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Tested skills for thriving in the age of limits
Merlin, Gandalf, Voldemort-these well-known sorcerers from popular culture are famed for their amazing spells and spectacular magical powers. In ancient times however, a wizard was actually a freelance intellectual whose main stock in trade was good advice, supported by a thorough education in agriculture, navigation, political and military science, languages, commerce, mathematics, medicine, and the natural sciences-in essence, the true Renaissance man.
Greer proposes a modern mage for uncertain times; one who possesses a startling array of practical skills gleaned from the appropriate tech and organic gardening movements forged in the energy crisis of the 1970s. From the basic concepts of ecology to a plethora of practical techniques such as composting, green manure, low-tech food preservation and storage, small-scale chicken and rabbit raising, solar water heating, alternative energy sources, and more; Green Wizardry is a comprehensive manual for today's wizard-in-training.
Providing a solid practical introduction to the entire appropriate tech toolkit, this book is a must-read for anyone concerned about decreasing our dependence on an overloaded industrial system and, in a world of serious energy shortages and economic troubles, making life a great deal less traumatic and more livable.
John Michael Greer — Archdruid, historian, and one of the most influential figures in the peak oil movement, writes the widely cited weekly blog "The Archdruid Report" and has published more than twenty books on nature, spirituality and the future of industrial society. His involvement in sustainability issues dates back to the early 1980s, when he was active in the Appropriate Technology movement and became certified as a Master Conserver. He is the author of numerous titles, including The Long Descent, The Ecotechnic Future and The Wealth of Nature. He lives in Cumberland, MD, an old mill town in the Appalachians, with his wife Sara.
Foreword: A Time for Wizardry
PART ONE: PRINCIPLES
Lesson 1: Introducing Energy
Lesson 2: Introducing Matter
Lesson 3: Introducing Information
Lesson 4: Thinking in Systems
Lesson 5: Flows and Funds
Lesson 6: Sustainability and Resilience
Resources for Part One
PART TWO: FOOD
Lesson 7: The Small Garden
Lesson 8: Understanding Soil
Lesson 9: Composting and Mulching
Lesson 10: Keeping Them Healthy
Lesson 11: Season Extenders
Lesson 12: Saving Seeds
Lesson 13: Breeding New Varieties
Lesson 14: Wild Helpers
Lesson 15: Home Livestock
Lesson 16: The Unwanted
Lesson 17: Storing the Harvest
Lesson 18: Using the Harvest
Resources for Part Two
PART THREE: ENERGY
Lesson 19: Using Less Energy
Lesson 20: Caulking and Weatherstripping
Lesson 21: Insulation
Lesson 22: Window Coverings
Lesson 23: Conserving the Differences
Lesson 24: Hayboxes and Sunboxes
Lesson 25: Solar Hot Water
Lesson 26: Passive Solar Heat
Lesson 27: Solar Electricity
Lesson 28: Wind Power
Lesson 29: Other Energy Sources
Lesson 30: Transportation
Resources for Part Three
PART FOUR: WHOLE SYSTEMS
Lesson 31: Putting It Together
Lesson 32: The New Alchemy Option
Lesson 33: The Down Home Funk Option
Lesson 34: The Retrofit Option
Lesson 35: The Way of Dissensus
Lesson 36: The Long View
Resources for Part Four
Afterword: Why It Matters
Notes
Index
About the Author