Recent Additions
- THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY: THROUGH THE LENS OF PEAK OIL
- The price of a barrel of petroleum topped $140 during the month of June. But this is not news; it's just more of the same. The skyrocketing cost of petroleum has already created a significant impact on the world economy and even more so on the U.S. economy and the price of food. But what does it mean to those of us who live in Oregon's Willamette Valley? How will this continuing trend effect our economy? What can we do individually and collectively to prepare for the inevitable socio-economic changes? This portion of the Mud City Press website contains a collection of essays and articles that try to answer these questions.
- THE SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY BEAN AND GRAIN PROJECT
- We hear the slogan "eat local" over and over again, but what does it really mean? It's more than just eating fresher food. It's about preserving local food systems. It's about food security and common sense management of the pantry. Here in Oregon's Willamette Valley we have the agricultural potential to feed those that live here twice over. And yet more than ninety-five percent of what we eat is imported. We aren't even growing that much food in this incredibly fertile valley, instead we grow rye grass and fescue for grass seed. With the price of all fossil fuels on the rise, this can't sustain. It will become just too expensive to freight in food. Harry MacCormack of Sunbow Farm in Corvallis, Oregon has conceived a plan to turn this around. The Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project is a step by step plan to rebuild the south Willamette Valley's food system by getting local farmers to grow more beans, grains, and edible seed crops.
- RELOCALIZING EDEN
- A region's capacity to produce, process, and distribute some significant portion of its own food has always been a measure of social and economic stability, but as we face the unknowns of peak oil and climate change, securing local food resources will become one of our highest priorities. Oregon's Willamette Valley provides an apt case-study for addressing this situation.
- BIG MELT MEETS BIG EMPTY: RETHINKING THE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEAK OIL
- This excellent article by Richard Heinberg provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship of climate change to peak oil and how various proposed plans to deal with one effect the other.
- THE FORTUNE TELLER'S FORTUNE
- Read this provocative new addition to our short story collection, written by Dan Armstrong and beautifully illustrated with the visionary artwork of Martina Hoffmann.
- HUGO CHAVEZ AND THE BANK OF THE SOUTH
- Hugo Chavez is changing the economic and political landscape of South America. His plan for a new development bank of South America is a critical part of his vision.
- REVISITING THE LIMITS OF GROWTH: Could the Club of Rome have been correct, after all?
- This is an energy policy white paper written in October of 2000 by Matthew R. Simmons. In the next year, Simmons would be a member of the Bush-Cheney Energy Transition Advisory Committee and the Independent Task Force on Strategic Energy Policy. Let there be no doubt that peak oil was a critical part of all energy discussion in the Cheney-Bush White House. Video Clip: Matthew Simmons on CNBC 3/7/2008
- GEOENGINEERING THE CLIMATE: WEIGHING THE RISKS
- It is possible to counteract global warming through the intentional modification of the atmosphere's chemistry. But rebalancing the planet's carbon cycle is a crap shoot no matter how it's done. The question is what circumstances would merit taking that gamble?
Table of Contents
- A SLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF SPACESHIP EARTH
- This is the core of the Mud City Press website. It contains a series of overviews on the basics of planet management followed by several in depth articles on climate, energy, community, global food resources, and economics.
- BUY A BOOK
- Mud City Press is a Print-on-Demand electronic publisher. Check out the books we have for sale.
- PRAIRIE FIRE (a novel): It's a few years from now, and the human and environmental costs of industrial farming have finally caught up with America's family farmers. Instead of throwing in the hoe, farmers across the Heartland rise up against the combine, threatening to burn their crops rather than continue the petrochemical assault on the land. AVAILABLE NOW at iUniverse and Amazon.com.
- TAMING THE DRAGON (a novel): When a warm winter cuts deeply into the Himalayan snowpack, water shortages stress all of Asia; but in no place is the situation more problematic than at China's Three Gorges Dam. AVAILABLE NOW at iUniverse and Amazon.com.
- MUD BLOG
- Mud City Press adds more hot air to the blogosphere. Current blog: LANE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS REGIONAL FARMERS MARKET AND AG CENTER.
- SHORT STORIES
- In-house writer Dan Armstrong offers readers five pieces of short fiction.
- BOOK REVIEWS
- Our literary editor takes a look at books old and new, hoping to inspire a read or offer a new perspective.
- THE WORK OF WILLIAM H. KÖTKE
- Mud City Press provides access to the visionary work of William H. Kötke, including reviews of his books and several of his most recent articles.
- CATHERINE AUSTIN FITTS
- Mud City Press offers five of Ms. Fitts best articles, including our interview with her, THE REAL DEAL ABOUT ENRON.
- MUD CITY PRESS ARCHIVES
- Mud City Press's online magazine maintains an archive of past articles, stories, book reviews, and blogs.
- CONTACT MUD CITY PRESS
- Send us an e-mail. Pat us on the back. Straighten us out. Tells us your thoughts.
- WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING
- Read comments by our readers. Try their suggested reading. Visit webistes they recommend.
- SPECIAL THANKS TO MARK HENSON AND SACRED LIGHT STUDIOS
- Mud City Press has included six excellent paintings by Mark to enhance the Asleep at the Wheel of Spaceship Earth section of this website.
- SPECIAL THANKS TO MARTINA HOFFMAN
- Mud City Press has used four of Martina's visionary paintings to illustrate THE FORTUNE TELLER'S FORTUNE, a short story by Dan Armstrong
Many of the essays, stories, and reviews at Mud City Press are formated as ADOBE PDF files. If you don't have ADOBE's Acrobat Reader on your computer, you may download their free software at the ADOBE website.
