An Introduction
My basic content, so we can get on the same page and you know where this will be going for purposes of your future information triage
A bio:
ENTJ.
Biologist. Systems theory. IRL, agroecology instructor and landscape construction. Aid and development, have lived and worked in 12 countries besides the US. Coined and defined term 'integrated ecoagroindustrial system'.
Already involved in a few alternative think tanks (think, 'NOT Rand Corporation').
Best person to take along on an adventure or on team when facing a 'wicked problem'.
Longer version:
Agricultural biologist, (agroforestry, agroecology, permaculture, etc.), integrated agroindustrial systems (biomass power, crop processing, essential oils) (cyclical energy/yield capture) , due diligence investigation and reporting, technical writer (english) and mid level CQC instruction and physical security services. I am available to travel anywhere on short notice.
An appropriate employment position for me would be bioregional terraforming director. Or, what I can do with arid areas in terms of development I can do with jungle in terms of biodiversity conservation and NTFP income. I have worked in both.
Because one can use buzzwords does not mean that one has the skills to carry it off. I see a lot of things like 'whole systems' and 'integrated systems'. And yet, somehow these 'visionaries' seem to have no knowledge of basic logistics or economic geography, let alone bioeconomics. If you can't balance a simple budget based on a currency, what ever will you do with a biological cycling model.
Forgive me, it bothers me when I see charlatans receiving exorbitant sums for promises they can not deliver on. I for one will not. I can deliver, I can find someone who can, or I will tell you I can not. It seems reality and results are not in fashion these days, following the money.
Here is some old work of mine so you can see where I am coming from:
2010 published in the Journal of Ecopsychology:
”Dragging the Demons with us into a Sustainable Future”
”by Ben de Vries
As we take control of the course of our lives and communities to create new more viable futures for ourselves, problems emerging from the existing system(s) may follow us if we let them. Our current capitalist, militarist, imperialist system is based upon a hierarchy of those with capital and power exploiting those who don’t. This hierarchy pervades every aspect of our existence so long as we are living by it, and the problem I wish to address in this article is features of this system that might be carried into future systems, and the difficulties interfacing any new system into the existing one…”
https://www.ecopsychology.org/gatherings/dragging-the-demons-with-us-into-a-sustainable-future/
2013 A video presentation I gave when asked about ‘The Environmental Problem’, my answer, an overview of integrated agroindustrial systems, (one of the primary topics I will be addressing here in future) at conference London UK:
Answering the question of how to construct and integrated agroindustrial system for food security, and carbon negative biomass energy and fuel production:
The criteria?
it must be economically positive (create a return)
must be carbon negative (sequester carbon)
must improve food security
can not impact wildlife habitat
must use only existing technology (my criteria)
2023: An interview I gave on the topic of material backed currencies.
As usual I am more of a bioeconomist/ alt-economist than film editor.
This is also a topic upon which I will expand here.
Thanks,
Ben
Good!!