28 December 2010
DONATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ARE NOW TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Please remember S.A.N. in your year-end giving - (contact info at bottom of page)
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ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOW
Tuesday, 28 December 2010, 12:00noon-1:00pm ¤ on Kansas City Community Radio
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or on web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/
On Eco-Radio KC this week, John Burris will sit in for Richard Mabion in a show titled "2010: a Year-end Perspective on Environmental & Social Justice". Building on the events in 2010, he will explore the possibilities for 2011. Then Steve Mann and Maria Whittaker will analyze the impacts of the new Food Safety Modernization Act on both large industrial factory farms and small local family farms.
Also of ecological interest on KKFI this week:
- On Thursday at 7:00pm, the " Thursday Night Special" show will be about Mountain Top Removal from the October Greens Forum.
- On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents another of their award winning programs.
EPA GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT
Sunday, 2 January 2011
In the wake of Congressional abdication of its responsibility to legislate greenhouse gas targets, and amid calls by some in the energy sector for regulatory predictability and clear market signals, the Obama EPA is moving forward on two plans to curb greenhouse gases from large polluters.
In August of 2010, the EPA set rules for thirteen states to change their clean air plans, and other states to review their plans for EPA compliance - EPA proposes Clean Air Act rules for greenhouse gases. These rules take effect on 2 January 2011, and the Sunflower Coal Plant falls in this category. Furthermore, the agency also announced rules for phase-in during 2011, covering emissions from large power plants and the oil industry. The EPA says it will propose standards for power plants in July 2011, and for refineries in December 2011. EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, said they would proceed in a measured and careful way to reduce GHG pollution from power plants and oil refineries that constitute about 40 percent of the GHG pollution in this country - EPA moving to limit greenhouse gases.
But "Big Oil" and "Big Coal" want to keep dirty energy subsidies and keep their prices low, while blocking clean energy subsidies so those prices stay high. When the August rules were announce, Texas joined sixteen other court challenges to EPA’s “tailoring” rules. But on Friday, 10 December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia turned down a request from utilities, oil refiners and the state of Texas to delay the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency Court rejects oil industry challenge to EPA greenhouse gas regulations. Bruce Nilles, an attorney with the Sierra Club, said "there is no further obstacle to the U.S. starting Jan. 2nd to regulate [large] sources of CO2." rule
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CHRISTMAS TREECYCLING IN LAWRENCE
Monday, 3 & 10 January 2011, 6:00am
After the holidays, you may place your live-cut tree at the curb or alley for collection, and the trees will be reused for wildlife habitat. Remove all synthetic items from the tree like lights, tinsel, etc. If you live in an apartment, place the tree in the enclosure for the dumpster, but not in the dumpster. For more info call 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org
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LAWRENCE FRUIT TREE PROJECT MEETING
Tuesday, 4 January 2011, 6:30pm
Lawrence Percolator, 900 block alley behind the Lawrence Arts Center
The LFTP Lawrence Fruit Tree Project is a co-operative group of pomiculturists who have organized themselves to establish community orchards, and teach folks how to grow and care for fruiting trees and shrubs. They also are setting up a fruit tree register to list existing neighborhood trees that are underutilized, so they can be cared for and harvested. Anyone is welcome who is interested in relocalized food security, environmental literacy, permaculture, fruit tree propagation, etc. Come to our meetings and help our grass roots organization grow!
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GLYPHOSATE (MONSANTO'S ROUNDUP) MORE TOXIC THAN REGULATORS ADMIT
Argentinian embryologist, Dr. Andres Carrasco, has established a link between glyphosate-based herbicides and deformations in chicken embryos, that resembled the kind of birth defects being reported in Argentina where big agribusinesses depend on glyphosate to treat genetically engineered crops. In August 2010, an angry crowd with ties to local officials and agribusiness bosses attacked Dr. Carrasco when he was trying to report his findings in La Leonesa, a small farm town in Argentina.
Dr. Carrasco's report is not the first to show that glyphosate herbicides like Roundup are more dangerous than government regulators and Monsanto have claimed. According to a spring 2010 report released by the Chaco government, an increase in birth defects and child cancer cases coincided with years of agricultural expansion and increased herbicide use in the province. In September, an international coalition of scientists released a report citing the attack in La Leonesa and human tragedy in Chaco as proof that Roundup and genetically engineered soy crops are dangerous and unsustainable. The report provides a conclusive rebuttal to the industry's claims that spraying mutant crops with chemicals is the best way to feed the world.
And there is a startling side effect in the fields: the rise of new glyphosate resistant weeds commonly called "superweeds." Like the GM corn and soy, these weeds have bred themselves to tolerate Roundup and are invading farms across the country. The mere presence of superweeds and the fact that Monsanto is now paying farmers to spray additional chemicals that are more toxic than Roundup, is evidence of a complete regulatory breakdown. To read more on the human and environmental toxicity of glyphosate, go to War Over Glyphosate (Roundup) Gets Ugly.
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SIERRA CLUB, WAKARUSA CHAPTER ¤ LEVEE TRAIL HIKE
Saturday, 8 January 2011, 10:00am
Oak & 8th St. parking lot at levee, North Lawrence, KS 66044
Bundle up and enjoy a hike with no ticks or poison ivy; just crisp, clean Kansas air and maybe a bald eagle or two. It is a family and kid-friendly event, members and non-members alike are welcome. For more info, e-mail to mmrogers816@gmail.com.
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VINEYARD PRUNING WORKSHOP
Friday, 14 January 2011, 10:00am-2:00pm - $$
Riverwood Winery, 22200 Hwy 45 North, Rushville MO 64484 (NW of KCI and Weston MO)
The workshop will cover the importance of winter pruning and how it impacts yield, disease incidence, fruit composition and wine quality in Midwest vineyards. In the morning session, Andy Allen will discuss the basic aspects of grapevine pruning, Jackie Harris will discuss pruning safety issues, and Dr. Keith Striegler will discuss assessing grapevine bud mortality (all are Missouri Extension Viticulturists). Lunch will be catered by Charlemagne's Restaurant. The afternoon session will be hands-on pruning practice on the vines at the winery. Registration deadline is 7 January. More info at Vineyard Pruning Workshop_info & registration.pdf, or call (816)270-2141.
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INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN
Saturday, 15 January 2011, 9:00am-4:00pm - $
Flint Hills Technical College, 3301 W. 18th Ave, Emporia, KS 66801
This is a one day intensive on permaculture principles taught by Ben Stallings of the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and holder of a Permaculture Design Certificate. Students will be introduced to ecological principles and learn how to apply them to their garden, home or workplace, will create a design of their own, and will receive constructive feedback from the other students and the instructor. Fore more info go to Introduction to Permaculture Design - 15 Jan 2011.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ¤ ANNUAL MEETING
Friday, 21 January 2011, 7:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence, KS 66044
Come share in our third Annual Meeting as we recount our accomplishments of the past year. This year we'll have a speaker too, on transitioning to local food security and a local economy. We'll be celebrating our success in gaining tax-exempt status, and our progress in permaculture, bicycle lanes, land consortium, and more. Since forming in late 2007, the Sustainability Action Network has been bringing to our community local solutions for the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability. Inspired by the Transition movement and the Permaculture movement, we are working for a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world. Everyone is welcome, non-members and members alike, so we hope to see you there!
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URBAN FARMERS ANNUAL MEETING ¤ KC CENTER FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
Saturday, 29 January 2011, from 9:00am-12:00pm
location TBA
Come meet other growers and supporters and learn about our projects over the past year. We'll have pie, coffee, conversation, and learning together (and, if you'd like to bring a pie or two, it would be much appreciated!). Founded in 2004, the KC Center for Urban Agriculture operates the Kansas City Community Farm, and trains folks as urban growers. Their vision is for urban areas of small community farms, providing a livelihood for growers, and local healthy food for the community.
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PERMACULTURE GARDENS AND SMALL FARMS DESIGN COURSE
Saturday-Saturday, 5-12 February 2011 - $$$$
Midwest Permaculture, Stelle IL
31 December 2010 early registration discount of $100
This training will cover a full-design course curriculum to provide students with their permaculture design certification (PDC). The emphasis will be on suburban gardens and small farms, and include two pre-course webinars. For more info go to Midwest Permaculture: 5-12 Feb 2011 PDC Course.
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TWO DAY "ESSENTIAL" PERMACULTURE TRAINING
Saturday-Sunday, 19-20 February 2011, 9:00am-5:00pm - $$$
Knowles Spirituality Center, 2304 Campanile Rd, Waterloo, NE (Omaha)
31 December 2010 early registration discount of $50
Taught by Bill and Becky Wilson of Midwest Permaculture, this weekend session will cover permaculture essentials with an emphasis on transition to a low energy future. For more info go to Essential Permaculture Training - 19-20 Feb 2011.
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K.P.C. PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATION COURSE, 2011
February-June 2011, dates and locations TBA - $$$
The Design Certification Course will include nine 3-hour class sessions, six field sessions and a student presentation starting in mid February and finishing in early June. In addition there will be four 6-hour practicum sessions in the summer, all totaling the 72 hours of training and culminating in certification through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED, and checks can be mailed to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044. Our mission is to advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at
Our current projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal level Peak Oil response planning.
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for poly-cropping sustainable food production.
3) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized technologies and regulations, for conservation and renewable energy.
4) Land Consortium - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
6) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
7) Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
8) Collaboration with sister organizations - such as: The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.
We welcome suggestions for items to be included. Please send items to
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