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| <back | home SHORTS SLO SLOW Food The sun filters through an ancient oak tree as friendly chatter rises from surrounding tables. Artfully prepared platters of lemon-rosemary roasted chicken, baked Brie with caramelized onions, fava bean and prosciutto pasta, and ripe strawberries with fresh cream welcome hungry palates. While this potluck might easily be misconceived as a social club for elite, gourmands, SLO Slow Food is actually a concerned, community-based group that promotes preservation, education, and awareness of “the pleasures of the table.” Established in July 2004 as the newest chapter of Slow Food USA, SLO Slow Food is already strongly present in our community. Catherine Faris, Chapter Leader, explains their two-fold focus: 1) education (especially for children) on how to grow and prepare food and 2) promoting the “consumption of foods as a pleasurable act, which fast food has robbed us of the experience.” Of primary interest is their involvement at Vineyard Elementary School, where they have established after-school food preparation and gardening classes, encouraging student to converse about food. Past events included a pickling and preserving class, a Heritage Turkey preparation class for members, and the Taste of SLO, which invited community members to sample foods from local farms prepared by local chefs. They are currently planning an exciting day at Cal Poly with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. To find out more about Slow Food, visit slowfoodusa.org or send an email to sloslowfood@hotmail.com. In Ojai, contact mortbear@aol.com. In Santa Barbara, contact cookingbiz@cox.net. In Ventura, contact maryblehm@hotmail.com. First Annual Fundraiser for Sustainable Ag at CalPoly It is not often one shares a gourmet meal prepared by five of the Central Coast’s finest chefs, all while dining with the farmers and ranchers who raised the food in the feast. Also rare is the opportunity to directly assist in promoting sustainable agriculture and sustainable food systems. Food aficionados and sustainability supporters can do both of these things on Thursday, June 16th when Cal Poly’s Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium (SARC) hosts its’ first annual fundraiser featuring nationally renowned organic chef Nora Pouillon, of Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C. The event will take place at the Gardens of Avila Restaurant in Avila Beach, CA. Over twenty years ago, Pouillon introduced organic dining to Washington, D.C. In 1999, her restaurant underwent an involved organic certification process and became the first certified organic restaurant in the nation. Pouillon, whose son helped found the SARC while attending Cal Poly a few years ago, is generously sharing her talents and tales of her experience in the movement with attendees of the fundraiser, which will commemorate the SARC’s fifth year of existence. Pouillon will assist in the orchestration of the meal with Evan Treadwell of the Gardens of Avila, Tim Bolle’ of Affaire L’Amour Catering, Maegen Loring of the Park Restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Pandee Pearson of Windows on the Water in Morro Bay and Kim Pidcoke of Paris Restaurant in Paso Robles. The gourmet repast will be made of locally grown and raised ingredients, including those from the Cal Poly Organic Farm. The cuisine will be paired with a selection of fine local wines donated from several of SARC’s winery supporters including Domaine Alfred Winery, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, and Wolff Vineyards. Pouillon will speak briefly about her experience as an advocate of sustainable agriculture. Her commitment to a healthy lifestyle extends beyond the kitchen as she has worked as a consultant for Fresh Fields, Wholefoods Market and Walnut Acres and is a founding board member of the Chefs Collaborative 2000. She serves on various advisory boards, participates in the Harvard School of Nutrition Roundtable discussions and was given the Chef of the Year Award of Excellence by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). She has consistently worked to promote women in the culinary profession, and is an active member of the Washington chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and also serves on the board of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs. She is the author of “Cooking with Nora”, a beautifully photographed seasonal cookbook featuring organic menus for the home cook. Other special guests will include Cal Poly Alumnus Albert Straus, owner of the largest organic dairy in the West, Straus Family Creamery in Marin County. Local vineyard owners of Tablas Creek and Wolf Vineyards will share their insights on organic and sustainable grape production. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium’s programs on campus, at the Cal Poly Organic Farm and in the San Luis Obispo community. Please join the SARC as they toast their supporters, including Cal Poly alumni and our local food heroes. Tax-deductible tickets are $100 per person. For more information, please visit the SARC’s web site at: www.calpoly.edu/~sarc/nora-event.htm. To receive a personal invitation, please contact Hunter Francis at (805)756-5086 or by e-mail at: wfrancis@calpoly.edu. Pastors for Peace Caravan comes to Santa Barbara In mid July a brightly painted yellow school bus will be traveling down Route 101, on one of 14 routes through the US of the IFCO/Pastors for Peace US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan. The whole caravan will take educational and medical aid to Cuba, as well as 150 US citizens, who will travel without a US Treasury Department license, as a collective challenge to the US governmentís economic blockade and travel ban against Cuba. The bus will stop in Santa Cruz on Sunday July 10th and Santa Barbara on Monday 11th for an evening public events. The bus itself will be donated to Cuba and will be named after one of the 5 Cuban patriots imprisoned in the US for trying to prevent terrorist attacks against Cuba emanating from Miami. Much of the aid will be for Cubans with Special Needs - the differently-abled, the blind, the deaf, the infirm, and those with learning difficulties. People can join the caravan as it passes through their city, or by meeting it at the Texas border on Sunday July 17th. The participants will spend 8 days in Cuba visiting hospitals, schools and other social projects. They will return to Texas on August 1st, bringing back a symbolic donation of goods that Cuba would like to trade with the US people. To request an application form, or to get further information, email cucaravan@igc.org or call 212-926-5757 Website is www.pastorsforpeace.org. Don’t Tread on Montana A state that voted overwhelmingly for Bush in the last election passes the fifth statewide anti-Patriot Act resolution, and it’s the strongest one yet. Bipartisan support and grassroots persistence got the job done. more... http://www.alternet.org/rights/21729/ SLO COAST ALLIANCE VOTES TO REQUEST MORRO HUNTING BAN SLO Coast Alliance (SCA), a consortium of 40 environmental organizations dedicated to the protection and preservation of the coast, has voted to recommend a total hunting ban on Morro Bay. The directors believe it is totally inconsistent within a claimed bird sanctuary and a national estuary of prime importance to migratory birds to allow waterfowl hunting of any kind. Much of the bay itself and particularly where hunters seek brant geese, is an extremely popular recreation area, and hunting poses real threats to public safety. Additionally, the estuary increasingly has become more urbanized and damage to real property and noise pollution are problems that need to be addressed. Further, the directors believe that the wisest and best use of Morro Bay is for ecotourism which is negatively impacted by hunting. Gunfire not only kills targeted birds, but others as well. It is disturbing to boaters, hikers, nature enthusiasts and those who want a quiet outdoor experience. Since many of the member organizations of the Alliance already are on record in favor of a total hunting ban, the directors declared for SCA as a whole. There are well over 22,000 supporters in SCA. Sign the petition online at www.petitiononline.com/estuary Courtwatching for the Women’s Community Center To all concerned citizens, We have been observing some grievious treatment of mothers and children in the Family Courts. One does not hear of these matters unless one is involved personnally. Because there is no method of accountability for the judicial system, we have taken up volunteer courtwatching. We observe cases, sometimes randomly, sometimes upon request, during the mornings at the County Courthouse in San Luis Obispo. We primarily focus on Family Court, however, we have had cases we observe in Criminal Court as well. We document how these cases are handled and discuss them in our Family Law Action committee. We have found that many litigants are going into custody and divorce matters unrepresented. It can be a very traumatic, adversarial experience. There is no accountability for lawyers who misrepresent evidence. There is no respect given to the needs of the children and there are no supports in place that truely advocate for their best interest. We have observed biases when it comes to economic status as well as a preferencial treatment for those in the “good ol’ boys club”. There are laws in place to protect these inequities and miscarriages of justice. Our challenge is to get the judges and lawyers to enforce and honor them. While we have found that it is primarily mothers who are unrepresented, that is not always the case. We are seeing a pattern occur when a mother asks for child support, she is embroiled in a custody battle. She often looses custody, even when she has been a good mother, with no grounds for such a decision. In many cases, the reason for divorce has been domestic violence. The mothers are fragile and vulnerable and re-victimized in court. Courtwatching can accomplish several things. It can be a moral support for someone in pro per. It is helping us to document cases and build a rapore with the courts by which we can advocate for change. One goal in the family courts is to shift the adversarial nature to one of doing what’s best for the children and keeping the family in tact as much as possible. There is alot of education and conciousness-raising that needs to happen in this area, which deeply affects our community. Personnally, I have found that being a witness to what goes on in this arena can have an effect on the outcome of the case. I have noted that judges will be more judicious if they know they are being observed. If you have never experienced this part of our community life, then it will be eye-opening. As a citizen, I feel we are entitled to participate in creating sustainable, safe, honest, open relationships with one other and our environment. This is an opportunity to promote the accountability and transparency that is needed in our judicial system, which profoundly affects the lives of many families. If you would like to participate, please contact us at the Women’s Community Center: 544-9313, or e-mail us at wccslo@slonet.org. Power Your Car Without Gasoline!! by Bill Seavey Imagine being able to drive a car that actually cleans the air as you roll down the highway. Or being able to make your own Bio-fuel at home, for less than $1 gallon, that can run a diesel engine in a VW, Mercedes or GMC truck. Or imagine having an electric vehicle (EV) that you can charge overnight in your own garage. I didn’t start out an expert on gasoline-free cars. But after researching the future of auto technology I have concluded that most of us just don’t have the straight dope on what is possible, now, or very soon. Take biodiesel, for example. At the Solfest fair in Hopland (just north of San Francisco) I saw over a dozen biodiesel-fueled vehicles roll into the parking lot. Lectures and demos clearly revealed how you could make your own fuel, which is virtually pollution free except for some NOX, and that can be mitigated by engine adjustments. It’s nothing like petroleum diesel, which everyone knows is foul, indeed. The raw materials for biodiesel—fryer oils—can be had, sometimes free, from restaurants. Otherwise, straight vegetable oils (SVO’s) like soy, corn, or canola can be slightly modified to efficiently run diesel car engines. And then there is the electric vehicle (EV), which General Motors attempted to mass manufacture, and offered under leases, in the late 90’s. Hundreds of Angelenos—particularly movie producers and actors—acquired them, and quickly became aficionados. The EV1 was a compact car that had good acceleration and was freeway safe, but had a driving range of only 70-80 miles before it needed a recharge. But improved battery technologies could have extended its range up to 200 miles, say proponents. In its stead has come some exciting other possibilities, such as the 2 passenger Tango, and European Smart Car that gets 70 m.p.g., and which will be converted to electric by Zap Motors of San Francisco once they have the right to import them. I don’t want to discourage you from doing what you think is right, so buy a hybrid if you think it will get us part of the way to oil independence. God knows we need to get there! Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will one day be an answer as well. But if you want to do your part for a healthier environment and assist in reducing our dependency on foreign oil — or if you want to wean yourself from the gas pumps before $55 barrel crude oil (and $3-$4 gallon gasoline, if you can find it) becomes standard fare—check out these alternatives. William L. Seavey writes books to help average people live higher quality lives. His energy-related books are at PowerFromSun.com and a book of alternative housing possibilities is at HouseYourself.com. He is a former Angeleno and now resides in Cambria, California, where he recently opened a “homestay” bed and breakfast inn. Creating effective social change by peer pressure and not by facts. from an online discussion: <<Starhawk’s (and many other’s) view is that social change works best by peer group influence, rather than by the pressing of facts and information onto people. Humanity has a huge inbuilt capacity for denial, and is more influenced by feelings,images, stories etc than by “ facts”. She said that ..... “the job of the cutting edge activist is to get more people who do a little, to do more”. When this happens the entire web then moves further to the + side. When someone who did a little, like forwarding an email, goes a step further and for example writes a letter to the local paper, then it wakes up their peers more. Similarly when a person who is neutral (0 ) moves into the passively possitive zone (+), then that shift vibrates in their sphere of influence and helps to get people who are passively negative ( -) into the (0) neutral/no longer quite so sure/don’t know, zone, etc. I don’t think she said it in these words but the implication is that when the most committed activists target the ( —-) (—), (-) or (0) groups then they are more or less wasting their time. I’ve taken this on board and now don’t think that its my job to wake up sleeping people, but rather to work with those who are already on side and doing something already. Whether Starhawk is right or not in her opinion, I can’t say, but I am certainly finding this approach much more enlivening, and less hair-tearing-out producing!>> — Ella The 10-Year Challenge THE UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2005 - 2014 http://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/un-desd/ In December 2002, Resolution 57/254 on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, and UNESCO was designated as lead agency for the promotion of the Decade. “We no longer have a choice,” says the Director-General, “Either humanity adapts its behavior to support sustainable development, meaning it ceases to pollute the environment, allows the renewal of natural resources and contributes to improve everybody’s well-being, or it signs its own more or less imminent death sentence. Education plays a crucial role in training citizens. However, it is not always suited to the needs of future societies, both in developed and in developing countries. Environmental and cultural heritage education, for instance, does not always have the place it deserves in school curricula, and the links between culture and the sciences are not adequately emphasized.” The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) wants such education implemented in thousands of local situations, integrating the principles into many different learning situations. These initiatives can be catalysts for action, contributing to the goals and objectives, with organizations and individuals facilitating the global movement for sustainable development. Starting with an initial consultation with UN partners in September 2003, UNESCO shared a framework for the draft International Implementation Scheme (IIS) worldwide. More than 2000 contributions were received, many representing the consolidation of opinions of hundreds. The draft Scheme was reviewed by leading academics and experts in the field before it was submitted in July 2004 to the High Level Panel on the Decade, which advises the Director-General of UNESCO on this topic. It was presented at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly in October 2004 in New York. UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) will serve as the lead agency for the Decade, and nations are being encouraged to establish their own Decade-oriented initiatives. US Partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (USPDESD) is a volunteer partnership of organizations in the United States dedicated to the Decade and its purposes. We act as community-builders, conveners, catalysts and communicators to promote the Decade in the U.S. The partnership’s member organizations come from every sector - higher education, K-12, business, non-profits, government, faith communities, and more. http://www.uspartnership.org/ BRAINSTORMING FOR SUSTAINABILITY Suggestions during a FOR THE FUTURE (Santa Barbara) forum: Below are some of the great suggestions that were made at their March meeting. As they write, “we will work on creating a positive, creative and do-able vision of what a truly food-sustainable Santa Barbara would look like.” 1. LAND Land Trust - create a local land trust to preserve agricultural land Land Sharing - create a program to connect those with land they don’t want to work or can’t work with those who have no land and would like to grow crops on it and share the crops Non-owned land — explore the availability of land that has been abandoned or ignored. Could it be converted to crops? 2. EDIBLE LANDSCAPING School gardens - encourage schools at all levels - K-12, SBCC, UCSB, Westmont etc. to convert at least some off their land to gardens and include gardening, cooking, farming, agriculture, animal care etc. in curricula. Support and educate teachers and professors in this transition. Encourage schools to grow and provide healthy lunches and snacks. Transforming lawns to food - encourage and support the conversion of portions of private, business, non-profit (the zoo, museums, charities etc.) and government landscaping, including street trees, to edibles and start groups of “gleaners” to harvest this food for various uses, including starting local artisan food businesses and donating to the Food Bank and various charities. 3. WATER Conserve water. Pass resolutions to allow grey water systems, composting toilets, etc. Learn Permaculture water catchment techniques. 4. FARMERS MARKETS Support the local Farmers Markets as they work to expand their outreach in our community. 5. RESTAURANTS As 50% of local food dollars are spent away from home, it’s important to encourage and support local restaurants and chefs to use more local, organic foods on their menus and to advertise and celebrate that fact. Encourage a local version of the Chefs Collaborative to help local chefs develop and share delicious meals that can be made from seasonal foods. 6. FOOD MARKETS Help local markets - both locally-owned and the chains - to convert from distant supply and distribution systems to the purchasing and showcasing of local foods in season. 7. FARMERS Turn our farmers and ranchers into “local heroes.” Understand their concerns and difficulties and find ways to help them make the transition from expensive non-sustainable practices to sustainable farming. 8. COOKING CLASSES People won’t grow food that they don’t know how to enjoy. Support the formation of cooking classes which teach children and adults how to prepare the delightful foods that grow well here in Santa Barbara. 9. COMBINE THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY GROUPS Create a collective mailing list, newsletter, social calendar to bring the whole sustainability community together to increase its local clout and importance. 10. RESACRALIZE FOOD In most cultures, food is seen as sacred, not just an industrial commodity. Encourage local spiritual groups, churches to reinvigorate their sacred traditions regarding food. 11. ENCOURAGE MEDIA ABOUT FOOD AND FOOD ISSUES Make digital films about local food topics. Recruit local film students to shoot these mini-docs. Approach local media about covering these issues and support those that already do so. Provide them with film and experts. Create a TV program on Channel 17 on sustainability issues. 12. SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD BUSINESSES Support local markets and restaurants that carry a “local food” sticker letting people know that they buy fresh ingredients from local farmers. Encourage and support the formation of local artisan food businesses 13. TAKE AN INVENTORY OF “LOCAL TREASURES” Collect information on local resources of merit - artisan food businesses, local groups and “heroes”, restaurants, gardening experts, farms, etc. 14. REACH OUT TO THE LOCAL HEALTH COMMUNITY Inform health and nutrition practitioners about the availability and wellness benefits of fresh, nutrient-rich local produce vs. 5-day-old stuff trucked in from distant distribution centers. 15. REACH OUT TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL GROUPS ABOUT THE FOOD ISSUE Even “green” and social justice groups may view food as merely a “side issue,” not realizing its importance to our future. Few grow their own food. And political/social groups across the political spectrum can come together in support of local food and sustainability issues because we all want to enjoy fresh, delicious meals. 16.TAKE A COMMUNITY “LOCAL TRADE DEFICIT” INVENTORY Find out what percentage of food that people eat is local and what is “imported” from afar. 17. EDUCATE POLITCAL CANDIDATES ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Hold a “Sustainability Forum” for all candidates where we can ask questions about where they stand on sustainability issues and educate them about community concerns. 18. TURN SANTA BARBARA INTO A FOOD MECCA Become known as a place where we love and cherish delicious local organic food and prepare it in creative, delightful and delicious ways. Publicize this as a model for other cities. Cheap Energy to Reduce Household Drudgery? “An effective way to promote the usefulness of an electric washing machine which surely appealed to those with large families. A recurring theme in advertising of this era was that electric power made daily chores much easier and faster, thus freeing the user from drudgery and increasing leisure time. Historian Ruth Schwartz Cohan found that this theme was somewhat misleading in her book, /More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave/, (New York, 1983). In her study, she notes that electric appliances displaced domestic help, and also resulted in routine chores being performed more frequently than before.” http://americanhistory.si.edu/powering/ads/oldad13.htm Pro-jobs yet pro-sustainability. A real community center. Please check out http://www.sustainhv.org . Also, check out the shorts listing of Apollo Alliance. MediaGeek.org www.mediageek.org “What’s a mediageek? A medigeek is someone who, like a computer geek, delves into the inner working of media both to understand it and to hack it. A mediageek doesn’t accept the rules and restrictions of the mainstream media, circumventing and jamming them by doing it him or herself. This site will serve as a guide for mediageeks, looking at how the media works, both systemically — the political economy of the mainstream, indpendent and underground media — and practically — how you can put media making tools to work. I also hope that the site can be inspiration and encouragement to become a mediageek, creating, hacking and jamming the media yourself.” UrbanSurvival.com www.urbansurvival.com The news stories in the early fall of 1929 were not yet about the Great Depression. Auto sales had peaked, but other business news generally supported the idea that the economy would regain its former strength and the stock market would go on to new heights. Sound familiar? This site is dedicated to the idea that we have experienced our modern analog to the 1929 Crash, except that it has happened in slow motion following Internet market bubble burst after of March 2000. Since then, the reports of “recovery” ring hollow to the masses of unemployed Americans. This site is a gathering point for discussion of the most important economic questions of today: Are we facing a replay of the Great Depression? What are the strategies to insure Urban Survival? Is it 1931 all over again? Ten oil supply basics vis-a-vis Peak Oil and sudden shortage by Jan Lundberg [originally developed for the Campaign Against the Plastic Plague, Feb. 2005] • Daily world demand of oil is over 80 million barrels a day, and approximately one quarter of this is in and by the U.S. • Half the oil refined in the U.S. is made into gasoline, the main product a refiner is concerned with. Other products such as asphalt, pesticides and plastics are minor parts of the crude-oil barrel to be disposed of (profitably only if possible). [source: Jan Lundberg, veteran petroleum industry analyst] • World oil supplies are at the approximate historic peak of maximum production, due to depletion setting in. Oil production in 18 producer countries has passed its peak and is declining faster than previously thought: at about 1.14 million barrels a day. [Adam Porter, Aljazeerah] • The maximum possible production-capacity utilization is the order of the day among the petroleum exporting countries: “The planet is operating at anywhere from 95% to 99% capacity. There is no margin for error. The only way the system can respond is continued price increases.” [ Stephen Leeb, Wall Street investment advisor and author.] At a time of no spare refinery capacity, demand has outstripped all expectations. [Aljazeera.net] • Regarding rising world demand, “China and India use the energy-equivalent of 5.5 barrels of oil per person per year, while rich nations use 39. No matter how rosy your thinking is as to the global supply of oil, there is no way there is going to be enough to satisfy the demands of an extra 2.3 billion people coming online.” [Forbes magazine] • U.S. oil demand is rising as well: “U.S. petroleum demand in 2004 grew at its strongest rate in five years.” The system is straining: “Refinery utilization rate last year was the highest annual rate in six years at 92.8 percent of capacity.” [American Petroleum Institute] • The world trend in declining oil extraction has been relentless for the past four decades. The approximate bell curve of petroleum extraction cannot be changed by any one big new discovery. [ASPO; Culturechange.org] • An International Energy Agency report from August 2004 indicates Saudi Arabia needs up to 800,000 barrels per day of newly discovered oil each year just to offset declining fields and maintain its current production level. - This can’t happen [Jan Lundberg]. • What about renewable energy and other alternatives? They are not ready, and will never be as long as oil is king. (This is something not acknowledged by the boosters of the technofix.) The price of oil is kept under the price of most alternatives. When oil abdicates because great quantities are no longer available at affordable prices, no other fuel/material can fill oil’s shoes. [Jan Lundberg, from a prediction originally published in the National Petroleum News in 1988] Go to http://www.culturechange.org/e-letter-peakoil.html for the full report. Renewable Energy Gathers under One Roof, One Vision By Jesse Broehl Renewable Energy Access ACORE’s Renewable Power Gen Conference kicks off in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada - The Power-Gen Renewable energy conference has officially kicked off in the trade show capitol of the world, reflecting renewable energy’s increasing push into the mainstream and demonstrating the wide variety of solutions available to accelerate the global shift towards cleaner energy solutions. This year’s conference, organized by the American Council For Renewable Energy (ACORE) and PennWell Associates, has proven a resounding success with a near near-doubling of both attendees and exhibitors. Last year’s conference, the first ACORE trade show to put all the renewable energy technologies under one roof, had only 46 exhibitors, but this year’s event ballooned to 106 exhibitors covering nearly every facet of the renewable energy technology sphere. “There have never been as many, and as broad a mix of renewable energy companies in one place at one time as this show,” said Rhone Resch, Executive Director of the DC-based Solar Energy Industries Association. “This seems to offer a very important role in demonstrating all the companies and renewable energy options that exist and state officials, federal officials and private investors are here to learn more about these technologies and the role they can play in the US.” Companies range from large industrial wind turbine manufacturers like GE Energy, Vestas; PV companies like BP solar, shell solar; project developers Airtrcity, EnXco; geothermal companies like Ormat to companies with a vested interest in biofuels like DaimlerChrysler. In his opening remarks to a packed presentation hall at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, Eckhart described ACORE not a trade association “but more like an industrial strength non-profit.” Got to http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030305EB.shtml for the full story. GOOD NEWS Apollo On The Move Across America As America continues to suffer from the dramatic loss of manufacturing jobs, and increased dependence on foreign oil, recent progress in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and California gives us hope. Illinois Emerges as a Leader in Renewable Energy In his State of the State speech, Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) announced a renewable energy development plan that will make Illinois a national renewable energy leader. Governor Blagojevich, a supporter of the Apollo Alliance, is requesting that 8% of the energy sold in Illinois be supplied by renewable sources. Illinois has enough wind to generate a substantial amount of energy. By tapping into this clean, homegrown and renewable energy source, the state will create 3,000 jobs, generate more than $3 billion in local investments, and power nearly 1 million Illinois households with clean energy. http://action.apolloalliance.org/ctt.asp?u=1726281&l=80755 Pennsylvania Gets Clean Energy Jobs Just last month Apollo Alliance Advisory Board member Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA) announced that Gamesa Corp-the world’s second largest wind-energy company, will base its manufacturing facility for wind turbine generator blades in Johnstown, PA. The opening of the plant is estimated to create 500 new construction jobs, including 236 permanent manufacturing jobs for the Johnstown area and create as many as 1,000 jobs for the state over the next five years. “Not only is this one of the most significant economic development announcements in decades for the Johnstown area, but it also represents a significant turn around with Pennsylvania,” announced Governor Rendell. http://action.apolloalliance.org/ctt.asp?u=1726281&l=80715 Michigan Develops Clean Fuel Cells and Creates New Jobs In her State of the State Address, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) announced a $2 billion investment in high-tech industries creating 72,000 new jobs for the state of Michigan. The investment is largely aimed at the development of fuel-cells. Having lost over 140,000 high-wage jobs in the past four years, Gov. Granholm’s bond proposal offers an inspiring and much needed vision for Michigan. “So, I ask you tonight to help build Michigan’s future with me. Because the choice we face is stark: will we let Michigan’s economy languish, or will we work together to create the good jobs our state needs? Will we stand still, or will we move forward?” Governor Granholm is a vocal supporter of the Apollo Alliance and part of Apollo’s Working Governors Group. Last October, she joined Governors Richardson (D-NM) and Rendell (D-PA) in signing the Apollo Alliance’s Governors Letter to President Bush. California to Invest Billions in Clean Energy San Francisco recently secured $8.5 million for solar and energy efficiency projects in 2006. Across the city, public schools, libraries, police stations and fire departments will be outfitted with clean energy technology. These projects will create new jobs, reduce harmful emissions, and lower the city’s electric bill saving taxpayers thousands of dollars. Elsewhere in California, State Treasurer Phil Angelides (a member of the Apollo Alliance’s national advisory board) announced the ground-breaking Green Wave initiative. This $1.5 billion investment in environmentally responsible companies will allow them to develop cutting-edge clean energy technologies. Executive Secretary Treasurer of the California Labor Federation Art Pulaski, also a pioneering member of the California Apollo Project, lent his support to Angelides’ initiative by pointing out the complementary goals of the California Apollo Project and Green Wave. “The California Apollo Project is about changing our future...we need to see strong public investment in real job creation.” http://action.apolloalliance.org/ctt.asp?u=1726281&l=80751 Moving Apollo Forward Apollo Jobs Now The Apollo Jobs study, released in January 2004, shows the massive economic benefits of investmenting in clean energy. A flurry of new economic studies are amplifying our case. Two new reports from Clean Edge, Inc., the Energy Foundation and Navigant Consulting Inc. highlight the enormous potential for solar PV in the U.S. if government, industry, and investors cooperate to bring down installed solar photovoltaic (PV) pricing. Two more studies by our allies at Union of Concerned Scientists and U.S. PIRG show that a national commitment to achieve 20% of our nation’s energy from renewable sources will create jobs, save consumers billions of dollars, boost the U.S. economy, make America more secure, and help clean the air we breathe. Apollo Continues to Grow With your help and continued efforts the Apollo Alliance has framed the national debate, established groundbreaking coalitions in 22 states, and created the framework to produce thousands of jobs across the country. In addition to these accomplishments, Apollo has been constantly working to increase organizational capacity to make the movement for energy independence stronger. As part of this development we are please to announce an expansion of our national Steering Committee. Learn more about our new Steering Committee here... http://action.apolloalliance.org/ctt.asp?u=1726281&l=80716 Bracken Hendricks Executive Director, Apollo Alliance And the Apollo Team: Jeff, Brian, Ragini, Carla, and Bill More Evidence that Monsanto’s Herbicide Roundup is Toxic Roundup(r) Highly Lethal to Amphibians in Natural Setting, Finds University of Pittsburgh Researcher. Some species totally eliminated. Go to http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/roundup040605.cfm for full story. How can the progressive movement become the media in order to reach out and bring in others? Betty and Norman Eagle, around 80 years old and mentors to many in Ventura County, hand out information at the Ventura Farmers’ Market and urge people to act. To reach the grassroots and neophytes, they utilize information tables, protest rallies and demonstrations, street corner leafleting and even door-to-door canvassing. Two effective applications of this latter method happened recently in the barrios of Oxnard: 1) the voter education and mobilization effort by C.A.U.S.E.; and 2) the anti-gang injunction awareness drive by C.O.R.E. The New Tech/Energy/Resources (NTER) activists might do well to adopt the energy-intensive path of the social justice movement. The two complement each other. One has the NTER goods, the other has the service methodology to bring these goods to the people and to the greater ecosystems. They need to come together in the streets and marketplaces where they are more visible to the less aware; we need to really care. NTER goods along with social justice will show the world that war is archaic. The solution lies in communities built upon sustainable ecology and a humane economy. The social injustices of war and unsustainable ecologic and economic practices need to be dealt with as a whole. Central Coast United for a Sustainable Economy (C.A.U.S.E.) works, e.g., to enact living-wage ordinances in Ventura County cities, for voter empowerment, to stop Wal-Mart for the City of Ventura, and for single-payer healthcare for children in Ventura County. Chiques Community Organizing for Rights, Equity, Employment, and Education (C.O.R.E.) formed in response to the threat of a permanent injunction against so-called gang warfare in Oxnard. David Faubion and Sarie Bryson Santa Barbara, 681-1171 Food and The Environment http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/index.cfm Our goal is to create a food system that encourages innovative and environmentally sustainable ways to produce high-quality, safe, and affordable food, while ensuring that citizens have a voice in how their food is grown... A Grateful Santa Barbara County Action Network Sends Its Best Wishes to Departing Executive Director David Fortson David Fortson, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN), has announced his resignation to pursue a new opportunity. As SB CAN’s first Executive Director after the founding of the organization in 2002, Dave helped shape it into one of Santa Barbara county’s leading progressive organizations. During his tenure the organization grew to over 600 members countywide, bridging environmental and social justice concerns throughout the county. On behalf of all SB CAN members, the Board of Directors thanks Dave for his critical role in developing SB CAN into a vital organization that is well positioned to continue its mission. Dave will continue to live in Santa Barbara and continue to be an active member of SB CAN, and we are happy to welcome him as the newest member of our Board of Directors. During the search for the new Executive Director, SB CAN Deputy Executive Director, Dan Milstein, will assume Dave’s responsibilities. Dan can be reached at the SB CAN office (963-7379, dan@sbcan.org). Edible Gardens Seed: Take a Gourmet Culinary Journey In Your Own Back Yard Edible Gardens Seed Company is launching their new product line, Edible Gardens’ gourmet seed collections from around the world. The focus is on seeds, seed saving, organic growing tips and gourmet recipes. This unique product line includes: The Kids’ Edible Garden, with easy-to-grow varieties and hands-on activities for kids of all ages; the Chef’s Collection Garden, with distinctive and sought-after herbs and vegetables to add that special flare to your gourmet cooking; the Thai Garden, with authentic Thai ingredients for delectable curries, soups, salads and main courses; and the Hot Chili Garden, with 12 heirloom varieties, perfect for sauces and salsa, and a sampling of some of the most unique and hottest chili peppers in the world. “We hope these collections will invite people to get their hands back in the soil, growing their own edible gardens and rejuvenating their sense of wonder,” says William Martin, President and founder of Edible Gardens. Start your spring garden with free seed planting, gardening and edible landscaping discussions. The new seed collections will be available for purchase. Check our website: www.ediblegardens.com or contact DeAnn Bauer Edible Gardens Tel: 805-968-2427 deann@ediblegardens.com. Adopt-an-Activist When corporations have millions of dollars and millions of people working full-time to advance their agendas, it’s vital that the movement for global sustainability, peace and justice moves beyond individual volunteers’ spare time and spare change. Adopt-an-Activist is a community-supported-activism program that funds individuals working on the frontlines for authentic democracy. Our goal is to increase the impact of activism by providing financial support for full-time effective organizers. Resources and donations support their efforts to bring about meaningful grassroots, ecologically-minded changes at the local and global level. These independent activists play an essential role in building long-term movements for global sustainability, peace and justice. Adopt-an-Activist ~ turning emotional support into financial solidarity. Adopt-an-Activist PO Box 9363, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 707-523-4304 www.adoptanactivist.org TEKIO The TEKIO (http://www.tekio.net) mission is to empower youth toward sustainable livelihoods in social and environmental restoration. In the Nahuatl language of central Mexico, the word “tequio” means “My work offering to the community.” TEKIO has fostered an interactive global community in which youth and adults come together to build a better world. Whether in a rural or an urban setting, TEKIO offers skills and mentoring to support them. Created in 1985 by Ashoka fellow Helen Samuels, TEKIO has been evolving into a powerful network of committed youth and adults who, working in concert with similar projects around the world, have successfully launched more than 600 youth-run incubator projects for the social, cultural and economic welfare of the communities in which they operate. Under the careful stewardship of Helen Samuels and TEKIO collaborators, hundreds of active social entrepreneurs have emerged worldwide. These courageous and committed individuals have transformed their communities through such projects as clean water systems, dry toilets, ecologically sound construction techniques, renewable energy systems, waste management, cultural and artistic exchanges, personal development, entrepreneurial skills and community building activities. 2005 Projects Post-tsunami Restoration Training Following one of the largest earthquakes in 40 years and the largest disaster recovery in human history, the tsunami tragedy in Southeast Asia has left millions of people homeless and destitute. This TEKIOtron project is a youth-based and -inspired do-it-yourself training program to empower the victims with low-tech tools and skills to meet their long-term needs for ongoing well-being and community rebuilding. TEKIO youth networks specialize in do-it-yourself environmental restoration and community organizing. This hands-on intensive TEKIOtron training will be carried out by Tierra Viva from Mexico (http://www.laneta.org/tierraviva). The combined team will teach local young people in two of the most seriously affected areas inexpensive and low-tech ways to handle basic needs such as boiling water, cooking food, creating gardens and turning garbage into temporary shelter or useful objects. TEKIO trainers teach local young people how to continue with sustainable practices long after the disaster relief organizations have gone home. This project also provides various practical kits to leave at the sites, such as water purification, waste management, gardening, low-tech solar heating, etc. This TEKIOtron project provides training in the following areas: *Community action organizing skills for adults and youth *Immediate low-tech solar water purification and solar cooking techniques *Small family gardening skills *Safe and healthy waste management and constructive reuse of solid waste. *Permaculture approach to starting over *Youth’s role and opportunities in long-term restoration *Introduction to youth-run service projects *Links to a global youth mentor network of social entrepreneurs *Career opportunities within the “Restoration Era” TEKIO will collaborate with already established local environmental projects in Chennai, India, and Colombo, Sri Lanka. The TEKIO team will travel with a multinational group of 10 young trainers and four adult experts in March 2005. Through collaboration with strategic allies and local Ashoka fellows in these countries, as well as global youth networks, TEKIO will conduct a week-long intensive “train the trainer” program which can be replicated by local youth on the ground. All training will be offered free of charge to any interested local youth and relief volunteers. Ongoing mentoring and exchange will be offered with a direct link to a worldwide social entrepreneur network. Peoples College of Law Peoples College of Law is a small, fully licensed, degree-granting law school located in downtown Los Angeles, offering a four-year evening Juris Doctorate program to accommodate working students. Founded in 1974 as a non-profit, community-run law school, it brings legal resources to under-represented communities and trains legal advocates to secure progressive social change and justice in society. We admit only students who, regardless of their quite varied political, spiritual, cultural or social backgrounds, have demonstrated a commitment to progressive social change, have an awareness of working class issues and will employ the skills gained at the school to further these goals in their own way. Thus, if you want to be a prosecutor or a corporate attorney, don’t waste our time applying; there are plenty of other schools out there for you! Our graduates work as lawyers, state and federal administrative judges and commissioners, activists and union organizers, labor and legislative leaders (including the former Speaker of the California State Assembly Antonio Villaraigosa). All have shared the unique and galvanizing experience of graduating from the only non-competitive, cooperative, student and community-run, progressive law school in the world. Be the Change you want to See! http://www.peoplescollegeoflaw.edu Email: leilatkumar@peoplescollegeoflaw.edu Call: Leila Kumar at (213) 483-0083. <back | top^ |