Small World

Homemade Halloween

By Lindsay Curren October 18, 2012

We're running this piece from 2010 again in celebration of the upcoming Halloween. One of my worst parenting memories happened when I took my daughters trick-or-treating on the vaunted Lawn of the University of Virginia campus one year. The girls were about six and four at the time, and the picturesque associations of the annual UVa. Halloween tradition conjured up by friends made it sound incomparable to other activities. This was easy: show up around 4:30pm and go by Lawn dorms to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Small World Tagged With: consumerism, cooking, DIY, homesteading, Oct 2010, parenting, relocalization

La vie en verte (a life in green)

By Anwyn Cook June 18, 2012

At the 80th Academy Award ceremony in 2008, the nominations for Best Actress included Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Laura Linney, and Ellen Page; all actresses that American audiences were relatively familiar with. But when Forest Whitaker tore open the famous white envelope and called out “And the Oscar goes to...Marion Cotillard!” many viewers at home likely hesitated with their applause. She had come out of nowhere. Her film, La Vie en Rose, had not been widely released in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arts, Small World Tagged With: activism, communication, France, global warming, Greenpeace, The Franco-file, youth

By Lindsay Curren May 9, 2011

Today Transition Voice introduces a new feature, Small World, devoted to coverage by and for kids on the issues of peak oil, climate change, the new economy and the Transition movement. Our first essay, "Peak oil is no bed of roses," an article on gardening in small spaces, is by Chloë Cook, 14, of Staunton, Va. It helps that Chloë is my daughter and that I could ply her into service by batting my eyelashes and making a Mother's Day request. But I also know she's not the only kid out there … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Small World

Peak oil is no bed of roses

By Chloë Cook May 9, 2011

As I gaze out my window through the dogwood tree and tulips to the small greenhouse across the street, I can’t help but imagine what it would be like living there. It would be a dream to curl my toes in the soft, springy grass, pick some flowers before I set the table, or play with my two matching black-and-white cats Chester and Piper in the shade of the trees. All for want of a yard Sadly, although our house has many great things (including a closet turned into a cozy bedroom), it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Small World Tagged With: cooking, food, gardening, permaculture

Readers and authors talk

Elisabeth J. Potts on Climate collision course: CO2 levels about to hit 400 ppm » As of this week, we have already reached the 400ppm milestone. Here's the thing: We all need some sp...
Ed Johnson on Roundup of distressing climate news » Thank you all for your comments and commitments. I too sense this with out all the research backgrou...
Lee Samelson on The climate change mountaintop » It seems like the stages occur in reverse order for climate hawks Climate hawks or climate activists...
Steve on For sale, habitable planet, too late » Doug, I am in a similar place to you, I think. I have probably never really faced up to the reality ...