WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS23 November 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)
___________________________________________________
ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOWTuesday,
23 November 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 John Kurmann will talk with
Wendy Philleo, Executive Director of
the Center for a New American Dream, about the impact of consumerism on us and the rest of the world, and how consumerism has conquered Christmas. He will also check in with
May Boeve of
350.org for a report on the 10/10/10 Global Work Party and the campaign to get us back below the safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Also of ecological interest
on KKFI this week:
- On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents: "A Fork in the Road: Make Friends With a Farmer". Local, organic food is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. Beyond the benefits to the growers, our health and the land, could it become a matter of survival? Author and farmer Michael Ableman shares his cross-country journey celebrating the reverent reconnection with food and the land that is transforming how we will produce our food.
___________________________________________________
NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD MARKETS ON THE RETURN? ¤ NOT!The
Jim Hightower Lowdown reports "You'll be thrilled to hear that a new, local food store is coming soon to your neighborhood. In fact, it's even named Neighborhood Market. Only, it's not.
It's a Wal-Mart. Yes, the $400-billion-a-year retail behemoth, with two million employees laboring in 8,500 stores spread around the globe,
now is putting on a "local" mask. The giant is promising to buy nine percent of the produce it'll sell from local farmers. Big whoopie. This means that 91 percent of the foodstuffs offered in its "Neighborhood" chain will come from Wayawayland. But even the nine percent number is a deceit, for
Wal-Mart says that it defines "local" as grown in the same state." Read more at
Meet Your Neighborhood Food Market - NOT. NOTE, there's already one on South Metcalf Ave., in Overland Park KS.
___________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN ¤ SURVEY CLASSWednesday,
24 November 2010, 6:30-8:00pm - FREE
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka,
4775 Southwest 21st Street, Topeka, KS 66614Ben Stallings, who holds a certificate of permaculture design, will talk on how permaculture principles and design exercises can be applied to various areas of life rather than just to gardening specifically. Permaculture aims to apply the lessons of ecology to our immediate surroundings to create environmentally sustainable human habitat, both in our built environment and our natural settings.
___________________________________________________
"BUY NOTHING DAY" ¤ THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVINGFriday,
26 November 2010For more than 20 years,
Adbusters have admonished us through
Buy Nothing Day to consume less - for the sake of our ecological life-support base, our fiscal solvency, our community health, and the hole in our soul that we try to fill with stuff. Adbusters advocate that on
"Black Friday" 26 November, we
stop buying for 24 hours, and shut off our lights, televisions and other nonessential appliances, park our cars, turn off our phones and log off of our computers for the day. With record levels of consumer debt as one of the main causes of the economic crisis, Reverend Billy's
Church of Stop Shopping will have greater significance this year.
___________________________________________________
BUY FAIR TRADE AND LOCALIn Lawrence there are several opportunities to boycott the big box consumer mills that are undermining our local economy, and instead buy from local producers and craftspersons, and fair trade providers.
FAIR TRADE HOLIDAY MARKETFriday-Saturday,
26 November-4 December 2010, times TBA
ECM, 1204 Oread Ave., Lawrence KS 66044
The annual Fair Trade Holiday Market features products from artisans in dozens of countries around the world. The items support fair labor practices and are sold at fair prices, with most proceeds going directly to the artisans rather than to warehousers, brokers, advertisers and retailers. For more info go to
Fair Trade Holiday Market, or contact the ECM at (785) 843-4933 or
<Alicia@TwoHandsWorldshop.com>.
BIZARRE BAZAARSaturday,
27 November 2010, 9:00am-5:00pm
Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St., Lawrence KS 66044
Hundreds of local artists of unusual stripes will be selling their unique creations in this annual art fair. Types of items range from clothing to painting and sculpture to toys to household, and more. There will be local food and performances by local musicians.
WINTERLIGHT HOLIDAY FAIRESaturday,
4 December 2020, 12:00noon-6:00pm
Prairie Moon Waldorf School,
1853 E. 1600 Road, Lawrence KS 66044 (1/2 mile E. of airport) This is a delightful annual sale of lovingly crafted toys and crafts made entirely from natural materials. There also will be hard to find books on Waldorf education, child rearing, biodynamic agriculture, Anthroposophy, and Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education. There will be local food and performances by local musicians.
HOLIDAY FARMERS' MARKETSaturday,
11 December 2020, 9:00am-5:00pm
Lawrence Holidome, McDonald Drive at 2nd Street, Lawrence KS 66044
The Lawrence Farmers Market Annual Holiday Market moves this year to the Holiday Inn Holidome. It will have the same kinds of artisan foods, seasonal produce, holiday crafts, etc. as in previous years, but in a livelier setting.
___________________________________________________
UN CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS ¤ AKA, CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP16)Monday-Friday,
29 November-10 December 2010Cancun, Mexico
After failing in Copenhagen to negotiate a climate treaty to supersede the Kyoto Protocol, nations will attempt again this year at the
UN Climate Change Conference - Cancun 2010. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas levels have not dropped due to Kyoto, but rather have been steadily rising, with CO2 now at 392 parts/million in the atmosphere. The planet is in a state of severe overshoot with greenhouse gases needing to be lowered quickly
"if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted" as James Hansen said.
May Boeve of 350.org recently posted a political analysis on COP-16. A big stumbling block is the likelihood that "developed Northern countries will shift the burdens of climate transition to the weaker South, who fear this will close out their options for development forever" - read more at
The Road to Cancun. The fact is that the U.S. and other long developed nations are responsible for the lion's share of greenhouse gases now warming the planet, so we must lead in the solution by weaning ourselves from our insatiable fossil fuel diet. This
very accessible video puts the fossil fuel dependency in perspective -
300 Years of Fossil Fuel Addition in Five Minutes.
___________________________________________________
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIERS CALL FOR CLIMATE SOLUTIONSBecause the only language the rich understand is money, the specter of economic collapse has made
holders of one-quarter of global capitalization sit up and take notice of climate chaos. Ecological sustainability or even human survival seem off their radar, so be grateful that something motivates them. These are the folks who can get in the doors at Cancun.
"A group of 259 international
asset managers responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets called Tuesday for the world's nations, particularly the United States, to move decisively to combat climate change or face economic disruptions worse than the global recession of the last two years -
International investors issue global warming warning. The financiers were sending a warning to Washington that the economy is losing the chance to attract new investment capital because of the gridlock on climate change legislation. "Let's get back to the table and do what must be done to fight climate change and catalyze private investment into low-carbon technologies," said Jack Ehnes. "The economic opportunities are enormous for nations with the foresight to seize them while the risks of inaction are potentially catastrophic."
___________________________________________________
HERE COMES QE-2 ¤ QUANTITATIVE EASING EXPLAINEDAhh, such a comforting term, right? - more is better, and easy does it. A loaf of bread for $500 doesn't sound very good though. But QE really means
"printing money from thin air", ultimately resulting in the Dollar's loss of value and massive inflation. Further enrichment of the wealthy is the immediate effect, and global currency war is the reason behind it. The Chinese have resisted U.S. pressure to allow their Renminbi to float in value against the Dollar, and thus raise the Dollar value compared to that of our primary trading partner. So instead the U.S. is consciously devaluing our currency. In the last round of Quantitative Easing, the Federal Reserve printed $2 Trillion, with no improvement to our economy.
By January 2011, the Fed will print $3 Trillion, and play havoc with the world economy. Understandably, most international economists are not in favor of this, but Obama is a corporatist, and he does what his corporate handlers tell him. View this video for a clear and blunt explanation -
Quantitative Easing Explained.
___________________________________________________
MEDICINAL PLANTS OF KANSAS ¤ SIERRA CLUB LECTUREFriday,
3 December 2010, 7:00pm - FREE
ECM, 1204 Oread Ave., Lawrence KS 66044
Dr. Quinn Long, a field botanist with
KU's Native Medicinal Plan Research Program, will report on their recent research. Everyone is welcome, including non-Sierra Club members. For more info e-mail
<Lynate@sbcglobal.net> or call 331-0625.
___________________________________________________
MY PARADISE GARDEN ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2306 AWednesdays,
8 & 15 December 2010, 7:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 2411 Charlotte St., Kansas City MO 64108
Grow food not lawns! Past “Food Not Lawns” class participants will share photos and stories of their own paradise garden experience. As supporters of the Food Not Lawns national movement, we aim to increase local food security, improve our diet, beautify our surroundings, build community, and reduce pollution and energy use. Presenters include master and highly-qualified gardeners. Class fee is $14. Register at
Communiversity online registration. Bring a picture ID. Limit 30. More info at
Food Not Lawns KC, or
<steve@prairietrading.com>.
___________________________________________________
LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARDWednesday,
8 December 2010, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS
The November agenda is unavailable to date. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting
http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/envadvisoryboard___________________________________________________
KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONWednesday,
8 December 2010, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council,
Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MOThe Environmental Management Commission promotes environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the City's leader and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas City toward sustainability. The general public is encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and participate in its efforts. More information and the EMC April 2009 minutes are available at http://www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/emc
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”.
