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| <back | home SHORTS New Green Store in SLO County! Green Goods We are happy to announce the opening of Green Goods, a retail building supply store in Atascadero that sells environmentally friendly materials. Opened by local brothers Brian and Mikel Robertson, Green Goods is the first of its kind in SLO county. Whether you wish to lower utility bills with improved energy efficiency, provide healthy indoor air quality using non toxic products or help conserve natural resources, your friends at Green Goods can help out. Feel good knowing you are playing a part in helping conserve our beautiful natural environment by choosing materials that are rapidly renewable, contain recycled content or are managed through forestry stewardship. Here at Green Goods we want to provide you with the choice to build environmentally healthy buildings designed for long term quality and value. The beauty of green buildings is that everyone involved in the process, from the builders, occupants and community members, benefit. Some of the products being sold at Green Goods are displayed at ECOSLO. These include cotton denim insulation, recycled content tile, natural carpets, rapidly renewable cork and bamboo flooring, clay paints and plasters, milk paints, no VOC paints, reclaimed woods, and our line of eco-cabinets made from wheat-board and Forest Stewardship Council wood products. We want to help you find the comfort you desire while feeling good about better building and living. We all want our children to grow up in a healthy environment both inside and out. The building industry is taking responsibility for the impact it has on our environment and is moving toward healthier building. Green Goods is committed to providing you with all the options available for environmentally friendly buildings and homes. At Green Goods we provide eco-design consulting, materials and quality craftsmanship. Please call or stop by our showroom to see our products installed. We look forward to meeting you and providing all the help possible. All ECOSLO and HopeDance subscribers enjoy a 10% discount. Contact: Mikel Robertson at Green Goods, 6100-B El Camino Real (across from the new Carlton Hotel), Atascadero, CA 93422 or (805) 462-9900. Soldiers Say No - Gerry Condon to visit San Luis Obispo Join HopeDance and Code Pink in welcoming Gerry Condon on July 21, 7 pm at the SLO library for an informative discussion on the status of conscientious objectors in these times. "The best decision I ever made was to refuse orders to fight in Vietnam. I was a soldier who had the ‘premature morality’ to say no to an illegal, immoral war." Gerry Condon is a former Green Beret who refused to fight in Vietnam. He deserted the US Army in 1969, spending three years in Sweden and three in Canada. He returned to the US in 1975, campaigning for amnesty for war resisters. He is Director of Project Safe Haven and the Right to Resist network, "resisters of past wars standing with war resisters today." The www.soldiersayno.org website provides information for military personnel and their families about their legal rights and responsibilities when they are faced with being sent to war. The site is dedicated to "Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airpersons who are obeying international law and refusing to fight in illegal wars or to follow illegal orders to commit war crimes." Gerry is presently spending a lot of time in Canada supporting war resisters from the Iraq war. He says that times have changed and "due to a tightened job market, immigration to Canada is now much more restricted." In the 60s and early 70s, Canada did not discriminate against applicants who may not have fulfilled their military obligations in other countries. Gerry says it is still possible for war objectors to come to Canada and apply for refugee status. Jeremy Hinzman, AWOL from the US Army after receiving orders for Iraq, came to Toronto in January, 2004 with his wife and baby son. His initial hearing before the Immigration and Review Board in October, 2004 received international media attention as this is the first time a war resister has applied for refugee status in Canada. As a refugee, war resisters are under the protection of Canada, and may even be granted work permits; however, they must convince the Immigration and Refugee Board that they would face persecution in the US because of their religious or political beliefs. He is presently waiting a decision from the Board. Gerry Condon says it is virtually unprecedented for Canada to grant refugee status to someone from the United States, which it considers a democracy and its closest and most powerful ally. The illegality of the US war against Iraq is a key part of Jeremy’s case. He says that it is neither a defensive war nor approved by the United Nations, and cites the Geneva Conventions on War and the Nuremberg Principles, which maintain it is a soldier’s obligation to refuse illegal orders, and to refuse to participate in war crimes. Gerry says that seeking refugee status in Canada is not the only way for war resisters. He counsels people to learn about all the options. The GI Rights Hotline: 800-394-9544 is a resource for information on discharges, grievance and complaint procedures, and other civil rights. Perhaps staying out of the military in the first place might be advisable for peace loving people who do not want to participate in an illegal and unjust war. — by Anne Lee of Code Pink Women for Peace Caffe Luna to Open Mid-July Caffe Luna is a new coffee house in SLO with a purpose. Fair trade organic coffee roaster Michael Ledonna and his wife Nicole have long realized the importance of community. They heard the Railroad Café at 1804 Osos St. in San Luis Obispo was for sale and quickly called friends with a shared vision for creative community building. The four families have embraced Nonviolent Communication, whereby everyone’s needs are met, and decisions are made by consensus. Having run several restaurants and coffee houses before becoming a licensed acupuncturist, Nicole says, "Looking back, I realized those early businesses really filled part of our need for connection. With the emphasis clearly on community, this is a great opportunity for our families to share a common goal and work side by side." In addition to fair trade and organic coffee, Caffe Luna will serve simple breakfasts, baked goods and lunch. Their intention is to use local and organic ingredients. They will sell a full line of Hush Harbor Bread (Atascadero), use Arroyo Grande Meats, and sell LaDonna’s Coffee Co. coffee and Guayaki Teas. Their motto: "Good Coffee — Happy People." [See the ad in this issue.] Sup-port SB 1 SB 1 is the Million Solar Roofs bill, co-authored by Senators Kevin Murray and John Campbell. This bill passed the California Senate by a vote of 28 to 3! Now this bill heads to the Assembly. COMMENT: I have solar panels and PVs on my roof. If more houses did the same we wouldn’t need Diablo, we would reduce our need for oil, we would provide jobs, we would head toward sustainable living. It represents a healthy balance of incentives and mandates needed to spur California’s solar power market. By aggressively growing the demand for solar power over the next ten years, the cost of solar power will diminish, ultimately allowing for the phasing out of government subsidies altogether. This clean energy resource can help reduce air pollution, increase energy independence and fight global warming. Solar power generates at least four times as many jobs as conventional resources. Given the growing global market for clean energy, this technology has the potential of bringing tens of thousands of jobs to the state. Support SB # 1 when it comes to the Assembly. THANKS, Bill Denneen, 1040 Cielo Lane, Nipomo, 93444 Earthquake Watch Earthquake Watch Here is a good earthquake info site: http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/states/california/ . You can even get on a California Earthquake email list! The Center for Global Development (CGD) The Center for Global Development has an informative site on international relations, such as the recent G8 conference, AIDs prevention, the future of the World Bank under Mr. Wolfowitz, etc. My son, Lawrence MacDonald, is Director of Communications and Policy for CGD and produces this site, among other responsibilities. Check out the link: www.cgdev.org --Lach MacDonald MORRO BAY CALLS FOR HUNT RESTRICTIONS "Outpouring of citizen concern" compels vote The Morro Bay City Council voted to send a letter to the California Fish and Game Commission requesting that waterfowl hunting in the Morro Bay National Estuary be reduced from seven days a week to three during the November to January hunt. The Council is also asking that the "grassy islands" in the middle of the estuary, the primary resting and feeding area for several species of native and migratory birds, be declared off-limits to hunting. "I’m voting to do this because there has been such a tremendous outpouring of citizen concern on this issue," said Mayor Janice Peters before the four-to-one vote to send the letter to Fish and Game. The decision followed an eight-month grass-roots public awareness campaign in which volunteers for Citizens Allied for Reform of Established Hunting on our National Estuary (CAREHNE), Sierra Club and ECOSLO gathered more than 2,000 signatures on petitions asking that the hunt be banned or restricted, and the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival and Morro Coast Audubon Society pressed for time and place restrictions on the hunt. The Fish and Game Commission will be deliberating on changes to the state Waterfowl Regulations at a meeting in Bishop on June 24, followed by a meeting in San Luis Obispo on August 19. The population of the black brant — the sea goose that is the primary target of the annual hunt in the estuary — has declined to the extent that it is necessary to take measures to attempt to cut mortalities by 50% throughout the Pacific Flyway, the bird’s migratory route from Alaska to Mexico, on which Morro Bay is a major stop. "We’re proud of the Morro Bay City Council," said Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chair Karen Merriam. "We’re also proud of Sierra Club members, staff and volunteers, who have made this a priority campaign for the Chapter, and all the local residents who called, wrote, and emailed the City Council and made it clear that they had to take a stand. They resisted intense pressure from hunters to do nothing." The Sierra Club will request that the County Board of Supervisors follow suit with a letter to the Fish and Game Commission asking for an end to hunting in the estuary due to environmental, economic, and public safety concerns. INDUSTRY AIMS TO STRIP LOCAL CONTROL OF FOOD SUPPLY: New Laws Being Pushed by Industry Prevent local Decisions about Plants and Seeds Legislation aiming to prevent counties, towns and cities from making local decisions about our food supply is being introduced in states across the nation. Fifteen states recently have introduced legislation removing local control of plants and seeds. Twelve of these states have already passed the provisions into law. These highly orchestrated industry actions are in response to recent local decisions to safeguard sustainable food systems. To date, initiatives in three California counties have restricted the cultivation of genetically modified crops, livestock, and other organisms and nearly 100 New England towns have passed various resolutions in support of limits on genetically engineered crops. "These laws are industry’s stealth response to a growing effort by people to protect their communities at the local level," said Britt Bailey of Environmental Commons. "Given the impacts of known ecological contamination from genetic modification, local governments need to retain the power to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens. Local restrictions against genetically modified crops have provided a positive and hopeful solution and allowed citizens to take meaningful action in their hometown or county." "Over the past several years in Iowa, we’ve seen local control taken away for the benefit of the corporate hog industry," said George Naylor, an Iowa farmer and President of the National Family Farm Coalition. "With these pre-emption bills signed into law, we are now losing our ability to protect ourselves from irresponsible corporations aiming to control the agricultural seeds ... planted throughout the state." According to Kristy Meyer of the Ohio Environmental Council, "The amendment to our House Bill 66 would strip cities and villages of their authority to implement safeguards and standards concerning seeds. Supporting local control is quintessentially American, clearly reasonable, and represents the standards our country was founded upon." In the past decade, the same preemptive strategy has been used by the tobacco industry to thwart local efforts to introduce more stringent smoking laws. As Tina Walls of Phillip Morris & Co. admitted, "By introducing preemptive statewide legislation, we can shift the battle away from the community level back to the state legislatures where we are on stronger ground." See www.environmentalcommons.org/seedlawbackgrounder.html for contacts, resources, and discussions of: * Why this challenge to local rights? * Who is behind this strategy of state pre-emption? * Why is this a matter for wide public concern? * What are the legal precedents for local action? Contacts: Brian Tokar, Biotechnology Project Director Institute for Social Ecology, Vermont, (802) 229-0087, briant@sover.net. Kristy Meyer, Outreach Coordinator Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio, (614) 487-7506, kristy@theoec.org. Peter Jenkins, Attorney/Policy Analyst Center for Food Safety, Washington D.C., (202) 547.9359 ext. 13, peterjenkins@icta.org. Clarence Darrow: The Search for Justice — Coming to San Luis Obispo August 12, at 7:30 PM Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) was often referred to by the press as the "Attorney for the Damned" and the "Lion of the Courtroom." Christian fundamentalists, however, often called him "The Great Infidel. Nevertheless, his was a message of hope, unity and justice for the world — one that is certainly needed today! On August 12 at 7:30 pm, the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of SLO County will present a moving dramatic event at the SLO City Library Community Room. We are proud to present American Legends Theatre’s "The Search for Justice: Clarence Darrow — The Man, the Legend." This two-hour reenactment of some of Clarence Darrow’s most dramatic moments in the courtroom will intrigue audiences of young and old alike. Darrow was perhaps most famous for his work in the Scopes Monkey Trial; but he also fought against the death penalty, social injustices, racism, conspiracy laws, and civil liberties violations. Sadly, not much has changed on our national landscape since his death in 1938. Creationism versus Darwinism in our schools, celebrity murder trials, sex crimes, child murders, conspiracy laws, civil liberty concerns during times of national fear, racially motivated hate crimes, the death penalty, police misconduct, racial profiling, three "trials of the century — all these were among Darrow’s cases between 1894 and 1925, cases which addressed scandalous national issues and captured the media on radio and front page stories and headlines. Sound familiar? Gary Anderson, of Redding, CA is the country’s foremost portrayer of Clarence Darrow. The Eureka Times-Standard has this to say about Anderson’s performance: "Anderson’s Darrow is in the same league as Hal Holbrook’s Mark Twain." With current national debate focused on the preservation of civil liberties, and concerns for the public safety from terrorism, this powerful and absorbing portrayal of a remarkable American is uniquely appropriate to our current national state of mind. Don’t miss this exciting evening of powerful drama. ONE SHOW ONLY! Friday August 12, 7:30 pm in the SLO Library Community Room. Tickets $15 advance, at door $20. Benefit for Social Justice Advocacy, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of SLO County. Checks payable to UUFSLOC; send with stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Gina Whitaker; 518 Gaynfair Terrace; Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. MORE INFO: Call 481-0788, email gwhitaker@ginanken.com, website: www.slonet.org/~uuslo. Think Global — Drink Local We are spilling the beans about a new coffee roaster here on our Central Coast. Joebella Coffee of Atascadero has been Fair Trade Certified since its inception, and is proud to announce they have successfully completed the organic certification process. Joebella Coffee is officially certified by CCOF as an organic coffee roaster. The importance of this certification, for all of us, is that the roaster becomes the last accountable link in the chain of organic traceability from grower to consumer. Joebella Coffee offers not only the experience of an exceptional organic coffee taste — but, the benefit of knowing that, because their coffees are untainted by chemicals, our daily "cuppa" is supporting the our environment, the health and well-being of the farming communities that grow these exquisite coffees, and us, the consumers. Joebella Coffee’s enthusiasm and commitment to its product also embodies the assurance that the coffees they roast meet fair trade standards. By purchasing Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees, Joebella is contributing to the effort to pay small-scale farmers a fair wage. A fair or "living" wage helps provide farmers with the means to remain on their farms and to care for their families with better nutrition, medical treatment and education. Another way Joebella achieves this objective is by establishing a personal relationship with organic coffee farmers and buying "farmer direct coffee", also known as "relationship coffee". Every bag of wholesale and retail beans that leaves their roasting shop reflects Joebella Coffee’s devotion to the superb quality of their craft and to the importance of sustainability. "Think Global, Drink Local ~ Drink Joebella ... Have the Day You Want!" Contact Joseph & Isabel Gerardis at www.joebellacoffee.com , 805.461.4822 or joebellacoffee@calinet.com ART ON THE RANGE Mark your calendars for the annual collaboration between the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County and the SLO County Arts Council! A natural choice because of our shared love of the unique SLO County landscape, the fundraiser is a benefit for our outreach programs, such as art instruction and environmental education. This year will feature scarecrows! Each artist donates time and materials to create a one-of-a-kind creature. Sponsored by local businesses and organizations, the scarecrows will be on display at the event. We are encouraging artists to use recycled and non-toxic materials to create their pieces. The event is celebrated at Swallow Creek Ranch in Cayucos and will include live music, plein air artwork, and more. The best part is seeing the creative work of local artists. Much oohing and aahing ensues, enhanced by Fat Tire beer, Tablas Creek and Wild Horse Wine available at the event. Included in the ticket price are delectable snacks, generously donated by local caterers In Good Taste. We expect this year’s event to shoot off the good time barometer, and we hope you will join us Saturday, August 13 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at the Swallow Creek Ranch, 6030 Highway One, Cayucos. Tickets are available at ECOSLO, the Arts Council, Boo Boo Records in SLO and Grover Beach, Divine Appointment Guitars in Paso Robles and Coalesce in Morro Bay. If you are interested in event sponsorship, creating or adopting a one-of-a-kind art scarecrow, please call Miranda at 544-1777 or email miranda@ecoslo.org. Solutions about peak oil? JOIN the group that is taking seriously peak oil and doing great work in their community. Members receive quarterly newsletters and discounted registration at their annual conferences (we have reprinted their work before in HopeDance). Contact Community Service, Inc., P.O. Box 243, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387. Visit www.communitysolution.org. Revolutionary movie to be more powerful and controversial than "Fahrenheit 9/11" International-award-winning filmmaker seeking co-producer(s) (and others) for kick-ass, world-changing feature film. Based on 30+ years research, it reveals cheap, medically-proven but suppressed cures for AIDS, cancer, heart disease, etc. It also exposes the lies behind the FDA, AMA, vaccinations, pharmaceuticals, fluoride, aspartame, Rumsfeld. It even takes shots at W and our corporate-owned government. The heart and soul of a documentary, but in a smart, funny, suspenseful drama (in order to reach the widest possible audience). It doesn’t pull any punches. Have numerous financing leads, need 3rd-party "salesperson". "Other movies may change your life; only this one will save it." dale@mindseye-productions.com 736-5408 (evenings). SB Credit Union Offers Loans for Solar http://www.sbcreditunion.com/solarn.html Why do we need to relocalize food in Santa Barbara? Re-localizing Food: A step towards creating a sustainable future for Santa Barbara County "Looking forward just a few decades, it is difficult not to conclude that a return to local food systems, and more localized economies in general, is likely. This conclusion arises from a consideration of the key issues facing the planet at the turn of the 21st century: oil, climate change, population growth, and the world economy. When this happens, the world will probably just about be able to produce its basic needs of food and heat – but this will only be possible if urgent action is taken now." East Anglia Food Link (http://www.eafl.org.uk) "If a path to the better there be, it begins with a full look at the worst." — Thomas Hardy There can be no sustainable future without local food production. The combination of peak oil and global weather change will force us to reevaluate the concept of sustainability in the broadest possible way. We are at the brink of facing the most serious problems in the history of humanity. James Howard Kunstler has said that we are at the beginning of what he calls the "long emergency." We can no longer simply "build green" or preserve a small wetland and feel we have achieved sustainability. At forthefuture.org we have defined 17 areas of sustainability — locally produced food is one key area of any sustainable community. The end of cheap oil will profoundly change our lives, and that day is nearly upon us. Colin Campbell who was chief geologist for Amoco and a vice-president of Fina, and has also worked for BP, Texaco, Shell, ChevronTexaco and Exxon in a dozen different countries, believes that we will peak on world oil production as soon as next year. With the onset of peak oil, oil prices will begin rising rapidly. Campbell is echoed by virtually all of the oil geologists and experts on oil extraction. Matt Simmons, President and founder of Simmons and Company International, the leading investment banking company to the energy industry, has also spoken extensively on peak oil and the profound impact it will have. His new book "Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy" makes the case for how quickly things are about to change. He has marshaled the evidence that Saudi oil has peaked and that, by definition, means that world oil has peaked. The cost of food will be heavily affected by rising oil prices. Conventional agriculture uses at least 8 calories of carbon-based energy for each calorie of food produced. Fertilizers, pesticides, water pumping, farm equipment, and shipping costs will be greatly affected by rising energy costs. Regions that lack nearby agricultural lands and rely on food being shipped will suffer great economic hardship compared to communities that have locally-produced food available. As oil costs rise, the cost of growing and shipping conventional food may rise astronomically in the not-too-distant future. It is imperative for the future of our county and our children that adequate agricultural lands as well as wetlands and wilderness areas be preserved. Locally based, organic agriculture will no longer be a luxury for the well-to-do. It will be the primary source of food for our entire community. — Larry Saltzman Fellow, For The Future (forthefuture.org) IMPEACHMENT AT WHITE HOUSE DOORSTEP Join the tens of thousands on September 24, 2005 Who Will Call for Impeachment: Gather at the White House at 12 noon The banners and signs of ImpeachBush.org were on prominent display last month on the doorstep of the White House as Congressman Conyers and hundreds of others rallied outside to denounce Bush’s pattern of lies and deceit. Photos of ImpeachBush.org banners were picked up all over the mass media last night. The tide is turning. Bush is scrambling to "explain" Iraq to a population that is turning against the administration and its lies and criminal conduct. We are going to turn up the heat in the months ahead. Help us take the next steps by making the most generous contribution you can today. For access to the online donation form and the secure server, where you can also get information to write a check, visit: http://tinyurl.com/7u39j. The grassroots movement for impeachment has made itself into a force too powerful to ignore. On June 16, Congressman John Conyers held a hearing at the Capitol followed by a rally at the White House demanding the Bush Administration answer the questions raised by the Downing Street Memorandum. The response to the September 24 mobilization in the last few days has been incredible. People in big cities, small towns and every place in between are telling us that they want to be part of and help support this massive demonstration in Washington D.C. It will be the action of the people at the grassroots that will make everything else move forward. This is what led to the eventual expose and resignation of Nixon three decades ago. The people move first, then the elected officials and the media can’t help but take notice. Everyone should wear an ImpeachBush.org t-shirt in the next weeks of warm weather, put up a lawn sign or give one to a friend or neighbor. This is the time to get the message out there! You can pick up shirts, signs, great baseball caps — all at the ImpeachBush Resource Center today: http://tinyurl.com/d9trm View photographs: http://tinyurl.com/8eexx — All of Us at ImpeachBush / VoteToImpeach.org Home @ Stone Soup Home is such a powerful metaphor. It is more than a place to live and be and keep our stuff. It is, in essence, the place where we co-exist with our surroundings; especially for those who recognize our integral relationship with Gaia. Home is far more than a building, and a yard; it is how we know the texture of the earth, the smell of dry grasses, the sounds of the waves, the calls of the birds in the evening, the sunset hues on the mountains... Home is the land that holds our community, our stories, our myths, our history. Home is where the heart is and the heart is in the land. Land has moral efficacy, the power to ensure mindful and respectful behavior in the community. Our respectful relationship to the land, to Gaia as mother is of primary importance. Stone Soup ECOmmunity remembers this kinship. The mission of this local initiative is to integrate community, permaculture and education within a living model. We are now in our birthing process; the time when we reach out for all that sustains us. We are compelled to create a home for our re-indigination as a culture. We believe that as a society, we must SLOW DOWN and come back into healthy relationship with self, family, community and the world around us. With enough support, our initial endeavor will include a small home-based Pre K/Kindergarten, with a possible separate mixed grades class. Our inaugural community meeting will be Saturday, July 16th, 2005 at 4 pm. To join us, or for more information, you can reach us at: The Stone Soup ECOmmunity Initiative, P.O.Box 1027, Carpinteria, CA 93014; (805) 745-5949; Stonesoup-ecommunity@cox.net. WHAT TO DO OVER SUMMER VACATION If it’s been a decade or so since your kids have been to zoo camp, they’ve probably tried every camp out there. Been there done that. So now what? How about cooking for the fun of it? Who cooks for fun? The kids at Camp Cucina! During the summer of 2004, two Goleta Valley students approached Barbara Zagata of Santa Barbara Soul Food and asked if she could teach them to cook before they left for college. Having already read Fast Food Nation, the students were well aware of the choices they would be presented with, once on their own. "Knowing how to cook for oneself significantly eases the transition into adulthood and, like any newly mastered skill, increases self- esteem," says cooking coach Barbara Zagata. Zagata began teaching kids to cook as part of her volunteer service at a local alternative grade school five years ago. Camp Cucina is designed around the particular needs of the college student: learning how to prepare quick, healthy, affordable meals. The program is somewhat of a crash course, covering a lot of material in five short days, with lots of tasting. When they leave, they feel way more competent in the kitchen. Along with fabulous, fresh, organic food, sharing and preparing a meal together is what makes the experience magical: It plants seeds to inspire quality connections in the future. That’s what makes it "soul food," a truly empowering cooking course for teens and college students home for the summer. Class size is limited. For the younger kids, ask about Santa Barbara Soul Food’s after-school programs. For further information contact Barbara Zagata at (805) 685-4242 Credit Unions: True to Their Mission? National Civil Rights and Community Leaders Call Credit Unions to Task Washington, DC, May 19th. A report released today by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) details the failure of large credit unions to serve the very communities they were established to serve. NCRC joins the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza, as well as over 50 community groups across the country, to challenge credit unions to return to their roots of serving traditionally underserved communities and individuals and to adhering to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Despite the growth of credit unions (estimated by the Credit Union National Association to be a $1 trillion dollar industry by 2009), NCRC’s report found that, unlike community development credit unions that struggle daily to help the poor, larger credit unions seem to have forgotten their historical mandate. "NCRC’s study finds that large credit unions are failing in their original promise to their members. Big credit unions lag behind banks and thrifts in lending to credit-worthy, hardworking, low-income and minority Americans – the very communities they were established to serve. Isn’t it time to hold these non-profit bank-like financial institutions accountable?" states John Taylor, President and CEO of NCRC. NCRC’s report compared credit unions’ and banks’ performance in home lending over three years across the country as a whole and in each state. NCRC scrutinized lenders’ performance on 14 fair lending measures, including the percentage of loans to different groups of borrowers and the differences in denial rates to minorities versus whites and low- and moderate-income individuals versus middle- and upper-income (MUI) borrowers. NCRC reveals that banks outperformed credit unions in 36 states or 72% of the states when all three loan types (home purchase, home improvement and refinance loans) were taken together. When home purchase lending is analyzed by itself, banks outperformed credit unions in 40 states or 80% of the states. "As credit unions grow," states Hilary O. Shelton of the NAACP, "it would be extremely helpful to have lending standards apply, much like banks do. It is our hope that CRA will help steer large credit unions back to their original mission of providing capital and other resources to communities that so direly need them." "NCLR is deeply disappointed with the credit union industry’s inadequate service to Latinos. Clearly there is a unique role for credit unions in reaching the thousands of low-income and immigrant Latino families that do not have bank accounts or access to affordable home loans. Credit unions, like all financial service providers, must be held accountable for their service records in underserved communities. Applying the Community Reinvestment Act to their operations is one way to do that. We look forward to working with NCRC and others on this issue," states Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza. CRA for credit unions is not only reasonable, it is effective — it is already making a difference in Massachusetts, where credit unions adhere to CRA standards. Looking at all three loan types together, Massachusetts CRA-covered credit unions outperformed their non-CRA covered counterparts in the state 69% of the time. NCRC and its partners strongly believe that the time has come to hold credit unions accountable to their mission as well as extend CRA to large credit unions. For a copy of the report and state by state data contact Rachel Maleh at 202-464-2717 or download the report at www.ncrc.org. Contact your local Credit Union to see if they are serving all the members of your community. If you are interested in a Credit Union that is founded on environmental and social justice, try the Permaculture Credit Union: www.pcuonline.org, 1-866-954-3479. Santa Fe Alliance (http://santafealliance.com) Santa Fe Alliance is working to build a diverse network of local businesses, community members, and non-profit and government leaders to educate them about the importance of buying goods and services from our locally-owned businesses. By doing so, we help to create more and better job opportunities and successful businesses that enrich our community and create a prosperous regional economy, The Alliance is committed to helping residents understand the benefits of buying goods and services from locally-owned businesses and that increasing the demand for locally produced goods and services supports locally-based economic development. We are part of a growing national movement called the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), whose main purpose is to enrich communities by increasing dollars spent at locally-owned businesses. Learn more about AMIBA at www.amiba.net. Santa Fe Alliance exists to help you have an effect in the world through how you spend your money. The Alliance’s vision is for a just and sustainable global economy created by local economies that enhance community life, provide economic and social justice, and support locally-owned businesses. The mission of the Alliance is to build a healthy local economy which provides better work opportunities for the people of Santa Fe and the surrounding region while preserving a strong sense of community that nurtures individuals and families. Santa Fe Alliance - P. O. Box 23864, Santa Fe, NM 87502; (505) 989-5362; info@santafealliance.com Gaia University (www.gaiauniversity.org) Gaia University offers a unique approach to earning accredited Bachelors and Masters Degrees, Certificates and Diplomas while developing your passions, visions and dreams. If you are ready to take positive action, linking your ideals with practical experience, we invite you to become an active world changer by working for planetary sustainability and regeneration, justice and peace. In 1998, Hildur and Ross Jackson of Gaia Trust, convened an ecovillage educators’ meeting in Thy, Denmark to explore the dissemination of the ecovillage concept of integrated design through the development of an educational program. A Mama Gaia University was proposed. In 2004, the two visionaries, whose impetus and generosity resulted in the founding of the Global Ecovillage Network, again brought together a group of educators from within the ecovillage and allied movements to plan an ecovillage designer’s education. This pioneering group has formed a curriculum for a model 2-4 week Ecovillage Designers Course and is currently both testing the curriculum and working with UNESCO and UNITAR on a pilot program to spread this much needed knowledge and expertise. Gaia University students (associates in our terminology) are accredited to earn Bachelors and Masters Degrees through IMCA and to earn Certificates and Diplomas through Gaia University directly. This website represents the kernel of the vision of Gaia University. Its development is a work in progress, as it both supports and requires the active involvement of people and centers all over the world who are serving as living models of the ways we can live more sustainably on the Earth, while allowing the planet to regenerate its systems. We invite all of you who hear the call of the Earth, whose hearts beat more powerfully when imagining a world of beauty, justice, peace and sufficiency for all, whose life vision includes the care of Gaia and her people, to add your zest, your vision, your idealism, your energy to the history of Gaia University for the next seven generations. Sustainability Tours by daily acts in Sonoma County 2005 These tours change lives. They’ve changed our lives and we’ve been told the same by attendees and presenters alike. Each one-day tour highlights amazing opportunities for people to be inspired and build community while experiencing a diverse offering of solution-minded work. We partner with dozens of local individuals, farmers, green businesses and organizations. In addition to empowering community members with conscious choices, these events have a deep impact on many of the presenters while helping to strengthen our sustainability-minded networks. But words don’t adequately convey what occurs. From the Tai Chi stretches during opening circle to the site visits and our hybrid- and veggie-vehicle transport and the relationships that grow, it’s magic. You just have to be there. Upcoming Sustainability Tours: West County Delight, Sunday, July 10; Cohousing Communities Coalesce, Saturday, August 20; Russian River Celebration, Saturday, September 17. Contact Marty at 707 869-2565 www.daily-acts.org New Paintings Cambrian artist Janet Allenspach will be showing new paintings at the Paso Robles Library beginning on August 1st, for the entire month. Her new work focuses on the endangered redbacked squirrel monkeys, as well as other species, and was envisioned from her recent journey to Mono Feliz Monkey Refuge in Panama. A portion of all sales will go to the campaign to save the redbacked squirrel monkeys, of which only 2,500-3,000 remain in the world. The library is located at 1000 Spring Street in Paso Robles, and the hours are M-F 10-8, and Saturday 10-5. For more information you may call the library at 237-2870. The Paul Wolfe Accessibility Advocacy Award (PWAAA) annually honors a person or group who has made an exceptional contribution to a diverse and inclusive community in San Luis Obispo. This general public is cordially invited to attend this year’s presentation, featuring the phenomonal talents of musician Tony DeBlois, at the Clark Center on July 30th, 2005. <back | top^ |