July

"It's a strange sort of pain. (...) To die of yearning for something you'll never experience." by Alessandro Baricco (1997). Silk. Painting: gouache and watercolour. June, 2023.

nearness, seasonality and sustainability

The plants used in my tapestries come from my little garden, are gathered during my walks, or collected during visits to friends and family homes. Some are used right after collection in order to maintain enough elasticity to be worked out. Others are used dried because they offer great flexibility or because they gain other affordances with time. 

Seasonality plays a special role in my tapestries. Not only because plants availability vary according to each month, but also because I like to use daylight when I make them. Each tapestry has the plants of the season and corresponding availability, embedded. If you observe attentively you can guess the seasons they crossed until closure. 

I like to think in sustainability like a verb. The process of discovering ways of make things with what is available. Weaving them into being otherness. Like plants that are considered «invasive». I find it a lack of imagination. A strange classification for bio materials that can thrive in desolate places. Surviving by themselves, without any kind of input or demand on our part, and with their qualities can be transformed in so many beautiful or useful things. 

Weaving the tapestries is a way of giving body (and soul) to my living framework of doing what I know, the best I can, with what I have, wherever I am.

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

navetes

Navete ou lançadeira. Portuguese words used for shuttle. "A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store a holder that carries the thread of the weft yarn while weaving with a loom. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp in order to weave in the weft. The simplest shuttles, known as "stick shuttles", are made from a flat, narrow piece of wood with notches on the ends to hold the weft yarn" ( Wikipedia ). 

In my tapestries I use repurposed ice cream sticks for the wool or cotton parts. For the plant parts it´s hands work, our best tool. Also in the photo, you can see two handmade wood needles, seldom used, but useful when needed more precision work.

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

June

June 18, 2023. Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

June

June 10, 2023. Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

June

June 20, 2023. Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

June

"Women have been the weavers of tales and tapestries. For centuries, they have unspooled their stories as they spun or threw the shuttle on their loom. They were the first to capture de universe as warp and weft. They knotted together their joys, hopes, sorrows, fears, and most private beliefs. (...) They interlaced verbs, yarn, adjectives, and silk. This is why text and textile share so many words (...)." Irene Vallejo (2022). Papyrus: the invention of books in the ancient world. 

Photo of tapestry (78 x 96 cm) by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

June

Estimates suggest that a garden of 1,000 square meters could sequester one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year [see entry from November, 2019]. Miyawaki forests, or tiny forests, are even more efficient sequestering CO2 due to their greater biodiversity and vegetation density. I wonder how much CO2 am I sequestering in my little páteo high density forest (around 25 square meters)?

Even small, little apartment forests help to clean the air, reduce water runoff, lower heat, feed bees, attract birds (and free manure!), reduce the garbage produced (by composting and mulching), lowers stress, brightens the day and fills the space with ever-changing beauty. 

Unlike «things», Nature does not repeat itself. One never knows what flower will open next, what new plant will show up, or what culprit will eat the fruits that we longed for :)

May 2023 photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

May

Some people say “let’s invent a machine to sequester carbon” but “we already have a fantastic productive system to sequester lots of carbon. And beyond that, it produces food, timber, creates biodiversity, gives dignity to peasant labour” and promotes life in Syntropy (excerpt from short film made specially to be presented at COP21, Paris). 

So, what is this invention? 

It’s a Terrestrial invention, refined and matured along billions of years, that intelligent people are replicating, known among humans as «Agroforestry». 

Want to spend billions in carbon capture? 

Spend in agroforestry. And while capturing carbon, you will also be feeding the world, saving biodiversity, recovering our soils, creating local jobs, lowering the temperature, bringing moisture to soils, reducing inputs, among many other great things. On top of all the benefits, you do not need to use any rare materials for building expensive technology, only what’s available in each place, making it a resilient and strategical solution for any country.

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

May

"The basic unit for minds is the image, the image of a thing or of what a thing does, or what the thing causes you to feel; or the image of what you think of the thing; or the image of the words that translate any and all of the above." António Damásio (2019). The Strange Order of Things. Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

 

May

"A warning is not a prophecy; the former assumes that we have choices and cautions us about the consequences; the latter operates on the basis of a fixed future (...)" Rebecca Solnit (2022). Orwell's Roses. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

May

"While options range from incremental changes to fundamental reform, science provides a clear warning about continuing on our current path." in Beyond growth: pathways towards sustainable prosperity in the EU, document for the European 'Beyond Growth' conference taking place next week (15 to 17 May, 2023), prepared by the Parliament, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, presenting "the economic and socio-ecological challenges facing today's society and offers a reflection on possible transition pathways and associated tools to move beyond growth in EU policies. The focus is the European Union and its Member States, with the global context integrated where relevant for understanding the status quo and discussing options." See also the brief «'beyond growth': concepts and challenges» (May 2023).

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

April

"(...) black locust produces a fruity and fragrant honey, and its blossoms are used for cooking." More about this tree in Sitzia, T., Cierjacks, A., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., 2016. Robinia pseudoacacia in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats. In: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. 

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

April

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

March

"Depth

We must be still 

Heart breaks 

Soul Fire 

Flood lines 

Earthquakes 

Depth over distance 

Deep roots 

And charred ashes 

Hardship carves stones 

Bring out the passes 

Scars make us beautiful, 

flawless, individual" 

Depth by Rising Appalachia (2021). 

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

March

"The word integrity means moral consistency and commitment, but it also means something whole and unbroken, uninjured, and it's a quality found in many beautiful things." Rebecca Solnit (2022). Orwell's Roses. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

March

"A garden is what you want (and can manage and afford), and what you want is who you are, and who you are is always a political and cultural question. It's true even of vegetables gardens (...) though more so with pleasure gardens." Rebecca Solnit (2022). Orwell's Roses. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

February

"The order that matters most is not spacial but temporal. Sometimes pictures convey this, but the habit of seeing in pictures encourages us to loose sight of the dance." Rebecca Solnit (2022). Orwell's Roses. Lisbon Metro. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

January

[MP] What is your view about the myth of eternal growth?

[ChatGPT] As a machine learning model, I don't have personal views or opinions. However, I can provide you with information about the concept of eternal growth.

The idea of eternal economic growth is based on the belief that economic growth is necessary for the well-being of society and that it can continue indefinitely. However, this concept is based on the assumption that there are unlimited resources available for consumption and that the negative environmental and social impacts of growth can be managed or ignored.

However, as the global population and consumption continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Earth's natural resources are finite, and that the negative impacts of growth, such as climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, are reaching critical levels.

Many experts argue that the idea of eternal growth is not sustainable, and that the world needs to shift towards a more sustainable, equitable, and regenerative economic system that prioritizes well-being over growth. This system could be called a "post-growth" or "degrowth" economy.

It is important to note that the idea of degrowth economy is still debated and it is not a widely accepted concept. Some experts argue that it may not be practical or even possible to achieve, while others argue that it is necessary for the survival of the human race and the planet.

[MP] What would a future "post-growth" world look like?

[ChatGPT] A post-growth or degrowth economy is an economic system that prioritizes well-being and sustainability over economic growth. In a post-growth world, the focus would shift from increasing production and consumption to meeting the basic needs of all people, preserving natural resources, and reducing environmental and social impacts.

Some of the key features of a post-growth world would include:

• A shift towards a more equitable and localized economy, where decision-making is decentralized and community-based.
• An emphasis on meeting basic needs, such as food, housing, healthcare, and education, rather than maximizing GDP.
• A reduction in the scale and pace of production and consumption, to minimize the depletion of natural resources and reduce the ecological footprint.
• A focus on regenerative and sustainable practices in agriculture, energy production, transportation, and other sectors.
• A decrease in the use of fossil fuels and an increase in the use of renewable energy sources.
• A reduction in the use of cars and an increase in the use of public transportation, cycling, and walking.
• A decrease in the use of pesticides and other chemicals in agriculture and an increase in the use of organic farming methods.

It is important to note that the concept of a post-growth economy is still debated, and there are varying interpretations of what such a system would look like in practice. Some experts argue that it may not be possible to achieve and others argue that it is necessary for the survival of the human race and the planet.

[MP] Are there any experts on post-growth that I can contact to know more about this idea?

[ChatGPT] There are several experts in the field of post-growth and degrowth that you can contact to learn more about this idea. Here are a few notable names:

• Kate Raworth, economist and author of "Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist."
• Jason Hickel, anthropologist and author of "The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and Its Solutions."
• Tim Jackson, economist and director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Surrey, and author of "Prosperity Without Growth."
• Peter Victor, economist and author of "Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, Not Disaster."
• Giorgos Kallis, ecologist and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and author of "The Degrowth Alternative: for Environmental Sustainability and Social Equity."

You can also find more experts in the field by searching for degrowth or post-growth in academic databases or by visiting the websites of institutions that specialize in environmental and economic sustainability such as The New Economics Foundation, The Post Growth Institute and The Degrowth Network.

It's important to note that while the idea of degrowth economy is still debated, and it's not a widely accepted concept yet. Some experts argue that it may not be practical or even possible to achieve, while others argue that it is necessary for the survival of the human race and the planet.

Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

January

"You are beautiful not because you are better than others, but because there is only you who can smile like that." Haemin Sunim (2017). The things you can see only when you slow down. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

December

"Only by altering our habits, and by endeavouring to live less exploitatively, can we prevent the changes to the environment from becoming an unparalleled catastrophe, another Great Dying. (...) People are understandably worried that it might lower our quality of life in the short term, and involve some personal and societal effort." Yet, "without our action at the level of community, of the nation, of the globe, we will certainly suffer even more. (...) we must enter into a more mutualistic relationship with our global environment. Only then can we preserve not just their infinite variety, but also our place within them" and "we too will live in hope." Thomas Halliday (2022). Otherlands: A World in the Making.  Photos by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

December

"As we notice more and more in the present moment, we come to a deeper realization that a silent observer is within us. In the primordial stillness, the silent observer witnesses everything inside and outside."  Haemin Sunim (2017). The things you can see only when you slow down. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

December

"Extinction bursts through that web, breaking connections and threatening its integrity. Sever one strand, and it wavers, reshapes, but survives. Tear another, and it will still hold. Over long periods, repairs are made as species adapt, and new balances are reached, new associations made. If enough strands are broken at once, the web will collapse, drifting in the breeze, and the world will have to make do with what little remains." Thomas Halliday (2022). Otherlands: A World in the Making.  Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

December

And this light 

Still won't shine bright 

But there'll be enough to see right 

A thought that's handed down 

Old torn and frayed 

Mine to keep around 

Not to feel afraid 

Kept it for awhile 

A echo of the age 

A faded memory 

Waiting to change

1968 by Submotion Orchestra

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

December

"An unplanned exercise in cooperation is taking place, with animal and plant, fungus and microbe, competing and collaborating in complex ways. This is an ecosystem discovering itself, and it is here that the fundamental patterns of life on land are been established." Thomas Halliday (2022). Otherlands: A World in the Making. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

December

Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

November

"Long distance dispersal may be rare, but in a world where enough attempts occur, only one attempt needs to succeed. What is remarkable is how many appear to have been successful." Thomas Halliday (2022). Otherlands: A World in the Making. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

 

November

"Even in the stormiest sea, there is a calm that comes with staying true to your convictions." Harvard Business Review (2022). Energy and Motivation. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

October

"There are certain fundamental rules that all ecosystems must follow. Energy, usually harnessed in from sunlight or, rarely, from the breakdown of minerals, must flow into the ecosystem to replace what is lost through activity and decay. The organisms that can access this energy are the producers, and those that cannot are the consumers, feeding on other living things in order to survive.” Thomas Halliday (2022). Otherlands: A World in the Making. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

October

"Weaving is a transformative process with many functions. It involves clearing thought, and organizing personal energy and emotion. A handwoven work resists becoming mere product, or mere art." Sofi Thanhauser (2022). Worn: A People's History of Clothing. 

Photo of tapestry (78 x 110 cm) by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

Foodscapes

"The scale of the problem is so vast, complex and interconnected that inertia has plagued the issue. But, a foodscape-scale approach to planning and action can help drive swift progress that benefits both people and the planet." "(...) [W]idespread consensus that business as usual against a backdrop of accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss is not an option." (bold is mine) in The Nature Conservancy (2022). Regenerative Foodscapes: Accelerating A Global Food System Transition. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

October

"The earth system reacts henceforth to your action in such a way that you no longer have a stable and indiferent framework in which to lodge your desires for modernizations." Bruno Latour, 1947-2022, in Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime (2020). Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

September

"Cloth can come from plants (cotton, linen), animals (sheep, silkworm), and, since the nineteenth century, from synthetic material and processes, namely plant-derived celulose liquefied and then extruded into strands (rayon) and various chemical recombinations of petroleum (nylon, spandex, polyester)." Sofi Thanhauser (2022). Worn: A People's History of Clothing. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

October

"(...) it's not really about technology, but instead more about the quality of your life. (...) you'll come to realize that digital minimalism is much more than a set of rules, it's about cultivating a life worth living in our current age of alluring devices." Cal Newport (2020). Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

September

"Because digital minimalists spend so much less time connected than their peers, its easy to think of their lifestyles as extreme, but the minimalists would argue that this perception is backward: what's extreme is how much time everyone else spends staring at their screens." Cal Newport (2020). Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Photo by Monica Pinheiro free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).

August

“Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it, and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You’re just talking.” Wangari Maathai. Cited in The Green Belt Movement: 40 Years of Impact.