8 March 2011
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONWe have a new
Volunteer Coordinator, Maryam Hjersted, who will welcome your interest in one of our various projects . . . Call her at (913)723-3636
DONATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY ACTION ARE NOW TAX DEDUCTIBLEplease donate to our Annual Giving Campaign - (contact info at bottom of page)
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KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWSListen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or web-streaming at
http://www.kkfi.org/ Tuesday,
8 March, 12:00-1:00pm
¤ locally produced Eco-Radio KCHost, John Kurmann will talk with cultural critic
Daniel Quinn, the author of
Ishmael and
The Story of B, about the worldview that's driving our global civilization to destroy the basic life support systems of the planet.
Why is the world the way it is, and how did it come to be this way?
Friday,
11 March, 9:30am
¤ Bioneers Radio Series Bioneers presents another program in their award winning series.
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PEAK OIL & A CHANGING CLIMATE ¤ YOU-TUBE VIDEO SERIESWednesdays,
up through 23 March 2011, on your computer
current video -
Corporations Are Fueling Our Peak Oil Crisis | #9 of 12 with Thom Hartmann
Peak Oil is the point at which petroleum extraction reaches its greatest rate just before going into perpetual decline.
On Wednesday,
9 March,
Jean Laherrère will
appear in interview #10 of the
Peak Oil and a Changing Climate | video series. In 1998, Mr.
Laherrère and Dr. Colin Campbell wrote the prescient "The End of Cheap Oil" article in Scientific American. As a petroleum engineer, he worked for 37 years with the French oil company Total S.A., and currently is an active member of the
Association for the Study of Peak Oil.
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PERMIT COMMENTS DUE FOR IN-RIVER SAND DREDGING & ON-LAND SAND MININGdue by Wednesday,
9 March 2011Friends of the Kaw River have been advocating for years that in-river sand dredging be banned because of severe stream degradation. Operations have gradually been shut down, and all remaining existing permits are due for re-evaluation in 2011.
Permit #2003-1759reopen a dredge in Shawnee County has been submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) to actually .
As would be expected, sand companies have been seeking on-land open pit sand mines in lieu of the fading in-river sites, and they target locations with lax local regulations. All too often this means places very close to rivers in former river meanders, places where the river has deposited sand-laden silt. The Friends of the Kaw oppose sand pit mining in these fragile riparian corridors, and ACE
Permit #2009-1688 is one such site, immediately
upstream from Eudora in Douglas County.
Serious problems would be: potential for bank erosion that could undercut the Kansas River bridge pilings, contamination of Eudora's fresh water wells just west of the open pit, destruction of half the trees on the site, and permanent removal of 114 acres of highly productive prime farm soils.
Public comment on each of the two permits is due by
March 9, 2011. Comments should be submitted separately for each permit, and each comment should refer to the official permit number listed below. (See the Friends of the Kaw
press release)
Permit requesting to re-open in-river sand dredging site in Shawnee CountyPermit No. 2003-1759
For a copy of the permit and Friends of the Kaw's analysis, click
here.
For a sample public comment, click
here.
Permit for proposal to construct commercial sand pit mine west of Eudora in river flood plainPermit No. 2009-1688
(Note: Comments on this permit must be submitted to both KDHE and USACE - KDHE only accepts comments in writing)
For a copy of the permit and Friends of the Kaw's Analysis, click
here.
For a sample public comment, click
here.
For full background information, click here
Sand mining & dredging permits: comments due by 9 March ___________________________________________________
FOOD NOT LAWNS ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2310 AWednesdays,
9,16,23 March 2011, 4 sessions, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 24th & Charlotte Streets, KC MOGrow 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 four 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
UMKC Communiversity. More info at
Food Not Lawns KC, or
<steve@prairietrading.com>.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARDWednesday,
9 March 2011, 5:30pm
location TBA, Lawrence KS
The March agenda has not yet been released. 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___________________________________________________
TAKE CHARGE CHALLENGE ¤ TAKEN IT YET?
Are you "taking charge" of your energy future? Thousands of people in Lawrence have already participated in the Take Charge Challenge this year, but we're not done yet! The Take Charge Challenge is a friendly competition between Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas. The city that reduces its energy use the most will win an energy efficiency or renewable energy community project worth up to $100,000.
How do you participate in the competition? It's easy! The Take Charge Challenge Lawrence page will provide details on how you can: - Schedule an Efficiency Kansas home energy audit.
- Make the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs (or LEDs, which gain more points).
- Enroll in Westar's energy efficiency programs like WattSaver to get a FREE professionally installed programmable thermostat!
- Attend a Take Charge! Challenge event
Once you've changed out your light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs, go to
TakeChargeKS.org to register your switches and get points for Lawrence.
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INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN ¤ 4TH LECTUREFriday, 11 March 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$$Dreher 4-H Building, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66044
This fourth session
will explore the basic design principles as defined by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, and will outline the basic steps in planning a permaculture site, assessing land resources, and designing and implementing projects, including earthworks and swales. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the Geoff Lawton film "Introduction to Permaculture Design". On the following day, Saturday, 12 March, there will be a Field Day Practicum of garden bed preparation, double digging, and no-till raised beds at Vajra Farm, for students wishing to acquire a design certificate.
Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center is teaching this Design Certification Course with assistance from
Michael Almon and
Michael Morley. 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 info go to
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
<smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
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BREAKING THE SILENCE ECOLOGICAL CONFERENCEFriday-Saturday,
11-12 March 2011, $1 per day
Reardon Convention Center, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City KS 66101
Sponsored by
Building Sustainable Earth Community, the conference theme will be
Ecological Literacy, in hopes that individuals will come to understand how major environmental occurrences impact us at the local level and how we can initiate personal and political efforts to correct damaging practices. There will be youth projects, not-for-profit and vendor booths, and a luncheon of locally supplied food (optional at $25).
Speakers will include:
- Friday evening - Marcus Iszard, PhD, of Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Saturday morning - Constance Wolfe, of the Lawrence Give Back Program
- Saturday luncheon keynote - Simran Sethi, Associate Professor at KU School of Journalism
Saturday break out sessions include:
- Smart Home Energy program - Board of Public Utilities & KC Unified Government
- Removing Personhood from Corporations - Mary Lindsay, of Move to Amend
- Liveable Neighborhood Groups
- Inner City Joblessness
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THE STORY OF CORPORATE CASH EQUALS SPEECH ¤ BY ANNIE LEONARDThe latest video from Annie Leonard explains how corporations historically gained personhood, and how the activist Supreme Court inexplicably used the
Citizens United vs the FEC case to declare that corporate cash equals free speech, or the "one dollar is one vote" doctrine. The resulting skewed power in our elections played no little part in recent Tea Party and Republican victories. View the video at -
"The Story of Corporate Cash Equals Speech" One organization that is fighting to reverse this political corruption is
Move to Amend, and there is a strong
KC Move to Amend chapter too. More information about "Citizens United" is available on the
Reclaim Democracy! web site, including a history of corporate personhood and many more resources.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETINGSunday,
13 March 2011, 6:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence KS
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy Organizing societal scale action in our personal lives, and through public policy changes.
The
meeting agenda will include:
- Annual Giving Campaign report
- Growers' Land Trust Community Garden
- S.A.N. and social media use
- co-sponsorship of permaculture intensive training with Warren Brush
- Eat Local Food Expo booth registration
- Earth Day booth registration
- community workshops: super adobe, solar food dehydrator, cold frames, rain barrels, etc.
- S.A.N.web site: list-serve, auto-subscribe, content, pay pal, etc.
Please join us___________________________________________________
S.A.N. COMMUNITY GARDEN ¤ GROWERS' LAND TRUSTGreat garden soil adjacent to Lawrence for apartment dwellers or folks with small and shady yards - that's the vision of our Growers' Land Trust Community Garden. As the first step towards a permanent site, we are planning to lease some
acreage just north of the Kansas River levee with prime ag soils. Garden plots will be rented to growers on a annual basis with proceeds going towards site preparation, water supply, deer fencing, etc. If you are interested in renting a plot, or in volunteering to help prepare the site, contact either Michael Almon at
<paradigm@ixks.com> or Steve Moring at
<smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY TRAILBLAZERS ¤ APPLICATIONS DUEby Tuesday,
15 March 2011As a joint project between the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence Journal World, the University of Kansas, the City of Lawrence, and Douglas County, they are accepting applications from
organizations and businesses who are using ecological sustainable practices. This could include: a building that incorporates green materials, sourcing products locally, minimal or no toxic chemicals used, or educational opportunities for employees. A panel of independent reviewers will choose the winners (total number is not available) who will be honored on Earth Day, be included in a Sustainability Map, be featured in a section of SunflowerHorizons.com, and more. Apply at
Sustainability Trailblazers / LJWorld.com, and get more info from
<jkealing@ljworld.com>.
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONWednesday,
16 March 2011, 4:00-6:00pm -
NOTE DATE CHANGEMid 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___________________________________________________
"NUMEN: THE NATURE OF PLANTS" ¤ FILMS FOR ACTIONWednesday,
16 March 2011, 7:00pm - $
Liberty Hall, 644 Mass St., Lawrence KS 66044"Numen: The Nature of Plants" is about the healing power of plants and the natural world. Featuring stunning footage of medicinal plants and moving interviews with leading herbalists, doctors, ecologists and others, the film provides a vision of healthcare rooted in the traditions of herbal medicine and offers concrete steps to improve human and environmental health. Watch the trailer at - Numen: The Nature of Plants - trailer.
After the screening, Kelly Kindscher will be hosting a Q&A and offering ideas for how we can take action locally as a community and individually. Dr. Kindscher is the author of two books: Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie (1987) and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie (1992). His interests include ethnobotany, especially the study of cultural uses of medicinal plants in Kansas and the Great Plains.
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SCHOOL GARDEN INFORMATION SHARING MEETINGWednesday,
16 March 2011, 7:00pm
K-State Co-op Extension Service, Dreher Building, 2210 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66046
If you are planning a new garden at your school or working at an existing one, come share your successes, challenges, and tips with others. This session will be hosted by
LiveWell Lawrence and led by Nancy O'Connor of
The Community Mercantile Education Foundation.
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CITY OF LAWRENCE COMPOST SALEThursday-Saturday,
17-19 March 2011, 8:00am-3:00pm (til 4:00 on Sat.) - $$
1420 E 11th Street, Lawrence KS (east of 11th and Haskell, over the tracks)The material is composted from leaves, grass clippings, and prunings collected by the City. Quantities are restricted to pick-ups and small trailers for residential use, not commercial use. Cost is $10 per load if loaded by tractor, or free if self-loaded by hand;
dump truck quantities are not allowed. Cash only.
For more info, contact the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division at 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org. Note from S.A.N. - the compost is not free of lawn chemical residue, so it is not recommended for use on food crops. A particularly persistent herbicide, Clopyralid by DowAgrosciences, remains for years in minuscule parts per billion, and causes stunted growth in many garden crops - Clopyralid residue in compost.pdf. Lawrence spot checks and certifies their compost for Clopyralid presence, but it's not practical to check all parts of the piles.___________________________________________________
DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCILMonday,
21 March 2011, 7:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence, KS 66046
The
Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will
support local producers,
preserve local agricultural resources and land, and
create more local jobs, the F.P.C. hopes to improve the community’s access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to
Dg County Food Policy Council.
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KANSAS CITY "EAT LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD EXPO", 13th ANNUALVENUE #ONESaturday,
26 March 2011, 9:00am-2:00pm
Sermon Community Center, 201 N Dodgion St, Independence MO (near Truman & Noland Roads)
VENUE #TWOSaturday,
2 April 2011, 9:30am-2:30pm
Shawnee Civic Centre, Phlumm & Johnson Dr, Shawnee KS
There will be local growers of organic and free range produce selling their wares, including garden plant starts, as well as free organic gardening information and free
2011 Producers Directory. There will be a
free workshop on CSA's and Organic Farmers Markets, food preservation, and cooking demonstrations.Both Food Expos are free admission with free parking and free music. More information on the KC Food Circle and the two food expositions can be found at
Kansas City Eat Local Food Expo or email Craig Volland at <hartwood2@kc.rr.com>.
The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Mail checks 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 polyculture sustainable food production.
3)
Eco Village Land Trust - Designing and focalizing a sustainable intentional community near Lawrence. 4)
Growers' Land Trust - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5)
Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
6)
Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
7)
Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
8)
Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy
through decentralized renewable energy and conservation.9)
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”.
If you do not care to continue on this announcements list, please respond "unsubscribe to Sustainability Announcements" at
<paradigm@ixks.com> 
