SUSTAINABILITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Lawrence Kansas
29 June 2010
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOW
Tuesday, 29 June 2010, 12:00noon ¤ on Kansas City Community Radio
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or on web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/
On Eco-Radio KC this week, host Richard Mabion will hold his fifth-Tuesday discussion with a member of the Kansas City sustainability community. We apologize that no details have been received by press time.
Stay tuned at 12:30 when the Bioneers radio series presents "Green-Collar Jobs: Laboring Into the Next Economy" . Labor leader Cesar Chavez helped ban DDT. Truckers are helping address appalling asthma rates at the filthy port of Los Angeles. And inner-city clergy, not suburbanites, led the latest victory against the big-box Wal-Mart stores sprawling over community open space. Unlikely allies? Environmental justice and labor leaders Manuel Pastor, Maria Elena Durazo and Rev. Alexia Salvatierra show us that in a truly sustainable economy, everybody is an environmentalist - and a healthy environment depends on economic justice. ___________________________________________________
TAKE THE HEAT FROM THE BEACH TO DC! Monday,
28 June 2010 With carbon driving the global climate, and the climate disruption driving the thermal homeostatic cooling engines - ie. hurricanes - it's only a matter of time before the Deepwater Horizon oil eruption is driven by tropical storms. As we enter the second week of Summer, this latest post by
Bill McKibben of 350.org reminds us to keep the heat on Congress to pass a strong and effective climate and energy bill.
"It feels a bit like
deja vu to write this, but this is a big week for climate and energy in Washington, D.C. President Obama is meeting with many key senators on Tuesday, and in the face of massive oil spills, and massive public outcries about it, we really could see some progress.
"The meeting's goal is to identify a policy vehicle that will tackle climate change and energy. Whatever that proposal contains, it won't do everything that we need. But it might at least get us started.
"So it would be very useful to call your Senators -
Congressional Contact Directory - and make the following points:
1) We need a bill that puts
an economy-wide cap on carbon--all carbon, from utilities and factories and cars and anything else that burns coal, gas, and oil. And we need those caps based on science - they have to start us on the route back towards 350.
2) We won't be fooled by a bill that merely addresses the need for oil drilling regulations or incentives for renewable energy. These things are so obvious that they require no political courage; the only way to honor the suffering in the Gulf is to
make deep progress on ending our use of fossil fuel.
"If you need inspiration, take a moment to
look through the photos from Hands Across the Sand last Saturday, when communities across the country took a united stand against offshore drilling and for clean energy. And if you need motivation, consider this: in the past six weeks seven countries have set new all-time temperature records. Our friends at 350 Pakistan report that the mercury hit 129 degrees last week.
"The planetary heat is on, for real. We need to put the political heat on, right now. We can do it!"
Take the Heat from the Beach to DC! | 350.org ___________________________________________________
THE METHANE MONSTER ¤ HEAT TRAP AND EXPLOSIVE So far, CO2 is the single biggest cause of climate disruption. But methane - CH4 - is 20 times more potent for heat trapping. Methane hydrates are frozen in the tundra and deep under the seabed, but
global warming from CO2 is on the verge of releasing vast quantities of methane. When methane adds to overall warming, climate disruption will go into overdrive. Methane hydrate is also what belched up the Deepwater Horizon well pipe and exploded, and subsequently froze up the BP "top hat" oil containment device.
These are two very sobering articles about the methane effect, and bring climate tipping points into stark relief.
BP's Methane Monster: From the Gulf to the Globe, and
Methane Time Bomb.
___________________________________________________
PERMACULTURE-STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS & CRITIQUE ¤ FINAL SESSION Wednesday,
30 June 2010, 6:00-9:00pm - $
12th Street Homestead, 1145 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence
The Kaw Permaculture Collaborative has conducted this Permaculture Certification Course consisting of 48 hours of lectures, video presentations, and field work. Students who have learned about food security, permaculture ethics, ecological principles, system design, sustainable soils, food production, earth works, water management, and resource efficient construction will be displaying their knowledge at this final session with a project focused on one of these topics. There will be a round-robin discussion and critique of each project. The fees for this course will support both the K.P.C. and it's parent organization,
Sustainability Action Network. For more information contact Steve Moring at 785-691-7305 or
___________________________________________________
"GROWING FOOD FOR THE FUTURE" PERMACULTURE WORKSHOP Saturday,
3 July 2010, 10:00am-4:30pm - $$
Vajra Farm, 14370 54th St., Oskaloosa KS (1/3 mi. east of US Hwy 59)
The workshop is an introduction to the principles of ecologically sustainable agriculture in a time of energy depletion. It will be taught by Steve Moring, certified in permaculture design through the Midwest Permaculture organization. The focus will be food security, and how implementing permaculture design on the small farm scale can mitigate the effects of declining energy resources. Steve will show what he has done at Vajra Farm with energy efficient home construction, cultivation of integrated polyculture no-till raised bed gardens and the establishment of edible forest gardens.
A $50.00 participation fee will support the activities of KPC and will include lunch, lecture and farm tour. For more information contact Steve at <smoring@grasshoppernet.com>
___________________________________________________
LAWRENCE PEAK OIL TASK FORCE
Thursday, 8 July 2010, 4:00pm
City Manager's Conference Rm., City Hall 4th Floor, 6th & Massachusetts St.
Further progress has been made on editing and refining the chapters of the draft Peak Oil Plan, now developing into a consistent format. The final document is due to be completed by the end of August. The public is welcome at the meetings to provide input. Meetings are open to the public, and the public is encouraged to attend. And the Peak Oil Task Force web page has developed an extensive list of resources (click on "resources") including other cities' action plans such as San Francisco and Portland, videos, advocacy groups like Post Carbon Institute and Transition Boulder County, and key data and reports.
___________________________________________________
URBAN-SUBURBAN PERMACULTURE TRAINING ¤ 4-DAY INTENSIVE
Thursday-Sunday, 8-11 July 2010 - $$
Midwest Permaculture, 125 Crescent Lane, Stelle, IL 60919
This training is a foundation in permaculture design for the suburban or city dweller who wants to transform their immediate environment into something beautiful and productive. Not a 'hands-on' training, about 65 percent of the time will be spent in the classroom covering the permaculture design principles and sharing example after example of how these are applied. There will be some time spent outside exploring patterns and features of the landscape. The goal is for students to come away with a new pair of permaculture eyes able to see the urban food growing possibilities. This training can lead, in part, to a Certificate of Completion of a Permaculture Design Course. For more info and to register, go to Suburban-Urban Permaculture Training 4-Day Intensive, or call (815)256-2215.
___________________________________________________
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETING
Sunday, 11 July 2010, 4:00pm
Local Burger, 7th & Vermont St., Lawrence KS
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
S.A.N. organizes societal scale action for ecological sustainability both in our personal lives, and through public policy changes. "Be the change you want to see". The S.A.N. meeting agenda will include:
- report on bicycle facility initiatives
- finalize plans for 18 July Permaculture Tour (see below)
- brainstorm a solar food dehydrator workshop
- S.A.N. Vision Statement discussion
- S.A.N.web site developments
- Lawrence Peak Oil Plan, draft review
Please join us
___________________________________________________
MONSANTO: CONTROLLING OUR FOOD ¤ A FRENCH DOCUMENTARY FILM
Anything that gets between ourselves and our food is viewed as a threat. Interfering with our ability to grow our own food safely threatens our food security. And the hubris to claim that trans-genetic manipulation entitles one to ownership of species that evolved over centuries is the ultimate food threat, and undermines the very essence of life. Monsanto has the dubious distinction of achieving all three.
Monsanto was founded in 1901 by John Queeny as a chemical company, the first product being the synthetic sweetener, saccharine. From that health threatening start, Monsanto went downhill into products like the herbicide 2,4,5-T which contains dioxin and is one half of Agent Orange, bovine growth hormone, PCB's that cause cancer, neurological and reproductive disorders, liver damage, immune suppression, etc., and of course, Roundup.
With their products becoming increasingly banned and liabilities mounting, Monsanto cut and ran. In 1997 they tried to disassociate themselves from their past by spinning off their chemical operations into a new company named Solutia. They then rebranded themselves as an agricultural company, retained their Roundup, and claimed that "Monsanto is a relatively new company". In fact, Monsanto Technology LLC is a biotechnology company with the same name and corporate headquarters, many of the same executives and other employees, and responsibility for liabilities arising out of activities in the industrial chemical business.
Award-winning French journalist and filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin is the author of "The World According to Monsanto", and the creator of the film by the same name. In this interview, Monsanto: New World Agricultural Order | Marie-Monique Robin interview, she provides a concise synopsis of Monsanto's crimes and history and future intent. If one cares to dig further into Monsanto's dirt, her film, Monsanto: Controlling Our Food | Marie-Monique Robin documentary is a real eye opener. But sit back because it is a very info-dense 1 hour and 49 minutes.
___________________________________________________
ADVANCING RENEWABLES IN THE MIDWEST ¤ UNIV. OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA
Thursday, 15 July 2010, 8:00am-5:00pm - $$
Anheuser-Bush Natural Resource Building & Bond Life Science Center Monsanto Auditorium
This annual one-day conference aims to educate and facilitate dialog on current renewable energy and energy efficiency trends and opportunities. The program will include topics of state renewable portfolio standards, residential Energy Star programs, utility and regulatory initiatives to reduce fossil fuels, climate change science and legislation, co-generation and bio-reactor projects, and more. Registration is $25 for non-professionals and $75 for professionals, with a $25 late fee after 2 July. For more info go to Advancing Renewables in the Midwest 2010: Univ of MO.
___________________________________________________
2ND ANNUAL PERMACULTURE FARM & GARDEN TOUR ¤ KAW VALLEY AREA
Sunday, 18 July 2010, 9:00am-5:00pm - $
a guided tour of six sites in Lawrence and vicinity
Sponsored by the Sustainability Action Network & the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative , this will be a guided tour of six permaculture operations, four urban, and two rural. Permaculture is a design science by which we pattern our surroundings to harmonize with nature rather than to subdue nature. The end result is a farm or garden that is a low-input, self-organizing, mature polyculture ecosystem.
Tour schedule: guided tour in sequence
- 9:00am, Forest Floor Permaculture, 1311 Prairie Ave., Lawrence
- 10:00am, Adamson intensive urban permaculture, Lawrence
- 11:00am, Zell suburban transition permaculture, Lawrence
- 12:00pm, BYO sack lunch, 3033 Kasold Dr., Lawrence
- 1:00pm, Karlin Permaculture Farm, Lawrence
- 2:00pm, Lehrman suburban extensive permaculture, Lawrence
- 3:00pm, Vajra Farm Permaculture, Oskaloosa
¤ Do folks need to RSVP? 
