Hello !!!!

My name is Paul Richmond. I have conducted an audio interview with, Greg Allen, a world respected engineer of renewable energy resources. This interview is being shared by many communities around the world. This interview is titled;
Greg Allen Interview KEEP THE GREEN ALIVE !!!!

To listen to the interview, please click on banner below as directed.

This interview contains not only discussion, but, also, music, and the sounds of nature that were recorded in the locations that the discussions were conducted in the great outdoors.

I thank you in advance for any comments or input you may want to convey in this thread regarding the interview.

I bid you all well, and, may all your tomorrows be great ones !!!!!

Peace,

Paul D. Richmond
www.paulrichmond.ca

P.S. Below you shall find a link to a song called, Peace Wins The Election that was written after these very talented artists, Maria Daines and Paul Killington listened to the Greg Allen Interview.

Maria Daines and Paul Killington of, Cambridgeshire, U.K. have kindly donated this song to the project and it is well worth your time to take a listen.
Thank you.

Peace Wins The Election
http://www.maria-daines.com/music-5.html

P.P.S. Here is a poem that was written after the author, Maria Daines drew inspiration from listening to this interview.

Maria Daines music can be found at;
www.maria-daines.com

For more information and insight please go to www.voiceyourself.com
Many thanks to Barbara Moss and Woody Harrelson for their support and concern.

Please click on the banner above to listen to the interview.

Dear friends,

The first 7 parts of the interview were conducted in the Haliburton Highlands, Ontario, Canada. The last four parts of the interview, parts 8 to 11 were conducted on Amherst Island, on Lake Ontario, Canada.

All the conversations between Paul D. Richmond and Greg Allen took place in the great outdoors. Parts 1 through 7 were recorded on September 10, 2005. Parts 8 through 11 were recorded on October 9, 2005.

Luckily, we have had the good fortune of having this interview edited and mastered by Steven West. Steven graciously donated not only his time, but also his meaningful and important music to this interview. Special thanks to Steven West for all his hard work. This project would not have been possible without Steven's dedication and generousity.

The purpose of the interview is to educate, and hopefully motivate people to make the changes necessary to preserve our planet for future generations through accepting and executing practical methods of personal self sustainability in their own living environments.

Our hope is to give this information freely and openly to create the vast community that is required to initiate the changes we all need to ensure the survival of the greatest gift to mankind, planet Earth.

We hope you find this an informative and engaging interview that provides food for thought.

Best regards ...

Here are the topics of discussion or questions as they pertain to each part of the Greg Allen Interview.

Part 1 - The Forest
length 6:42

Discussions include:

The consumerism of humanity and how it affects the climate and weather of planet earth.

Time is up for civilisation as we have known it.
Finding inspiration to create new communities that should begin to exist.

The population of planet earth.

The ecological footprint and the search for three planets to sustain humanity.

The conquest trip of men and the forming of city states.

Exploitations regarding manufacturing industries.

The dissapearence of the polar ice caps.

Air being considered an environment as opposed to being a natural resource.

Greg divuldges his wantance to manifest what the world could look like when we start to treat the earth and our fellow human beings as compatriates in a great manifestation of creativity.

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Part 2 - Marauding and Carbon Addiction
length 7:09

Discussions include:

Purpose or usefullness of clearcutting of our forests.

Hurricane Katrina and the overheating of ocean currents and the surfaces of planet earth.

Humanities actions having an effect on the event of hurricane Katrina.

Examination of satelite infrared photographs of hurricane Katrina.

Carbon addiction transforms the make up of planet earths climate.

Reasons for the creation of New Orleans eventhough the land exists below sea level.

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Part 3 - The Moon
length 6:17

Discussions include:

The moon and its effect on the waters of planet earth.

The moon and its effects on all of us through its magnetism.

Mankind and their disrespect for our surroundings through humanities presense in the form of our shelters, and our interface is an affront.Replication of our shelters on the pristine shores of, Big Bob Lake.

The oil and gas industry, should we be aware of its existence, and if so, in what way.

Seduction and massive addiction of humanity to the wonder drug of cheap oil, and the difficulty of imagining our existence without it.

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Part 4 - Tribal Instincts
length 6:06

Discussions include:

Cheap oil as a good quality product yet inexpensive.

Oil is an incredibly damaging wonder drug that is quality for the money, but, the enjoyment of planet earth is destroyed by its use by humanity.

Tests conducted on the upper ionosphere with electromagnetic pulsing @ 10 Htz / 10 beats per second to examine current weather patterns.

Alpha waves, definition, and, the human brain in synchronisity with the pulse of the earth.

Consumption of non renewable energy resources by western and developed nations are the primary devoiders of planet earths depleating resources.

Corporations and their goals of massive exploitation resonates with our tribal instinct.

The element of greed in the human condition is responsible for the masses to become consumers of themselves (we are the enemy).

Healthy members of a tribe are constantly looking at ways that our relationship with each other is a positive reciprocal one of mutual support.

Selection process of our leaders.

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Part 5 - Faith in the Emergent Forces
length 5:17

Discussions include:

Greg Allen, and, Sustainable EDGE Ltd., fits the model of the corporation.

Greg Allen reflects on his experiences as a child and his observances of pollution.

The big question. Is humankind learning from their past mistakes, or are they continueing to make the same mistakes over, and, over again ?

Can we consciously self adapt ? who we are in the universe ?

Greg Allen offers his words on how he believes humanity can make planet earth a better place to live.

The direction we have taken is unsustainable.

It is in our actions how we choose to participate in our mutual co-ordination and commerce.

How will we ever come to agreement that saving our planet should be the primary directive ?

Greg Allen puts his faith in the emergent forces that the earth garners for this challenge.

Are we at war with the world ?

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Part 6 - Visionary Contemplation
length 4:31

Discussions include:

Greg Allen speaks about his invitation to the city and area of Chernobyl after the explosion and destruction caused by the breach and explosion of the nuclear facility in, Chernobyl.

The city of Chernobyl has become a rich forest since the disaster.

We've just had a huge burn, and our climate's breathe has been massivly disrupted.

The world is transforming. The ice caps are half their thickness compared to three decades ago.

We've blown it.

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Part 7 - Diminish Our Destruction, a lesson from, the trees
length 4:07

Discussions include:

We've blown it big time.

We have to stop and dedicate ourselves to becoming positive contributors to planet earth.

We've got the stuff.

A tree does not take away from it's surroundings,but, generates whole new surroundings.

Why can't we be regenerators ?

Greg Allen offers his words to future generations, 4 generations from now, regarding what is going on now, and, what has transpired before this time by the behaviour of mankind.

We do not have the wisdom, nor should we create species.

We need to respond to our inner self, our life force drives.

We will constantly have to be concentrating on healing the land.

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Part 8 - Community
length 7:35

Discussions include:

Greg Allens afilliation with Amherst Island, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Greg Allen came to Amherst Island in 1973.

The technology of dealing with our human waste.

Compost toilets and lagoons.

Building shelters, growing food, dealing with waste, harvesting rain water.

Home made of straw bales, constructed of materials that were on hand, stones from the island formed the fire place that provided the central heating hearth, compost toilets built within, greenhouse within the home that treated the water and provided winter greens, all done in a relatively inexpensive fashion and yielded more than our current housing forms.

Greg Allen discusses a home which has been off the grid for 30 years on Amherst Island used a small wind turbine to generate its own limited power requirements. This house now uses photolvotaics to generate the power required. A cistern is used for the water for this house. These technologies proved useful in the past, and, are being used in modern buildings today.

Photovoltaic's converts sunlight directly into electricity, and can be found to comprise the outer layers of buildings today.

What people can do that live in an urban centre to to make their own living spaces self sufficient.

The Healthy House project in Toronto. Healthy house generates its own drinking water, and power.

Improve the building envelope.

Recommendation of useage of high performance windows, passive solar heating by facing windows south provides lots of sunlight, free heating and ability to grow house plants that provide winter greens.

Roof top gardening.

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Part 9 - Practical Application
length 3:09

Discussions include:

How to educate ourselves and participate in your local community to aid in creating regenerative commerce and self sufficiency.

The affect a small nucleus of people can make a great impact and spread to larger numbers of people.

Wind turbines and solar collectors.

Deployment of these technologies.

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Part 10 - Self Sustainability
length 6:02

Discussions include:

Solar panels in use of highway signs by governments for traffic direction and flow.

What is required to produce renewable energy resources that are derived from our planets available and man made resources.

Modification of how we use our natural resources.

Use of heat exchange retrofit units on our plumbing systems to reduce hot water heating costs.

Greg Allen discusses the environment that was created on Amherst Island through his own motivation to provide a healthy lifestyle for his own family and community.

The motivations of greater leisure time and healthier communities should be motivation enough to encourage us all to take action to provide more security, comfort, health and a superior living environment for our communities.

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Part 11 - Recreating Ourselves
length 7:33

Discussions include:

The overall attitude of mankind on a global level and the causes of what causes interest in these directions of self sustainability and recreating ourselves.

Greg Allen speaks about the community of Amherst Island and its community learning to make self sufficiency second nature.

Greg Allen displays his hope for all humankind to become educated and perhaps motivated to initiate the changes that will lead to renewing our humankind

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Matumamboh Alfred E. Interview Review

Matumamboh Alfred E. is Cameroonian now living in Toronto, Canada. He holds a Masters degree in Literature. His articles have been published in Cameroon, Nigeria, and England.

Review - Part One

In this series of brilliantly orchestrated interviews, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen have adumbrated the ominous state of our god given planet. Stimulating, penetrating and enlightening perceptions are proffered on the condition of the earth and how the human race led by the alpha homo sapien, Western man, has impacted it. Recklessly and thoughtlessly plundered, the natural habitat of man, earth is revealed in these interviews as being in an advanced stage of ruin.

Enticingly laced with musical interludes, a compelling and disturbing view of the state of our planet is offered.

In the first three interviews, some of the causes of the sick state of the earth are exposed. One of them is the consumerism of Western man. He has been hypnotized into a culture of dependency. Tricked into believing that every gadget in the market is a need and not a want, man in the West is plunged into an insane rush to amass every item he sees in the market. But the sad truth or tragedy is that all these things are manufactured at the expense of the depleting natural resources.

Western capitalism, driven by a compulsion to amass profit, exploits the resources of this planet without thinking of creative ways of regenerating them. The resources are ruthlessly raped by Western industries without realizing that we are part of the living earth and as such we need the earth as much as it needs us. We are to cohabit with other creatures rather than dominate and destroy them.

As Paul Richmond rightly observes, it is the element of greed in human nature that is primarily responsible for this absurd and bizarre state of affairs. And this human greed is epitomized by the financial heavy weights who are the pillars of the corporations that massively exploit the resources of the earth to the very detriment of the earth, civilization as we know it and man himself.

One of the arresting features of the interviews is Paul's talent to ask the tough questions; his determination to explore so called taboo topics, i.e. issues which people elect not to discuss in public. His ultimate goal like that of Greg Allen, of course, is to create awareness in the public about the damage. We as a race have collectively inflicted on our natural environment and how this in turn, ironically, will affect not only the present civilization but the very existence of the human race.

Greg Allen comes across as a living encyclopedia not only of the condition of the earth but of other planets as well.

I salute the courage of these two men to spell out in clear and consistent terminology the primary causes of the near dilapidated state of the earth, namely Western consumerism, Western capitalism and Western man's macho desire to conquer and dominate. But as Greg rightly points out the game is over because there is nowhere else left to conquer. The last chapter of Western man's inherent capacity to dominate and destroy is being written and the pen drips with blood.

Greg Allen also highlights the harmonious balance of the universe, how for instance the moon affects not only the water of the earth but our very hormones. Our emotional state is variously affected by the movement of the moon. We may get excited; intense; angry; stimulated by the full moon. And yet tragically, thanks to Western man's insane greed for profit, this harmonious state of the universe is adversely affected.

In point of fact, these interviews are a must listen.

Review - Part Two

In the second part of this series of interviews we are presented with the two sides of the coin as it were. The interlocutors, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen, demonstrate articulately, with substantial facts from recent history, man's relentless capacity to self-destruct and at the same time indications of hope are put in perspective.

On the dark, destructive side, we are made aware of the fact that hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in the United States, which ostensibly looked like a natural disaster was indeed catalyzed by man's disruptive actions. Even one of the most deadly earthquakes in human history, the Tsunami disaster, which damaged over nine countries in three continents was also indirectly instigated by man's thoughtless impact on the planet.

Then the horrendous catastrophe which man is directly culpable of, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster which occurred in Ukraine is the other thread in man's narrative of destruction which is dealt with in these interviews. The catastrophic effects of that nuclear cataclysm are still being felt today. The amount of radiation that was unleashed on the environment as a result of the tragic event was so powerful and toxic that all of the reindeers in the region were slaughtered apart from the number of people killed.

Then there is the amount of carbon monoxide that is pumped into the atmosphere, virtually choking or suffocating the earth, is another strain of this sad narrative. As Greg Allen explains, mankind's destructive activities disrupt the balance of incoming radiation and outgoing heat. This is tragic because the earth being a living organism in its own right, has its in-built mechanism to heal itself. But the trouble is, we as a race do not only destroy it with the amount of radiation and carbon dioxide we unleash on it, but we prevent it from restoring itself. This restorative propensity of the earth is demonstrated by the directly affected area of the scandalous nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. As Greg Allen reveals, because there are no human beings living in that area , in spite of the massive devastation wrecked on it by man, it has been able to heal itself to almost pristine state. This fact is one of the miraculous mysteries of the earth and an optimistic indication.

All these facts help to put in sharp focus the point that human civilization as we know it, that is if we perceive our earth as a global village, is at war with our environment. Modern civilization is negatively impacting the planet.

The questions that inevitably loom large in the mind are, " Can we as a race reverse this tragic tide of events? Or, "Have we passed the point of no return?".

The answers to these questions bring us to the other side of the picture, the optimistic side. Once again we refer to Greg Allen, he points out that the knowledge of man's destructive effect on the our planet is well documented and that it is not hidden from the men and women who parade the corridors of power. But that those with the political will and financial power are not doing enough to arrest the situation. Though this can be perceived from a negative perspective, I believe there is a positive spectre to it. I think if pressure groups are formed, especially with projects like this one initiated by Paul Richmond to educate the public and galvanize their will and energy to mount pressure on those in positions of power, then there will be hopeful signs in the sky.

That is why this particular project itself is of remarkable urgency and importance.

The other glimmer of hope is corporations like this one Greg Allen is part of, which functions as a partnership of three men and five female employees, whose efforts are geared toward reversing this tragic tide. Though small in number in comparison to the massive devastation that is taking place daily, yet we cannot underestimate their effect. And one also hopes that there are other corporations all over the world like this one which are working relentlessly to halt this collective destruction.

That is where we all as human beings come in, we need to intervene. We cannot afford to stand idly by and squeeze our hands in anguish while juggernauts deplete our natural resources and destroy our planet.

I will conclude this second part of my review by referring to the sixteenth century English poet John Done who once wrote, "no man is an island entire by itself" and as Professor Ali Mazrui rightly contends, "out in the cosmic sea, there is an island called earth, no man may be an island, but every man lives on one." That makes the task of jointly embarking on saving our planet all the more urgent, because the survival of our race depends on it.

Review - Part 3

The main thrust of the last series of interviews which takes place on Amherst Island is essentially about providing solutions to the problems that are brilliantly analyzed in the first parts of the series of interviews.

If the governments of the world are hesitant to take concrete actions that will enable the restoration of our planet then a plethora of creative ideas can be garnered from this last series of interviews to start the process of restoration.

From the interviews, it is clear that for the healing process of our earth to begin, we must alter our thinking pattern. That is, we must acknowledge that our present lifestyle is destructive to our environment hence the need for alternative methods which in reality are superior or healthier.

The second point of departure is that changes can begin at the level of small communities. In other words, people can begin to come together to exchange and harness ideas on how to better treat our planet.

More benefits are derived by listening to the interviews first hand. By so doing, key suggestions on how to adapt our lifestyles to our natural habitat can be borrowed. So, I will only highlight a few of the creative suggestions.

We learn from the interviews that compost toilets are more useful to our environment than the water system which helps to contaminate our drinking water.

Commonsensical approaches like building houses with windows facing south so that the sunlight directly reflects in our houses providing energy that enables the growth of house plants. Roof top garden is another way of improving our living space because they receive much energy directly from the sun. We can also use devices such as heat exchanges which cost less than $500 can reduce the domestic water load by up to 40%.

We are also advised and encouraged to improve the building envelopes or insulative layers around our houses for energy conservation. Theses are only a few of the many creative ways of living that will drastically reduce our energy consumption, discussed in this last series.

Daine's poem, "To Save or not to Save …" is a poignant plea for collective intervention to save our planet. What gives the poem such emotional power is her evocation of the earth in the image of an ailing woman. This poignant personification of the earth calls for urgent and positive participation in remaking our planet. It is a poetic summon to positive change, a call for immediate action on all and sundry.

While the interviews appeal to the intellect, Maria Daine's poem tugs the strings of the heart. It is a heart rending appeal not to stand by and watch the earth eternally ruined. What Daine is obliquely saying in this poem is that we cannot pretend to be islands of neutrality or symbols of indifference when we know all is bubbling and just about bursting at the seams. We need to be friends and not foes with our environment, for our good and that of our posterity.

What Daines, Richmond and Allen have in common is a passionate love for the earth and an iron will to see it survive the ravages inflicted on it by man.

I doff my hat to Paul Richmond's courage, unflinching determination to unearth and the truth about the state of the earth and his zealous dedication to awaken the slumbering conscience of the world especially that of the high and mighty who lack the political will to make and implement policies that are crucial for the salvation of our planet.

Review - Conclusion

In conclusion it is evident from the foregone that, like physicians, Paul Richmond and Greg Allen have clinically diagnosed and exposed the sick state of the condition of the earth. But, they are not prophets of doom. Even though they have critically analysed the impact the destructive animal called man has had on his own habitat, they have also indicated signs of hope. In other words, the interview has portrayed a balanced picture of the earth's condition, foregrounding the problem as well as proffering valuable solutions.

That, in part, explains the remarkable importance of these interviews. Not only have we been conscientized about the destructive path modern civilization has taken, the interviews are a storehouse of valuable information on how to adopt an alternative lifestyle or culture that will begin the regeneration or restoration process of our only habitant. And the other good thing about these interviews is that we do not need to wait for governments to legislate policies that will enable the earth to breath or restore itself. We can actually begin at the individual level. Communities also can borrow ideas from here and implement them for their own benefit.

It is heart-warming to learn that there are positive forces around the globe that are mobilizing and galvanizing their energies to compel governments around the world to stem this cannibalistic propensity in man. This act of insane callousness to destroy other creatures and our natural habitat for profit. It is the profit motive that shapes the minds of those in high places who turn a blind eye to the devastation that we continue to inflict on our planet. Blinded by the desire for exorbitant profit, these men and women possess a bestial tendency that insults that of the beast of the jungle.

Thank God, with projects like this interview, the alarm bells are ringing and the entire world is forced to take note. It is my strong belief that the forces for positive change will not stop until the whole world embarks on a new lifestyle that is less harmful to our planet.

The ranks of those who strive to halt these destructive cultures keeps on swelling and the march of history will continue until victory is achieved, until the dawn of a new culture emerges out of the ashes of this one.

In a sense, we are called upon to make a choice that will determine the destiny of our planet and our posterity. It is either you lend support in any way possible to those who want to save this planet or you are in favour of those who are heading us for destruction. To bury our heads ostrich-like in the sand and pretend that the problem does not exist is to lend support to the destructive forces.

After listening to these interviews, may our consciences be pricked and may we do the right thing because our planet desperately needs our intervention.

c 2006
Alfred E. Matumamboh

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Any publication of this material in part or in whole is strictly prohibited unless the author has given his expressed approval for publication in writing.