WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS14 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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ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOWTuesday,
14 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 John Kurmann will be visiting with Craig Volland of the Sierra Club - Kansas Chapter and the
Kansas City Food Circle.
They will discuss the damage and suffering caused by so-called
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations - the animal factories that produce most of the meat, milk, poultry and eggs in this country - with a special focus on Kansas. And for healthy and ecological solutions, they will also talk about the local, free-range, and organic alternatives.
Also of ecological interest
on KKFI this week:
- On Wednesday at 5:00am, the Pacifica Radio Archives will air "Tales of Whales", produced in 1977 by Adi Gevins and the late Kathy McAnally. It recalls California's first "Whale Day" efforts to raise awareness of the global plight of the widely hunted mamals in the mid-1970's. Performing and speaking were Joni Mitchell, Jeff Bridges, Gary Snyder, Jerry Brown, and others.
- On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents "From Spirit Bear to Victoria's Dirty Little Secret" about reversing global deforestation.
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LAWRENCE FRUIT TREE PROJECT MEETINGTuesday,
14 December 2010, 6:00pmLawrence 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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N.E. SECTOR PLAN FOR LAWRENCE AT CITY COMMISSIONTuesday,
14 December 2010, 6:30pm
Lawrence City Hall, 6th & Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044
This planning document evolved from the 2008 battle over preserving the Class I & II prime farm land in the north-east Kansas River valley. The primary issues have been: proposals for warehouse and industrial uses on the farm land that would threaten our local and regional future food security, exacerbation of flooding for North Lawrence proper from more severe and frequent storms, the estimated $8 million cost to taxpayers for bringing City infrastructure to the area to subsidize private profits, and the existence of more appropriate industrial sites and zoning elsewhere in our community.
The N.E. Sector plan was supposed to regulate and limit industrialization of farm land, but over several edits, it has been weakened to the point of being ineffectual. The Citizens for Responsible Development has requested that the
Industrial Section 3.2.1.4 of the Plan be the version from the third draft of the plan - to read more of the plan, go to N.E. Sector Planning Process, where you can click on the Third Draft and other materials. The City commission will be taking public comment at their meeting.
___________________________________________________ GLOBAL DEMAND FOR OIL DRIVING PRICES UP, DESPITE THE RE-DEPRESSION "Despite weak demand in the U.S. and Europe, oil prices climbed this week to near $90 a barrel and gasoline prices have passed $3 a gallon on the West Coast and parts of the Northeast. Why?" This McClatchy Newspaper article suggests it's the commodity speculators fault -
Remember $4 gasoline? Oil speculators are back. Another article in the Lawrence Journal-World blamed it on growth in Chinese manufacturing, a stronger Euro, and 93,000 new U.S. jobs in November -
Price of gasoline could reach $3 per gallon by Christmas.
No one dared mention peak oil.
But as the commodity that plays the central role in industrial economies, a more scarce and expensive petroleum is the real culprit. There have always been commodity speculators, currency fluctuations, and job swings. What's new since oil extraction peaked in 2006 is that
rising petroleum prices are the real driver of these other economic factors, not the other way around. And rapid growth in Eastern economies, particularly in China and India, are triggering global demand for oil, while deflation in the value of the dollar equates to higher U.S. gasoline prices. Simple supply and demand.
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MY PARADISE GARDEN ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2306 AWednesday,
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>.
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EPA PLEDGES FAIR DECISION ON SUNFLOWER ELECTRIC PERMITfrom the
GPACE web site
As the
3 January 2011 deadline approaches when stricter EPA regulations on greenhouse gases take effect, the Director of Region VII EPA, Karl Brooks, has made it clear that his agency is watching very closely the ongoing permitting process for Sunflower Electric under the Kansas Department of Health & Environment -
EPA Leader Pledges Fair Decision on Power Plant | GPACE.
Karl Brooks - "On Election Day, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson abruptly removed Rod Bremby, the state’s top environmental-protection official. It’s fair to say these two did not see eye to eye on Sunflower. [And] this nation’s air-quality laws are changing at the same time a new governor takes the reins in Topeka. Starting in January 2011, the biggest new coal-burning pollution sources will have to limit climate-changing emissions for the first time. Sunflower would burn so much coal that
a state permit issued after Jan. 2 must impose greenhouse gas controls.
"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."
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Star reports that the rushed nature of the review process by KDHE seems to indicate a bias to get Sunflower Electric permitted before the EPA deadline -
Permit process for coal-fired plant in Kansas draws criticism.
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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 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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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.
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”.
If you do not care to continue on this announcements list, please respond "unsubscribe to Sustainability Announcements" at
<paradigm@ixks.com> 
