EDA News December 2022

A new Cold War has been developing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the United States and Europe square off with Brazil, Russia, India, China and other nations, collectively known as BRICS+, the power struggle between these blocs has profound implications for the future. Since neither pole has a regenerative vision for economics or government policy at the global level, there appears to be no immediate solution. Monetary collapse and military conflict are looming.

What’s the solution?

Managing Director position

For the past five years, James Quilligan has served EDA members as Managing Director. During his leadership, he’s played a significant role in helping members adopt a new way of seeing the world. Words like the commons, carrying capacity and resource democracy now roll off the tongues of members as they explain to their family and friends what EDA does.

Shortly after the completion of the new website, it was evident that we would need to hire a Director of Development—someone who understands EDA’s goals, and who could raise funds from major donors, investors and institutions.

James asked the EDA Board of Trustees if he could wear two hats--one as Managing Director, the other as Acting Director of Development. For the last year, he has done both jobs. James’ knowledge of ecological economics, combined with the contacts and relationships he has developed from a 40-year career in geopolitical economy, were clearly an asset to his role as Acting Director of Development. And it paid off.

Last July, he landed two contracts for EDA and realized that his passion for EDA’s message was the key to enticing and engaging an array of people, whether it’s EDA members or large-scale donors, investors and institutions. James decided he would like to pursue a full-time role as Director of Development and leave the management of EDA to a strong new leader. The Board of Trustees agreed.

However, this transition won’t happen quickly. James will continue as Managing Director until later next year, while training a new director and implementing the strategic plan that is now being developed for 2023.

We are grateful that James will be serving as Director of Development. He will continue to be a valued member of IMPACT, our business planning team, and will also be involved with ongoing projects on EDA’s Research Team.

Here is a link to the job description for Managing Director. For anyone wishing to apply for this position, a resume and cover letter should be sent on or before December 2, 2022 to EDA.

First Annual Business Meeting

EDA will be holding its first annual business meeting on January 5. At this online event, IMPACT, our business planning team, will be presenting EDA’s Strategic Plan for next year.

EDA has a legal requirement to hold a yearly meeting for all members to review our finances and announce future activities. We hadn’t done this before because the level of our income has been under the threshold for this requirement.

Now that we are anticipating greater financing, we will be holding this meeting every year. As stakeholders and shareholders of EDA, we invite you to attend.

Save the Date:
2023 EDA Strategic Plan, January 5, 2023

8:00 - 9:30 pm ET
7:00 - 8:30 pm CT
6:00 - 7:30 pm MT
5:00 - 6:30 pm PT

Tesla has made EVs popular for over a decade and the company still holds the largest segment of the market. Because they've been in the game longer, Tesla has a head start on research and development. In August of 2022, the average price of a Tesla in the US was $66,000 and a high end Tesla can run up to $200,000, which is out of reach for most Americans. Other car manufacturers are now building EVs for much less, but you need to be aware of the quality of materials used to build the car, and the battery life.

There’s currently a global chip shortage which has led to supply chain issues affecting vehicle sales worldwide. When dealers see a supply shortage, they often increase the markup, which means you’ll pay more. The type of EV battery will also impact price: long-range batteries will cost more. There are also dealer mark-ups and inflation. But cost is only one consideration.

Pollution claims

EV advertising touts their claim for zero emissions as compared to internal combustion vehicles. This is misleading. An EV battery is charged by electricity from plants powered by coal or natural gas. Sixty percent of the electricity in the US comes from those sources. So, in reality EV’s are still powered by fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration for 2021, only 12% of energy was generated by renewable sources.

Then there’s the vehicle manufacturing process. All EVs are made of plastic and metal, and that means materials in that car were mined using a highly energy intensive-process. EV batteries use lithium to store energy. These countries have the largest lithium reserves: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Portugal and Zimbabwe.

Environmental issues with Lithium

Are all these countries practicing environmentally sound mining practices? We seem to be replacing one problem and creating another. Manufacturing processes of lithium create significant environment and health hazards. Lithium extraction can be fatal to aquatic life because of water pollution. In arid regions, it leads to unsustainable water consumption. Chemical runoff pollutes water supplies in local communities. This leads to human rights issues.

In Nevada, there is a proposed lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County. This area has the largest know lithium deposit in the US. But legal challenges from several indigenous tribes with traditional homeland in the area have opposed the project. Thacker Pass is a sacred site, and these tribes were never consulted.

System overload

GM, Ford, Nissan and other car manufacturers are jumping on the EV bandwagon. What will happen when the majority of us own EV’s? What kind of pressure will that put on our aging power-generating and distribution grids? Will these be able to support millions of EVs recharging at the same time overnight? Remember that most of our electric power still comes from fossil fuels and in many regions of the US, stable hydroelectric power is threatened by decades of drought.

So back to square one.

An unsustainable model

Is thinking small the answer to feeding the world?

One of the biggest problems facing humanity in the coming years is how to feed everyone. Current world population is approaching eight million and forecast to reach nine million in just 15 years or so. That's a lot of mouths to feed! Increasing food production to meet demand has already become urgent.

As large agricultural operations struggle to increase food production, the stress on our already fragile ecosystems will continue to grow. Climate change has already affected food production around the world. We’re seeing more frequent droughts, floods, and severe storms that devastate crops and communities.

Theories and strategies differ on how to feed the world in an ecologically sustainable way, but we may need to look more closely at small-scale farming. Sometimes referred to as subsistence farming, this method differs from our current large-scale model in significant ways. Small-scale farmers grow food for themselves and their local communities, in contrast to large-scale farmers who are told they ‘feed the world’, yet rarely produce food for themselves and their families.

In these smaller operations, farmers generally plant a variety of crops based on the climatic conditions in their region, whereas large-scale and corporate farming operations are usually monocultures – growing one crop exclusively. Monocultures sometimes lead to disease and pest outbreaks among specific crops that can devastate entire industries. Likewise, the increased use of fertilizers to boost production can have a detrimental effect on soil quality and result in mineral deficiencies in plants. For example, according to the National Library of Medicine, magnesium content in fruits and vegetables has dropped in the last fifty years, and about 80% of this essential metal is lost during food processing. As a result, a large percentage of people all over the world do not meet the minimum daily magnesium requirement.

Subsistence farmers obtain seeds and fertilizer from local suppliers. They hire local labor and use equipment within their own region, which boosts the local economy. Fertilizers may be plant or animal-based and can be grown by the farmer. Seeds are saved from year to year or swapped with neighbors. Smaller scale equipment is used, and the farm family likely provides most of the labor. In contrast, large-scale farmers must constantly purchase new seeds, new fertilizer and pesticides, and they are at the mercy of big corporations for those supplies. According to The Wisconsin Examiner only four firms control over 60% of our seed, another four determine what happens with 75% of fertilizer in the U.S., and still four others set the terms for over 75% of grain sales.

Subsistence farmers are more connected to the land and are better stewards of the resources in their bioregion. They may well be using the knowledge and wisdom of farming practices that have been passed down from generations. The methods used by small-scale, subsistence farming increases soil carbon sinks, which means more carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere than is released resulting in higher oxygen production. Food that’s grown and consumed locally will help lower carbon emissions because less food will need to be shipped into a region.

Instead of the usual 'bigger is better' thinking, it may be time to think small if we want to feed the world while still protecting our resources. According to Gene Fifer (the Guardian 2014), “The reality is that to feed nine billion people, millions will have to feed themselves.”

Diane: So the last message about EDA’s COPD! C is for creative; O means organization; and P is all about participation. The final ingredient we need is probably the hardest thing for any organization to achieve, and that’s D for dedication.

Michael: Ok, but if EDA has organized itself really well, and you’ve got participation from members, isn’t that enough? Things are happening and projects are getting done, right?

Diane: Sure, everything is going fine. However, what happens when it doesn’t? What if something’s not done on time, or when no one is double-checking things? Or what if someone thinks they've been mistreated?

Michael: So, what you’re saying is that life happens. And things don’t always go right.

Diane: Nothing has ever been all “smooth sailing.” There’s bound to be the odd storm, some rough seas, or the occasional sea monster who’s just curious but causes real problems.

Michael: Particularly when it’s a new idea. I’m thinking again of Galileo.

Diane: Yup! An organization like EDA cannot survive if people get discouraged and leave because the “going gets tough.” It’s never a smooth and easy path to create something new. Problems or obstacles will come up and then there are days when you question if it’s all worth your effort.

Michael: So, why keep going?

Diane: In EDA’s case, if we do not keep going, we‘ll stay the same. And that means people will remain malnourished. We’ll run out of enough food. Our water will get polluted beyond our capacity to clean it. Our energy will disappear with oil wells, and coal deposits depleted. It’s not a world I want to live in.

Michael: Me neither. But it looks like no one will do anything to fix things until they have no choice.

Diane: Yes, and we’re trying to get people to wake up and do something now, before they’re knee-deep in water in their living rooms, or the roof has been torn off their house. We need people who are dedicated to prevent things from deteriorating. We need people who will admit their mistakes when they make them. And we want people who will work on correcting those mistakes so we can all learn from them.

Michael: That means people will need to work out the problems, find creative solutions, and hang in there for the long haul.

Diane: You got that right! Nothing worthwhile is ever going to be easy, but if we all stick with it and work together, we can accomplish the change we need, and ultimately create a better future for everyone. So, now do you agree that EDA has C.O.P.D.?

Michael: Definitely! Creative—Organization—Participation—Dedication!

Volunteers for EDA Conference Committee

This year's conference in October was well received. Our theme was Revaluing the Commons and we were delighted to have four world-renowned speakers join us.

It's never too early to start planning for EDA's 2023 conference. If you would like to be part of brainstorming next year's theme, exploring potential speakers, and providing your input on content, please contact Janice Bobbie. We would like to begin initial discussions on the conference in January.

Changing climate, changing food supply

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) shows how climate change is already wreaking havoc on our global food system. Statistics are sobering: yields of the big three staple crops – corn, wheat, and rice – have fallen 5.3% since 1961 and may fall another 10-25% for each degree of warming above 1.1 degrees Celsius. These three videos, the IPCC Press Conference and two shorter presentations show how climate change could affect global agriculture within 10 years.

This was just one headline from this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries agreed that we all need to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 to prevent the acceleration of the kinds of events we’re increasingly witnessing around the globe: drought, fires, floods, worsening storms, and the inflationary impacts of these and similar events, which are taking us down the path of economic, political and societal destabilization.

Though global in scope, these various crises are having a direct impact on the bioregional issues that EDA is working on, specifically the long-term availability and equitable distribution of water, food and energy.

EDA’s State Legislative Team will soon start its annual search for draft bills pertaining to these issues in all fifty US states for the 2023 legislative session. We’ll be talking more about how we can use specific bills to advocate for resource democracy issues in future newsletters.

In the meantime, we don’t have to wait for the perfect bill to take action, nor do we need to wait for the legislative session to begin. In fact, advocacy – even on the state level – can and should be a year-round effort. And here's why.

Laws don’t get changed overnight. Resolving deep problems, like those that are emerging from our changing climate, and from core issues like meeting people’s basic needs, takes time and a commitment to seeing the process through to completion. Legislative sessions are simply not long enough in any single year to accomplish our larger objectives. Getting the job done requires patience, tenacity, and the willingness to develop a working relationship with your legislator and their staff.

So, where to start?

The first step is to ask yourself what is the greatest need, or problem in your community. Are there water shortages? Are agribusiness and monoculture threatening water and soil quality and the sustainability of agriculture? Is this driving up food costs? Are rising energy costs driving out businesses? Is our dependence on fossil fuels adding to price increases on everything from food to building supplies to manufacturing?

Focus on the issue that’s of most concern to you, that impacts you directly. Learn as much as you can about the issue. Then talk with people in your community to get a sense of their views on the subject. You might go online to find out if other communities have encountered the same issue and see what you can learn from their experiences. There’s power in numbers, and there’s power in knowledge.

From this you can begin to frame an “ask” around what you see needs to change, to solve a problem or fill a need. Maybe you can’t have an impact on global warming. Maybe you can’t solve the problems that were being talked about in the Climate Summit in Egypt. But you can influence your elected officials to take action on the problems facing your own community.

So, while you are waiting to see what bills are coming up through your state’s legislature, you can begin today to educate yourself, to engage a friend or two who share your concerns. You can pick up the phone or write an email to your elected officials, asking for an appointment to talk with them or a member of their staff about your concern.

A few final thoughts. Be respectful, no matter where your legislator sits on the political spectrum. Ultimately, you need each other if you hope to see positive legislative change. Be quietly persistent. Provide information that will help them help you.

And remember to call on EDA’s legislative, education, research and advocacy teams to help you. We’re here to partner with you as you strengthen your participatory democracy skills, to help you change your world.

Next month we’ll talk about how you and your group can strategically partner with EDA’s Advocacy Team to make you a force to be reckoned with.