WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS21 December 2010
DONATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ARE NOW TAX DEDUCTIBLEPlease remember S.A.N. in your year-end giving - (contact info at bottom of page)
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HAVE A HAPPY, DARK AND COLD WINTER SOLSTICE!Tuesday, 21 December 2010, 5:38pm CSTYes, it's a colder climate we are striving for, but, more accurately, we need the normal seasonal fluctuations that indicate a healthy ecosphere. Although "global warming" is the scientifically measurable change taking place, "climate disruption" is what most perceive - extreme hot and cold, extreme flood and drought, extreme storms, extreme wild fires and crop failures. During no more than the period of the Cancun Climate Summit, climate disasters have struck all over the globe:
flooding in Australia, Venezuela, the Balkans, Columbia, India; wildfires in Israel, Lebanon, Tibet; freak winter storms in Europe and the United States. May your Winter snow be cold and blanketing; may your Summer rain be warm and soaking.AND a
total lunar eclipse, very early Tuesday morning - Tuesday,
21 December 2010, begins 12:33am CST, peak at 1:40am CST, ends at 3:00am CST -
Solstice Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science.
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ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOWTuesday,
21 December 2010, 12:00noon-1:00pm
¤ 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 Reenie Carmack's topic is
"Sugar Blues for the Holidays". She and her guests will discuss
the detrimental effects of refined sugar on our health and the environment, and how diabetes can be healed naturally.Also of ecological interest
on KKFI this week:
- On Tuesday at 9:30am, Making Contact will look at oil corporations' legacy of environmental contamination and human rights abuse, and how citizen groups around the world are holding oil businesses accountable, from courtroom battles to government regulation.
- On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents "Kicking the Habit: Sugar, Fat, and Junk Food Junkies". You do what you eat. Groundbreaking medical research now shows that what we eat is directly connected to how we behave. Maggie Adamek's research for The Sugar Project tracks how the changing American diet has made profound health impacts on behavior, especially among our children. Transforming how we feed ourselves is showing that food is medicine that can change negative behavior dramatically.
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U.S. FILES SUIT OVER DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION AND ECOCIDEWednesday,
15 December 2010The U.S. Department of Justice has sued
BP,
Anadarko Petroleum (co-owner of well),
Transocean (well driller),
Triton Asset Leasing, and their insurer,
QBE Underwriting Ltd./Lloyd's. for the 20 April 2010 explosion of the Macondo well and subsequent three months of Gulf pollution. Notably,
Haliburton was not named in the suit, though their negligent cementing of the well is considered the direct cause of the accident -
Justice Department sues BP, others over Gulf oil spill.
The Clean Water Act allows the government to seek civil fines for every drop of oil spilled into the nation's navigable waters, beginning with $1,100 per barrel spilled. If a judge finds the eruption was a result of gross negligence, fines can rise to $4,300 a barrel. Each defendant could face those fines.
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KDHE RECOMMENDS ISSUANCE OF AIR QUALITY PERMIT FOR SUNFLOWER COAL PLANTThursday,
16 December 2010(from the KDHE Summary Document)
"The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Bureau of Air (BOA)
recommends the issuance of an Air Quality Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Construction Permit to Sunflower Electric Power Corporation. . ." While KDHE is the issuing authority for a state Air Quality Permit, Kansas still must update their State Implementation Plan (SIP) for conformance with Federal Air Quality Standards. The July 2009 Kansas SIP does not conform with the new EPA standards for CO2 emissions. Therefore, this Permit is pending the update of the Kansas SIP. You can review all documents here -
KDHE: Sunflower Electric Permit Application.
It is this procedure for which we assume that EPA Regional Director, Karl Brooks, based his statement that "
If KDHE recommends Sunflower be permitted before Jan. 2, EPA will review this initial decision. EPA must scrutinize not just the language of any Sunflower permit, but the whole state decision-making process that produced a permit. Kansans should rest assured that this agency will make sure the rule of law has been faithfully enforced."
The two citizen groups opposing the Sunflower Generating Station, GPACE and the Kansas Sierra Club, issues statements. The GPACE Director,
Scott Allegrucci said
"We expect that this decision will receive additional review on two fronts: >From federal regulators responsible for ensuring that the permit review process was conducted properly and in a manner that protects human health and the environment; and from Kansas citizens who may turn to the courts to right this regulatory wrong." And Stephanie Cole of the Kansas Sierra Club said "
Thousands of people got involved in the permitting process with a belief that their input would be fairly considered, and it should have been. Accelerating the process to permit a coal plant for an out-of-state utility, at the expense of Kansans, is inexcusable." For more info go to
GPACE and
Sierra Club - Kansas Chapter.
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CHRISTMAS TREECYCLING IN LAWRENCEMonday,
3 & 10 January 2011, 6:00am After the holidays, you may place your live-cut tree at the curb or alley for collection, and the trees will be reused for wildlife habitat. Remove all synthetic items from the tree like lights, tinsel, etc. If you live in an apartment, place the tree in the enclosure for the dumpster, but not in the dumpster. For more info call 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org ___________________________________________________LAWRENCE FRUIT TREE PROJECT MEETINGTuesday,
4 January 2011, 6:30pmLawrence Percolator, 900 block alley behind the Lawrence Arts Center
The LFTP
Lawrence Fruit Tree Project is a co-operative group of pomiculturists who have organized themselves to establish community orchards, and teach folks how to grow and care for fruiting trees and shrubs. They also are setting up a fruit tree register to list existing neighborhood trees that are underutilized, so they can be cared for and harvested.
Anyone is welcome who is interested in relocalized food security, environmental literacy, permaculture, fruit tree propagation, etc. Come to our meetings and help our grass roots organization grow!
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SIERRA CLUB, WAKARUSA CHAPTER ¤ LEVEE TRAIL HIKESaturday,
8 January 2011, 10:00am
Oak & 8th St. parking lot at levee, North Lawrence, KS 66044
Bundle up and enjoy a hike with no ticks or poison ivy; just crisp, clean Kansas air and maybe a bald eagle or two. It is a family and kid-friendly event, members and non-members alike are welcome. For more info, e-mail to mmrogers816@gmail.com.___________________________________________________
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ¤ ANNUAL MEETINGJanuary 2011 weekend,
date & time TBALawrence, KS 66044Come share in our
third Annual Meeting as we recount our accomplishments of the past year. We'll be celebrating our success in gaining tax-exempt status, and our progress in permaculture, bicycle lanes, land consortium, and more. Since forming in late 2007, the
Sustainability Action Network has been
bringing to our community local solutions for the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability. Inspired by the Transition movement and the Permaculture movement, we are working for a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world. Everyone is welcome, non-members and members alike, so we hope to see you there!
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TRANSITION FROM THE FOSSIL ENERGY ERA“All of the debts for society’s century-long industrial fiesta are coming due at the same time. We have no choice but to
transition to a world no longer dependent on fossil fuels, a world made up of communities and economies that function within ecological bounds. How we manage this transition is the most important question of our time.” -- Richard Heinberg
This video clearly explains humanity's past excesses, and the imperative to transition now -
300 Years of Fossil Fuel Addiction in Five & a Half Minutes.
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INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGNSaturday,
15 January 2011, 9:00am-4:00pm - $
Flint Hills Technical College,
3301 W. 18th Ave, Emporia, KS 66801 This is a one day intensive on permaculture principles taught by Ben Stallings of the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and holder of a Permaculture Design Certificate. Students will be introduced to ecological principles and learn how to apply them to their garden, home or workplace, will create a design of their own, and will receive constructive feedback from the other students and the instructor. Fore more info go to
Introduction to Permaculture Design - 15 Jan 2011.
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URBAN FARMERS ANNUAL MEETING ¤ KC CENTER FOR URBAN AGRICULTURESaturday,
29 January 2011, from 9:00am-12:00pm
location TBA
Come meet other growers and supporters and learn about our projects over the past year. We'll have pie, coffee, conversation, and learning together (and, if you'd like to bring a pie or two, it would be much appreciated!). Founded in 2004, the
KC Center for Urban Agriculture operates the Kansas City Community Farm, and trains folks as urban growers. Their vision is for urban areas of small community farms, providing a livelihood for growers, and local healthy food for the community. ___________________________________________________ PERMACULTURE GARDENS AND SMALL FARMS DESIGN COURSE Saturday-Saturday, 5-12 February 2011 - $$$$ Midwest Permaculture, Stelle IL 31 December 2010 early registration discount of $100 This training will cover a full-design course curriculum to provide students with their
permaculture design certification (PDC). The emphasis will be on suburban gardens and small farms, and include two pre-course webinars. For more info go to
Midwest Permaculture: 5-12 Feb 2011 PDC Course.
___________________________________________________ TWO DAY "ESSENTIAL" PERMACULTURE TRAINING Saturday-Sunday, 19-20 February 2011, 9:00am-5:00pm - $$$ Knowles Spirituality Center, 2304 Campanile Rd, Waterloo, NE (
Omaha)
31 December 2010 early registration discount of $50Taught by Bill and Becky Wilson of
Midwest Permaculture, this weekend session will cover permaculture essentials with an emphasis on transition to a low energy future. For more info go to
Essential Permaculture Training - 19-20 Feb 2011.
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K.P.C. PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATION COURSE, 2011February-June 2011, dates and locations TBA - $$$
The Design Certification Course will include nine 3-hour class sessions, six field sessions and a student presentation starting in mid February and finishing in early June. In addition there will be four 6-hour practicum sessions in the summer, all totaling the 72 hours of training and
culminating in certification through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. For more info go to
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
<smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED, and checks can be mailed to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044. Our mission is to
advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to
build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities.
To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at
<paradigm@ixks.com>Our current projects include:1)
Transition Kaw Valley -
initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal level Peak Oil response planning.2)
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for poly-cropping sustainable food production.
3)
Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized technologies and regulations, for conservation and renewable energy.
4)
Land Consortium - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5)
Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
6)
Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
7)
Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
8)
Collaboration with sister organizations - such as:
The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights;
national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.
We welcome suggestions for items to be included. Please send items to <paradigm@ixks.com>To subscribe to this list, please send an e-mail to
<paradigm@ixks.com> with the subject line reading “subscribe to Sustainability Announcements”.
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