Jamie Ihaksi's Blog (8)

I read a great article (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/afghanistan_53276.html) from UNICEF that talks about how young women playing sports feel empowered in their communities. I love it.



Of all the missions so far on Evoke I think empowering women is the most important, simply because I think it is a limiting factor to the accomplishment of the others (food security and financial security, ect...) I remember… Continue

In April 2020 I will be rolling up some beeswax candles. We will light the candles and go down to the lake and we will put the candles on little boats and watch them float away to celebrate Spring !! I have always wanted to do that and never have, so there is no better time than the future to float boat beeswax candles in the lake.



As far as power goes, we will have to walk or ride bikes down to the lake, or perhaps use our electric cars that are all the rage in 2020. We will power… Continue

I came across http://www.pedalpowergenerator.com, at this site they have free plans for building a pedal power generator. I have always wanted to have one in my home; maybe plugged into my t.v. or something like that. It doesn't seem to be that hard but I am unfamiliar with the electrical language of watts and amps and such.



There are also many people with DIY wind generators. Again it seems to be tougher than my current skills can… Continue

I have been eating a bit less lately because this time of the year the preserves are running low and there is not much to pull out of the ground. However, the eating will be delicious this afternoon because we just pulled up some parsnips we planted last winter and collected eggs from our chickens. We boil the parsnips and I pick some chives and other early herbs which I dice and sprinkle over the parsnips. I then scramble the eggs over our wood stove. My partner arrives with a basket full of… Continue

Choosing a hero was never something I had ever done before so this was an interesting exercise. A few years ago I read the book "Cradle to Cradle" and I was amazed to learn how poor the process of recycling is, and how inefficient the wh*** system of production was. I was then excited to learn that there was a better way to produce things that were much more sustainble. But felt frustration at how industrial production continues in it's poor, garbage producing methods.



So this… Continue

Just recently I was presented with information on a bill that will demand that the government of Canada investigate the effects of GM wheat and alfalfa on export markets. This will be a huge boon to small time organic farmers because, as was shown in the past with GM flax, the GM seeds spread into organic farmers crops and then European markets will not buy the contaminated GM crops. Let alone their crops will no longer be organic. There is also many other concerns with GM crops, especially… Continue

In ten years I hope to be on a beautiful piece of land with a free flowing natural spring with fresh water in the hills of BC, Canada. I will have a growing forest of fruit trees and perennial vegetables, as well as a garden close to my home with flowers and vegetables growing. I will live with friends and family in a tight comunity of people that share skills and resources so that we can get by in a world of increasing resource scarcity.



When I am called to Tokyo to help with the… Continue

Many great ideas on using resources in an efficient and sustainable way

seem to come from developing countries where resources are slim. I live

in Canada and was born into a middle class family in which our

resources seemed limitless. I think that because of my upbringing it is

difficult for me to imagine a world where even essential resources like

water and food are scarce; however, I believe in the importance of using

resources sustainably. So I have had to train… Continue