Hi, this is Geoff.
What a week!
We kicked off our annual PDC course here on the farm (the only face-to-face PDC course I teach in Australia all year), and it has been delightful. We even welcomed a new member to the family 
Some of the folks here will be staying on for the Permaculture in Action hands-on intensive that immediately follows the PDC (the PDC is primarily classroom-based, whereas the PIA is almost 100% hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty-style learning If you’ve taken a PDC (face-to-face or online, with me or with another permaculture teacher), and want to join us in exactly 10 days, we still have a few spots left. It’s a life-changing experience that makes all the permaculture classroom learning come to life.
The last Friday Five was as long as an essay (or a couple of essays put together!), so I want to keep this one short and sweet. Let’s jump right in…
“Light” reading: Here’s a quick read about an insect that fascinates young and old alike: fireflies. Yes, the “light” pun *was* fully intended
Fire in Paradise: This next item is not light at all. The article will take almost a full hour to read, but it moves briskly like an expertly-written novel. The topic alone makes it worth the investment of time, and here’s the tagline: “Gone: Decades of greed, neglect, corruption, and bad politics led to last year’s Paradise fire, the worst in California history. It should never have happened. It will happen again.” Full piece here.
Would you? So many (too many?) parlor games begin with those two words. How about this one: “Would you drink desalinated seawater? Recycled sewage water? Get ready to find out” And with those two questions, Amanda Little begins her TED-related exploration of two options that — due to a dwindling supply of drinking water — might be coming to a faucet near you. Full piece here.
Good tech: So many stories about technology mindlessly praise anything that’s new. Even really dumb inventions. But here is one that is worth all the praise it’s getting. The Food for All app’s premise is simple: “Great food should be tasted, not wasted. Enjoy delicious meals from hundreds of restaurants and cafes for at least 50% off with the Food for All app.” Here’s a great story about how the app is already being used at more than 200 restaurants. I’d say it’s a least a bit better than than the Hushme Voice Mask, no?
The young go old-school: The headline says it all: “One industry millennials aren’t killing: Camping. Millennials make up 41 percent of all campers.” Just in time for our recent listing on youcamp.com
That’s it for the Friday Five. As always, if you have any comments/reactions/ or a different point of view, please share on the blog-version of this Friday Five (and all past + future Friday Fives), all housed here.
Cheers, and have a great week,
Your friend,
Geoff
PS: Some of you have asked about joining the current online PDC. As I mentioned in last week’s Friday Five, we closed enrollment this past Wednesday. However, you’re still welcome to enjoy the Permaculture Masterclass here, and then join the waiting list for when we open enrollment for the 2020 course. To be notified of the exact date, get an early-bird tuition discount, and guarantee enrollment, sign up for our notification/waiting list here.
The post Newest member of the family, good tech, and would you? appeared first on GeoffLawton Online.
