Carbon Copy

seed bombs for fun and non-profit

Somehow, this recipe feels just right for Easter weekend:

• Combine 2 parts mixed seeds (indigenous flowers, herbs or vegetables) with 3 parts compost.
• Stir in 5 parts powdered red or brown clay.
• Moisten with water until mixture is damp enough to mold into balls.
• Pinch off a penny-sized piece of the clay mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands until it forms a tight ball (1 inch in diameter).
• Set the balls on newspaper and allow to dry for 24 - 48 hours. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to sow.

Throw the balls into vacant lots, pavement cracks, long-standing rubbish piles, or anywhere that would benefit from a bit of random greenery. [Source: The Guerilla Art Kit, by Keri Smith]

global warming primer

Just out in July is the new book Global Warming (Heavyweight Issues, Lightweight Read) by South African authors Jessica Wilson and Stephen Law. There are many other books on either the science or the politics (or personal rants) of this complex topic, but this 112-page overview covers both in easy language. As it says in the introduction, this book will provide you with sufficient evidence and reasoning for you to hold your own in any argument.

global warming guide

Stephen Law and Jessica Wilson of South Africa's Environmental Monitoring Group have just finished a new book on the science of global warming and what can be done about it - technologically and politically. Published by Constable & Robinson in the UK, "A Brief Guide - Global Warming" is billed as an easy read on a complex issue. I've ordered my copy.