the symptoms, like the plan by oil companies to start pumping CO₂ into the ground.  What's more, techno-fixes always have unintended consequences, which means we need to come up with a new techno-fix to solve the problems created from our last techno-fix.

Book Review: The Insatiable Bark Beetle

Dr. Reese Halter’s The Insatiable Bark Beetle (Rocky Mountain Books, 2011) concerns yet another terrible consequence of global warming. The bark beetle — an umbrella term for several species of beetle that are killing coniferous trees by the millions — used to die in winter, but recently the mercury hasn’t dipped low enough to significantly dent its populations.

Dense swarms are wiping out the forests of western North America, sending the landscape from green to red in the way cold and shadow spread when a cloud covers the sun. Half of commercial woodlands in British Columbia have died, along with millions of acres in the contiguous US. The beetles are encroaching on the 4,000-year-old bristlecone pines of the high Sierra.

This would be a dreary read if it weren’t for Halter’s timeless, awestruck vision of nature. At his best moments he enlivens the dying forests, presenting them at the level of the animals. Jays swoop through the canopy, their elastic esophagi full of nuts. A dinosaur reposes in the shade. Woodrats commune in their midden, a burrow with designated latrine. And he describes how climate change gives delicate evolutionary relationships a case of the hiccups. Lillies in the Rocky Mountains are blooming two weeks early, and the bumble bees that pollinate them are stuck on the pre-warming schedule. Arctic phytoplankton is blooming early, too. The blue whales that migrate 4,000 miles to feast on it are struggling to catch up. We are surprised by these creatures, and worried for them.

Graffiti Goes Green

The word “graffiti” may conjure up images of lawless teenagers scrawling obscenities in spray paint under the darkness of night. But graffiti evolved into an art form decades ago. As artists pushed their creative boundaries, urban street art grew . . . organic. Their innovation revealed that even graffiti can be eco-friendly. 

In the past few years, more and more public art began to incorporate flora as a medium. One artist exploring this realm is Edina Tokodi who prefers working with organic, natural materials. Trained at Budapest's Academy of Fine Arts, she has no background in actual graffiti. She creates green graffiti to give back. Her original inspiration came during a trip to Japan where she saw zen gardens for the first time. Bothered by the lack of plant life in her own city, she decided to introduce nature in a way that might help urban dwellers achieve a more Zen outlook.

After finding her first organic medium, moss, Tokodi brightened up dark street corners with her verdant works. She explains, “It’s interactive too. People can get up close to see and touch the plants.” Her pieces are often commissioned, privately or publicly, indoors and out, but occasionally she engages in the subterfuge of graffiti by green thumb. Why? She likes to see the reaction.

Tokodi has also come to appreciate the challenges of living art: Paint and plaster don’t require sunlight or humidity. The conditions need to be just right for her exhibits. So she explores constantly, educating herself about new plant varieties that might lend themselves to her canvases.

In her most recent work, she stepped away from moss and grass to explore soil, sand, and sod in her “Permaculture” exhibit for the NeuroTitan gallery in Berlin. Organic art means less waste — the gallery made a point of reusing her materials in the garden after the exhibit ended.

So what does the future hold for Edina Tokodi? From her perspective, bigger is better when it comes to having nature around. She sees larger scale versions of her mosstika on the horizon.

—Carolyn Cotney / photos: Mosstika Urban Greenery and Carlos Fresneda

Click below for more Mosstika photos:

Book Review: “This Crazy Time: Living Our Environmental Challenge”

Bill McKibben describes Tzeporah Berman as "a modern environmental hero." Others think of her as a radical pragmatist. Her new book, co-written with Mark Leiren-Young, is This Crazy Time: Living Our Environmental Challenge (Knopf, Sept. 2011).

It’s a memoir by an effective eco-campaigner who has spent the past 18 years evolving from a civil-disobedient student to a key negotiator, reworking policies and agreements with global corporations, governments, and environmental groups. For her efforts, Berman was recognized by Utne Reader as one of 50 world-changing visionaries. This spring, she became the co-head of Greenpeace’s climate-and-energy campaign.

This Crazy Time is a direct and personal no-holds-barred account, beginning with Vancouver Island’s Clayoquet Sound Blockades of 1993, a tipping point in Canada’s environmental movement. Berman was charged with 837 counts of aiding and abetting. After years of work, more than 12 million acres of Canadian rainforest are protected.

The book is equal part historical account and activist training guide. Berman details the development of her supply-chain research, understanding of power dynamics, and methodical goal setting. An effective negotiator who sometimes upsets folks on both sides of the table, she frankly states, “If you’re going to campaign, and protest, and blockade, and do direct actions, you have to be willing to talk to all the players and work out solutions. Otherwise that’s not campaigning, it’s just complaining.”

Sustainable Slurping: Experts Name the Best Eco-Soups

The ultimate cold-weather food comes in varieties that'll get you warm without steaming up the planet. We asked soup experts to recommend their favorites. 

CHRISTIANNE KLEIN, a former ABC News anchor, now appears on cooking shows such as Emeril Green. Her first cookbook is Christianne's Herbal Kitchen: Fresh Herb Recipes for Body and Soul.

"For a fantastic soup, I turn to TRADER JOE's Organic Butternut Squash Soup. It's gluten-free, fat-free, low sodium, and still packs a flavor punch. It's the perfect well-rounded dish: creamy and light, savory, and a touch sweet. You can serve it right out of the container or dress it up for a dinner party: Top it with pan-crisped fresh sage, a dash of herb-infused oil, or a dollop of herbed sour cream." $2.79 for 32 ounces

TODD ENGLISH started more than a dozen restaurants, including NYC's Plaza Food Hall. He hosts the PBS show Food Trip With Todd English and has written three cookbooks. (For one of his soup recipes, click here.)

"A staple in my pantry is always a good organic free-range-chicken broth, because it's the perfect base for so many of my organically driven soups. One of my favorites is from PACIFIC NATURAL FOODS. It's low in sodium, which is important because you always want to be able to control the salt. And it comes in recyclable Tetra Paks as well." $3.39 for 32 ounces

YVETTE GARFIELD created Handstand Kids, a globally minded cookbook company for children. Each of her books features a soup recipe from a different country, including albondigas soup from Mexico, minestrone from Italy, and wonton soup from China.

"The Tortilla Soup With Baked Chips from DR. McDOUGALL'S RIGHT FOODS has a fresh, spicy corn-and-tomato flavor with tortilla pieces that provide a great crunch. The hearty brown rice and pinto beans make it seem homemade. The packaging is made from biodegradable paper, none of the ingredients are genetically modified, and the brand never uses animal products." $1.59 for 2 ounces of dry soup mix

IAN RITCHIE is the "chief soup operator" at SoupBycycle, a Louisville, Kentucky, "soupscription" service that combines his loves of cooking and cycling. Each week, he delivers vegan, vegetarian, and meaty offerings to his clients via bicycle.

"I am a big fan of AMY'S KITCHEN organic soups, with the deliciously rich and hearty Indian Dal Curried Lentil topping my list. Its robust, earthy flavor reminds me of my favorite local Indian spot. Add a scoop of quinoa and one can turns into a quick dinner for two. Amy's commitment to organic and whole-food ingredients inspires me as a soup maker and gives me the warm fuzzies." $3.39 for 14.5 ounces

NAVA ATLAS is the author of Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons, as well as eight other vegetarian cookbooks. Her site, Veg Kitchen, lists hundreds of easy, seasonal recipes, including a slew of soups.

"I have a penchant for making vegan soups from scratch, but I do indulge in one or two culinary subterfuges to add flavor to a soup's base. A box of Vegan Vegetable Bouillon cubes from RAPUNZEL is always in my pantry. They come in three varieties, all organic and kosher, and infuse soups with a symphony of subtle herbal notes. It's an economical way to add extra flavor to soup." About $3 for a box of eight

--reported by Avital Binshtock

Movie Review: Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time

 Seen a good eco-themed film  lately? Send us a short review and we might publish it.

Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time (2011)

Available on DVD and at select screenings. The film will be shown on PBS in 2012.

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” —Aldo Leopold

Writer Aldo Leopold has influenced environmentalists and scientists for decades. Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time is the first feature-length film about Leopold. It centers around the evolution of his thinking, starting from his childhood, heading into his years as an early graduate of Yale's Forestry Management program, and finally, profiles him as a mature conservationist.

Produced with alacrity and a Wisconsonian lack of fanfare, this 72-minute documentary is narrated by Curt Meine, a conservation biologist who helped create the film by partnering with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Center for Humans and Nature, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Meine brings Leopold's words into the context of his life and times with historical photos, event chronology, and interviews with his progeny. Even Leopold experts may find new inspiration in seeing the destroyed, fallow land he acquired and made into a family project. Today, the thousands of trees he and his children planted sway in gentle breezes as busloads travel to Sand County, Wisconsin, from around the world to pay homage to the quiet revolutionary.

As Buddy Huffaker, the executive director of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, said, “What is exciting about Green Fire is that it is more than just a documentary about Aldo Leopold. It also explores the influence his ideas have had in shaping the conservation movement as we know it by highlighting some really inspiring people and organizations doing great work to connect people and the natural world in ways that even Leopold might not have imagined.”

Seeing this film brings Leopold’s seminal work, A Sand County Almanac, and remarkable essay “Thinking Like a Mountain” to a new level of experience. It takes viewers to the places that inspired, transformed, and nudged the author’s doctrine into something that ties the concept of a land ethic to each of us. And into something that still offers hope and invites action.

--Pamela Biery

Book Review Wednesday: Children's Picture Books

Every Wednesday, we review a selection of new and upcoming books addressing a specific aspect of environmentalism. This week we're recommending children’s picture books about nature.

Mardy Murie Did! (by Jequita Potts McDaniel, Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle,  $16, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2011): This short storybook celebrates the life of Mardy Murie, known as “the mother of the American conservation movement.” Textured, inspiring paintings of wild Alaska and the West illustrate her life, and the author asks children if they’ve ever heard a wolf howl, or if they’ve ever asked a friend to be kind to nature. Not only is the art nostalgia-worthy, the message for little ones is powerful. Living with nature is joyful, and you can do something to protect it, just like Mardy Murie did.

Leo the Snow Leopard (by Craig, Isabella, and Juliana Hatkoff, $18, Scholastic, 2010): Written by New York Times bestselling author Craig Hatkoff and his two daughters, this book follows the life of a orphaned snow leopard named Leo. From where he was found by a Pakistani goat herder to his adulthood in the Bronx Zoo, bright, lucid prose and adorable photographs illuminate the story for young readers. For the older, fact-hungry crowd, an appendix clearly describes the ecology of snow leopards, captive breeding programs, and international laws regarding endangered species.

Water, Weed, and Wait (by Edith Hope Fine and Angela Demos Halpin, illustrated Colleen Madden, $16, Tricycle Press): Miss Marigold, her skeptical students, and a grumpy neighbor band together to grow a school garden in this funny and colorful book. The cheery faces of kids cleaning an abandoned lot, building raised beds, and weeding make gardening look fun, and the “water, weed, and wait” mantra is simple enough to inspire even the youngest children to stick a tomato plant in their backyard. At the end, kids can learn how to start their own school garden.

Book Roundup Wednesday: Books About Fire

Every Wednesday, we review a selection of new and upcoming books addressing a specific aspect of environmentalism. Today we're recommending books about heat, flames, and lava. 

What's So Hot About Volcanoes? (by Wendell A. Duffield, $16, Mountain Press Publishing Co., Jul. 2011): If you can get beyond the punny title, this book is a no-nonsense look at the inner workings of some of Earth's most notable geologic features. Topics range from basics, like types of faults, to more advanced points, like CO₂ flows and supervolcanoes. With plenty of pictures of exploding mountainsides and blast craters, this book is ideal for a young adult with a budding interest in geology.

America's Fires: A Historical Context for Policy and Practice (by Stephen J. Pyne, $10, Forest History Society, 2010): "America does not have a fire problem. It has many fire problems," claims fire guru Stephen J. Pyne. America's Fires is the story of how those problems came to be and what can be done about them now. From Smokey Bear's impact on fire management to the creation of new wildlands, Pyne details precisely how humans have influenced fires in America. Using historical data from all over the nation, he comprehensively and concisely weighs the political, biological, and philosophical concerns of fire management.

Book Roundup Wednesday: Sustainable Diets

Every Wednesday, we review a selection of new and upcoming books addressing a specific aspect of environmentalism. Today we're recommending books about green, vegan, and raw diet lifestyles.

Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You (by Margaret Floyd, $17, New Harbinger, June 2011): After suffering from an insatiable appetite as a "junk-food vegetarian," author Margaret Floyd turned to unprocessed, organic, simple foods and found herself feeling full and slimmed down. Floyd shares her tips and recipes for a "naked" diet in this informative book.

The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life: Cruelty-Free Crafts, Recipes, Beauty Secrets, and More (by Melisser Elliott, $17, Skyhorse, 2010): This edgy, all-encompassing guide shows that veganism isn't just a diet, it's a lifestyle. Chock-full of recipes and tips, the hip book provides practical information about which products are or aren't vegan, how to cook for non-vegans, and how to connect with the vegan community. Profiles of vegan chefs, bloggers, lingerie designers, and tattoo artists help inspire readers.