WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
2 November 2010
ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOW
Tuesday, 2 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 Richard Mabion will be talking with Felicia Gokool-Sheikh about how mainstream environmentalist would benefit by collaborating with people of color. Ms. Gokool-Sheikh participated on a panel discussion with Richard Mabion at the North American Association of Environmental Educators conference in Buffalo, NY.
Also of ecological interest on KKFI this week:
- On Wednesday at 9:00am, Alternative Radio presents "Climate Wars" with Gwynne Dyer, a noted journalist and lecturer on international affairs. An increase in just two degrees Celsius in average global temperature could trigger conflicts over scarce food and water. As the planet gets hotter, glaciers will melt and there will be less water for agricultural and drinking water, spurring climate refugee migrations on a scale never before seen. Wars will result.
- On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents "Making Tomorrow Today: The Power of Youth". Dynamic young people are surmounting considerable social and economic obstacles by following their dreams to create a better world. Jessica Rimington, Rhummanee Hang, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Manuel Francisco, Caleb Ryen, Amalia Anderson, and Lily Dong are enlivening the horizon of positive possibilities with grace, courage and boundless creativity. They'll settle for nothing less than justice, cultural preservation, and the defense of wild lands.
YOUR WATER FOOTPRINT = THE STUFF YOU BUY
If climate disruption is resulting in disappearing glaciers and desertification, then a crisis of fresh water scarcity may manifest sooner and stronger than fossil energy scarcity. After all, water is essential for life on "planet water". But drought is only part of the problem, because it is exacerbated by industrial water pollution and water intensive industrial practices. Considering that huge quantities of water are required for extracting oil from Canadian tar sands, pulping and bleaching paper, washing dust from coal, hydraulic fracturing of natural gas, and most every other manufacturing process, water is embedded in everything we use. So while a person in an agrarian economy may consume only five gallons of water per day, those in industrial economies use nearly 2000 gal/day. Only five percent of that is for washing, flushing, or gardening, the bulk being what is embedded in our things. If you want to make a serious dent in your water consumption, use this Water Footprint Calculator to learn of the water hidden in the food you eat, the energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on. Then you can go way beyond that water saving shower head.
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FOOD NOT LAWNS ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2305A
Wednesdays, 3 & 10 November 2010, 7:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 2411 Charlotte St., Kansas City MO 64108
Grow food not lawns! Increase local food security, improve your diet, beautify your surroundings, build community, reduce pollution and energy use (It takes 87 calories of fuel to transport one calorie of perishable fresh fruit from west coast to east coast). As supporters of the Food Not Lawns national movement, we will hold five sessions dealing with topics that include whole system design, garden preparation, permaculture, water-wise gardening, seed saving, planting, and free resources. Presenters include master and highly-qualified gardeners. Class fee is $18, plus $5 for materials. Register at Communiversity online registration. Bring a picture ID. Limit 30. More info at Food Not Lawns KC, or <steve@prairietrading.com>.
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PERMACULTURE FOOD PRODUCTION: FOOD FORESTS ¤ 7TH LECTURE
Thursday, 4 November 2010, 6:00-9:00pm - $$$
Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park KS 66204
Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center will describe the concept of polyculture forest garden systems. Food forests involve creating plant associations of trees, shrubs, and berries into "guilds", arranged by size, height, and sun-orientation, called "stacking". The emphasis will be on the development and maintenance of nut and fruit tree food forests. This lecture is the seventh in a nine-session permaculture lecture series, presented every week. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film "Establishing a Food Forest" by Geoff Lawton. Preregistration is required, and a percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more information contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or <smoring@grasshoppernet.com>
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NATIONAL SMALL FARM TRADE SHOW & CONFERENCE
Thursday-Saturday, 4-6 November 2010, 8:00am-5:00pm - $$
Boone County Fairgrounds, Columbia MO
The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program will be hosting this the largest annual small farm trade show in the United States. There will be more than 30 "Farmers Forum" talks, with sessions 25 to 55 minutes long, and covering topics like composting, beneficial bees, agroforestry, heritage turkeys, community gardens, local food systems, freshwater shrimp farming, weed control with goats, elderberries, and much more. To register, call "Small Farm Today" at (800)633-2535, write National Small Farm Show, 3903 W Ridge Trail Rd, Clark MO 65243, or see http://www.smallfarmtoday.com for more information.
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WAKARUSA SIERRA CLUB NIGHT HIKE AT CLINTON LAKE
Friday, 5 November 2010, 6:00pm
This get-together hike will follow a pot luck dinner for Sierra Club members and non-members alike. For directions to the pot luck and hike, e-mail <Lynate@sbcglobal.net> or call 331-0625.
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COLORADO BIONEERS REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Friday-Sunday, 5-7 November 2010 - $$
Colorado University, Boulder CO
This is the nearest of the few remaining Bioneers Conferences to the Kansas City/Lawrence area. Advance registration is still open until 2 November at Colorado Bioneers - 2010. The regional ones have a local focus, but with added electronic presentations from the national conference too. Others on this same weekend are more distant such as Cleveland, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver. For the full list go to - Bioneers beaming to regional conferences.
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THE POPULATION PERIL
There's much well reasoned discussion around per capita carbon footprint, ecological footprint, water footprint, carrying capacity, etc. and how humans can conserve and reduce our impact on the planet. The more enlightened institutions and individuals are planning for peak oil energy scarcity, sustainable food growing, non-fossil fuel transportation, etc. Yet all these (still potentially) downward trends are being offset by one huge expansive trend, that of exponential population growth. And in any of the aforementioned discussions, rarely is population control or decline considered as an essential part of any solution.
True, in some quarters like the Catholic patriarchy, birth control is banned as a sin, but why would scientific and political circles ignore the topic? Why do most people apparently find fulfillment in seeing the growth and development of offspring rather than in themselves? Some very telling observations of human nature can be found in a lecture (excerpt) by Dr. Albert Bartlett, who points out that we typically choose to reduce the death rate (a noble cause) rather than reduce the birth rate (sad, evil, cowardly cause) Exponential Population Growth: Dr. Albert Bartlett. This is part of a whole series, another amazing one being Exponential Growth vs Finite Resources: Dr. Albert Bartlett (part 3 of 8).
At last population count, China was at 1.3 billion, and they began a new census on Monday, 1 November. Like other industrializing countries, China is experiencing more rapid rural-urban migration than ever before, anticipating 67 percent of the population will be urbanized. This global trend leads to what are called "megacities". "Depending on how one measures, the planet now boasts 20 or so megacities — urban agglomerations where the United Nations estimates the population has reached 10 million or more. The world's rapid urbanization is a reality fraught with both peril and hope. The peril is obvious. Overcrowding, pollution, poverty, impossible demands for energy and water all result in an overwhelming sense these megacities will simply collapse." If you want a glimpse of a future without population control, this article will bring it into graphic perspective - Dhaka: Fastest Growing Megacity in the World. It's not a pretty sight. Are humans capable of restraint?
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 10 November 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
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 10 November 2010, 4:00-6:00pm
Project Living Proof, 917 Emanuel Cleaver Blvd., KC MO
This month's meeting will be at Project Living Proof, a demonstration project of how to restore a century-old house to be energy efficient. The 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. Members of the general public are 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
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"THIS OLD ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSE" ¤ COMMUNITY FORUM
Thursday, 11 November 2010, 7:00pm - FREE
Union Pacific Depot, 402 North 2nd St., Lawrence KS 66044
This public forum will explore how ecological sustainability and historic preservation can overlap and be mutually beneficial (re: Project Living Proof in previous item). A panel of experts will give presentations and field questions from the audience about saving resources by preserving our building stock, energy audits and upgrading the energy performance of old structures, reinvestment in central city density, and Federal and State programs that are available. It is sponsored by The City of Lawrence, the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, and the Kansas Preservation Alliance.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETING
Sunday, 14 November 2010, 6:00pm
our Coordinator's office, 700 Mississippi St., Lawrence KS 66044
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:
- Transition Kaw Valley power point trial run
- Ducks in a row: what it means to focalize S.A.N. actions
- community workshops - FOCALIZER?: solar food dehydrator, cold frames, rain barrels, etc.
- S.A.N.web content, user name access, site e-mail, hosting contracts, etc.
- develop an annual events schedule - FOCALIZER?
- cultivating multi-organizational co-operation
- Fair Trade Holiday Market: S.A.N. involvement?
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WORKSHOPS ¤ EPA KANSAS CITY REGION
Monday-Tuesday, 15-16 November 2010 - FREE
Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri
The EPA Region Seven will host this series of workshops prior to the formal National Environmental Justice Advisory Council public meeting on November 16-18, 2010. The workshops target urban and rural communities, grassroots organizations, academic institutions, businesses, youth, elderly citizens, and many other demographic categories, especially low income and ethnic minority populations. Courses during the workshops include two tracks of (1) Collaborative Problem Solving with Success Stories, Tools, and Demonstrations, and (2) Grants and Resources Information. To register for the EJ Workshops and the NEJAC or for more information visit:http://www.epa.gov/region07/ej/2010_workshop/index.htm
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LAWRENCE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, 16 November 2010, 6:00pm
Public Works Conference Rm., City Hall Ground Floor, 6th & Massachusetts St.
The agenda will include: revisions to bicycle parking downtown, and more. The Committee works to improve bicycle safety and awareness through education of motorists and non-motorists, develops bicycle plans and maps, and advises the City and County Commissions on bicycle priorities and needs. The agenda and information can be downloaded at Bicycle Advisory Comm | agendas & minutes.
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"CONNECTING COWS, CARBON & CARROTS" CONFERENCE
Saturday, 20 November 2010, 8:30am-4:30pm - $$
Flint Hills Technical College, 3301 W. 18th Ave, Emporia KS 66801
The Kansas Rural Center is hosting this sustainable agriculture conference with an emphasis on climate change and its challenges for agriculture, the emerging local food movement as business opportunity, and methods of transferring land to the next generation. Throughout the day will be speakers and workshops on: community and school gardens, local food policy councils, high tunnel season extenders, cover crops and biochar carbon sequestration, specialty and organic crops, the 2012 U.S. Farm Bill, and more. To learn more, register, and download a brochure, go to Connecting Cows, Carbon & Carrots, or contact the KRC at (785)873-3431 or <ddysart@rainbowtel.net>.
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FAIR TRADE HOLIDAY MARKET
Friday-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>.
The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a Kansas not-for-profit 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 - 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>
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