Capitalist Agriculture and the Global Bee Crisis
I’m excited to announce that I wrote a book! The book, published by Routledge, is a political ecology of pollination in which I argue that capitalist agriculture is the main…
Other worlds are possible!
I’m excited to announce that I wrote a book! The book, published by Routledge, is a political ecology of pollination in which I argue that capitalist agriculture is the main…
Exciting news! I have completed my PhD dissertation “Pollinator People: an ethnography of bees, bee advocates and possibilities for multispecies commoning in Toronto and London, ON“. You can read it…
If you have been following my work, you may be interested in attending a virtual public lecture of my PhD dissertation. Please email for zoom details – rebecca.a.ellis@gmail.com
Hi Everyone, You may have noticed, but I am on hiatus from the blog and podcast. Over the next few months, I will be completing my PhD, starting a herb…
In the third instalment of the Permaculture Pandemic Podcast series I discuss the concept and practice of mutual aid, including it’s history (my version), how it relates to permaculture and…
Cultivate abundance in the face of uncertainty!
This pandemic will make visible some of the worst aspects of capitalism and will require us to organize and act when it is over!
In the face of climate breakdown, the task of cheerfully planning one’s garden may be filled with sadness, anxiety, or confusion. The snowy picture of my backyard looks lovely and wintry but until yesterday, it was freakishly mild. I know other parts of the world are experiencing much more serious climate chaos. However, the creation of spaces in which people and non-human nature can flourish is more important now than perhaps ever before.
George Monbiot’s recent article in which he celebrates the rise of lab-based foods and the end of the agrarian age is highly problematic. It ignores social scientific and scientific research about agricultural systems and minimizes the practices and struggles of small-scale, organic farmers.
Sometimes we have to spend time nurturing things even though we don’t know when and if they will flourish. This is true for gardens and it’s also true for social change and social movements. Maybe there are movements that, like my native wildflowers, seem to have died but will grow back stronger and more beautiful than ever. Maybe there are forms of social change that I will nurture for years like my Paw Paws, possibly never getting to eat the fruit myself but creating the conditions so that others can.
Some radical New Year’s Resolutions for 2020!
I have certainty about one thing: it will be better to collectively struggle for freedom against this brutal, life-destroying system than to struggle alone. The most amazing moments of exhilarating joy will be collective.
In this special Halloween episode I explore why witches are so threatening to capitalism. I said this episode would be shorter. It wasn’t. I talk a lot. This is the…
In this episode, I announce the new podcast name, which I will be rolling out over the next month, and I discuss the climate strike and Canadian elections! Resources from…
Check out my recent article in The Conversation Urban bee keepers can help save wild bees. If you find it interesting please share! When will the podcast be back? Mid-May. I…
In this episode I explore the implications the global insect decline. Why are insects in decline and, more importantly why should you care? What actions can we take in cities…
Pollinators – the special group of animals that assist plants in reproduction by moving pollen from the male part of the plant to the female part of the plant, are…
by Rebecca Ellis This article was originally published on my blog on November 2017. It begins to lay out my thoughts for re-visioning permaculture as part of larger anti/despite/post-capitalist movements.…
Healthy, living soil is the most important aspect of having an abundant and flourishing garden.
Some tips for deciding what veggies to grow and where to source seed.
Re-posting my 4-part Planning for Spring series. Part 2: Best Plants for a Pollinator Sanctuary #permaculture #organicgardening #pollinators #savethebees #bees
It’s still snowy but get ready to dream your garden into existence.
In this episode I interview Starhawk, author, activist, and permaculture teacher, about the crisis of climate change and the promise of regeneration.
I participated in a livestream discussion about climate change and struggles for a better world. We had an interesting discussion, check it out:
In this episode I talk about struggles for excellent and free public transit and for the creation of walkable, bikeable neighbourhoods. I argue that we simply cannot create socially just,…
In this episode I discuss the radical potential of re-commoning social reproduction, or the work of everyday life that is necessary for human existence, by exploring the newest book by…
Welcome to 2019. I invite you to step out of despair and get ready to create a movement to transform the world. In this interview I talk to Steve D’Arcy,…
As a special end-of-2018 treat, I decided to do a bonus episode of Permaculture for the People in which I review David Holmgren’s new book RetroSuburbia: the downshifters guide to a resilient future. Enjoy and…
In this episode I interview Naomi Hossain, a political sociologist and researcher, about food crises and food riots. Understanding that food scarcity is not what causes famines or even rising…
In this episode I discuss two important struggles of working class people going on RIGHT NOW: the struggle of postal workers in Canada to strike and the spontaneous riots in…
In this episode I give some background about the global refugee crisis and provide the framework with which I believe permaculture people should view this crisis. I then interview the…
In this episode I touch on the insect crisis and then dig deep into how we can learn to co-create with the wild – with a focus on bees and…
In this episode, I tackle the climate chaos and try to leave you with a feeling of hope that we can collectively change the world for the better! This episode…