ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOW
Tuesday, 8 September 2009, 12:00noon
KKFI-FM 90.1, Kansas City Community Radio
Listen by radio, or on web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/
On this week's EcoRadio KC, host John Kurmann will be interviewing Craig Wolfe of the Heartland Renewable Energy Society (HRES) about their work to promote the development and use of renewable energy in the Kansas City area. HRES is also the KC sponsor of the KC Renewable Energy Fair & Sustainable Homes Tour on October 3rd.
Stay tuned at 12:30 when the Bioneers radio series airs "Eco Schools: Educating for Sustainable American Communities." Fritjof Capra, cofounder of the Center for Ecoliteracy, and leading environmental educators Cheryl Charles and David Orr explore what's working for the A+ schools that are successfully integrating ecological awareness, understanding and practices throughout the curriculum and the community.
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TRANSITION KANSAS CITY ¤ TOWARDS A POST-CARBON COMMUNITY
Tuesday, 8 September 2009, 6:00pm
Waldo Library, 201 E 75th St., Kansas City MO
This meeting for the Kansas City Transition Initiative will be discussing: progress on the steps one-through-five in the The Transition Handbook, identifying neighborhood-scale areas in KC to initiate transition, considering how to set up sub-groups, and more. For more info, or to get on their e-mail list, call (816)767-8873, or contact them at
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GREEN BUILDING: RESOURCE EFFICIENT CONSTRUCTION ¤ LECTURE #7 IN THE SERIES
Tuesday, 8 September 2009, 7:00-9:00pm
Douglas County Co-op Extension Office, 21st & Harper Ave, Lawrence KS
Steve Moring of the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, along with Michael Morley of S.A.N., will survey different green building methods, energy efficient structures, and buildings using sustainably produced materials. We will explore principles and techniques of passive solar, berm, cob, cord wood, and SIPS structures. Pre-registration is required by contacting Steve prior to 15 August. An admission fee of $15.00 is requested to cover course materials.
More info available from Steve Moring at (785)863-4102, <smoring@grasshoppernet.com> or Bill Wood at (785)843-7058, <bdwood@ksu.edu> KPC is a project of the Sustainability Action Network.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 9 September 2009, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS
The September agenda will include: Barbara Clark of CRP discussing prime farm soils; waste and recycling strategies proposal for the City Commission; three nominees for Public Incentives Review Committee; one nominee for the Peak Oil Task Force; S.A.B. perspective on the City/County Sustainability Director; and the Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrencerecycles.
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 9 September 2009, 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 leader and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas City toward sustainability. Members of the general public are encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and participate in its efforts. More information and the EMC April 2009 minutes are available at http://www.kcmo.org/manager.
Also, the Academy for Sustainable Communities is a new training program presented by the Mid-America Regional Council. The academy offers seminars, technical workshops, roundtable discussions and other special events featuring nationally known speakers.
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LAWRENCE BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN COUNT ¤ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Wednesday, 9 September 2009, 10:00am-12noon, & 5:00-7:00pm
Saturday, 12 September 2009, 12:00noon-2:00pm
The Bicycle Planner for Lawrence will use the data collected by these counts to estimate usage and demand for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Having the hard data will strengthen grant applications to leverage additional federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, will help evaluate existing projects, and will help determine the location of future investments. To volunteer, call Bart Rudolf at 832-3165, or get more info at volunteers needed for bicycle-pedestrian count.
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LAWRENCE ENERGY CONSERVATION FAIR & SUSTAINABLE HOMES TOUR
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Fair from 10:00am-4:00pm, Home Tours at 10:00am & 1:00pm
Community Building, 115 West 11th St. (Vermont at 11th St), Lawrence KS
The ninth annual Energy Conservation Fair will feature a wide range of energy conservation organizations and companies. This year the venue has moved to a more central location, and there will be an expert line up of speakers and presenters. The Sustainable Homes Tour is part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, and will feature efficient design and appliances and green building materials. For updates on the fair, visit 2009 Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair.
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GROW FOOD NOT LAWNS ¤ KANSAS CITY WORKSHOP
Saturday, 12 September 2009, 1:00-3:00pm
Olathe Indian Creek Public Library, 1299 0 S. Black Bob Rd, Olathe, KS 66062
The English Burgher lawn is mainly a status symbol intended to make blah-beige tract homes appear more "stately". But practically speaking, manicured lawns are a ecological sink-hole for toxic pesticides, herbicides, maintenance fuels and precious water, not to mention monotonous and a waste of time. With peak oil driving up the price of food, and growing concerns for What’s On My Food? : Pesticides On Food , more and more people are reclaiming their turf for vegetable beds and fruit trees.
In this workshop, Toby Grotz and Steve Mann, from Food Not Lawns KC, will show why your ecological footprint matters and how to decrease it by growing food not lawns. Learn how to prepare your lawn for vegetable planting. Fall is the best time to get ready for a productive garden next year . To register, call the Olathe Public Library reference desk at (913) 971-6888. For more info, e-mail to
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TALLGRASS PRAIRIE NATIONAL PRESERVE WILDFLOWER WEEKEND
Saturday-Sunday, 12-13 September 2009, 10:00am-4:00pm
Hwy K-177, 2 miles N. of Strong City, or 17 miles S. of Council Grove
This is an annual prairie outing with prairie hikes, Kansas Native Plant Society education programs, prairie bus tours, special speakers, nature trails, and more. For more info go to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
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PERMACULTURE COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES
Tuesdays, 15 September-3 November 2009, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Johnson County Community College, Room CC107, Overland Park KS
A continuing education course # XGR 3000, titled "Permaculture - Insuring America's Future". Course description: As a community we are entering a period of energy depletion and the resulting decline in our global economy. Learn how the sustainability movement known as Permaculture promises to create an ecologically sound and economically viable system which neither pollutes nor exploits our planet. This lecture series is a repeat of the series sponsored by the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative during the spring and summer of this year.
Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. There still is available space. To enroll in this class contact JCCC at http://www.jccc.edu/home/site/
Enrollment fee: $99.00
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SECTOR PLAN MEETING: GRANT TOWNSHIP, NORTH BOTTOMS
Thursday, 17 September 2009, 6:30pm
Prairie Moon Waldorf School, 1853 E. 1600 Rd. (1/2 mile east of airport)
Though requested some time ago by the residents of the rich alluvial farm region north of Lawrence, this public meeting and plan was finally prompted by the citizens organizing against the Airport Industrial Park. It became apparent that real estate developers were targeting farmland for commercial development with no regard for the water resources and prime farm soils so critical to local-regional food production. And as long as planning delays left this area without a operable sector plan, industrialists were free to propose any scheme they chose in this planning vacuum.
This public meeting will be to take public comment and gather ideas and direction for how the sector plan will take shape. The entire process could take 18-24 months, but getting off on the right foot is important. For example, typically a sector plan is used to anticipate how urbanization will expand into a rural area. But in this case, it must be made clear at the outset that the highest and best use of these soils and water resources is for farming, not urbanization.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETING
Sunday, 20 September 2009, 4:00pm
location TBA
Our speaker for this month has not yet confirmed, but we're planning something on renewable energy. Following the speaker, the S.A.N. meeting agenda will include: S.A.N. on the radio at KKFI-FM EcoRadio Show; recap on our successful Permaculture Tour; Transition Kaw Valley; furthering bicycle lanes in Lawrence; fundraising; etc. Please join us.
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THE AGE OF STUPID ¤ US PREMIERE SCREENINGS ¤ 10:10 CAMPAIGN
Monday, 21 September 2009, 6:30pm Central Time
The Age of Stupid is the new epic on climate disruption from McLibel director Franny Armstrong. Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance? You can watch the trailer here. On 21 September, it will premiere from a solar-powered cinema tent in New York LIVE to over 400 movie theaters across the country. Tickets are on sale NOW. To find a local theater near you, click on The Age of Stupid - screenings in US.
And taking raised awareness into action is the 10:10 Campaign, the brainchild of Franny Armstrong in conjunction with The Guardian UK. Designed to offer individuals and organizations a meaningful way of taking immediate action by committing to doing their best to cut their emissions by 10% by the end of 2010, which is precisely the sort of deep, quick cut the scientists say is needed.
Collectively cutting 10% of emissions in the next year or so is both achievable and meaningful, and would represent a significant step on the road to a low carbon society. The first 10% is what the experts call the low-hanging fruit, the savings we can make through relatively small sacrifices such as changing lightbulbs, insulating our homes more effectively, turning down our central heating or opting for a train instead of air travel. A range of options is offered and described at Green your home | guardian.co.uk, but many organizations and web sites have similar ideas.
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KC RENEWABLE ENERGY FAIR & SUSTAINABLE HOMES TOUR
Saturday, 3 October 2009, 8:00am-5:00pm
Lakeview Middle School, 6720 NW 64th St., North KC, west of I-29
The Energy Fair and Homes Tour is sponsored by the Heartland Renewable Energy Society, the Missouri/Kansas chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org). Bus tours start at 8:00am, and fair exhibitions and workshops start at 9:00am. More info is available at KC Renewable Energy Fair & Sustainable Homes Tour, or by contacting Craig Wolf at
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KAW VALLEY FARM TOUR ¤ LOCAL-REGIONAL FOOD SUPPLIERS
Saturday-Sunday, 3-4 October 2009, 10:00am-6:00pm
self-guided tour of 15 participating farms
This annual tour of sustainably run farms covers a broad range from a bee apiary to a bison ranch to a school-based CSA to wineries to market farms and the KSU Horticulture Research Center. The common thread is that these operations all are local-regional food suppliers, are as ecologically sustainable as farms can get, and acre-for-acre their specialty crops contribute more significantly to the local economy than do commodity mono-culture crops. More info at Kaw Valley Farm Tour 2009
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KANSAS WIND & RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
Tuesday-Wednesday, 6-7 October 2009, Ramada Inn, Topeka KS
info at Kansas Wind & Renewable Energy Conf '09
Jointly hosted by the Kansas Energy Office and the Kansas Department of Commerce, the conference is an opportunity for state and regional officials and stakeholders to discuss the future of renewable energy in Kansas. Jim Hoecker, former Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will be the keynote speaker.
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION ¤ 350.org
Saturday, 24 October 2009, on coral reefs, at the State House, at coal plants, etc.
weekly updates at 350.org - Global Warming Global Action
In the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference - Copenhagen 2009, Bill McKibben has launched the International Day of Climate Action at 350.org. 350 is not an organization but a campaign, with a focus on the number 350 - as in parts per million - the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Their web site is full of resource, information, and communications links, designed for anyone to make use of in creating our own local actions. And global-local actions is what it is about.
The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a Kansas not-for-profit organization. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED, and checks can be mailed to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044. Our mission is to advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy, the global "3E Trifecta", are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at
Our current projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal level Peak Oil response planning.
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative - developing skills and resources for poly-cropping sustainable food production.
3) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized technologies and regulations, for conservation and renewable energy.
4) Land Consortium - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
6) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
7) Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
8) Collaboration with sister organizations - such as: The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.
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