Dear Friends,
(02:30) Climate change is altering how we build, with Mark Clipsham;
(35:00) Blame NATO for war in Ukraine, with Matt Bivens.
Below, I’ll share a few pics explaining why this blog is so late. But whether by podcast or radio, I hope you’ve listened to this week’s program. It features two conversations with guests who’ve spent a lifetime studying, discussing, and innovating in their respective fields.
Matt Bivens was a journalist for the LA Times and the Moscow Times, living in Russia for ten years, before becoming a medical professional. His perspective on the war in Ukraine is a must-hear, and his well-founded view that NATO is to blame for the war deserves serious consideration.
For an interesting angle on the climate crisis, check out my discussion with Mark Clipsham about a little-recognized climate victim: insurance companies.
Should we cry a river for them? Nah. They’re finding a pathway through the huge claims that come with more frequent and more intense climate catastrophes. Of course, that pathway includes sticking you with more expensive policies and higher deductibles.
Mark can’t offer advice on how to navigate the choppy waters of an evolving property-insurance universe. But what he can offer is decades of experience on how to build stronger, more climate-resilient structures. Check out these renderings of one of Mark’s grain-bin homes — “one stripped down, the other dressed up,” as Mark says:
My reason for being late with this blog? Harvest season. For subsistence types like Kathy and me, July and August are intensely busy. But the rewards are great. Just this week, we’ve put up applesauce (thanks to Lee Tesdell for the apples), carrots, and corn (complements of Brandhof Sweet Corn). Thanks, Bill Witt, for the Foley’s Food Mill. We’re also planting a fall garden. Busy, busy, but happy eats when the snow flies.
Thanks for reading, listening, and doing your part for a better world.
Ed Fallon
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Ed Fallon