SUSTAINABILITY ANNOUNCEMENTSSUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Lawrence Kansas 4 May 2010 Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOWTuesday,
4 May 2010, 12:00noon
¤ on Kansas City Community Radio
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or on web-streaming at
http://www.kkfi.org/ On
EcoRadio KC this week,
Steve Mann will host a discussion about the Kansas City Missouri Urban Agriculture Zoning issues. The discussion will be among several guests from the urban farming contingent and Kansas City officials.Stay tuned at 12:30 when
the Bioneers radio series presents
"All My Relations: Indigenous Visions", with Oren Lyons, Leslie Gray, and John Mohawk.
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¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ correction ¤ update ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤KC URBAN AG BUSINESS REFORMS ¤ CODE REVISIONS AT CITY COUNCILWednesday,
5 May 2010, 1:30pm - City Council Planning & Zoning Committee, City Hall
After passing two political hurdles at City Hall, the urban agriculture zoning revisions will be discussed by the full Council as recommended by the Planing & Zoning Committee
. The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture and the
Food Policy Coalition of Greater Kansas City are inviting all interested parties to attend the above meeting and express your support. Alternately, you could write your Council Person, or ask your church or community group to give support. For details go to Greater KC Food Policy Coalition - ning, or Urban Grown Newsletter_April 2010.
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ALL THE EASY OIL IS GONE ¤ HUBRIS OF ONE MILE UNDER-OCEAN DRILLINGAs the world's on-land oil fields are in terminal decline, including the giant Saudi Ghawar field, countries have turned to the deeper, more remote, and underwater fields - the proverbial bottom of the barrel. Understandably, these wells require more time and resources to tap, so the oil costs more. In the 1930's the Energy Return On Investment (EROI) was 100:1 - 100 barrels extracted per one expended. Today the EROI is 11:1 and dropping. In addition to the $544 million just to lease the
Deepwater Horizon floating drilling platform from Transocean, Inc., for British Petroleum to tap into the Mississippi Canyon Macondo oil field has required many hundreds of millions more. Now on top of that, BP is facing a potential $12.5 billion in liabilities for capping the well rupture, oil clean up, fishery damage, disruption of tourism and fishing industries, and wrongful death lawsuits -
How much will the BP oil spill cost? Is this a workable policy for clean and cheap energy? Oil is now $86.15/barrel, a 72 percent increase from the $50/barrel of a year ago.
And intent on maximizing profits, oil industry operators cut costs anywhere, including safety. The BP drilling rig had multiple "fail-safe" methods in place including a 15,000psi Blowout Preventer, a hydraulic pressure valve trigger, and a manual shut off, all of which, uhhh, failed. But they did not have a "super-shear preventer" which cuts and squeezes a pipe at depth, most interestingly because of Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force. He had decided the cost of such a device was too burdensome on the oil extractors -
Dick Cheney and the Oil Spill. Even more interesting is that the pressure surge at the well head, speculated as the cause of the explosion, occurred while the well casing was being strengthened with concrete by sub-contractor Halliburton -
Halliburton is Suspect in BP Oil Spill. Halliburton is also being investigated for performing a poor cement job in the casing of a major blowout in the Timor Sea off Australia last August. And in typical Dick Cheney style, Halliburton is deflecting ideas of their responsibility in the matter by the pretense that "It is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any specific causal issues.…"
There is no end in sight for this catastrophe nor the complex and opaque web of intrigue guiding our energy priorities and procedures. It remains to be seen whether our corporatist president will roll over for his handlers so as to maintain their line of profit, or if he will reverse himself on the cavalier folly of off-shore drilling. To follow current developments, these sites are very useful -
Peak Oil Context for BP's Oil Spill,
Deepwater Horizon Incident | NOAA,
gCaptain | A Maritime Blog.
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LAWRENCE PEAK OIL TASK FORCEThursday,
6 May 2010, 4:00pm
City Manager's Conference Rm., City Hall 4th Floor, 6th & Massachusetts St.The task force is in the process of compiling and editing chapters of the draft Peak Oil Plan.
So far there is an introduction and five chapters which need to be meshed into a consistent format. The content is open to revision, and a couple more chapters are in the works, so the public is welcome to provide input at the meetings. This article - The next crisis: prepare for peak oil - WSJ.com - provides a perspective of peak oil distinct from the ecological perspective.
Meetings are open to the public, and the public is encouraged to attend. And the Peak Oil Task Force web page has developed a
n 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.___________________________________________________5th ANNUAL REALLY, REALLY FREE MARKETSaturday,
8 May 2010, 10:00am-1:00pm
Clinton City Park, 5th & Alabama St., Lawrence KS
The gift must always move! This free and open market will be a celebration of the cooperation and gift-giving that make life possible beyond the constraints of capitalists markets. Everyone is invited to give and receive clothing, household items, books, plants, seeds, crafts, information, skills, music, services, art, performances, stories, food, etc. There is no buying, selling, bartering, or exchanging involved-in this market, everything is strictly FREE!
Small items and clothing not taken from the Really, Really Free Market will be donated to the Penn House or Social Service League thrift store. However, large items cannot be transported to the thrift store. People are asked to take responsibility for any large items they bring that are not taken by the end of the event.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARDWednesday,
12 May 2010, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS
The May agenda will be available soon. 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,
12 May 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. 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___________________________________________________
4th ANNUAL KANSAS CITY PLANT, SEED, & BULB EXCHANGESaturday,
15 May 2010, 9:00am to 12:00pm - FREE
Discovery Center of MO Dept. of Conservation, 4750 Troost, K.C. MO
Bring your labeled extras to put in the group, and it's all available to choose take home. Herbs, heirlooms, veggies, trees, seeds, bulbs, cuttings - you name it people bring it. It is all free and they do it to encourage gardening and growing locally. For more info contact
dthrumc@sbcglobal.net.
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LAWRENCE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENTSaturday,
15 May 2010, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Free State High School (north parking lot),
4700 Overland Drive, Lawrence KSElectronics devices typically contain toxic heavy metals like lead and mercury and cadmium, and precious metals like silver and gold. If recycled properly, these metals can be materials feed stock for new industrial processes, not to mention saving production costs, and keeping them out of the landfill.
This one day event will provide Lawrence residents and businesses a way to conveniently recycle old, unwanted electronics equipment.
Items accepted for recycling are computer monitors, desktops, laptops, keyboards, printers and other peripherals, televisions, copiers, scanners, telephones, cell phones, pagers, fax machines, VHS/DVD drives, and hand held devices. There is a recycling fee for computer monitors ($10.00) and televisions ($15.00). There are no charges for other electronic equipment. Items not accepted are large appliances such as refrigerators and AC units. Fees may be paid by cash or check.Electronic recycling will be provided by Extreme Recycling, Inc. http://www.extremerecyclinginc.com/ recycling the E-waste in accordance to Federal and Kansas Electronic Waste Processing Regulations. The event is sponsored by the City of Lawrence Waste Reduction & Recycling Division http://www.lawrencerecycles.org/___________________________________________________
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETINGSunday,
16 May 2010, 4:00pm
location TBA, 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:
- plans for Transition Kaw Valley presentations
- plans for 18 July Permaculture Tour
- refinements on our Challenge Statement and Mission Statement
- S.A.N.web site design
- report on new features of the Films For Action web site
- Lawrence Peak Oil Plan, suggestions for input
Please join us___________________________________________________
REPEATED TAXPAYER LOANS TO SUNFLOWER ELECTRIC, FOLLOWED BY DEFAULTEven as Sunflower Electric Co-operative (your 1400MW coal plant friends) has applied for another 895MW coal plant permit, they are in default on over five hundred million dollars in federal taxpayer loans. As a result, they have been forced three times by the Rural Utility Service of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to restructure the loans, some of which were written off.
Furthermore, in the deal brokered by Governor Parkinson last May, Sunflower is now protected from having its rate increases and expansion plans reviewed by the Kansas Corporations Commission, the official state agency to protect ratepayers and taxpayers. As mountaintop removal mining, deadly deep shaft mining, and toxic coal slurry proves that there is no such thing as clean coal, Sunflower continues to bet our money on coal, and squander critical time and financing for a transition to a clean renewable energy future. Fortunately, the Sierra Club and Earth Justice have filed a Federal court motion to prevent Sunflower's expansion
RUS-Sunflower-motion.pdf (legalese for you wonks). For an overall report go to the GPACE blog at
Pay No Attention to the Taxpayer Behind That Curtain! ___________________________________________________
"SOLAR 2010" NATIONAL SOLAR CONFERENCEMonday-Saturday,
17-22 May 2010 - $$Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix AZ
Produced by the
American Solar Energy Society, it claims to be the leading conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy. There will be many workshops, seminars, and tours, including a tour of Taliesin West by Frank Lloyd-Wright (which incidentally, he designed to be a large-lot, horizontally spreading development that became a prime inspiration for urban sprawl). For more details and registration info go to SOLAR 2010 Program.
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AMTRAK "NORTHERN FLYER" MEETINGS WITH KDOT & LAWRENCE OFFICIALSTuesday,
18 May 20105:00-6:00pm, Lawrence City Commission Chambers
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will meet with Lawrence and Douglas County officials to present a feasibility study for a possible Amtrak "Northern Flyer" train from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Kansas City. They will explain potential ridership, schedules, costs, and requirements for communities to be "train ready", as well as grants that communities could apply for.
6:30-8:00pm, Lawrence Union Pacific Depot
KDOT will hold a public meeting with formal presentations at 6:45pm and 7:30pm. They are soliciting input about the options for the Northern Flyer. For more info go to
Northern Flyer Alliance, Inc.___________________________________________________
"WITHIN REACH" FILMMAKERS' PRESENTATION ¤ FILMS FOR ACTIONThursday, 20 May 2010, 7:00-8:30pm - $Liberty Hall, 644 Mass St., Lawrence KS
In celebration and exploration of all things green, two bicyclists are on a year-long journey around the United States to share what they've learned about sustainable communities. They have visited and filmed 100 sustainable communities of all types as a project to make the film "Within Reach", to be released in 2011. The evening will include an interactive presentation, video-clips from the film in progress, and a dynamic group exercise in community building. For more info
Watch the trailer, and check their
website.
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"DIRT: THE MOVIE" ¤ SCREENED BY FILMS FOR ACTION & LOCAL BURGERMonday,
24 May 2010, 7:00-8:40pm - $
Liberty Hall, 644 Mass St., Lawrence KS
Though the term "soil" might be more reverential for the sublime subject matter that this film honors,
Dirt: The Movie nevertheless provides a superb view of our planet's living skin. It features a range of agronomists, activists, and organizers like Vadana Shiva, Wes Jackson, and Wangari Maathai, describing how healthy soil supports all life, how industrial abuse is destroying our soils, and how we have the means to preserve and heal the soil. For more info go to
Dirt! The Movie. Free Veggie Burger bites provided by
Local Burger. More films at
Films for Action.
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>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> 
