by Jill Richardson
With oil filling up the Gulf, I figured a diary about a country that got itself (mostly) off oil is a good idea. When the USSR collapsed, Cuba ran out of most of its oil nearly overnight. For the first four years, Cubans starved. Without agrochemicals and imports, they couldn't feed themselves. Then, out of necessity, they developed a system of agroecology and urban agriculture. Today, Cuba's one of the world's meccas of sustainable agriculture. I've just returned from spending 10 days there, visiting urban farms and gardens. The U.S. has a lot we could learn from Cuba. Travel to Cuba is restricted, although my trip was legal. The trip was ridiculously expensive - double or triple what a trip to elsewhere in Latin America would cost for the same thing - partially due to the requirements to get there legally. I urge you to please write your Congresscritters and Obama to end the blockade and embargo on Cuba. The Cuban people are unfairly its victims and the policies are outdated, silly, and cruel. Here's some info on how Cuba got off oil.
continued at Daily Kos....
