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Mail your 501(C)(3)
tax deductible donations to:Sustainability Action Network,
P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044.
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LAWRENCE PEAK OIL PLAN ¤ FINAL DRAFT RELEASEDRecently completed on the 29th of September, the final draft Peak Oil Plan was posted to the City of Lawrence web site this past week, here -
Lawrence Peak Oil Plan_Final Report_29Sept11. The overall document is not too shabby, and the extensive list of community response actions is quite good. Here are some excerpts:
"
Peak oil does not mean the end of oil, but the end of cheap oil. Peak oil will have a costly inflationary effect on all aspects of our industrial society, including portable liquid fuels, agriculture (including planting, fertilizing, and harvesting), oil-dependent delivery of other energy sources, asphalt pavement, plastics, hydraulics and lubrication, and building materials."Peak oil also means that as global demand continues to rise, extraction cannot keep pace. In 2010, the International Energy Agency (IEA) revised its earlier, estimate, concluding that worldwide crude oil production would never again reach the 2006 peak of 70 million barrels per day."Fo
ssil fuel plays a pivotal part in agricultural production, accounting for 17 percent of our nation's total petroleum consumption. More specifically, the average U.S. farm uses 3,000 calories of fossil energy to produce 1,000 calories of food energy; the ratio becomes even greater when the product is meat-related production such as beef.
"Wh
ile the price of petroleum fuels is of primary concern due to peak oil inflation, other energy sources including natural gas, coal, uranium, biofuels, and renewable energy (for example, solar and wind power) all depend on petroleum for extraction and delivery. The Achilles heel of fossil energy supplies is the need for non-interruptibility, because the critical feature of their end-use is the ability to power-up and power-down at will. Virtually every operational component of shipping and transit, manufacturing, commerce, and housing is designed with automated features that fail if energy supply is interrupted.
"N
atural gas seems, at present, to be a cheaper alternative to petroleum. However, several court challenges involving severe environmental damage from "fracking" could soon reverse that price premium. And a May 2011 analysis by geoscientist J. David Hughes disputes the idea that U.S. natural gas can be a "bridge fuel" from high-carbon sources of energy such as coal and oil to a renewable energy future. The report focuses on many factors: freshwater contamination, toxins disposal, considerable increase of U.S. extraction rates, massive infrastructure build-out, and full-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shale gas that may also be worse than previously understood and possibly worse than coal."
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LAWRENCE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEETuesday,
18 October 2011, 6:00pm
Public Works Conference Rm., City Hall Ground Floor, 6th & Massachusetts St.
The
October agenda will include: discussion of a shared use path from City Hall down under the Kansas River bridges and west to Constant Park, soliciting input for Public Works projects, and
a letter of support for bicycle/pedestrian facilities at the planned highway interchange of West 15th Street and K-10 Highway. The Bicycle Advisory 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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"FOOD PRODUCTION: POLYCULTURE GARDENS" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTEWednesday,
19 October 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This lecture is part of a nine lecture series offered weekly and taught by
Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center. All lectures are open to the public. It will describe how polyculture gardens go beyond simple companion planting to enhance and maintain soil nutrients, and increase yields while minimizing labor. The system relies on growing annual and perennial plants in dynamic association, with an emphasis on no-till, raised-bed methods. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film
"The Synergistic Garden" with Emelia Hazelip. A percentage of the fees will support the
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the
Sustainability Action Network. For more info contact Steve Moring at
(785)691-7305 or
<moringse@gmail.com>.
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FOOD NOT LAWNS COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS ¤ SECTION #2306A
3nd session, Wednesday,
19 October 2011, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, first floor, 24th & Charlotte, KCMO
Not just another gardening class, "Food Not Lawns" will help you
turn your lawn into a garden and your neighborhood into a community. Our goals are to help increase local food security, improve your diet, beautify your surroundings, and reduce pollution and energy use. Topics include: whole system design, garden preparation, permaculture, and water wise gardening and planting and free resources (see
Food Not Lawns KC). The Food Not Lawns KC Collaborative has been working to transform Kansas City into a paradise garden one lawn at a time since 2007. CONVENER: Steve Mann
(816)352-9213. E-mail:
steve@prairietrading.com. Enroll here:
https://ecomm2.umkc.edu/commu/SearchDetail.aspx?id=852______________________________
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KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWS THIS WEEKListen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or web-streaming at
http://www.kkfi.org/
Tuesday,
18 October 2011, 9:00am
¤ If You Love This Planet Dr. Helen Caldicott's program will feature
Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army Colonel, peace activist, and author of "Dissent: Voices of Conscience".
Tuesday,
18 October 2011, 12:00noon
¤ All Souls ForumIf you are deliberating about buying an efficient hybrid car or waiting for the plug-in hybrids, this show, "
The Drive to Electrify Our Cars", will give you some insights. John Kurman of ReEnergize KC and Craig Volland of the Sierra Club will provide info on the range of electric auto options and the changes required of the electricity grid to maximize electric auto use.
Tuesday,
18 October 2011, 6:00pm
¤ Tell SomebodyTom Klammer will air "
The Great Nuclear Debate" held in Kansas City last week. Facing each other were
Ira Helfand, MD, vice president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, and
Maurice L. Smith, former staff engineer for the DOE Kansas City Nuclear Trigger Plant.
Wednesday,
19 October 2011, 9:00am
¤ Alternative RadioPaul Cienfuegos provides some of the most cogent critiques of corporatism, particularly the "rights" of corporate "persons" -
Paul Cienfuegos: Articles, Lectures & Interviews. In this show, "
We the People", he will speak on the expansion of corporate rights at the expense of
real persons' rights.
Friday,
21 October 201, 9:30am
¤ Bioneers Radio Series
Bioneers presents the "
Cyberworld of Citizen Activism". Garbage in, garbage out, as the early computer innovators remarked about information. New media including especially the Internet have challenged the supremacy of corporate media concentration and junk news. A brave new wave of activists such as
Brad Friedman, John Stauber and
Joan Blades are using digital media to restore the democratic lifeblood of a people's media.
Monday,
24 October 201, 6:00pm
¤ locally produced
Eco-Radio KCRichard Mabion will discuss environmental issues for Blacks in the U.S. He'll have guests
Shery Green, of Rethink Inc, and John Burris, a long time community activist.
___________________________________________________FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI NUCLEAR DISASTER ¤ DAY 214
The International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Japan to take a more focused and realistic approach to dealing with radioactive contamination. 2,400 square kilometers of land would have to be decontaminated to achieve an annual radiation exposure limit of 5 millisieverts. The government estimates this would cost more than Y1 trillion. But a lack of available disposal sites for radioactive waste will unduly limit and hamper successful remediation activities -
IAEA Urges Japan To Set Realistic Decontamination Goals.
Meanwhile, Japanese citizens are becoming increasingly anxious about nuclear power, even taking to the streets in rare protest, while their government is moving back into its old and comfortable embrace with the nuclear industry -
Japan's government, people split on nuclear power.
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CITY OF LAWRENCE COMPOST SALEThursday-Saturday,
20-22 October 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. For more info, contact the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division at 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org. The City certifies that the material has been tested for the herbicide, chlorpyralid, which has a potency measured in parts per billion. Nevertheless, because it is impossible to test every cubic foot of the compost, it is advised to use it only on ornamental plants and NOT food plants.
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FOOD NOT LAWNS WORKSHOP ¤ TRANSITION KAW VALLEYSaturday,
22 October 2011, 1:00-5:00pm - FREE
1703 Maple Lane, Lawrence KS 66044 (east of 19th & Haskell Ave.)
Transition Kaw Valley will hold a
Garden Prep & Sheet Mulch workshop as part of our ongoing series. Participants will learn how to
convert a turf-lawn wasteland into a productive food growing garden. Using permaculture techniques, participants will remove grass, build raised beds, apply cardboard and compost and humus into layered sheet mulching, and cover the beds with a thick layer of straw to prepare for winter. Ingredients will be provided, but
bring any implements you may have such as wheelbarrow, hay forks, shovels, mat knives, etc. For more info contact
.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK MEETING
Sunday, 23 October 2011, 6:30pm
Community Mercantile class room, 901 Iowa St., Lawrence KS 66044
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
The meeting agenda will include:
- just released - Lawrence Peak Oil Plan_Final Report_29Sept11
- organize for Electric Auto talk by John Kurmann and Craig Volland
- organize for Economics of Happiness co-sponsorship
- organize & fund raise for Spring permaculture PDC course
- USDA-NIFA grant application report
- Annual Campaign preliminary plans
- Transition Kaw Valley - the 100th local initiative in the U.S.
- community workshops: rocket stove, solar food dehydrator, cold frames, bat houses, etc.
- S.A.N. web site: update the content, pay pal, etc.
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"FOOD PRODUCTION: FOOD FORESTS" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE Wednesday,
26 October 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This lecture is part of a nine lecture series offered weekly and taught by
Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center. All lectures are open to the public. This session will
describe the concept of polyculture forest garden systems. Food forests involve creating plant associations of trees, shrubs, and berries into "guilds", arranged by size, height, and sun-orientation, called "stacking". The emphasis will be on the development and maintenance of nut and fruit tree food forests. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film
"Establishing a Food Forest" by Geoff Lawton. A percentage of the fees will support the
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the
Sustainability Action Network. For more info contact Steve Moring at
(785)691-7305 or
<moringse@gmail.com>.
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SOIL BIOLOGY AND COVER CROP SCHOOLThursday,
27 October 2011 - $$$
Green Cover Seeds, 932 Road X, Bladen, NE 68928
(1 mile south and 1 1/2 miles east of Bladen, NE)
This the fourth annual Cover Crop School will be taught by
Dr. Jill Clapperton, a
Rhizosphere Ecologist who operates Earthspirit Land Resource Consulting in western Montana. Her area of research studies
soil food webs, nutrient cycling, soil fauna-plant disease interactions, rhizosphere interactions, and soil biodiversity.
The course will also include demonstration plots of over 80 different cover crop species and mixes on various soil types,
soil pit analysis, and no-till seeding equipment.
Green Cover Seed is a family business that emphasizes building soil fertility through cover crops and no till methods. To register, go to
Cover Crop School registration.
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"SWALES, TERRACES, WATER CATCHMENTS" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE Wednesday,
2 November 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This lecture is part of a nine lecture series offered weekly and taught by
Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center. All lectures are open to the public. This session will
cover a critical component of any site design, that of maximizing water absorption and minimizing run-off. Several techniques can be used to modify the terrain as needed, and they are best done at the outset before any planting takes place. Water catchments can be roofs with tank storage, or ground basins like ponds or water gardens. Swales and Key Lines are water channels that spread run-off horizontally by gravity. Terracesare on-level contours that slow the down-hill flow of water. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film "Water Harvesting" by Geoff Lawton. A percentage of the fees will support the
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the
Sustainability Action Network. For more info contact Steve Moring at
(785)691-7305 or
<moringse@gmail.com>.
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"THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS" ¤ A FILM OF SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSITION Monday,
7 November 2011, 7:00pm
Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 7th & Vermont St., Lawrence KS 66044
This film brings a positive message about how a grassroots movement for localization is bubbling up from the cracks of a faltering global economy in every corner of the world. It is produced by Helena Norberg-Hodge of the
International Society for Ecology and Culture, a not-for-profit working
for the strengthening of local communities and economies, emphasizing
education for action, moving beyond single issues to look at the more fundamental influences that shape our lives. Preview it here -
the Economics of Happiness. Brought by
Prairie Moon Waldorf School and
co-sponsored by Sustainability Action Network and
Films For Action.
"This film presents the localization movement as a systemic alternative to corporate globalization, and a strategy that brings community and meaning to our lives." - Joanna Macy, author
World as Lover, World as Self.
"A remarkable new documentary... Get a copy of this DVD. Then get the kids. Pull them away from their smartphones and video games... And show them this movie." - Russell Mokhiber, editor of
The Corporate Crime Reporter______________________________
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 9 November 2011, 5:30pm
Lawrence City Hall, Planning Dept. Conference Room, 1st Fl, 6 East 6th St., Lawrence KS
The November agenda . 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 meetinghttp://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/envadvisoryboard
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 9 November 2011, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO
The Environmental Management Commission promotes environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the City's leaders 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 is at KC Environmental Mgt Commission
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"SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE Wednesday,
9 November 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This permaculture lecture is part of a nine lecture series, and will be taught by
Steve Moring with the assistance of Michael Almonand
Michael Morley. All lectures are open to the public.
This will be a comprehensive survey of the construction of energy efficient structures using sustainably produced materials and integrated into the permaculture landscape. We will explore the construction of passive solar, attached solar greenhouse, berm, cob, cord wood, straw bale, and SIPS structures. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film
"Green Architecture". A percentage of the fees will support the
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the
Sustainability Action Network. For more info contact Steve Moring at
(785)691-7305 or
<moringse@gmail.com>.
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TRANSITION KAW VALLEY MEETING
Thursday, 10 November 2011, 7:00pm
Lawrence Public Library (tentative), 7th & Vermont St., Lawrence KS 66044
The Transition Kaw Valley workshop series is underway. The recent Food Canning workshop was a great success. If you would like to
help organize one of the following workshops, please attend the meeting
:
- Garden Prep & Sheet Mulching - 22 October
- Energy Conservation/Weatherization - 12 November
- Stocking the Pantry - 10 December
- Cold Frame construction - 21 January
- Garden Planning & Seed Order - 18 February
- Raised Bed Gardening - 10 March
- Rocket Stove - date TBA
- Solar Food Dehydrator - date TBA
- Permablitz - date TBA
- Water Purification & Storage - date TBA
Transition Kaw Valley is a wide range of folks from neighborhoods, churches, and civic groups whose goal is to create a relocalized, sustainable community from the grassroots up. Transition US has just officially recognized
T.K.V. as the 100th local initiative in the country! For more info, e-mail
. To get on the
S.A.N. Transition Kaw Valley list-serv, join at
Transition Kaw Valley discussion.
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ENERGY SAVING WEATHERIZATION WORKSHOP ¤ TRANSITION KAW VALLEY - FREE
Saturday, 12 November 2011, 1:00-5:00pm
location TBA
Transition Kaw Valley will hold a
Energy Conservation/Weatherization workshop as part of our ongoing series. Danny Veerkamp, LEED AP, a state energy auditor, will demonstrate and discuss ways to make your home more energy efficient. Hands on projects will be included along with classroom instruction. Don't miss a chance to save yourself money this winter! For more information, contact Michael Almon at
.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCILMonday,
21 November 2011, 7:00pm
location to be determined - 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.
We welcome suggestions for Newsletter items. Please send items to
or
.
Join the Sustainability Action Network by clicking this link -
Become a Member of S.A.N. - and follow the instructions.
The S.A.N. mission is
to bring awareness of the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability to communities in the Kansas River bioregion, and the tools needed to re-skill and re-localize our economy and create a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world. Current S.A.N. projects include:
1)
Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal-level Peak Oil response planning -
Transition Kaw Valley
2)
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and
Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for polyculture sustainable food production -
Kaw Permaculture Collaborative
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.
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