Green Wizardry

John Michael Greer is a scholar of ecological history and an internationally renowned Peak Oil theorist whose blog, "The Archdruid Report," has become one of the most widely cited online resources dealing with the future of industrial society. He is the author of more than 30 books including The Wealth of Nature and The Long Descent. As well as being a certified Master Conserver and devoted organic gardener, Greer continues to practice a myriad of skills honed during the appropriate tech movement of the 1970s. He has been active in the contemporary nature spirituality movement for more than 25 years.

Using an integrated systems approach to ecologically sustainable living strategies, John Michael Greer tackles energy, economics, technology and organic production practices with approachable precision in Green Wizardry. Interested in a real "Green" revolution? Let Green Wizardry show you the way AND the why! --Hank Will, editor-in-chief, GRIT magazine, and author, Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-budget Homesteading Solutions Wanted: real wizards. Must be capable of guiding their communities through difficult times by exercising practical skills and applying down-to-earth knowledge of how things work. If you're interested in applying for the job, then read this marvelous book. Greer is the ideal guide; his wisdom and gentle humor animate every page. A magical career awaits you. -- Richard Heinberg, author, The End of Growth This is book is part nostalgic trip through what once could have been, and could have saved us, before we decided to go all in on unbounded economic growth and endless militarism, and part survival guide which, now that the results of this bout of folly are coming in, can allow families and communities to cut their burn rate in comfort and style. And it also lays out the foundations of a very useful and very necessary vocation to which all of us, young and old can aspire: Green Wizardry. ---Dmitry Orlov, author of Reinventing Collapse and The Five Stages of Collapse Just as someone starting a business would get a book on business planning, this is the book for planning a greener life. Rather than being split into chapters, Green Wizardry is split into 36 lessons, each with an exercise at the end, where you are challenged to apply your new-found knowledge to your own life or delve more deeply into a subject. If there were a class on green living, this would be the ideal text! ---Deborah Niemann, author of Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally

• 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