Letters to EcoNews | Oct. 2023

Herbalism

Dear EcoNews,
I was puzzled by the article about herbs in the September Econews. Why is it any more dangerous, immoral, or wrong-headed to grow herbs commercially in fields than to grow wheat, corn, or potatoes in fields?

Just as those who want to be more intimately connected with their food learn to grow organic gardens, people who want to be more connected with the ancient craft of herbalism for medicine and cuisine can take a class, learn what they need to know, and grow them at home. Learn how to make tinctures, teas, and salves, and you won’t need to buy them off the shelf at the supermarket. If you must buy the actual herbs, get them from a reputable store that specializes in herbs (we have two in northern Humboldt) and ask the management where the herbs come from. If you don’t like the answer, try a different herbal recipe. There are hundreds of medicinal and culinary herbs, and many of them can be used for the same purposes.

It may be a surprise to learn than many common herbs are perceived as weeds. If you want to wildcraft, rather than grow or buy your herbs, these are the ones you should be focusing on, since nobody will care if you pick them or dig them up.

– Elaine Weinreb


Wind Energy

Folks…Hello to you all…
So important that we feel we’re allies in all of what we face. Just to be very clear about  the immensity of ‘High Tech Wind  Turbines!’ in   EcoNews….Seeing  your headline “Why Green Tech Won’t Work” and  my  responding to  your page 9  story.

My having the most serious concerns… writing/ sending series of articles, out widely  the last month and a half… about only  this incredible impact upon our lives.

“Yes”…, ‘taking on your article about ENERGY – WIND –  TURBINES’  page 9…and how it obviously supports  those who support not only Wind Turbines…but  unlimited growth,  unlimited enterprise, which is the antithesis of what  we’ve learned…to be the most compassionate, most inclusive of what   protects life of species, control  of more land, sea and air in…continuing its unimpeded  overrun  of Nature.

We’ve called it “Manifest Destiny”  for years, to  focus  directly on the  ravaging right here, the cruel  indiscriminate  killings of all forms of life. a rampage across the entire  landscape..pillaging,  this catastrophe…yet now….in more mild terms, the very same…lost  in transition, just words passed on..more taken for granted…so easy to  do, while it must be reckoned with…. like the inquisition or  terror of  Auschwitz, not to be  taken for granted.

The deliberate, and thoughtless passing over of the authentic defining….of what it means to live ‘Green’ Those same officials  who have  never done a thing to end  the most  devastating  practices of  ending most deforestation, the foremost issue of  Humboldt  in aiding  the World Climate  Crisis efforts.

To even slow this  entire sea change of more rulers controls, we have work to do…..the shear evaporation of  what’s  dear, so worth  resisting, so worth our  living for…the same  as what drives  even wars, all of which we must overcome.

It’s no  waiting pattern we dare accept, As if the  EIR reports will make any difference. EPIC,  Earth First Forest  Defense, Climate Crisis and many others know where the EIR stands…how they regularly  OK   98 percent  of  Timber Harvest Plans.

This government agency cannot be counted upon. Officials here addressing  this as a ‘done deal’..signing of  contracts regularly for work to be done. Do you see it so differently?  Can we find a way to work on this together?

With great respect, Jack {nounnan}