Tomorrow Matters

Greening Your Holiday Shopping - Part 1

2008-12-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Deborah

I want to have a “green” holiday season, as in I want to be very conscientious about what I buy and of course how much I spend! Can you help me make better decisions and keep within a tight budget?
Courtney from Big Sur.

Dear Courtney,

Good timing.... holiday shopping has begun and I think many people are wondering the same thing. Greening the holidays or creating “ environmentally sustainable” holidays literally translates to lowering your ecological footprint during the holidays… and still having an excellent time.

Ecological footprint
We’ve talked about our ecological footprint in the blog dated July 24th, 2008, but basically it’s the amount of natural resources used to support our lifestyle. This includes land, water, timber, minerals, etc. With the Earth sagging under the pressures of so many people... the less we use, the less it has to provide. You can go here to measure your footprint.

During the holidays we’re eating/drinking/gift giving/ decorating/ traveling…. Just like we’re doing the rest of the year but we’re escalating all of those activities, and as a result our ecological footprint is also escalated….

So slow it down... but by how much?
How much you put the breaks on these activities would depend on your own personal convictions….
100% would mean a very lean holiday, possibly the better choice at this moment in our ecological history, but not very fun….
0% would be pointless and probably not of interest to anyone reading this blog…. You’re reading this because you want to make a change.
I suggest somewhere in the middle. This gives you alot of wiggle room to make changes as best as you can….the more you can do the better, but even little changes count.

A system to help make good green decisions
I have developed a system to help you make best choices for stepping a little lighter and lowering your holiday footprint. The system is actually an acronym which you can carry in your mind and have it with you when you’re shopping and making purchasing choices….

TIPTOES (as in walking softly through the holidays)

T = Territory
I = In Season
P = Plastic Free / Packaging free
T = Talent and Trade
O = Organic
E = Endowments
S = Simple, savings, self sufficient

But what does it mean?

Territory
Where does the product or service come from? Always choose from your local territory first, then look to the surrounding area, then your region, then state, then country and then globe. Think in concentric circles around your house. Shop in zone 1 first, that’s your direct neighborhood, zone 2 is your town, zone 3 your region, zone 4 state, zone 5 country, zone 6 world. The more you shop in zone 1, the better off you are. As a side note, if you're into permaculture, you'll see similarities in philosophy, if you're not check it out!

Example 1. Buying flowers for the hostess of a party your attending?
First try to buy them from the farmers market, if not get them from a local flower shop, if not from a local, independent retailer, use a service like FTD florists last.

Example 2. What about a high tech item? A new Wii for the kids? Find a business who’s with in walking distance of your house who sells them. I know my local Blockbuster does. They’re not an independent business, but they hire local people and pay local taxes. I would choose them over driving to a store 30 miles from my house, where the money I spend gets filtered out of my community completely.

In Season
This applies to food purchasing... shop for foods that are in season around your home. If a recipe calls for pineapples, try to substitute for pomegranates... they’re in season around the holidays so they’re easy to find and haven’t traveled very far to get here. Pineapples have to be shipped to us from regions down south.... that’s lots of oil and lots of CO2 emissions. In season will be fresh, more nutritious and taste better.

Plastic Free/Packaging Free
Plastics are being linked to breast cancer, and play a major roll in the garbage dumps in the worlds oceans....and most can’t be recycled.... look over my blog dated August 24th.
Example 1: If you’re going for a toy for your little cousin... like a set of blocks, get wooden ones.

Example 2: What about a set of picnic goblets for your neighbors back yard party? Glass. Definitely. Maybe even cool retro ones from a vintage store.

And packing is a huge problem in landfills, our garbage increases by 25% during the winter holidays. Why do we need a pair of scissors to be double wrapped in a plastic container that we can’t even open unless we have a pair of scissors? Be bold and leave the packaging at the store and tell them to pay the garbage bill.

Talent and Trade
Use local talent, as in local artists. A healthy community supports it’s artists. Looking for a picture frame for grandma? Pop into an artist co-op and see if they have one in your budget range. It has life in it, it has craftsmanship, it has good juju. Maybe you’ll even find a great pair of earrings for your sister.

As for trade, what I mean by that is Fair Trade. Say your boss loves coffee and you decide to get her a bag of beans from your local coffee shop... great! Ask them if the coffee has been fair trade certified, meaning the growers have been paid a living wage for their work. It’s important... we all want to be fairly paid for our efforts. that’s social justice which sits right next to ecological justice.

Organic
No matter what you’re buying, the less pesticides it uses; the better. We have dead zones in the oceans and unprecedented levels of cancer in our bodies... as much as we can buy organic, the better. It helps with habitat restoration, it helps raise healthy farm animals and it helps beneficial insects like honey bees. We can buy organic sheets, organic towels and even organic clothes, as well as the usual suspects like organic veggies and fruits.. look for them, see if they fit the budget and go there, if you can. If you can only buy one organic item this holiday, it’s better then none.
PS. Farmers markets have good prices and organic from China isn’t saving the planet much.... the carbon emissions from all that travel cancel out any perceived benefit.

Endowments
It’s a bit of a stretch, but it means shop and support charities when making purchases.
Are the local school kids raising money for a field trip and selling holiday cards? Buy them.
Is the Animal Shelter selling calendars or umbrellas? Buy them.
How about organizations like Heifer International? Make a donation to them in the name of your Great Aunt who doesn’t need any gift cause she already owns two of everything, and some family somewhere in the world gets a much needed gift instead.

Simple, Saving, Self Sufficient
Easy...Simple.... the lower down on the production complexity level the better... less resources in creating it. Such as a photo album versus an electronic photo display.
Saving... don’t go into hawk to buy stuff... with the all the economic stresses we have right now, it’s best to stay in the green. This holiday think “I’m going to be... debt-free!”
Self-sufficient... I’m actually going to write more about this next week... but think about gifts that give your friends some level of self sufficiency.
Examples: a fishing rod, a hand-crank ice cream maker, a worm compost, an electric bike (that’s for that really special friend... yourself!).

Got some good ideas now? Hopefully you can make greener shopping choices by “Tiptoeing” this winter; ultimately stepping more lightly on the planet and creating sustainable holidays. And most importantly... remember to have a fantastic time!

Cheers!
deb

Last show (for now)

2008-11-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

Yes we have had the last show for the foreseeable future on AM radio.
We've made around 471 shows, with the help of many.
Possible Sunday shows after the new year.
Billy Sunshine likes the small oriented shows best.(small homes, etc.)
This has been revolutionary talk radio.
Deb will be a PG city council member. Perhaps a crown and septor? Your Eminence.
Remember,"the wind is still free"
Special thanks go out to;
KRXA
General Manager Hal Ginsberg "no holds barred programming"
Larry Wrathal Sales Manager
Carl the Engineer
Spencer Lindsay
Olana Sullivan for Assisting production as well as the Green Scene calender and help booking special guests
Carl Dobbratz for the theme song (Tomorrow Matters)
All our listeners, everywhere
All the local independent musicians.

The specialty hosts;
Joy Colango
Monterey Salinas Transports Hunter Harvath
Benjamin Fahrer
Lydia Neilson
Spencer Lindsay

Our excellent sponsors;
Monterey Salinas Transit
Monterey Green Business Program
Renovations
Passion Purveyors
Pilgrims Way
Tree Of Life Ecological Services
Serendipity Farms
The greener Cleaners
Otter Bay Wetsuits
SG Zimmerman & Associates
Solar Living Institute
Chelsea Green Press
Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
All Etronics
Eco Design Resources
Save Our Shores
Urban Permaculture Guild
Applied Solar Energy
Blue Line Power
The Green Team
Carmel Building and Design
June Zimmerman
Green Space

And thank you to our regular listeners;
Billy
Ben
Jeffs
Dan
Linda
John
Chris
Butcher
Mary
And many more.

Deborah's favorite show, (made her weep)
Briceshanay Gresham (Talkin' Water) after Hurricane Katrina, she felt Ashamed of being black. But after making the film, she does not feel that anymore.

Stay in the loop, sign up for Deb's Newsletter at, Deborahlindasy.com or E-mail her at Tomorrow@deborahlindsay.com

I feel honored to have the opportunity to assist in Production and to help with the Blog.

Deborah has opened our eyes to the Green possibilities. Now it's our turn, "Tag your it"
Thank You Deb,
Jeff

Monarch Alert

2008-11-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Jessica Griffiths, Monterey County Coordinator for Monarch Alert.
"Monarch Alert is a study of patterns of fall migration, wintering activity, and spring dispersal by monarch butterflies in western North America. The project includes: Study of seasonal abundance and habitat use in the northern half of their winter range, Tagging of monarchs at habitats in four counties. The tagging study will provide information about movement patterns at several spatial scales and with reference to several possible causal factors. Some of these factors include weather patterns, butterfly condition, and landscape constraints."

"In order to track patterns of fall migration and spring dispersal, thousands of monarchs will be tagged. Small tags weighing between 1/50th and 1/100th of the butterfly’s body weight are attached to the underside of its hindwing. This tag adheres without needing to rub off scales."

Monarch's are fog drinkers!
They Winter on our coast, spread from SF to So. Cal. (Winter Cycle 6-8 Months.)
Summer cycles 3-6 weeks, 3-4 times each summer, Inland to Central Valley and as far away as Colorado.
Monarch's use environmental triggers like birds.
Milk Weeds are a weed to farmers, they have been allowed to grow round up ready crops, reducing Milk Weed in the Central Valley, less butterflies. With reductions in wintering areas, numbers have declined.
They are very concerned about the LBAM spray, but the Monarch's seems to be OK (this year), so far!
Helen Johnson is a founder and main contributor to this cause.
Thanksgiving count started in 1997
199 sites for overwintering declining fast, populations from 1.2M to 100K due to decreases in habitat, disease and parasites.
Fires effected? Retardants? Habitats are destroyed, but monarchs are dispersed widespread in the summer when fire is an issue.
Pacific Coast Sanctuary has docents, 55F they are tightly clustered, hard to see, check it out! warmer is better, they are more active.
Molest a butterfly? it will cost you!!!! DO NOT Touch
Valentines day is a butterfly orgy!
Claspers on the male are used to carry the female into the trees for several hours of multiple matings!!!

What can we do?
Grow a butterfly garden, any Nectar plants are good.
Protect winter habitats
Save Milkweed habitats
Grow milkweed if you live inland
831-648-5716 X11 be a Docent
If you want to get involved in the Thanksgiving count E-Mail her
jessicagriffiths@ventanaws.org OR show up this Sat 7:30AM for a count Lighthouse at Ridge Rd in PG, bring a folding chair.
No previous experience necessary.

Jeff

Water Water, not everywhere?

2008-11-13T07:31:00.001-08:00

Doug Smith, Watershed Geologist
and an Associate Professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at CSU Monterey Bay.
"The Watershed Geology Lab at CSUMB includes resources for physical and hydrologic watershed studies including sediment transport, geomorphology, and computer modeling. Doug Smith oversees undergraduate and graduate research in the Watershed Geology Lab. The Lab is used in connection with the adjacent Geology Teaching Laboratory to deliver high quality curricula and hands-on research opportunities to CSUMB students."
Predicting risks and assessing damages to certain areas, are Doug's profession and passion.
Basin complex Affected over 1000 small water sheds.
Costs and damages estimated $42.5M Indians fire, $77.2M fighting fires.
Water bars installed help to avoid soil runoff on the fire breaks, cut to control the Basin Complex fire.
Constant monatoring of the rivers, concerned about debris and flooding on the Big Sur, Carmel and Aroyo Seca rivers.
Culverts being watched closely to prevent flooding.
Watch for debris in rivers and creeks, stay on top of it! Unclog it if you can! Be careful! Stay safe!
Watch the weather, check your drainage situation before it rains!
.5" rainfall per. hour threshhold is your indicator of impending floods if you live on a flood plain or in a deep canyon.

Jeff

Plenty Magazine

2008-11-12T07:39:00.001-08:00

Mark Spellun, Founder, Editor in Chief and Publisher at Plenty Magazine states,
"We’re steadily moving toward an era of cleaner technology, thanks to green-minded businesses and a new generation of visionaries. Americans have begun to follow their lead—and if the federal government does, too, we may get there sooner than we once thought." -Mark Spellun
Plenty 20 Companies mentioned, A123 systems ,IBM, Etc.
Speaking at GreenFest, SF.

Also mentioned,
What white people like book
Facebook Applicatins. green patch
Paul stammets Mushrooms save the world,
Mycelium Running book
Straw bales with mushrooms to remove hydrocarbons!
Gardner Martin Recumbant bikes in Watsonville .

Green media is getting popular, so far to good.

Jeff

Millennials Changing America

2008-11-11T07:55:00.001-08:00

Alexander Steed, Millenniel Activist
"From October through November 2008, Alex will travel to over 30 cities across the United States to meet, interview and report how young people are using the Internet to leverage their social and political power. When I was a teenager, I was always inspired by interesting, accessible stories about what other young people were doing to better the world. Now I'm trying to contribute to that same narrative as a self-proclaimed millennial activists. Millennial Activists, also known as Social Citizens, are, according to social entrepreneur and writer Allison Fine, "young people ages 15-29 who practice a nascent model of civic participation that combines immersion in social causes, idealism, digital fluency." Traveling from the East to the West Coast, visiting everywhere in between, and returning again, I aim to convene the American youth, the next generation of this country's social and civic stewards."
Bloggers and young people thinking globally through technology.
Millennial Generation (Generation Y; those born between 1980 and 1992, defined by their digital connectivity)
Not just the young, just how you see through your kids eyes.

Some sites mentioned;
"Case Foundation" helps with matching grants
"Focus The Nation"
Face book/ Myspace is big/essentual
Unilever/ Youtube
"Millennial Makeover" book,
"Generation we" book
"Back to the land 2.0"
"Mycelium Running", by Paul Stamets
Seattle Works
Ryanishungery blog

WCWD
Use the internet more
Remember locals
Community interaction
CSA's
Participant Media

Donate and follow on his site, links to all the other blogs etc.

Use common sense on the internet, if you shred it, do not put it on the net.

Jeff

Embodied Wisdom

2008-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Joy Colangelo - Editorial Writer for the Herald
Author of "Embodied Wisdom: What our anatomy can
teach us about the art of living" joined us in studio on Friday.
Some memorable thoughts,
Sustainable death, transitioning from intense care in a calm matter.
Dieing too sick, Too old, too weak
Our up-to-date Lifestyles are killing us, we need more physical activity
Risks abound in our society today.
Reduce risks by being active and eating properly.
Let's try a trash less lifestyle, just leave your trash at the store, they will reduce packaging eventually.
Don't let money rule your life, let your heart lead you.
Laughter is essential, make music.
Don't just watch, do it!
Try not to medicate, change your attitude.
Get to the bottom of your perceived problems, not through meds
Fever is the way your body fights virus.
Take personal responsibility.
It takes 4000 sq ft to grow all the food you need.
Change your environment, educate yourself!
Share things, like lawn mowers, shovels, rakes,
let go! let go! let go! let go! you will feel better!

Mentioned of the show;
Herrington Catalog P.30 Solar Christmas lights
Free-cycle!!!!!!!
350.org
Deloris park SF Free day, bring stuff to give, share till you feel good, let go!

What can we do?
Let go of some things, one at a time
Act now, don't stress the small stuff
Grow your orchard retirement plan
Start growing something now.
Create community in your neighborhood

Start your own tribe today, share resources, dance, fish,
garden, pot luck.
Use the knowledge of your tribe

Deborah's Green Scene Calender will continue

Jeff

Light Houses Studio and SLO Chai

2008-11-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

Tracy Parker, Light Houses Designs Studio joined us in studio on Thursday.
Creating ecosystems not box-in box habatit.

What can we do?
Compost/worm bin
Fruit tree, edible plants, regenerative systems.
Take time to care, slow down
Allow yourself to Be part of nature
Winter crops, onions, lettice, Kales, Chard, Etc.

Tracy will be speaking at the Green Building Expo on Nov. 28, 2007 Monterey Conference Center
E-mail tracy@lighthousesdesign.com
831-236-6673

Joel Pace, Co- Founder Slo Chai joined us by phone from
San Luis Obispo, CA.
Organic fair trade teas.
Black teas, green teas and more.
After water, tea is the second most-consumed beverage in the world.
"What can Chai do for me?"
* Boosts immune system
* Aids digestion, increases metabolism
* Eases tension
* Provides mental clarity
* Excellent antioxidant source
They also have SLO Chai Cream Ale, sounds great, containes alcohol
Green festival partisipant SF
transfair.org
INFO: info@slochai.com
Call toll free, 877-324-7832

What can we do?
Drink chai, relax, take a moment, breathe...
Help somebody today!
Buy fair trade goods!

Jeff

Dr. Kevin Danaher

2008-11-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

Dr. Kevin Danaher,anti-globalization activist and author of “Building the Green Economy – Success Stories from the Grass Roots” joined us by phone.

Described by The New York Times as the "Paul Revere of globalization's woes," Dr. Kevin Danaher's analytical expertise, sense of humor and blunt eloquence make him an exceptionally dynamic speaker. Since co-founding Global Exchange in 1988, Dr. Danaher has spoken at hundreds of universities and for community organizations throughout the U.S. He conducts workshops on issues ranging from the dynamics of the global economy to how we can replace the power of transnational corporations with local green economy networks. A longtime critic of the so-called "free trade" agenda, Dr. Danaher explains how we can create 'grassroots globalization', empowering local communities to create sustainable local economies.
Kevin will be speaking at the West Coast Green expo ($15.00 or less)
and Monterey Green Building Expo Dec. 3

Mentioned on the show,
POCLAD org teaching rights
newrules.org
http://www.energyconservationinfo.org/20responses.pdf

What can we do?
Stop Big box stores, they kill mom&pops
Watch your planning commission carefully
Shop local, Shop green
Abort Corporate personhood!

On the campaign sign issues,
Just got a call from Jeffrey Smedberg,(Wed.) Santa Cruz County recycling
coordinator, impeccable timing.
Some campaigners are requesting their signs back for reuse, mostly the metal parts, the paper signs go in the recycle bins with the plastic bag signs.
The corrugated plastic indistructo (Polypropylene Co polymer) are being accepted at the SC drop-off sites (Dimeo Ln., Buena Vista and Ben Lomand)
Jeffrey also said that Bill Monning and John Leopold have made an issue of recycling their signs.

Jeff

The Buzz

2008-11-04T07:39:00.001-08:00

Michael Neuert,of Neuert Electromagnetic Services joined us by phone.
EMFs are a type of low-frequency electromagnetic radiation commonly emitted from power lines, transformers, electrical wiring, computers, TVs, lights, clocks, appliances, hairdryers, cell phones, microwave ovens — virtually everything electrical around us. Nationally. telephone consultations with our electrical engineer, Michael Neuert, are our most popular service. Michael can answer all of your questions about EMFs — what meters to use, what levels are considered safe, how to trace and repair troublesome or hidden EMF sources, how to shield refrigerators and electrical panels, how to shield your computer, how to install special electrical wiring with almost no emissions, and many other concerns. Within California, Michael provides on-site services for the professional testing, shielding and reduction of EMFs. He will not only measure the EMFs, he can do the necessary engineering work to tell you exactly what you can do to reduce the EMFs.
What are the health concerns?
While there still is great controversy, studies suggest that EMFs may be linked to a variety of health problems including leukemia, lymphoma, brain and nervous system cancers, melanoma, breast cancer, miscarriage, birth defects, Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, depression and suicide. Anecdotally, EMFs have been associated with symptoms such as nausea, headache, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, mental confusion, memory loss, sleep disturbance, itchy or burning skin sensations, and skin rashes

Feel better during power failures?
Magnetic noise keeping you awake at night?
Does your head feel funny when using a cell phone?

Mentioned on the show,
Mercola.com (cell phone dangers)
bioinitiative
The Wireless Radiation Alert Network S.C. 688-4603

What can we do?
Sleep away from power sources,
Turn off computers and WiFi when not in use,
Pay attention to how you feel,
Rent a meter from Michael.

Jeff

Halloween

2008-11-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hunter Harvath, Monterey Salinas Transit's Director of Administration, joined us in studio, dressed as a Happy Clown.
The pressing of the Mustard seed has been delayed, due to grape crush, until Nov 18 in SC. The Pilot program Lacks funding, volunteers found to Build a press locally
Processing will be done in Gonzales
3000lb. of Mustard seed will make 800gal. of Biodiesel, Bio blended with conventional diesel to make 4000Gal. which will push a bus around 17,000 miles. (MST logged 3,249,965 miles total in '07')
Replanting Mustard soon, it's that time of the year.
California's state budget has cut 3M out of MST's 5.?M
The 2M left from the state, may be cut as well.
CountyIf Measure Z Passes it will bring 7M per. yr. to MST and add .5% sales tax hike in Monterey.
If NO Z, there may be 12.5% fare hikes or service cuts or both.
Check the TAMC website for info on "Z" dollar proposals.
Obama promises support for local transit.
E-mail Hunter, hharvath@mst.org

Spencer Lindsay joined us in studio as well, no costume.
Deb has announced retirement of the show on Nov.14.
Only 9 shows left on the AM dial, then Pod-cast maybe.
Spencer has closed the PG office full time and moved new biz to Santa Cruz.
Spencer is Now a Shift Captian at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He has been helping since 1990 and he has volunteered 750 Hrs.
The new sustainable guide to Sushi was also discussed.
Poor fish farming practices creates mini dead zones spreading disease to wild fish stocks.

Get all the news that's fit to print!
Sign up for Deb's newsletter!!

You know what to do "TAG YOUR IT!!"

Jeff

Natural Rights

2008-10-31T11:01:00.001-07:00

Elsa Dooling, Community Organizer for the Monterey Bay Area from Pesticide Watch, joined us in studio on Thursday.
Shannon Biggs is the director of the Local Green Economy program at Global Exchange. She recently co-authored a book, Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grass Roots.
Ben Price, Project Director in the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund's Corporations and Democracy Program.

Global Exchange rights-based organizer, Shannon Biggs, who partners with Elsa Dooling from CELDF to assist communities in passing these new laws, is blazing new ground in California: "Ecuador and U.S. communities—from Santa Cruz, California to rural Pennsylvania—are passing laws that assert the rights of nature to be wild, and boldly changing the way we protect the environment." Biggs is organizing with Monterey, Nevada City and Santa Cruz, which are among the first California communities working to pass local laws to change not only nature's legal status nature, but also its culture. Local Nevada City, California concerned resident Debra Weistar: "For 150 years, the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range has been exploited for profit. There is still a "gold rush" mentality here that implies that there are riches in these hills for the taking. Ecuador is leading the way on a national level, and it has created momentum that may evolve into a movement.

AMP Media was mentioned, Ben and Shannon will have discussions broadcasting on our local cable station
Telephone: (831) 333-1267 for information.

Elsa Dooling can be reached by E-Mail (Elsa@pesticidewatch.org) or call her at 831-236-8538

Ben and Shannon's Addresses are respictivly
Ben@globalexchange.org
Shannon@globalexchange.org

Assert your local rights!

Jeff

YES on prop 2

2008-10-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

Campaign Manager for Prop 2 and Humane Society's United States Chief Economist Jennifer Fearing, joined us Wednesday by telephone.

We need Basic minimum standards on the treatment of animals.
Now, laying hens have cages with a floor of wire, 2/3 the size of a piece of paper for several 4 lb. chickens. they cannot turn around or spread their wings.
Natural feed and environment brings better looking and tasting, more nutritious, chicken, eggs, beef, pork, etc.
"The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), in a study released today."(04/29/2008)
Mentioned on the show,
"Norco ranch video, Mercy for animals"
Michael Pollan's book "Omnivors Dilema"
Downer cows to school lunch programs!!!
This practice led to a big beef recall!!
Labeling information

Communities are being polluted by these industries!
Unsafe foods are never a good deal!
Look through the lies!
Be outraged!

What can we do?
Use the 3 "R's"
Reduce the amount you consume,
Refine your use, buy cage free, antibiotic/hormone free, humane care standards, organic
Replacing, with other proteins.
You can E-Mail Jennifer ( jen@YESonProp2.com)

Jeff

Crude Impact

2008-10-29T07:47:00.001-07:00

James Wood, Producer, Director, Crude Impact, joined us by phone on Tuesday.

"Crude Impact is an award-winning documentary film which Chris Vernon of TheOilDrum.com called " a terrific film... the best documentary I have seen on the subject." This feature film explores the interconnection between human domination of the planet, and the discovery and use of oil. Crude Impact has been an official selection at over thirty film festivals around the world and has won numerous awards. The film has been translated in to French, Spanish and Czech. Crude Impact was awarded the Best Environmental Feature Film at the 3rd Annual Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film screened at the famous Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Crude Impact captured the Grand Jury Prize at the 2nd Annual Cinestrat Film Festival in Finestrat, Spain."
"To produce Crude Impact, James assembled an inspired team with a common purpose, which included his wife and co-producer Jennifer Wood."
Trailer
Link TV
Another
The Pachamama Alliance
Hafsat Abiola

Books mentioned,
At Play in the Fields of the Lord (2pc) (1991)
Our ecological foot print
The Green Collar Economy
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

You Tube video by Peakmoment TV
Oil and Gas - The Next Meltdown?

Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)

And, as Thom Hartman says "Tag your it!"

Jeff

Yes on Prop 1A

2008-10-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Robert Cruickshank, proponent of Prop 1A joined us by phone on Monday.
His High speed rail blog
"220MPH bullet train/160,000 New construction jobs/450,000 non-out-soarcable maintenance jobs and divert average estimated 12 billion tons off Carbon Dioxide out of our atmosphere."
"2.5 hours from San Fransisco to Los Angelos."
More info.
Voterguide
Daily Kos
California High Speed Rail

Within Reach

2008-10-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Ryan Milarsck and Mandy Criegton joined us via Pay-phone from L.A.
Ryan and Mandy are Co-producing/creating "Within Reach" from the road.
Some Youtube,
"Our Mission is to film and document how sustainable communities function throughout the United States. We will “bikepack” to the East Coast and back to California, using our custom design solar electric assist bike trailer. The result is a feature length documentary film, tentatively scheduled to release at the end of 2009. The film will present a realistic experience of seeking out and living as part of a sustainable community."

600 Mi. and counting 12,000 mile total, 1 year
Check out the Mind map Mandala from their July blog
Regenerative communities not just sustainable.
Funded by Organic Athelete, $17.000 donated so far

Templeton (dance of dears) project, Eco-villages
Santa Cruz ecovillage
Intentional Communities
Hope Dance
N st. Davis CA.
Spiral Dynamics

What can we do?
10 Ways to Take Action Now
Create your world, change your attitude, be happy, share
Trust yourself, Think right brain
Smile more, Bike more, your closer to the earth and people.

Jeff

Dreaming green?

2008-10-24T09:23:00.001-07:00

Kathleen Sullivan, A Dream and Life Coach and a former radio host, joined us in studio on Thursday.
Pick up Kathleen's books: Recurring Dream Symbols and
Recurring Dreams , A Journey to Wholeness at your local book shop or online.
Dreams are a message from the deep innersole, you can reprogram intention.
Define your own terms for symbols, don't use just any Dream dictionary, create your own.
Call Kathleen (831-372-8534) for ongoing consultation in Pacific Grove.
Lucid dreaming, change what frightens you.
When you have a dream, discuss and write it down ASAP!!!
Jeremy Taylor's work was mentioned as well.

Clear your psykee!!

Jeff

2008-10-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Will Craven, Media Officer for Forest Ethics, joined us by phone Wensday.
Support a Do Not Mail Registry
"Just as the Do Not Call Registry freed Americans from telemarketers, a Do Not Mail Registry would give us the choice to stop junk mailers from violating our privacy, wasting our time and damaging the environment."
Sign the petition!!!!!!!!!Send it to another friend!!
Halloween is a social time, use it to our advantage. Let's turn halloween green.

"Founded in 1994, Forest Ethics is a nonprofit environmental organization with staff in Canada, the United States and Chile. Our mission is to protect Endangered Forests and wild places, wildlife, and human wellbeing – one of our focus areas is climate change, which compromises all of our efforts if left unchecked. We catalyze environmental leadership among industry, governments and communities by running hard-hitting and highly effective campaigns that leverage public dialogue and pressure to achieve our goals. Our current campaigns focus on wild places in Canada, Chile and in California’s Sierra, and on industries that use products that come from these places. Our efforts have transformed the environmental practices of Fortune 500 companies including Dell, Staples, Office Depot, Victoria’s Secret, Williams-Sonoma, and many others. In 2008, we launched two major new initiatives – Do Not Mail, which calls for a national registry to stop junk mail"
Do not mail.org registery
20% of global heating is associated with deforestation.

Forest Ethics is also fighting for the Boreal Forest in Canada,
400 ton trucks???
Some interesting links;
forestethics
tarsandswatch
greenpeace
guardian

You can E-mail Will anytime (Will@forestethics.org)

NOW THE BAD NEWS
Thursday thru Saturday
"Weather permitting, the Army will conduct a prescribed burn this week on nearly 140 acres at Fort Ord."
Call Sam Farr in protest (831-424-2229)
If you have ash for analasis call for help (831-521-6042 or 831-899-5716)
Be aware of the wind direction.
There has never been a Enviromental Impact Study done on this health risk!

Jeff

No on Z?

2008-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Blue Planet Run, a large "coffee table book" is the amazing pictorial documenting the race around the globe, to provide safe drinking water to the world.
Take the 30 mile challenge.
The Objectives:
"Provide safe drinking water to 200 million people by 2027."

"We run because, in the words of the Iroquois thanksgiving prayer printed on the baton we carry with us: "Water is life."

"We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms - waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of water."

"Now our minds are one."

Mentioned on the show today,
Obama's "Dreams of my father"

In the second segment
NO ON Z
Richard Rosenthal, (Monterey County)Measure Z opponent joined us in studio .

Sales tax is regressive (targets spenders)
A very extensive argument, with lots of information.

Jeff

2008-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Mardy McGraw, Green building Designer with emphasis on air Quality and Jim Stroupe, Green Architect joined us in studio on Monday.
"Every architect has their own way of doing things. They borrow from past employers and develop new ideas with each client. But childhood experience plays a big part in who we are. I grew up in an old stone farmhouse outside Philadelphia. My mom was an artist and my dad was a scientist. I discovered I wanted to be an architect in the third grade. I've spent my whole life designing spaces for people to live in. I've been a licensed architect in California since 1981, and a licensed general contractor since 1984. I've had over 200 projects built in the San Francisco Bay Area. I don't have one particular style, but enjoy tailoring each project to each client. I have no employees and enjoy doing everything myself. I do my own structural engineering, grading, and landscape design. I can help with all interior finishes and furnishings. I am not trying to get rich, I just want to do good work."
They shared their green checklist and preferred subcontractors with us.
Phone Mardy at 925-787-2471

What can we do?
Tube skylights, more windows, counter top windows
low/no VOC paints, recycled paint, more insulation under your floors.

Keith Severson, Marketing Service Manager With Graniterock, also joined us in studio, Keith is following the green trends in paving.
Improving water runoff issues with pervious concrete, VS impervious concrete. Pervious concrete looks like a rice crispy treat, water soaks in, instead of running off into storm drains, also gives the opportunity to design micro water tables to more effectively capture and recycle rain water.
Keith is also speaking at the ACEexpo.
Cal stones was mentioned, they have pavers that are also pervious

Other ways to recycle concrete is to recrush it for baserock use.
E-mail Keith with questions about pervious concrete and flyash issues.
Mainoffice@graniterock.com

Jeff

2008-10-17T16:15:00.001-07:00

Beth H. Harrison, The Truth About GMO's.
"Genetically Engineered Food Quick Facts: No crops on the market today are genetically engineered to increase crop yield, resist drought, or reduce chemical fertilizer use. They haven't helped third world countries, they aren't feeding the world, and they haven't lowered food prices at all. GE food has never been proven safe for human consumption; scientists have no idea what it will do to people who eat it. There is a significant body of scientific evidence that has proven serious human health risks associated with it. As far as U.S. regulatory agencies are concerned, if a biotech company says its products are safe, that is enough for approval. Genetically engineered food is not labeled in the United States. At the same time, more than 40 countries have either banned GE food outright or have laws requiring the labeling of it giving citizens in those countries the freedom to choose not to eat it."
"The GOOD News?
You don’t have to eat GE food again. This book explores why and how you have been kept in the dark about GE foods and the risks, why these foods continue to go unlabeled, and outlines what foods to avoid and how to take action.
As a consumer, your dollars wield the most influence. Eating GE food contributes to multinational corporations that are interested in profits over your health."

Blog, shedding light on genetically engineered foods,

What can we do?
Don't buy GMO foods, use the power of your dollar
GMO's must be labeled, demand it! Be informed,
look at labels, call manufacturers, demand organic

Jeff

2008-10-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

Arlos Anderson, Grey Water Makes Cents
Our mission is to provide industry with its high tech water needs while providing clean drinking water to municipalities, villages and individuals.

Arlos will be speaking at the ACE Expo, Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds event oct.25-26

Grey water recycling, tankless water heating systems, solar/tankless hybrids, hydronic heating and much more.
Get your discount today, just say you heard it on Tommorrow Matters.

Arlos is also involved in algae for bio-oil and The waste from our power plant (moss landing), combined with salt water, creating cement!!!
Workshops are offered, just drop Arlos an E-mail.
Turn halloween green! Stop junk mail!

What can we do?
Everyone can help, look to the future, educate, legislate.

These books were mentioned by our guest.
Rachel Carson's book, "Silent spring"

"Cadillac Desert", by Marc Reisner

"Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond

Jeff

Talkin' Water

2008-10-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Shannon Sonenstein, Director, Producer, Talkin' Water
and Briceshanay Gresham, 1 of the stars has joined us by telephone.
"Disillusioned by the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, four girls –two from New Orleans and two from New York City– set out to tell the “real” story. Armed with video cameras and a sense of responsibility, the project quickly becomes personal as the girls explore issues of race, class and government – and are surprised to discover as much about themselves as New Orleans. Incorporating footage actually shot by the girls, Talkin’ Water follows the summer Rodneka, Suprena, Sade, and Briceshanay spent in New Orleans- exploring their feelings about Katrina, America and what it means to grow up in chaotic times."
Talkin' Water AKA speaking clearly, truthfully.
Thier trip was a very emotional learning experience for these 4 teens, they discovered discrimination and racism in government,
They found New Orleans still not rebuilt, Texas got help fast.
They also found hatred/bigotry upon returning to New Orleans.

A couple of memorable quotes,
Make lemonade from (life)lemons, you can do it! turn it around!
Don't miss the goodness!!!!!

Screening Fri. Oct 17, 7:30 showing at the Bioneers conferance, San Rafael, Marin Center

Another great film "Battle in Seattle" film is now playing (check your local listings)
Controlling world wide water supply with our tax dollars

PG post office has info on "do not send junk mail/ get off lists"
Please remove me from your mailing lists.
Send 3 letters, no more junk mail!!!

ADVO
Consumer Assistance
PO Box 249
Windsor, CT 06095

Mail Preference Service
C/O DMA
PO Box 90008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

Direct List Technology, Inc.
1950 West Corporate Way
Anaheim, CA 92801-5373

Jeff

2008-10-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Jeff Barrie joined us by phone on Friday
Jeff's Award-winning film Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America is a timely, solutions-oriented look at one of America’s most pressing environmental challenges: energy. Filmmaker Jeff Barrie offers hope as he turns the camera on himself and asks, “How can I make a difference?” In his journey Barrie explores the source of our electricity and the problems caused by energy production including mountain top removal, childhood asthma and global warming. Along the way he encounters individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities who are leading the way, using energy conservation, efficiency and renewable, green power all while saving money and the environment. This often amusing and always inspiring story shows, “You can easily make a difference and here’s how!”
More info.
Kilowatt Ours will be on public TV (KQED SF) Check your local listings.

After burning all vegetation, 250' holes are drilled, explosives are dropped in (25 tons per day), then comes huge cranes and huge trucks instead of men mining.
This is an ecological disaster, causing flooding, many health issues, rising Asama rates
The facts.
1lb. coal= 1kwHr.=1.5 lb. co2
1 KwHr.= one 100 w bulb for 10 hours

What can we do?
Change your bulbs
New energy star appliances
Turn off all chargers and power sucking appliances, power strips make this easy.
Conserve heat and cooling with insulation.
Seal up windows and doors with weather stripping
Change your mind!

Jeff is now working on a new film "Peddling for a dream" biking across America.
Jeff

2008-10-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

On Thursday's show,
Kelly Rivas and Deborah talk on Prop 7
"Requires all California utilities to meet renewable energy production standards that will help put California on the path to energy independence. Utilities will be required to produce electricity from solar and clean energy resources in the following percentages: 20% by 2010, 40% by 2020, and 50% by 2025. Replace half of the fossil fuels used for electricity generation in California with clean energy technologies such as solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and small hydro. Does not raise taxes or have any fiscal impact on the state budget. Unlike today, all utilities -- including municipally owned utilities like Los Angeles Department of Water and Power -- will be required to comply with renewable energy laws. The Solar and Clean Energy Initiative creates high tech jobs and grows California's economy. Construction and maintenance workers on clean energy plants will be paid a prevailing wage. Solar electric plants generate between 160% and 720% more jobs than a natural gas fired plant."
Some interesting sites,

www.yeson7.net

Website about fast-track permitting timeline for caller Spencer:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/6-MONTH_12-MONTH_SPPE_PROCESS.PDF

Blog explaining opposition:

http://confusedinsolarcalifornia.blogspot.com/

California Secretary of State Website for campaign expenditures:

http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1304245&session=2007&view=late1

Personally I just don't know yet!
I'll be Googling both sides in the weeks to come.
This issue needs more investigation.
Jeff

Wednesday

2008-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Nina Simmons joined us by telephone,
Nina is Co-Founder and co-producer Bioneers’ annual conference.
This year, she began co-teaching a workshop called Cultivating Women’s Leadership,
to brainstorm about envisioning a broad progressive women’s movement with environment at its heart. The gathering served as an incubator, resulting in the formation of CodePink: Women for Peace.
She previously served as president of Seeds of Change.
In 2002 Nina produced a retreat for diverse women leaders called UnReasonable Women for the Earth, to brainstorm about envisioning a broad progressive women’s movement with environment at its heart.
In 2006, she and her husband and partner Kenny Ausubel, (also Bioneers Co-Founder, and co-produced Bioneers’ annual conference), were awarded the Green Cross Millennium Award for Community Environmental Leadership.

What can we do?
Inspire people to innovate, reinvent, redesign and transform.
Stay connected with your joy, don't freak-out, follow your joy, follow your passion.
The Environment is the mother of all innovation.
Use your 10 year goggles.
Find Indigenous knowledge, localization is the key.
Story telling works well, reach into their own experiences,
Kill your TV, I did!
Jeff

Wow

2008-10-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., is a writer, Seedsman, lecturer and world-renowned conservation scientist. He is the outgoing Director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, where he catalyzed the Canyon Country Fresh regional food initiative (())on the Colorado Plateau.
Gary Paul Nabhan is Director, Center for Sustainable Environments, and Tenured Professor, Applied Indigenous Studies and Environmental Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, his alma mater.

Gary Nabhan, Where our Food Comes From, In his book, he weaves together Nikolai Vavilov's extraordinary story with his own expeditions to Earth's richest agricultural landscapes and the cultures that tend them.
Has keynoted over 100 national and international research and conservation conferences in 6 countries and 43 states, has guest-lectured at 40 universities and colleges
I found 72 books that he has written that seem to be in print, one that caught my eye, Tequila!: A Natural and Cultural History

Gary Paul Nabhan, prize-winning author and naturalist, lives in Flagstaff. He is the director of conservation biology at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and cofounder of Native Seeds.

Gary is Speaking in Capitola Nov 13 Book cafe

He is also speaking at The Bioneers conferance oct. 17-19 and Green Festival in SF

Wild Farm Alliance and Roots of Change were also mentioned, got more info.

Monsanto investigation book Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods

Seed diversity is a strategy for survival.
32 countries are having food riots NOW, due to too little food
Corn meal has doubled in a year and a half, HERE
There are 1200 types of apples, not many in the stores/farmers markets I've been to find.
There are 1000 foods in danger of being extinct, due to processing and shipping problems
Local food management seems to be the ticket to bio-diversity
Farmers are generally dynamic, responding to adversity, natural obstacles and global warming.

What can we do?
Get involved
Garden at home
Buy fair trade items
Use your local Farmers market

Jeff

Politics today

2008-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our scheduled guest was unable to be with us today.
Instead, we have Robert Cruickshank in studio. E-mail him Robert@calitics.com
Talking about politics is not a "normal" topic for Tomorrow Matters.
Politics does play a big role in being green.
Robert is the Acting Media Director for the
Monterey County Democrats.
Monday is the first day to vote "get out the vote" Early voting Now, Monterey County Election Department, 1370 B South Main St., Salinas
We now have 1 month to vote, compared to 1 day in previous years.
Michael Moore says, ask friends and neighbors if they are registered to vote.
His movies online (slacker uprising)(election day the movie.com)
Lots more young people are registering than ever before. (20% increase?)
We seem to agree that election day should be a paid holiday!
Voter guide http://montereycountydemocrats.org/
More Info. http://www.smartvoter.org/

What can we do?
Get involved, put pressure on our elected officials.
Vote with your dollars.
Talk to your family, friends and neighbors as partners.
Shop sustainably and locally.
Community gardens, barbaques etc. to bring people together
Get involved in your community.
Phone banking?
Be a poll watcher or worker, help non-mobile persons to get to and from the polls, observe counting See ?
Defend your rights, VOTE!

Jeff

Manyrivers Collective

2008-10-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Kristen ManyRivers and Kem White of Manyrivers Collective joined us by telephone
Manyrivers Collective is a rainwater harvesting business in Santa Cruz County. Partner Kem White is an ecological landscape artist, accomplished herbalist and mother.

Collection, filtering, conveying water(pumping)and site specific storage are some of the hurdles they overcome at Manyrivers Collective

The solar pump mentioned is very cool.

Potters for peace

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (Vol. 1): Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life And Landscape

Here comes the rain and I'm not ready!

24" annuel rainfall
1000 sq.ft. roof
12,600 gallons of rain water each year.
The complex that I work in is around 80,000 sq.ft.
My math may be a little off, but I came up with 720,000 gal!
That's a lot of water!!! Where am I going to put it all?

What can we do?
Shower with a friend, turn off water when soaping.
Water when it's cool outside to prevent evaporation.
Check your water system for leaks.
Support small farms that manage water well.

Jeff

Bill McKibben

2008-10-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Bill McKibben joined us from an Dulles Airport DC, he has written a powerful book "Deep Economy"
"In this powerful and provocative manifesto, Bill offers the biggest challenge in a generation to the prevailing view of our economy."
Bill is also the founder of the step-it-up foundation,and is also involved in 350.org
350PPM maximum carbon in our air (At 387PPM now) 275PPM safe(history)
Bill has 12 books I can find!
Another book, "The Bill McKibben Reader"

More books from Bill
Bill is a frequent contributor to various magazines
What can we do to help?
We need vast changes in near no time
Build a movement
Organize locally and post to Internet for world viewing,
Change politics locally,
energy Centralizing, Local food,
Local currencies, local purchases,
Manufacturing back to locals,
Smaller families,
Manage decline gracefully.

Next week is ride-share week, so carpool as much as possible!

Jeff

Shoshone sisters

2008-10-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

George and Beth Gage joined us by phone.
Playing at the Bioneers conference film fest, the film "Our Land, Our Life."
"Carrie and Mary Dann, two elderly Shoshone sisters, are engaged in a thirty-year battle for rights to their own land."
"This is a film that reveals shocking information about crimes that continue to be committed against Native Americans."

1974 Feds seized land, rounded up livestock, let animals starve to death!
1863 treaty "peace and friendship" of (16 million acres)ruby valley, the feds needed passage through the land.

Bureau of Land Management said Shoshones were tresspassing!and they owed US big money!
Shashone shared lands, feds say no, your over grazing
Massive round-ups from early 90's to 2004
over 1000 heads stolen by BLM, Horses dieing from starvation.
Yucca mountain (NV) AKA Snake mtn. is holy land with burial grounds and other ritual areas.
Land grants for big business interests, Nuclear waste depository and mining for gold.
US sued Carrie and Mary, went to the Supreme court, determined to have lost land.
In 2006 UN decided in favor of the Indians, human rights violation
2006 Geneva visit, went positive, Hope, validation from delegation
US gave no positive response still disagrees with the UN
What can we do to help?
wsdp.org
Spread the word about the film,
Look deeply for the truth, learn about others,
Vote!!!!!
Public support/outcry
Participate in gatherings
Be aware that Shoshone rights are still being steeped on so badly.
Special rules for indigenous peoples?

Jeff

A GREATER VISION

2008-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, Dr. Marylou Shockly,, Chair of the School of Business at CSUMB , joined us in studio. she is also a Board member of Shipper-Grower Foundation
More info
And more info
"A GREATER VISION: THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE STEWARDSHIP
Friday, October 3, 2008 from 9:00am-Noon FREE/donation
"Join us for a discussion defining sustainability from legislative and economic perspectives as well as the future of local agriculture and careers in that field."
For reservations for the seminar call the CSUMB Special Events hotline 831-582-4001, or email specialevents@csumb.edu.

Another resource mentioned by Marylou, Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business.

Did you realize that Agriculture is a 3 billion dollar industry locally?

What can WE do???
It's a great time to support local Agriculture
Express yourself to politicians
Vote!!!
Attend forums
Get involved

Jeff

Urban Re-Vision

2008-09-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Mondays show,
Stacy Frost, Founder of Re:Vision joined us by telephone

From harnessing Kids power at play, to gravity powered lighting, Re:vision is challenging people through "COMPETITIONS FOR VISIONARY THINKERS"

"Growing people, not buildings"

"Why Re:Vision? It’s about seeing the world in a different way. It’s about seeing yourself differently...full of big ideas and new possibilities."

Making WHAT IF, WHAT IS.

Check out Re-vision TV

Recommended reading from Stacy

Enjoy!

Jeff

United Nations Foundation

2008-09-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Reid Detchon joined us by phone and Larry Levine in studio.

Clinton Climate Initiative participant Reid Detchon is Executive Director of Energy and Climate at the United Nations Foundation.

Larry Levine President of United Nations Foundation, Monterey Bay Chapter joined us.

Reid is the key note speaker at the Steinbeck forum this Wednesday.

100% renewable energy in 10 years? A great target!

Jeff

2008-09-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

Wed, Sep 24,

Walker Wells, AICP LEED AP,Director of the Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Communities Program
Global Green USA is based in Santa Monica, CA.

Urban planner, Walker will be speaking at West Coast Green this weekend

New Orleans project has received AMEX prize

His book is Blueprint for greening affordable housing

and his book, LEED for neighborhoods

We need a value shift to sustain World wide water security, nonproliferation of WMD's, promote Global literacy, Green affordable housing, recycling and promote social justice

His blog

Jeff

A double header

2008-09-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

First, today is earth overshoot day.....(Tuesday)
Now, on with the show
Douglas Atkins, Ed.M., joined us in the studio.
He is the Executive Director of Chartwell School in Seaside, Cal.
LEED platinum rated, Green Building Rating System™ (57 points out of a 69 points max) Very few school in Ca. attain such a lofty goal
Chartwell School's 25 years in the making, in their new location for 2 years
google map (check out terrain map)
Sunlight, indoor air quality control and comforts are a big part keeping students attention, a comfortable place to be, A wise investment in education
Gardens, culinary arts, science, composting with sustainability are taught, absentee rates seem to be down.
"The solar system is expected to produce more than 53 million Watt-hours of electricity per year and will offset the production of 54,000 pounds of CO2 annually, the same as planting 8 acres of trees."

Call for tours
Outreach program is available for your community and your kids
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools
________________________________________________
On our second half hour, David Cross founder of SG blocks joined us by phone.
There are 45 million containers in use or storage in the US alone.
Each container makes 24-30 trips before they are recycled (bottles and cans wish)
Each container can be loaded or unloaded from a ship every 90 seconds.
Shipping containers get left behind due to our shipping heavy goods and receiving light goods.
As you can imagine, relying on containers as building materials, the closer to shippers the better, less shipping!!
Homes are built 20-40% faster than traditional homes, that means big savings.
There are some other perks. (natural disaster resistant)
At this point in time, 4 stories is the extent of height testing, soon to be 9 stories.
Check out the Harbinger house at West Coast Green(SJ) ,
Made of 5 shipping containers, It will be touring the states, yes, it gets built and rebuilt many times.
In case you need to move, finished home can be packed up and moved very quickly, instead of just tearing it down.
Some specifics, I am impressed!!!!
320 square feet every 15 Min.
Value-Cycling™.
Hurricane resistant
This looks, to me, like Lego's on steroids

Jeff

2008-09-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

On Monday's show,

Architect Carol Venolia, Professor of eco-development at Dominican Univ. of Ca. in San Rafael.
www.dominican.edu
She also pens a Column for Natural Homes Magazine
www.naturalhomemagazine.com
Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner have written "Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House".

Quite an extensive book that contains numerous ways to remodel the house you have, into a beautiful and comfortable home, recycling all along the way.

"Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House" will show you how to start with the home you have and transform it into an eco-paradise—on any budget.

More information and to View excerpts from the book.
www.naturalremodeling.com (home site)

Support sustainability in your community!!! Buy "Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House": from your local independent book store or buy on line here;
www.buildersbooksource.com

Heat and light from the sun,
cooling from shade and breezes,
what a concept!!

Bring Your Home into Harmony with Nature!!!

Jeff

Pat Murphy talks about peak oil

2008-09-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

"My friends/Guys...Gals"

On Friday's show Deborah had the pleasure of interviewing Eugene R. "Pat" Murphy via telephone, it was eye opener to say the least!

Pat travels extensively , engaging people to begin the process of using our resources more effectively and reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

Deborah and Pat discussed Cuba's dilemma when the Russians cut off almost
all of Cuba's fuel supply.

A great explanation of Cuba's crisis, and how it is a scary parallel to our current situation. "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil."is available for $20.00 plus shipping here;
http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php

The link below is not to Pat's film, but it may spark more interest in our situation.

(Less than 10 min.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCiHpPkp3pU&feature=related

Pat has written a book, "Plan C" on this subject for you readers.
I'm sure a local book store will have it/can get it for you if not,
It can be found here for $19.95 at;
http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3992
Looks like a great bit of info on the blog too.

As you can see, I'm new at this, any comments are appreciated.

Jeff

Make Your House Cozy!

2008-09-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House is with us today.

During architecture practice she noticed the money and quality issues of building new houses were overwhelming.
Susanka found that her definition of home comes from the character of the space rather than the size.

When designing a home do you look for sustainable materials?

Absolutely. Luckily conferences like West Coast Green are inspiring and providing sources for fabulous educational opportunities.
Sarah will be speaking at West Coast Green this September 25-27Th.

It's incredible how we assume walls are there for good. Susanka says we should not be daunted by a wall.

Tear it down! Make your house cozy! Take a look at the rooms where you spend the least time in, and change what is keeping you from being comfortable in that room.

Be sure to check out Sarah Susanka at West Coast Green later this month.

Thanks for listening today!

Olana

Stand up and Make Your Voice Heard!

2008-09-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

1 Sky are a solutions based group working towards creating 5 million green jobs, and reducing global warming gasses by 80% by 2050.

What can we do to reach those goals?

Energy efficiency and conservation through future-fitting our buildings, vehicles, and moving away from a carbon base fuel economy.

It's shocking in our carbon crisis we are still getting an outcry to continue drilling for more oil, when clearly that is not the solution.

Clean energy, less expensively produced, is what we need to seek out.

Is all of this possible?

Yes, we can live enjoyable, productive and positive lives without having such a consumer based society.

What's the tipping point?

The science community points towards 650 million refugees, massive spreading of disease, and devastating climate change impacts.

However, the other tipping point is NOW! Between us all here, ready to participate in change right now. This isn't the problem of someone else. It is ours!

What does Gillian think about our president candidates?

Both have plans sketched out to reach reductions in ecological impact:
Obama by 80% and McCain by 60%

At this stage there is no such thing as clean coal. 1 Sky does not support Nuclear power.

1 Sky has a list where you can sign up and become part of the e-advocacy campaign. They are hoping to expand their current list enormously.

Log on to Green Jobs Now to let our representatives know that the U.S. is ready for green and clean energy jobs.

1 Sky is sent to inspire people to participate in out political system. We are privileged to be able to vote, and voice our opinions. Let's do it!

Thanks Gillian, and thank you all for listening!

Olana

Let's Change by Design, not by Default

2008-09-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Annie Leonard, host of The Story of Stuff is with us today. The Story of Stuff is a 20 minute video that takes a look at our consumption patterns in the U.S. After spending 10 yrs. with Green Peace studying waste Annie gained a lot of knowledge. The process starts with extraction, then production, then distribution, then consumption, then disposal. Our global overshoot day has been inching forward and forward. It's taking longer and longer to replenish our capital.

Where did this all begin?

Advertising is one big reason.

We need to focus on valuing quality over quantity. We can refuse to participate in such a wasteful production & consumption system.

What about the encouragement to go spend money, boost the economy, etc?

Community building, sharing, and civic engagement should replace all this time spent shopping. Annie recommends changing by design, not by default.

As a society, we should be measuring our success by genuine progress, not corporate profit. If we did so things would all be a bit different.

It's rare that we think about the roots of where a product comes from. Think back, all the way to the mining of the metal. The actual cost of these products is far, far more then what we are spending at the cash register. In the U.S. the amount of happiness per unit of natural resources consumed is very inefficient.

What is incineration all about?

Three strong reasons why Annie opposes these:

1. Horrible toxic pollution.
2. Destroys valuable resources.
3. They are waste addicts. They require a constant stream of waste to keep burning.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of incinerator proposals in the U.S. Luckily, Gaia is taking serious measures to fight them. take a look at BAN as well.

What can we do?

Annie has 10 little and big things we should do. the first three are below, and you can find the rest on The Story of Stuff, which has been viewed by 4 million people as of now.

1. Change your light bulbs and your paradigm.
2. Recycle our trash and our elected officials. Lets take back our government.
3. Park your car and walk, and if you have to, march!

Thanks so much to Annie, and thank you all for listening!

Olana

Not Just a Pretty Face

2008-09-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face, is here with us today. Stacy has been working in the field of environmental health, and then began launching a research and advocacy effort. At age 17, before getting on the school bus, Malkan was exposing herself to over 200 chemicals. 17 carcinogens and 30 plus hormone disrupting chemicals.
Found was that certain chemicals phthalates (hormone disrupting specifically testosterone)exist in higher levels in women. After testing many products, phthalates were found in 70% of them. Shampoo, creams and other body products. Products that have "fragrance" tend to have phthalates. Males are also at risk.

The FDA doesn't have the power to oversee the cosmetic industry, unfortunately. That type of regulation doesn't exist in cosmetics. It's as if the FDA wasn't (until recently) aware that the skin is such an absorbing organ.

Is there a link between breast cancer and cosmetics?
Carcinogens have been found in low levels in all of the products that Malkan tested. Baby Shampoos, body wash, and bubble bath.
High levels of estrogen also leaves breast cancer as a risk, so hormone disrupting chemicals are of concern.

These issues are all connected. Chemicals end up in our streams, our oceans, our agriculture, our dinner plates, our bodies, and our ailments. What to do?

Pink Washing is a term which points a finger at beauty companies which hold pink ribbon events, promoting them selves as friends of the breast cancer victim, mean while using chemicals and carcinogens in their products which are causing breast cancer. What's important is asking the question, how can we stop women from getting this cancer in the first place?

The good news is that their are alternatives! PEG's, Parabens, and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are not necessary and companies are staring to find ways to make the product effective without these harmful chemicals.

There is a database called Skin Deep which helps us to find safer alternatives in body care. Look up the companies you have been using, and see how they rank on the rating system.
Whole Foods now has products with a sticker ensuring a Premium Body Care Standard.

What can we do?

Look at those labels! Share the Skin Deep website with your friends, family, and young girls. Look critically at what the beauty industry is telling us. If you drop a product, let the company know why. Be vocal about your actions!

A couple of Malkan's recommended websites:

Mom's Rising

Teen's for Safe Cosmetics

Stacy can be found at Not Just a Pretty Face.

email her at Stacy@safecosmetics.org.

Thank you Stacy!

Olana

Green is the Only Way to Go!

2008-09-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hunter Lovins has shared some interesting information with us today. Building green increases labor productivity up to 16% because people inside can see better, are more comfortable, and aren't subject to toxic chemicals. You find that these folks actually want to be there, increasing productivity. Money is also saved on energy, because the infrastructure is designed to utilize the elements.

Take a look at Lovin's recommended web sites:

Live Neutral

Presidios School of Management

agenda 21

Have a nice day!

Olana

Save Our Shores

2008-08-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Save Our Shores chatted with us today about the upcoming Coastal Cleanup. Panther Beach is a sight that is in need of volunteers. Also Downtown Santa Cruz, and Garden of Eden are all sights which are in need of participation. Please visit Save Our Shores to participate in the next Coastal Clean Up.

San Jose's Green Vision

2008-08-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Mayor Chuck Reed has a Green Vision for San Jose:

Today we have Colin O'Mara with us to describe some of the visions and goals that San Jose has.

Green Vision Goals:
Within 15 years, the City of San José in tandem with its residents and businesses will:
1. Create 25,000 Clean Tech jobs as the World Center of Clean Tech Innovation
2. Reduce per capita energy use by 50 percent
3. Receive 100 percent of our electrical power from clean renewable sources
4. Build or retrofit 50 million square feet of green buildings
5. Divert 100 percent of the waste from our landfill and convert waste to energy
6. Recycle or beneficially reuse 100 percent of our wastewater (100 million gallons per day)
7. Adopt a General Plan with measurable standards for sustainable development
8. Ensure that 100 percent of public fleet vehicles run on alternative fuels
9. Plant 100,000 new trees and replace 100 percent of our streetlights with smart, zero-emission lighting
10. Create 100 miles of interconnected trails

Colin has shared an event with us on September 10, 2008. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group. You can take MST bus line 55 all the way to San Jose. For more information click here. You can contact Colin at (408) 535-8169.

Very cool! Go San Jose!

Have a great Wednesday,

Olana

The Eco Geek

2008-08-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

When thinking computers:

The first biodegradable computer now exists.

Also interesting and very green is the computer take back program.

Tid bit: If you run google with a black background you save 8% of the energy spent with a white colored screen! Wow. Switch it up today, right here It is so easy...

When thinking televisions:

Visit Kill Your Television. Listen to the Kill Your TV Theme Song!

If you are worried about the TV conversion process, you might need a converter box.

But seriously, just don't do it. Take this as your opportunity to let go of the TV, rent a DVD once in a while, go on an evening walk, and dust off that stack of books that you've been meaning to read.

Seriously, do we really need a tip sheet to give us ideas about what to do with ourselves instead of watching Nip Tuck? If so, here's some tips!

But if you're addicted, we have some help for you.

When thinking styrofoam:

There's a little controversy surrounding the proposed styrofoam ban in Monterey, CA. The American Chemistry Coalition is paying people off to fight the ban because they are deeply invested in the plastics industry. This is upsetting, but we can defeat it! Please write the City Manager and look at the Surfrider Foundation to remember the importance of this styrofoam ban.

Don't forget to get your letter started! I got mine all planned out:)

Address:

City Manager and the City Council and the Planning Commission:
c/o City Clerk
City of Monterey
City Hall
Monterey, CA
93940

Thank You,

Olana

What is Clear?

2008-08-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

What is clear about your life's desire?

As a career counselor Melissa Everett was approached with a graduation pledge involving being a responsible decision maker by not leaving your values at the door of your new workplace.
Making a Living While Making a Difference discusses the impact factor, which asks, "What is the impact you are trying to make?" What is the particular difference you are trying to make?
What are the fields of opportunity? Environmental benefit, health care, from local to global, and then look at a set of professions including the fascinating emerging green industries. Within all theses professions, there are a plethora of supporting jobs that will still need to be filled.

Three categories exist: Entrepreneurs, like the members and founders of NETIMPACT, for example. intrepreneurship, and people who just won't go there at all. There are many different ways to go about finding your niche.

In the process of investigating opportunities, Everett suggests a searching process which connects individuals deeply.
The first step is waking up, getting their life organized for a good foundation.
Secondly, understand yourself and the landscape. Know what moves you and where you would fit in the world. If you tap into a specific movement, you will find a whole group of mentors all working towards making the same difference! Awesome!

When looking for a career, even if you're up against an economic flaw, take a weekend and make little changes to bring your life into balance, in order to go through this process with clarity. Everett encourages people to find something that you can commit to. Find a way to these commitments reciprocal.

When volunteering, it helps you see what is on the horizon. Then you will be inside the arena of work that you want to be a part of. Get on the inside, no matter what it takes! Get in the middle of the field by volunteering with local chapters. You will find that there are so many cool projects waiting for you to assist with.

With time budgets and money budgets you will see how it can all fit. Position yourself so that you see the next stepping stone. Sometimes one organizing principle will take you through an evolution of making a living while making a difference.

How do we market ourselves? Ask employers, "What is it that you need, and how might I be able to help?" Then look at the employers background and performance. Make sure to understand this employer, because it is an exchange. You must support their mission. When working with an organization that shares your values, you can be more honest. Don't only set your intention, manifest your intention, even if it's not to the extent that you strive for.

What is clear about the life you want to create? And what is in the way?

Find Melissa Everett's wonderful book, Making a Living While Making a Difference here.

Thank You ,

Olana

Eco Parenting

2008-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Interview with Lydia Nielsen

What is a Waldorf school?

A school with the vision to honor the spirit in every human being throughout the educational curriculum: Spirit, body and emotional.
There is a nature alter in every classroom, natural fiber toys, and a kindergarten year full of play. They really foster imagination play.

What about the education standards and demands?

It turns out that children do better if allowed to remain in the dreamy state until it becomes academically and developmentally appropriate for them to move on. In the long run, these kids become more self directed in high school, because it hasn't been forced on them far before they were developmentally ready.

Waldorf kids aren't taught to read until 2nd or 3rd grade?

By the time you're sixteen years old, it doesn't matter if you learned to read at age 5 or age 12. It doesn't appear to benefit a child to read any earlier.

Mr. Waldorf also brought about Bio-Dynamic gardening. What is it?

Awareness that energy is coming to earth from the stars at all times. Plants, however, are much more susceptible to the forces of the cosmos. As a gardener this can be kind of overwhelming, so refer to the Stella Natura planting calendar.

Thanks Lydia for sharing your insights with us today!

As always, thanks to the community for listening!

Olana

Labaratory of Democracy

2008-08-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

With us today, author and activist Jane Anne Morris explores efforts by corporations and the courts to undermine local democracy, in her recently published book, Gaveling Down the Rabble.
Free trade is considered "forced trade," and according to Morris it is stealing our democracy.

All kinds of environmental laws are effected by the domestic free trade zone.

Find more information on Poclad.

Jane Anne will be at the Monterey Library Community room tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 to discuss her book. You can email Jane Anne @ Gaveljam@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Thanks for listening!

Olana

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

2008-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I frequently get asked about light bulbs... here's a recent post to the KSBW.com "Ask the Expert: Greening the Central Coast" blog that I contribute to...

We're being urged to buy Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) and discard regular incandescent bulbs because CFLs use less energy; upwards of 75% savings according to Energy Star. Here's a quote from their website:

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

What a simple way to lower your ecological and carbon footprint in one easy step! Imagine if every household, with an average of 10 light bulbs, replaced them with CFLs? Do the math; the savings in money and emissions would be enough to close 80 American coal-fired power plants and 270 plants worldwide according to Lester Brown of the World Watch Institute.

But CFLs have mercury in them and a debate is underway in Congress about their safety, (especially if broken in the home) and proper disposal. The debate arises because even if every CLF broke, the mercury in the atmosphere would be considerably less then the mercury released from a coal-fired power plant used to power non-CFL bulbs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy we emit 104 metric tons of mercury in the air each year from our coal-fired power plants, and all the CLF's, if broken, would release .13 tons of mercury, so it's better for our environment if we go with the CFLs.

Does this make you feel better knowing that if your bulb breaks in our house that you're still on the path to green righteousness when you're being directly exposed to a chemical that could be inhaled and leave you mad as a hatter?

CFLs have 1.5 to 4 milligrams of mercury per bulb... not very much, about as much as would fit on the end of a pin.... but still if the bulb breaks this small amount exceeds the U.S. Federal Guidelines for chronic or long-term exposure. (A broken bulb, properly cleaned up would not constitute long-term exposure.) Still, Mercury isn't one of those chemicals you want to linger around... even in small amounts mercury can have health risks to children, pregnant woman and elders as it can cause damage to organs and the central nervous system.

It’s also important to note that it is against the law in California to dispose of CLFs in regular trash, they must be disposed of at your local Hazardous Waste Facility but not without consequences. Jeff Lindenthal, from the Monterey Regional Waste Management District, says it costs .55 per CFL bulb to recycle and has caused a 23% increase in expenses this year with no state funds to match the mandate. As an FYI, Home Depot is now recycling used CFLs nationwide. I suggest putting them in double plastic bag before dropping them off.

So, what to do? What to do?

Well, the ultimate choice would be to switch to LED bulbs...or Light Emitting Diodes. They have up to 40,000+ hours of useful life, no mercury, and produce more light. BUT they’re much, much more expensive; easily 10- 20x more expensive then incandescent bulbs... Check out http://www.superbrightleds.com for pricing info.

So, it’s a situation where you need to decide what’s right for your own family. Me, I go with CFL’s and clean up very carefully using the mercury spill principles outlined here:
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent

But I’m switching to LED’s when I can find a sale on those bulbs, not because of the mercury, but because they’re more efficient.

Local Hero's Speak Up

2008-08-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today, Marilyn and Elsa are here with us from Pesticide Watch. These ladies advocate for keeping our coast healthy. An organization based out of Sacramento, they are here to help advocate and team with courageous citizens campaigning for their communities. Stop the Spray was Elsa's first campaign, and she found the organizations dedication to the cause amazing and inspiring.

Methyl Bromide is the topic on the town in Moss Landing, where Marilyn resides. In fall 2006, she received a notice which ensured that methyl bromide would be applied to the fields directly across the street. So we ask, how did they get permission to use this banned substance? CA government hasn't complied with the Montreal Protocol in which banned this substance. In reality, more of this toxic substance has been distributed. Unfortunately, "emergency permits" for use of such pesticides are given more frequently than not. So next time you see a field covered with plastic, turn your nose and start writing some letters to your local officials.

Once Marilyn realized the severity of methyl bromide, their neighborhood joined forces, found a lawyer, and started protesting. The farmers were still going to go ahead with it, but a certain farmer decided he preferred not to make enemy's with neighbors, so he moved 1,000 ft away and continued use of the methyl bromide.

If Methyl Bromide is inhaled in high doses for a short period of time, risks include but aren't limited to:
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, acute mania, bronchitis, pneumonia, eye damage from vapors, respiratory disease, can stunt intellectual development, and even cause death.

This fumigation occurs once a year, but causes permanent damage. Therefore, when the spraying occurs, people are put out of their homes to avoid such extreme risks. You can imagine the difficulty of living in one of these areas.

How can we access information about what is being sprayed, and where?
First off, Marilyn and Elsa suggest calling the Agricultural Commissioners office in Monterey County and ask them what is being sprayed. Although they will try to avoid giving you this information, they have to. We realize that this is a backwards process, but we can start the process of change by first gaining the knowledge, then approaching these agencies and start taking action.

Methyl Bromide is going into the atmosphere, running off into streams, going into the oceans and the air, and taking a toll on the health of our citizens.

What can we do? How can citizens gather the strength to deal with these large agricultural corporations and their dangerous fumigation practices?

1) Know where your food comes from. Get your produce from a trusted CSA.

2) Write letters, call the governor, and demand that they discontinue using Methyl Bromide and related chemicals.

Contact Elsa@pesticidewatch.org, and visit the Pesticide Watch website.

Thank You,

Olana

The Pelican Purpose

2008-08-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

Today we have Jack from the Pelican Network, which has about 5,000 household members. Pelican Network is a team of people networking together to restore native plants, do creek restoration, and help all kinds of disrupted natural habitat. Jack's job is to connect resources with people who are inclined to help.
Where did "Pelican" come from?
The symbol of pelican represents humans caring about their home and environment. At one point Pelican's were almost wiped off the planet, but a few were found in the Sea of Cortes, and they made it through. Pelicans are a great example of what people can do when they love and understand. A symbol of charity.
The Coastal Trails Project is a way of learning through your own encounter with the coast. In the 1970's the CA Coastal Act was passed, ensuring that everyone will have access to their coast. The biggest challenge has been Big Sur, because of the terrain, and it is still a work in progress. This part of the trail building has involved residents in the designing of the trail. This model is unique to the Big Sur area, as design of coastal trails usually involve a long, drawn out, bureaucratic process. The beauty of this process is the fact that the trail has been divided into six sections in which residents team up to design. This project is predicted to be completed within a year, however the Big Sur fire has set them back and caused them to rethink mudslide issues, etc. The Coast Property Owners Association bring funds together, and bring resources, experts and help out during such challenged situations.

During Gold Mining a horribly polluting process takes place, and The Forest Service was allowing this process. During Jack's work at the Klamath River he learned that the Natives were upset because of the destroyed fish habitat, and land devastation. The Pelican Network helped put the word out about the situation, resulting in an amazing response by citizens. The permit to continue mining was denied due to Pelican Networks efforts, which was one of their greatest accomplishment. Go Pelicans!

We asked John what everyday people can do in their lives? Yes, it is important to understand ethics when it comes to things like off shore drilling. There is a hysteria about fuel cost, and we are confused about the appropriate answer. We must join hands with others and work towards what is appropriate, finding and utilizing renewable energy sources. As citizens Jack suggests that we can get together with others and discuss topics in which you really care. Take some notes about where your concerns lye, and then take steps towards changing and improving these situations.
It is very rewarding to find that we are capable of making change. And sharing in dialog is where it all begins.

What's going on with the Celebrate Big Sur Project?
Jack and others are inviting everyone to come to Big Sur to celebrate their renewal. Let's GO! Lets help celebrate their recovery after the fire. They need us, and we need Big Sur.
You can reach Jack at Pelican Network, by calling (831)667-2025. Leave him a voice mail with your address and he'll send you a personal invitation to Big Sur.

Thanks as always for your comments.

Thank you for listening,
Olana

Mules or Mercedes?

2008-08-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lets start biking and get these vehicles off the streets!

Take a look at:

Sunday Streets SF

take a look at these pictures of sharrow's.

So...No Salmon?

2008-07-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Steve Scheiblaur, Harbor master of the Monterey Marina, gives us his perspective on the health of the oceans. Commercial fisherman are affected by the close of the salmon season. In Monterey, many of the 74 fishing boats would be salmon fishing if the season was open. Now they are trying to find other areas to fish. Today there is less room for people to do so, because fishing management has applied new concepts, such as limited entry.

Steve agrees it was a wise idea to close the salmon season. No one really argued against it even if their livelihood depend on it. Commitment to the health of the resource. Fisherman is the only variable that the state can control.

But what are the root causes?
Some oceanographic conditions, such as urban development and habitat issues at the Sacramento Delta System.

Salmon are enormous multiplier's so one salmon's value is huge for the entire community. Restaurants, waiters, hotel stays by fisherman, the fisherman's income and many other links which generate income due to that one salmon- are lost when the salmon season is closed. It's one huge cycle.

The Sacramento Delta has a lot of habitat issues. Here in Monterey, there seems to be some issues as well. Coastal streams throughout CA have been experiencing a lot of issues, which local organizations are trying to take care of. In Sacramento there is a process under way envisioning a healthier Sacramento Delta plan.

Steve discusses the ocean's resilience, which he is thankful for. Right now we have a great abundance of sardines. Steve isn't really aware of a negative chain reaction stemming from a lack of salmon, as he feels that it is cyclical.

How can citizens take responsibility for the lack of this prestigious fishery?
Pressure legislature to have a longterm financial commitment for improving the Sacramento Delta and the salmon habitat.

How does the fishing infrastructure affect the fishing industry? The industry is reliant on all the systems which make fish available to us at our market place.

Is over fishing occurring? Overfishing means that you are fishing at a level beyond the legal 40% of their stock level. Some species rebound quickly when over-fished, but others take up to 40 yrs to regenerate. Internationally, there is over-fishing occurring, and that's what we should be focusing on.

Steve recommends using a the Seafood Watch guide to make healthier fish buying choices. Steve says, overall, make sure you are buying fish locally caught, and locally sold.

You can reach Mr. Scheiblaur at Scheibla@ci.monterey.ca.us for any questions.

On the Green Scene:
The tall ship, Bounty, is arriving on wharf 2 in Monterey. Today through Sunday it will be open for public tours. Check it out!

Thank yo u Steve Scheiblaur for sharing with us today, and as always thanks for listening! As always feel free to leave your comments here.

Construction in a Meaningful Context

2008-07-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

What business is here to empower and share, bring economic justice, and encourage cultural diversity? Carmel Building and Design. Rob Nicely from Carmel Building and Design is with us today to discuss his business philosophy. When deciding how to run his business he was aware that the quality of life of employees was priority, as well as the outcomes for the community. As they expanded he noticed the importance of taking responsibility for all the resources used throughout the building process. How can we honor the materials used? Green building lead Carmel Building and Design to be more efficient, and less resource and energy intensive. They honor the people and the resources involved in the process. In the beginning, Nicely asked himself,"How can we make a meaningful context for doing construction?" The proof is in the pudding at Carmel Building and Design.

Nicely tells us about his work with the chamber of commerce. He began a sustainability committee within the chamber. They have recruited many people to work with them, with a list of solid objectives. "Green" is getting market share, and many businesses are acting in those areas, and the chamber is responding to the various green demands. Nicely read us the mission and vision statement of the sustainability committee, and it is right on! Nice work, Nicely.

Nicely recommends a Leadership Monterey Peninsula class, in which he just graduated from. For his final project they created a Wiki chalk full of Green resources within Monterey Peninsula. Wiki's are databases which can be updated by people who read them. It is an on going, open source format, and therefore as democratic as possible.
Another organization that Nicely is involved with is Build It Green. This organization encompasses all the stakeholders needed to get Green building projects off the ground. It is a residential based certification, and their short-term goal is to facilitate the greening of 10,000 housing units by the end of 2008. Wowza!

Last minute notes from a show full of info:

On the Green Scene: Nicely suggested an Alternative Building Exposition coming up this October in Santa Cruz.

Monterey Bay Sustainability Coalition is trying to create metrics to measure whether or not we have a environmentally and socially sustainable community. This concept, "The Triple Bottom Line" measures success beyond profit. Amen to that!

Take a look at the educational classes offered by AMBAG.

Step Up to Green is an up and coming project Nicely is involved with. The plan is to create a list of guidelines which will recommend things each individual can do to greenify their homes. Check back for updates.

Nicely highly suggests:
The Next Industrial Revolution by William McDonough, and Michael Braungart.

Thank you so much for sharing all of those valuable resources with us Mr. Nicely.
As always thank you to our listeners, and have a wonderful day!

Olana & Deborah

Clean Air Everywhere!

2008-07-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

Hunter Harvath from Monterey Salinas Transit was with us today. In early August MST plans to harvest some mustard seed which should create enough bio diesel to power one of their buses for an entire year. This project is sure to prove successful. It also shows how much of the seed would need to be planted to convert MST entirely to bio diesel. They do, however, plan to power all of their buses with 20% bio diesel which will reduce co2 emissions by 10-20%. Look on the MST website to find out about BIO-Easy, a workshop being held to demonstrate the bio diesel process.

Plug in Buses are a possibility in the future, however MST has six years before the will have to replace their buses. In six years, depending on technology, purchasing or retrofitting their current buses into plug in electric powered buses is a possibility. Wouldn't that be cool! Zero emissions whatsoever! Well we certainly hope that will happen in our near future. Hunter tells us that MST also plan to make their buses more bike friendly, with room to carry more bikes. At the bus stop shop down town Monterey, MST will be providing workshops to help riders become secure with bringing their bikes on board, etc. Please visit the One Stop MST shop down town Monterey. To conserve the energy of stopping and going, MST has also proposed fewer stops with longer distances between stops.
Hunter reminds us to be sure to take the Big Sur line down to Big Sur, now that they are back in business. Thank you Hunter!

Monthly Business Review:

Kevin Scherschligt from Clean Air Lawn Care, based out of Carmel spoke with us today. Clean Air Lawn Care uses 100% electric equipment, powered by wind and solar energy. Traditionally, lawn care businesses use gas lawn mowers, which dump carbon emissions and are completely inefficient and horribly polluting. CALC uses simple electric powered lawn mowers. 10% of total air pollution comes from lawn care. CALC would like to change this. CALC is completely carbon neutral. They have solar panels on their trucks to charge throughout the day, but plug in to the grid at night purchasing offsets to maintain the purity of the company. Traditional mowers cause air and noise pollution, and spill a lot of oil. Clean Air Lawn Care aspire to change that, and they are already well on their way!

They use Newton Mowers which are all cordless electric and cut wonderfully. Even their weed-wackers are less noise polluting, comparable to a hair dryer in noise level. Contact Clean Air Lawn Care or call (831) 541-5510 to get your service started! Scherschligt asks that we join him in his mission to eliminate gas powered lawn mowers.

As always thank you for listening, and have a great weekend!

Olana & Deborah

Pre-Screened Green

2008-07-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Deborah and Spencer reviewed the Plug In Conference today. Their favorite part included the information about converting school buses to be battery powered electric motors.
However, the conference was lacking in conversion kits for cars. Many new vehicles were presented which include new electric technology, yet they are new...and there are enough cars already in existence. Some innovative vehicles can be found at Zap World and at Green Transporter.
Spencer shared an interesting tidbit with us. Did you know that a 1987 Geo Metro can get 75 miles to the gallon if driven correctly. Keep this in mind when car company's try to fool us that the technology doesn't exist to make vehicles more efficient; because clearly it existed even back in the eighty's. There seems to be a suspicion that the evolution of efficiency in vehicles is going backwards, while the evolution of comfort and style continues forthright. What's up with that? To contact Spencer with more details about his electric bike, email him at info@lindsaydigital.com.

During the second half of the show Lydia Corser from the Green Space in Santa Cruz, CA joined us for our monthly business review. The Green Space prides itself on providing the greenest of all products available in any given category. Products include flooring, paint, adhesives, bedding, plaster, and much more. The business's criteria is wide, as Lydia feels it is important to pre-screen items. Is it biodegradable? Made of recycled materials? Is there toxic chemicals in it? Is it locally made?

Also held at The Green Space are plastering workshops, a space for meetings, and guest speakers. Monthly Ecology Action Presents; Cool Ideas, Green Drinks. Friday August 15Th, 5:30-8:00 PM join Lydia at The Green Space for this forum for creative solutions and critical thinking about climate change and sustainability.

Thanks for listening and feel free to comment!

Worm Box Composting

2008-07-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today we visited with Kimberle Herring, a public education coordinator with Monterey Regional Waste Management. Herring spoke with us about worm-composting with worm boxes. In short, Red Wriggler worms make fertilizer by eating our garbage. The worm boxes are available at the Last Chance Mercantile. Also available are pamphlets explaining the process, and tours of the demonstration garden.

Worms prefer to eat certain things: No meat, dairy or citrus peals. They enjoy a little grit in the box, and melon seems to be their favorite food. These boxes work easily on porches, balcony's, or even under your kitchen sink. They are comfortable in temperatures ranging from 45-85 degrees. To prevent fruit flies, Herring suggests layering the top with 2-3 inches of shredded newspaper. If it's too late, you can leave the lid off of your box for 10 minutes a day and let them fly away. Or, a small dish of apple cider vinegar will attract and end the infestation.

Kimberle Herring will be at the Solar Home Tour on September 27th, giving composting demonstrations. She also suggests Mary Applehof's book, titled Worms Eat My Garbage. To learn more you can look online at the California Waste Management site, and at Worm Farming Secrets. Also, please look at Monterey Waste Management District for great resources, like where you can find your worms, and your Wriggle Ranch worm boxes to get started.

Thank you so much Kimberle for sharing with us today! As always, thanks for listening and feel free to leave comments.

Olana & Deborah

We Can Solve it, Euro Style.

2008-07-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our guest today was Juliet Johnson, sustainability director for Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. She spoke with us about a Green Energy Tour throughout Europe, in which she just returned from.
Some recommended sights to look in to.

Bedzed which is zero-fossil fuels housing development in Europe.

The Eden Project

Industrial Symbiosis Institute in Denmark.

Lets live up to Al Gore's challenge. We can solve the climate crisis within ten years, omitting fossil fuels and replacing with renewable energy.

Juliet also suggests looking up Samso, Sweden, an island which has accomplished a goal quite similar to Gore's challenge.

Thank You Juliet, and thanks for listening.

Olana & Deborah

Eco Geek Product Review

2008-07-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Tested for today's show was the Sink Positive. This water saving device filters fresh water into a lovely little sink above your toilet tank before running it into the toilet. This system provides two uses for the same water, which is wonderful. It seems ludicrous to be putting completely fresh drinking water into our toilets.

Some highlights of the show today included:

We are pleased to announce that Deborah Lindsay will be running for city council in Pacific Grove, CA.

We will be reviewing more products soon!

Happy Monday!

Olana & Deborah

Eco Parenting

2008-07-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Lydia Neilsen, an Eco Parent, spoke with us about raising children with mother earth in mind. Lydia, Permaculture instructor and founder of Dirt Dragon Design, has a third talent, which is raising a seven year old who will inevitably become part of the solution. Already solution minded, this youngster is asking questions, and seeking answers, about new energy sources, sustainability, and alternative fuel powered vehicles.

Neilsen discussed summer travel with children. Tips included were plentiful:

1. Bring your own healthy snacks on the plane, and stay away from sugar to avoid the stir-crazy sensation.
2. Eat something salty to trigger thirst, so that you both stay hydrated.
3. Bring cloth napkins during your travels, and refuse all those paper items. After all, "refuse" is the fourth "R" in "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."
4. Get jazzed about homeopathic methods for ear infections etc, and remember gum for ear popping on planes.

Neilsen answered a difficult question for us. How do you break the bad news to kids, when it comes to today's issues such as climate change, and our dangerous dependency on fossil fuels? She suggests keeping your discussion honest, and solution based as to avoid leaving the child with a sense of hopeless gloom and doom. It is also very helpful to ask them what they think the issue is all about first off, then take a cue from them about how much to elaborate. This approach encourages children to come up with solutions, which they actually tend to enjoy being part of.

Most important:
Let's teach our children not to want things, which is difficult in our consumer based society. It is difficult to get a kid out of a store without a battle for a pretty plastic item. We must provide the ethic of doing rather than buying when raising our kids. Involving children in a project in which you would normally hire someone else to do, such as building shelves, or gardening, proves to be a great learning experience. It is also more rewarding and entertaining to participate in an activity together than simply pulling out the credit card.

Thank you Lydia for joining us today. You can contact her at LNeilsen@earthlink.net for any Eco Parenting questions or comments. And as always, feel free to leave your comments here. Have a great weekend.

Olana & Deborah

Let's Be Ready for Change

2008-07-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our guest Matthew Stein, author of When Technology Fails suggests that those who are responsive to change are those who will survive in this ever changing world. It is equally important for us to be ready for minor to major catastrophe's and also that in the time being we live more self-reliant, sustainable lifestyles.

Stein shared a 12 point "Make the shift to Sustainability" checklist with us. This checklist is available and further explored in his book, of course.

1. Change the tax structure.
2. Rebuild the cities.
3. Rebuild the mass transit systems and roadways.
4. Rebuild offices, factories, and homes to be more energy efficient.
5. Limit population growth.
6. Get off fossil fuels.
7. Support renewable development.
8. Share the wealth with third world countries for conserving resources.
9. Reach out to developing countries. Help them learn from our mistakes.
10. Get away from coal burning.
11. Buy local.
12. Make our business and political decisions based on sustainability.

Stein suggests that this new level of thinking can mirror the 100th Monkey phenomenon by reaching its critical mass and exploding, catching on everywhere, and helping the world to re-prioritize. Matthew Stein encourages us to "do your best to change the world, and be ready for the changes in the world."

Thank you Matthew Stein for speaking with us today, and thanks to everyone who listened and contributed.

Olana & Deborah

Green Love Cast

2008-07-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today at Tomorrow Matters, so much was discussed! We had over ten callers and a lot of enthusiasm about seeds, staph infection, and Obama.

Here are some web resources that were mentioned:

Reneesgarden.com

thepickensplan.com

MIT solar panels

Green tip:

Put pure silicone tablets in your seed containers to store them without moisture risks.

Have a happy Monday!

Olana & Deborah

Peak Moment

2008-07-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Janaia Donaldson from Peak Moment TV was with us today. Locally, Peak Moment TV plays on channel 24 on AMP television. The episodes address "perspectives and initiatives for local self-reliant living in the face of energy, climate, and economic uncertainty."

In the studio today, Janaia and Deborah switched places, giving Deborah a chance to share why she is passionate about Tomorrow Matters. As a mother of two, it is important that she does all that she can and will never have to answer the question of, "Why didn't you do anything, Mom? You didn't do everything you could to make a difference?" Deborah shared some incredible exercises with us that help children understand the intensity of our fossil fuel dependence. My favorite is the lesson plan in which you chart a story of where a can of chicken soup comes from, followed by a discussion about the energy used in the process. I wish we all had the chance to experience these types of lessons as young children.

Thank you Janaia for speaking today! Please visit Peak Moment for more info.

The Future of Food Matters

2008-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Escondido Farmer and sustainable farming consultant, Scott Murray was with us today. Murray Farms and the San Pasqual Academy reap the benefits of his labor. At San Pasqual Academy, the students live on campus, and their campus is a farm. Murray teaches vocational and food-literacy. Fed from the 20 acres of vegetable gardens, these students are being educated in a way to help avoid the U.S. obesity epidemic. Murray informed us today that they are making progress, and the students are becoming inspired throughout the process of growing things such as five different colors of carrots.

We love the idea of food literacy! Teaching school age children how to eat balanced, organic meals is paramount, and it is wonderful that San Pasquale Academy is doing just that. Right on! Murray also pointed out that we cannot assume that everyone knows where their food is coming from.

Organic farming is experiencing its share of challenges as well. On the top of the list is oil prices. Increasing fuel costs means higher food cost. So what can we do? Shop at the farmers market of course; and while you're there, take Scott Murray's advice and give your local farmer a big hug.

Slow Food Nation is coming up at the end of August. Murray recommends this event to learn about a wonderful alternative to fast food. To contact Scott, email him at ScottAMurray@SBCglobal.net.

Thank you all for listening!

Olana and Deborah

Engage in the Change

2008-07-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Our guest today, Frances Moore Lappe, author of sixteen books including Diet For a Small Planet, spoke with us today about the ideas behind her latest, titled: Getting a Grip.

Frances believes that ideas are more powerful than instinct. In general, we are seeing the world through a frame of scarcity, but in reality there is a world of possibility in front of us. Getting a Grip refers to the social order which is defining our system. Our current self-defeating system can be shifted once we all quit blaming- and start taking responsibility for changing a system which produces backwards politicians and injustice.

Her idea of "living democracy," helps relieve our ingrained assumptions of who has power. In reality we all hold the power! Every choice we make, from shopping, to fueling, to dumping, is in fact changing the world. It's up to us whether our impact is positive or negative.

One inspirational reality that Frances shared with us is the Apprentice Citizenship program in Vermont. These K-12 classes take responsibility for teaching our children how to operate within a living democracy, through mediation and negotiation training.

Also inspiring was the story Frances shared with us about a friend who was elected as a city official, despite her initial skepticism. Many of us worry that a lack of finances will prevent us from running, and if this is a worry that woes you, visit Just Six Dollars.

Let's take Frances Moore Lappe's advice and get a grip on climate change. We know what to do, and doing so is not a burden. Living your life with intention through every act feels so good! (and comes highly recommended by us at Tomorrow Matters!)
To contact Frances Moore Lappe, or to learn more information, visit her websites Small Planet, and/or Take a Bite.

As always thanks so much for listening!

Olana and Deborah

The Fruit of the Funghi

2008-07-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today, Mia Rose Maltz, the Co-founder of the Rites Project spoke with us. Mia has been studying mycology, mushroom cultivation and mycorestoration for over ten years. For more information you can contact her at theritesproject@yahoo.com. She will also be holding a Solar Living workshop on August 24, 2008.

Maltz explained the importance of mycelium webs due to there decomposing capabilities. Contaminants such as petroleum will be treated like a food source by the mycelium, which will then produce the necessary digestive enzymes to break the contaminant down. Sooner than later, oil laden soil will have mushrooms, grasses, and insects again. It can replenish and renew with the help of the mycelium, becoming an oasis of life.

Maltz also recommended some great books for the identification of your various fungi. Mushrooms Demystified and All the Rain Promises and More, both my David Aurora will help solve your mushroom mystery. Maltz suggests viewing Paul Stamets website, Fungi Perfecti a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people.

We'd like to thank Mia Rose Maltz for being on the show today. Thanks to our listeners as well!

Olana & Deborah

Peak Oil

2008-07-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Jim Baldauf and Steve Andrews from ASPO-USA joined us today to discuss and educate the public about our global energy supply. Peak oil is the peak of the oils production within a nation. In the U.S. this finite resource took peak in 1970, and began an eventual decline ever since. Peak oil doesn't mean that we are out of oil. It's more of an indication that we are at a halfway point, and should begin saving oil for things that require oil, things that only oil can do.

ASPO-USA assures us that the general trend line for oil prices will continue to be higher. And substitutions from conventional oil will always cost more. With 86 million barrels of petroleum liquids used per day, what can we do to help ourselves through this reliance on inexpensive fossil fuels? Today we are consuming three barrels for every one barrel discovered. Even with smarter drilling techniques, offshore drilling is considered a bad idea by Baldauf and Andrews. It is very expensive, and uncertain because of difficulties predicting how much oil is down there. In the future ASPO-USA say we need to think about efficiency first and foremost.

One great question asked today was, Do we have the time to shift our systems of transportation before it's too late? See The Hirsch Report for further information about our energy uncertainties.

Visit the ASPO-USA conference this September in Sacramento to learn more.

Thank You,

Olana & Deborah

Tending the Wild

2008-07-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Permaculture guru, Benjamin Fahrer was our guest today. He briefly spoke about his evacuation process from the Big Sur fire. Discussed was the possibility of managing fires with fire breaks, smaller fires throughout the year, and plants that can actually help with fires. Fahrer seems optimistic that our nature system will prevail, yet recommends policy changes which will address managing fires differently; by working with them rather than against them. Interesting. If you want to hear more of Fahrer's ideas check out Wise Earth and drop him an email. He highly recommends the book, Tending to the Wild, by Pat Anderson.

We want to give our deepest thanks to the fire fighters and community members who are helping with the Big Sur fire. Please look at Sur Fire 2008 to offer to volunteer, or to find a volunteer, housing or news on the fire.

Thank you to our callers for sharing your stories today. We picked up a great post-fire tip from Jeff, who worked with the Marble Cone Fire in 1977. Apparently burned soil is a great place to scatter seeded Winter rye. It absolutely flourishes!

Thank you for listening, and have a happy, fire-works free 4th Of July. Lets not start any more fires.

Olana and Deborah

Let us be Carbon Free

2008-07-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for joining us today, Rebekah and Steven Hren, authors of Carbon Free Home. The Hren's are on a book tour promoting their innovative collection of remodeling projects, aimed at reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The thirty-six projects are written for a variety of skill levels, and can be integrated into newer building designs as well as renovations.

The Hren's shared a couple renter-friendly projects:
1. Turn down your hot water heaters! Typically they are set around 140 degrees, but will function effectively at 120 degrees.
2. Stevens favorite project is to build a solar oven, which takes further advantage of the California sunshine (if you're local.) Cooking your food with the sun is a beautiful thing!
3. Rebekah enjoys the refrigerator installation project. Insulating your fridge on the outside, with cork, carpet, or a variety of used materials, reduced the fridge's energy use by 20% to 30%. Wow!

For fellow composters: One favorite project for the home owner is to install a bio-digester system which creates and captures methane energy as it's produced, throughout the decomposing process. Check out Carbon Free Home for more info.

The Hren's believe that it is always best to use what you have before investing in something new. This is the "greenest" approach you can take. It is important to get the most out of what we have first and foremost. Tearing down an old home to build a "green" home maybe isn't that "green" after all, eh? What do you think?

One suggestion that we found exciting at Tomorrow Matters is the energy diary. The Hren's suggest keeping a diary as a way to track your home's energy use, to see where it is really going. They have discovered that a lot of energy is used for "phantom loads," or items plugged in while not in use, yet still sucking power.

Carbon Free Home is written in a do-it-yourself style, which cuts the costs of hiring help. Encouraged throughout the book is dumpster diving for materials, or finding used ones through trading or on your street corner We are lucky to have the Last Chance Mercantile at our local waste management center. Rebekah and Steven recommend trying to see the value in what is being thrown away.

In the future the Hren's hope to explore alternative transportation further, through electric biking, and other fossil fuel alternatives. To catch them on their book tour see the Carbon Free website.

Thank you for listening! Feel free to comment with any home improvements that you plan to try, or would like to suggest... to reduce our carbon footprint.

Olana and Deborah

The 11th Hour

2008-07-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Our guest today, Mr. Stephen McGuire, associate producer of The 11th Hour, joined us from Tree Media Group to discuss the film and campaign. The title, The 11th Hour is inspired by the feeling that NOW is our last moment to change or correct our course before global collapse. Tree Media Group and Leonardo DeCaprio's film addresses global issues and their solutions by reaching out to fifty experts throughout the documentary. The discussion on the state of the world and the state of humanity, is now available on DVD. What is it we are doing? Why aren't we changing? In the 11th hour, questions such as these are addressed.

The most wonderful thing about The 11th Hour is that there are solutions! The film is not just another outcry, it is a solution based wake up call created by great minds joined together to spread awareness.

Stephen tells us that Leonardo is intelligent and full of integrity. He is a personal fan of Woody Harrelson's website, Voice Yourself, which includes heaps of green initiatives and encourages community involvement. For more info on Leo DeCaprio's involvement visit his website here.

The 11th Hour team at Tree Media's Campus Tours have been touring U.S. campuses to show the film and spread awareness. Locally they have visited UC Santa Cruz. The campaign's purpose is to share experiences, solutions, and spread awareness of the films insights.

We thank Stephen McGuire for joining us on the show today, and for providing three DVD's for our give away. Thanks, also, to our callers for sharing your green tips with us on air. We hope you enjoy The 11th Hour as much as we did!

Please log on to The 11th Hour Action Campaign to begin taking action now!

Olana and Deborah

Building Like a Tree

2008-06-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Our guest today, Eric Corey Freed, sculpts innovative buildings that embody ecological and social responsibility. Architect, author, and educator Freed can be contacted through his website http://www.organicarchitect.com.
Our show was salted with a variety of topics and ideas! Freed mentioned five most important questions to consider when designing a building.
1. Where does the material come from?
2. What are the by-products as these materials are manufactured?
3. How are the materials delivered and installed?
4. How toxic are these materials?
5. What are we going to do with these materials when we're done with them?

No building system or material will get an A+ in sustainability in all categories. Take one material like bamboo, for example. As incredibly renewable as it is, bamboo still travels all the way from China to the U.S., which increases the carbon footprint.

Eric Freed will be speaking at The West Coast Green conference September 25th-27th. He plans to advise listeners of his "Extremely Unusual Look at Green Building."

Freed told us: If a standard escalator was put on a sensor to start running once someone steps on, and stop when no one is riding, an estimated savings of $6,500 per year and 75% of its total energy use would accumulate. Freed is driven to design buildings that give back. His idea of the zero energy home is a concept in which each home breaks even in its energy use in production, if not producing more energy that it uses. One favorite tip is the idea of the green roof. Planting on roof tops absorbs carbon, produces oxygen, and acts as insulation.

In an average persons home there are some simple changes we can make:
1. Change light bulbs to compact fluorescent.
2. Purchase a programmable thermostat.
3. Place (full) 2 liter water bottles in your toilet tank to displace the same amount of water with every flush.
4. Invest in double pane windows.
5. Our favorite tip involves grey water redistribution with the help of the handy Aqus system, found at watersavertech.com

The older system of building is extremely inefficient, but Freed conceives his designs as if they were inspired by nature. His idea of building like a tree treats the structure of the design like an ornament, with all parts relating to the whole. One of the greater ways to build today, is with SIP or Structural Insulated Panel. Visit West Coast Green to learn more and see a demonstration.

Visit Urban Revision.com to participate in a creative competition making a poster with your vision of the year 2050.

That's it for today!
Happy Monday,

Olana and Deborah

Live Like You Love the Ocean

2008-06-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

Guest speaker J.Nichols from the Ocean Conservancy visited the show today. He reminds us that the ocean can't take it all, like many used to think. Rivers containing runoff from cities, agriculture and the entire world end up in our oceans can cause dead zones, which are repairable once we discontinue poisoning our our waters. The life and diversity of our world's oceans will replenish!
There are three issues we can look at concerning the health of ocean-life.

1. There is too much going in: oil pollutants, mercury and other contaminants.
2. There is too much coming out due to overfishing, and by-catch.
3. Damage in the coastal areas though development, habitat destruction, etc.

In response...We need to implement policies to help protect our oceans!!!
Nichols points out the importance of current Act "Oceans 21," which is legislation concerned with treating the ocean with the care it deserves.

Nichols started a Sea Turtle program called SEE Turtles found at www.seeturtles.org People can sign up to take sea turtle tours in areas where visitors do not harm the turtle habitats, meanwhile helping the coastal communities in which theses beautiful creatures are found. Eco tourism destinations include Baja, Trinidad, and Costa Rica.

In Monterey County Leatherhead Turtles are found. How we fish, what we do with our waste, and what we eat are all factors which determine the health of these turtles. Plastic bags floating in the ocean are easily mistaken for algae and will be consumed by turtles.

Although sustainable seafood can be confusing, one thing is pretty certain. Shrimp require nets sweeping over the ocean floor, killing everything in its path in order to catch this favored commodity. If you simply cannot give it up, PLEASE find sustainable shrimp! Take at look at www.Shrimpsuck.org for more information.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for listening! Feel free to comment.

Olana and Deborah

Fake plastic fish... is that what wil be left?

2008-06-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

Beth Terry, an anti-plastic activist guru from FakePlasticFish.com. Visit this site to find so many resources on how to avoid plastics in your life.

Here are some websites she recommended:
Green Sangha - an environmental spiritual community
Algalita Marine Research Foundation - to find out more on plastics in the ocean.
Take Back the Filter - a citizens action to get Clorox to recycle the Brita Filters.
Eco Dent - eco groovy dental floss.
Perserve Toothbrush - a recycled plastic toothbrush.
Burtz Bees shampoo and conditioner bars for no plastic container hair care.
To go Ware - helping us get away from disposable food service items. But I think we can just go to a yard sale and buy some dishware there.

The following table is only approximate as we can not verify plastic biodegrading in 800 years because it hasn't been around that long...please keep this in mind...

The biodegradable time table.
* Banana peel, 2 – 10 days
* Cotton rags, 1 – 5 months
* Biodegradable plastic bags, 75 days
* Sugarcane Pulp Products, 30 - 60 days
* Paper, 2 – 5 months
* Rope, 3 – 14 months
* Orange peels, 6 months
* Wool socks, 1 – 5 years
* Cigarette filters, 1 – 12 years
* Tetrapaks (plastic composite milk cartons), 5 years
* Plastic bags, 10 – 20 years
* Leather shoes, 25 – 40 years
* Nylon fabric, 30 – 40 years
* Plastic six-pack holder rings, 450 years
* Diapers and sanitary napkins 500 – 800 years
* Tin cans 50 - 100 years
* Aluminum cans 80 - 100 years
* Plastic Bottles non-biodegradeable
* Styrofoam cup, non-biodegradeable

Note... the following is a reprint from the US Department of Energy...talking about the biodegradability of plastic....
"This depends upon the plastic (polymer) and the environment to which it is
exposed. Polystyrene decomposes quickly when exposed to sun and weather, as
do polyvinyl acetates, other polyesters, and polyvinylchloride. On the other
hand, polyvinylfluoride (DuPont's Teflon (TM)) is virtually indestructable. Even the same polymer can differ quite widely in its decomposition depending upon how it
is formulated."

So, the list above that says a styrofoam cup is non-biodegradable may not be correct... but there's also the question of whether it actually goes "away" or simply gets very very small and the particles themselves are still present in nature... and toxic.

That's it for today!
d

Climate Solutions

2008-06-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

The thing to say about todays' show is simply.. Get The Book!! Climate Solutions, a Citizens Guide, What woks, What doesn't and Why" by Peter Barnes, published by Chelsea Green Press.

It's a fantastic, easy to read book about the solutions to climate change.... find answers to cap and trade, and carbon taxes, and all the jargon we hear on the news.. but hear it in a way that makes sense, including the pros and cons and better alternatives.
So, there... just read it!

Some suggestions from Peter today...
1. He recommended we look at climate solutions as a policy problem and we need to put pressure on our elected officials to change the policies around carbon emissions. In California write these two senators and tell them to pass "zero emissions" by 2050 Boxer and Feinstein...

2. We can join 1sky.org to support their work and join their email network.

3. Also join wecansolveit.org, Al Gores climate change site.

4. Check out Peters site, Cap and Dividend.org that outlines ways to stop CO2 emissions using market-based solutions, without reducing household incomes.

We need to reduce Co2 emissions ASAP.. can we do it?
Deb

Eco Cities - Redesigning for the Future

2008-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Michael Gosney of Green Century Institute came on the show today to discuss how we redesign and rebuild our human settlements and integrate natural systems to lower the CO2 emissions of the places we live.

Michael had plenty of resources to share... here's a list.

Wiser Earth is an online tool for collaboration on projects, and is the brain child of Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest.

Also check out Visible Strategies and Sustainability Dashboards as tools to help build eco cities.
For your home use go to GreenHome.com to find products that lower your energy use and walk softer on the planet.
Check out Ecovillage.org for a network of community villages.
and BuildGreen.com for suppliers of green materials and builders of alternative structures.

Arcosanti is currently the best model for a sustainable city.

Personally, I think we need to start creating our own eco cities just in the places we live and one of the best ways to do it is to take back the streets on which we live. Not major roads, but the small side streets that don't have a ton of traffic... take it back. Like the days when kids played hockey on the streets.. get out there, put up a barrier and play Frisbee or have a BBQ with your neighbors. The revolution starts just outside our front door! Really!
Deb

Shopping to save the world

2008-06-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Our guest today was Diane MacEarchern, author of the newly released book, The Big Green Purse: Use your spending power to create a cleaner, greener world".

The show was packed full of ideas, too many to list here... in fact most of them are on the Big Green Purse website... but here are some that we came up with on the show.

1. This summer see if you can catch a ride with someone going your way, or offer to take some one with you. Check out Craigslist for ridesharing opportunities, rideshare
or Ride Amigos

2. Commit challenge to be 1 in a million by intentionally shifting at least $1000 of your existing budget to environmentally-friendly products... if we do this, we can have a noticeable ONE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT in the marketplace.

3. Check out Freecycle.org to get and give free stuff.
Gas Buddy for lowest gas prices in your area.
And Buy Nothing Day, which is traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, but principles of such can be translated into our daily shopping.

And we had a great comment from Herb from Carmel, who recommended making your own gifts and crafting items from found supplies! Good idea! Thanks Herb!

Talk with ya tomorrow,
Deb

Diversity and the Environment

2008-06-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

An excellent discussion today.. but way too short. I think Carolyn Finney and I could have talked for another hour or more! But we did hit some important topics... and some more important solutions.

The most outstanding comment about the lack of diversity in the eco movement are the exclusionary practices, conscious or unconscious with in the media and our own event/organization formation. Ways to combat these practices are to make sure we look at who all the share holders of the issues are and get them to the table, or better yet, go to their tables and ask if we can participate in their debates. This opens our minds to see problems in new ways and certainly to find solutions in ways we hadn't imagined.

A good movie to check out is "Refugees of the Blue Planet", and some websites to check are
http://www.wholecommunities.org/
http://www.ecoschools.com/Edible/Edible_wSidebar.html
www.environmentaldiversity.org
http://www.lta.org/training/lclp/dc_07.htm (This is a course in Diversity and Conservation)

And we didn't mention him on the air, but Carolyn suggested checking out John Francis, Planet Walker ...http://www.planetwalk.org/

Let's get him on the show!!
Have a great day,
d

Green media and appropraite technology

2008-06-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

We had two guests on Tomorrow Matters today.

Lesley Nagy from Your TV 20, host of Your Green Life came on to discuss media's role in bringing the green movement to a forefront. We decided to unseat Rush Limbaugh in media domination. Let's go girls!

And Miguel Aznar from Sustainability Tour came on to discuss a Santa Cruz bike tour he's pulling together to teach about our amazing choices we have in the area food and wine wise, but also in technology. He's pointing out that we don't have to grudgingly sacrifice to use lower tech methods or eating locally; that we can create visceral senses of pleasure.

He asked the question of what is the true external costs of technology and offered his blog to dialog with him on subjects such as the appropriateness of nanotechnology. Check him out at knowledgecontext.blogspot.com.

Also read Michael Pollen, author of Omnivore's Dilemma ... read his article called "Why Bother?" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html

Any ideas?
deb

We break the record!

2008-06-06T15:04:00.001-07:00

Today's show with Joy Colangelo had the most calls of any program in the history of Tomorrow Matters! We had 10 calls!!

Also, we had our first outward argument about bike rider versus car driver right of way and etiquette. Very juicy! Clearly Joy doesn't like car drivers and several car drivers don't like her or other bike riders.
Where is the peace?

John from Carmel gave us the best piece of advice and that was to practice the Golden Rule.. treat yours as you would have them treat you. Perfect! But what about the caller who went to report a rude biker who kicked her car and flipped her off and had her information taken, as though she was the criminal?

Two other pieces of advice came out of the show.. first, if you're going to fish off a kayak, and second, go out to the kelp and attach yourself you the kelp either by hooking it on to your boat or dripping your feet into the water, one on either side of the boat, so you don't float around too much.

Eat kelp to offset the toxins in the fish... but make sure you know what type you're eating before you do. We'll talk more about this in July.

Check out Joy's editorial here..http://www.montereyherald.com/joycolangelo

Happy weekend.
deb

So much cool permie info!

2008-06-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Fahrer from PC Designs was in today and he's our amazing permaculture guru.
There's so much to share with you I'll just do bullet points.

* We have enough water, we just need to limit consumption
* Ask yourself, how much do you need versus how much do you want.. they're usually different answers.
* Follow the way nature works with soil... it doesn't till... it mulches and layers.
* Generally small irrigation stores have better products for drip systems, moisture sensors and timers then larger places like Home Depot... locally go to Martens Irrigation or Scotts Valley Sprinkler.
* Most plants don't like full sun, even if it says that on the tag... a bit of shade is a good thing.
* All of our buildings, residential and commercial need to harvest rainwater, use greywater, think about our watershed and use ponds to filter.
* Keyline Design is making cuts into soil to distribute water over the land in a way that slows it down,spreads it out and sinks it in... which is a major Permaculture prinicple.
* Don't use fresh water to deal with you poo... check out the Humanure Hand Book at http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html... where you can get 255 pages of crap.
It says that on the website, I swear!!
*Check out: http://www.carbonfarmersofamerica.com/ - learn how farmers are changing climate change.
www.wiserearth.com - type in permaculture and go for a ride!
oasisdesign.net - Art Ludwig's site for endless grey water tips
http://www.bioneers.org/node/1446 - this is a cool interview with John Todd about Living Systems... turning grey and black water into usable water.
http://www.onegreenworld.com/ - for tree graphing info
http://www.soilandhealth.org/ - a great site from Australia on Soil building

That's it! But you can get more info from Ben if you write psdesigns@earthlink.net
Happy gardening,
d

World Ocean Day - June 8th

2008-06-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

In honor of World Oceans Day (http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/index.php) we had two activists and business people on the show today.
Sarah Graham the Program Liaison for Pacific Explorer Whale and Dolphin EcoTours (exploremontereybay.com)
Sarah says Ecotours have 6 principles they must adhere to...
1. They must raise sensitivity to travel destinations.
2. They must minimize impact.
3. They must build environmental awareness
4. Provide direct financial benefit for conservation
5. Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.
6. Provide positive experiences.

If tour can do all of these things they can join the International Ecotourism Society. Check them out at http://www.ecotourism.org/.

Sarah made the point that if you pour used car oil or any toxic fluid down street drains, they'll flow to the bay and damage kelp which will in turn effect the abundance and quality of beer. Her generic person is "Steve from Kansas"... and he'll get the eco-connection via the threat to his favor drink.
She probably has an idea there.

And Frank Emerson from the Alliance of Communities of Sustainable Fisheries (http://www.alliancefisheries.com/)came in and we had a brief discussion on what the term sustainable fisheries are. Frank gave some great examples of healthy runs in Alaska, but left us hanging with a quick peak at the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay.
http://www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/pebble_mine.htm
This project is so damaging to the environment it puts ANWAR in the kiddy pool.

We need to get involved in this one and not allow the applications for permits to be approved. "To properly understand the threat to Alaska's most prolific ecosystem, we recommend studying a map of the area which will indicate the most unfortunate location for the proposed mine. As former Governor Jay Hammond said "I can't imagine a worse location for a mine of this type unless it was in my kitchen"."

Check it out!

deb

Great Green Beer!

2008-06-03T12:19:00.001-07:00

On Todays' show Greg Owsley Chief Branding Officer from New Belgium Brewing offered these tips for a better tomorrow...

1. Calculate your carbon footprint, just to know how much of an impact your creating in the world... a good site for that is at http://www.earthday.net/footprint.php.

2. Several Adages of New Belgium Brewing are 1. Walk before you talk, 2. Admit your flaws (always a good leadership policy) 3. Go with your soul and 4. Make ripples.

3. They're making ripples by giving to 1% for the Planet (onepercentfortheplanet.org), and by encouraging bike riding instead of personal vehicles ... check out Team Wonderbike at http://www.followyourfolly.com/folly_wonderbike.html to participate.

4. Profit is important in any business, but using that profit for activism is awesome! And placing caps on CEO salaries is a great way to walk your talk. The owner of New Belgium, Jeff, limits his income to 12x that of the lowest paid person.

5. Try using the "open book" management style, as in your employees have access to the company financials.

6. Companies need to consider themselves on the path to becoming sustainable, as it's an on going activity. We can always do better.

There's more to hear and learn.. click on the TM archives to listen to the show.
Cheers!
Deb

Tips from the Green Love Cast

2008-06-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Love Doctor (as Spencer likes to call himself) was in today!
Several emails came in over the weekend from listeners around the Bay...

1st question asked was "How do you convince your spouse to unplug cell phones chargers and the like when not in use"... You have to look at this data and the decide...

The Union of Concerned Scientists has this to say...
Phantom energy loss, represents 5% but taken across all U.S. households, or an estimated 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year or$5.8 billion annually or 87 billion pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

Some of the biggest energy wasters are the adapters that come with rechargeable battery-powered cordless phones, cell phones, digital cameras and music players, power tools, and other electronic devices. Most draw power whenever they’re plugged into an outlet, regardless of whether the device battery is fully charged—or even connected.

* Unplug it—Unplugging devices when they are not being used eliminates any potential energy loss.
* Check the label—When buying an appliance or electronic device, choose the model that uses the least standby power.
* Keep it simple—Avoid buying products that include “bells and whistles” you don’t need.

I suggested kicking them in the shin if after all this info they still didn't unplug their phone... I know, too violent. So, really.. just unplug their charger and tell them to deal.

2nd question asked about earth friendly lube... this is a great question and doing some research I found this product. It's amazing!!

See this site: www.yesyesyes.org/ingredients.htm
Looks like an excellent product and the ingredient list is thorough. Check out the back pocket size for immediate situations!

Also, The Ecologist has this article on KY.
http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1109

Keep the questions coming...we'll get to phthalates in sex toys and go from there.. next Green Love Cast is July 14th.
Deb

Earth Day is Coming Up!!

2008-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just around the corner is Earth Day, April 22nd to be exact, and this year “Blue” is the new “Green”. Started by the folks at Architecture 2030 (www.architecture2030.org) the idea of wearing Blue on Earth Day is to bring awareness to the worlds oceans and the stresses they’re under. Interestingly, Architecture 2030 is an environmental advocacy group working on solutions to climate change, particularly in the “Building Sector” with a call out to the design community to be carbon neutral by the year 2030...carbon neutral meaning: zero fossil-fuel (or zero Green House Gas (GHG) emitting energy) to operate.

Back to Earth Day... check out the Earth Day Network www.earthday.net to find out about events going on in your area... but please don’t drive the the event, it’s tacky and is the antithesis of Earth Day. Instead, get on a bus or a bike... or if you have to drive, stuff as many people as you can into the car. Adding one more person to your drive increases the efficiency of the car by 100%, two people, 200% and so on. Emissions from vehicles represent half of all the GHG’s, so for at least this one day...April 22nd, get out of the car. Consider taking the day off all together and go for a walk in nature to see what we’re working to save.

If you live near the ocean, take a walk along the coastline and image how your walk will change as sea levels rise 3 to 9 feet.

But whatever you do, don’t be in denial... look with your eyes wide open. Fully observe what’s at stake and know that the absolute least you can do is wear the color Blue on Earth Day and the most you can do is dedicate yourself to changing your contribution to Green House Gases. Check out www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/ to get some ideas of where and how to start.

Eco Divas

2008-03-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Divas come in all shapes, sizes and professions; the only rule to being a Diva is you must fabulous. There are wedding Divas, performing Divas, medical Divas, taxi driving Divas and marketing Divas... and all of them... fabulous.

I,Deborah Lindsay, I am an Eco Diva and of course, I'm fabulous, too.

Every Diva knows glitter is rule #1 for Diva status, but you may have some preconceptions about what an "Eco" Diva may or may not do. An Eco Diva may or may not paint their toes, they may or may not shave their legs or under arms, they may or may not dye their hair to be rid of sneaky greys... but they're always environmentally minded and they always, always wear glitter. Cause, as you know, life's too short no matter what your profession to not keep a Diva's glow and sparkle.

My friend, Biodiesel Betty, www.bettybiodiesel.org....who travels the country telling people about the pros and cons of using biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels, she's fabulous; she wears glitter.
Another friend of mine, Juliet Johnson, the Sustainability Director for Esalen Institute in Big Sur... she's a civil engineer by training and I know for a fact, she wears glitter. And there's Laura Murray... a farm inspector for the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and you guessed it... she's covered in glitter.

So many women, all over the world working to pass hope and abundance to our children...more then I can name in ten thousand blogs, and all of them Eco Divas.

So, if you're wondering how to achieve Diva status, add a little sparkle. Maybe a hint around the eyes, or a whole body application, doesn't matter cause Diva's glow, shine and sparkle in just the right amount for all occasions.
For me, as I head now to the TV station to discuss an upcoming series... a little dab here and there, just to keep the spirits up and the wobbles down.

Try it and see how you feel, it's simply brings your already amazing self to the surface for all to see.
And if you want to carry the "Eco" status attached to Diva, just ask yourself what you did for the Planet today... if you answer, "Everything!', then you're set.

Inside Outside Upside Down

2008-03-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

I’m writing a lecture right now that I’ll be presenting to a local rotary club next week, and at first I thought to talk about the lists of things we can do... the 50 ways to save the planet according to Deborah.

But as I mediated on it, I thought “You know, if I only have this one time to present to these people ...if I were to never lecture again, what would be the one thing I say?" Knowing if I never got a chance again to say anything then I better make it good.

So... I’ve decided to talk about our crazy upside down world that’s unfolding...peak oil is here, the recession we've been expecting is here, the war in Iraq is in it's 5th year and Iran is about to get a a big US Welcome, fisheries are collapsing, and on and on...in a handful of years, our world won't be recognizable.

The most important thing for all of us to do is to get ready for this upside down world... die or evolve... which do you want cause you better start now.
d

A saner world possible?

2008-03-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

How many people spend their weekends catching up from the week?... Saturday and Sunday spent doing laundry, mowing the lawn, getting groceries, fixing the broken swing, completing the science fair projects,...while the thought of enjoying the bounty of our lives is not even a part of that conversation. When Monday arrives the cycle begins again... with our families on the fast track just trying to keep up with work, commuting, school, societal pressures... often at the expense of our health, and happiness. And the big question... when do we get off this crazy ride? When the kids leave for college, when we retire?

A great t-shirt I read once said, “Spend, Consume, Die”
Highlighting in effect that we’re on this planet for little more then an impossible rat race and then the ultimate resignation.

Interested in a more sane and sustainable lifestyle... we’ll the folks in Ithaca NY would say they have found the key to successful living, it's called an Eco village and there are hundreds emerging around the country and world.

Could you live in an intentional community?

Community Bulletin

2008-03-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

March 8th at the Monterey Fair grounds it’s a ewaste recycling day... 9 to 4 pm... free, just drop off your old computers, cell phones, printers etc.

March 12th at the Big Sur Grange Hall for a Town Hall Meeting that is being organized by Big Sur Powerdown.
6:00 PM for a potluck dinner at the Grange Hall. The Town Hall meeting and brainstorm will follow (starting promptly at 7:00 PM and ending promptly at 8:30 PM)

March 15-16 American School of Herbalism and Five Flavors Herbs
Herbal First Aid
This fun and practical class will teach how to respond to commonly encountered first aid and emergency situations with Western and Chinese herbal medicine and other therapeutic strategies. Contact: Benjamin Zappin
(831) 420-0124 5flavors@fiveflavorsherbs.com

March 20th a film showing of ‘A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil’
Monterey Green Action is hosting the first of a regular film series, the Environmental Film Café, on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the East Village Coffee Lounge. Free of charge.
Film producer Maria Vaz of Del Bello Pictures will host a post-film discussion.

March 22nd Sustainable Pacific Grove and Tomorrow Matters Present a fog catching workshop ... totally free to attend, at the Green Spot in Pacific Grove, corner of Pine and Forest in PG 10 to 11:30 am,

March 14 - 17, Community Built Conference - Building Dreams/Connecting Communities,
at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove
Community builders from around the country are coming together to share information and experiences ranging from creating public art to natural building techniques. Visit their web site www.communitybuilt.org for more information on the conference or email them at cba@communitybuilt.org work/study trades are available.
 March 29th is Earth Hour, people around the world are turning off their lights for one hour at 8 pm.... take the challenge and do it too... go to Earth Hour.org to get more info.

April 11, 12 and 13th a straw bale presentation and workshop by Michele Landegger of Boa Construction in San Jose, call for more info at 408 291-0696

April 12-13 Sustainable Pacific Grove Open House during Good Old Days.
at The Green Spot, located on the corner of Pine and Forest Ave., will showcase their demonstration garden, environmentally friendly products found in Pacific Grove and exhibits offering interactive approaches to green building products, renewable energy, toxic household waste, recycling, rain water catchments and composting.

April 21 4pm - 6pm at CSUMB - University Center
Symposium on: Earth’s Environmental Crisis & the Fate of Humanity: Ocean Solutions
csumb.edu/climate or call 831.582.3578

April 22-26, EcoCity World Summit coming up in San Francisco, California,
The Ecocity World Summit will be convening an international community of inspired change-makers; courageous individuals who are addressing problems of the world's environment with thoughtful long-range solutions that are truly sustainable, ecologically healthy and socially just. go to their website at www.ecocityworldsummit.org

April 27th in Santa Cruz Earth Day.

Save seeds, save ourselves

2008-03-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

If you don’t know of Vandana Shiva, you should... she’s an East Indian Woman who has studied bioethics, or the ethics of combining biology with medicine or technology for several decades. She has written over 300 scientific papers on eco feminisim, physics, globalization, quantum theory, international public policy... an one topic threads through her papers and lectures... and that is that we need change in the paradigms of agriculture and food. She spends much of her effort talkina g about seeds... That the simple seed is a most basic human right and link to much of our heritage and our future.. and that story,... the essential human story is at risk due to corporate greed and monolpoly and we must do as much as we possibily can to protect biodiveristy in our seeds... with the great risk of extinction if we don’t...

Can we use Astrology for a Better World?

2008-03-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

You may wonder why on Tomorrow Matters I often have guests who offer different perspectives or different ways to look at solutions to our eco-problems..., maybe even these guest seem to offer “woo woo” methods of looking at the world.. I’ll tell you straight up that I strive to ignite the passions in my listeners in whatever way possible. Passions to make changes in their lives and their communities. Who am I to say what gets one person off the couch and plant a garden on their front lawn and makes another roll their eyes.. as far as I can see, anyone who has a solution to the environmental problems of today for a better world tomorrow is welcome.

What gets you off the couch and into the community to make some radical change?

Getting involved? Me?

2008-03-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

A good question to ask ourselves is.... when is a good time to act? or get involved? Is it when all the bills are paid, when the kids are out of school or when the dog has left home? When?

When is there time enough to really change the world... and why bother anyway? We didn't get ourselves into the mess we're in, why bother taking our own time to get us out of the trouble? We might as well live your lives in quiet complacency... it's easier, way more fun and most likely the problems of the world won't be solved by us anyway... so why bother?

Really, this is my question today... why bother?

Are we afraid to be real Heros?

2008-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Heros come in all shapes and sizes... one definition of a hero is someone who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character. The image that comes to mind with this definition is Bruce Willis in Die Hard, the hero who has all the answers, all the strength, all the wit, and comes to save the day in a big final blow out.... our lives are full of this kind of image.... in Movies such as "Lord of the Rings", and "Star Wars" or in super heros like Wonder Woman, Batman and Spiderman. We love our heros.

The danger of this kind of vision of a hero is that is unattainable and can keep people from engaging in necessary action for fear of failure or looking less than this kind of idealized hero. We do not have many images of ordinary people doing what needs to be done often against invisible but pervasive foes... we need images to help us feel empowered to take a stand in our communities to make the make changes and swing the tide of justice back in favor of the people and the Earth.

Check out the 10th Annual Earth Vision Film Festival in Santa Cruz for "The Year of the Ordinary Hero. "

www.earthvisionfest.org

Green Collar Jobs

2008-02-13T09:13:00.001-08:00

Recently the Solar Living Center, promoting sustainable living through environmental education, sent a newsletter that talked about a strong need for solar installers, in fact they expected a short fall of about 5000 jobs in the solar installation industry simply because the demand was so high now for solar and we just haven’t been training enough installers.

These types of opportunities are emerging all over the place, in every sector… and a whole new classification of job types are emerging…. Namely, “Green Collar jobs”…. As we look to develop these fields we must also include social equity in the equation, or we face the same old challenges as we always do… environmental injustice, and that just isn’t sustainable.

How do we include low income and people of color into this multi billion dollar economic sector?

Wilderness Awarenss

2008-02-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I was walking in the woods by my home, taking my dog for a walk and I noticed that the ground under some of the oaks was disturbed. My first thought was dogs playing and turning up the under brush, but I noticed this pattern under all of the trees, under places that dogs just wouldn’t be running about. I thought it might be mushroom, breaking the ground to sprout up and I even considered Pacific Grove paying an arborist to come and loosen the soil for the health of the trees… but knowing the state of PG’s finances, I knew that couldn’t be it…. Finally Spencer commented that it was most likely raccoons or possums looking for worms. And my mind expanded into knowing more fully the extent of ecosystem these woods in my neighborhood are, the real value of the area…. that at night animals are here eating and living and depending on these forests for thier survivial.
It's not just my dog park. I have a responsibility to it's health... I understand my role as a steward here, better then I had before.

Year of the Rat

2008-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Solutions come in all sizes, shapes and places…

As we talked yesterday, change is within your reach… what part of the world do you mend? And when do you begin to mend, when is the right time? When you’re finished with college, when your kids are out of the house, when the mortgage is paid… or right now… in the state and place of all of the rest of life going on?

Tomorrow starts Chinese New Year… and the year of the rat… People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and ability to achieve their goals. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful…. But what does this have to do with the Earth… how can we look at this next 12 year cycle and find environmental balance within that time?

Ideas?
deb

2008-02-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach… one of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand and show your soul… Souls on Deck shine like gold in dark times… struggling souls catch light from their souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.

Clarrisa Pikola Estes, Author and Poet….

Is your soul on Deck? What part of the world can you mend? What is within your reach to change?

Deb

Saving Grace

2008-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

We’ve been talking about water, a lot… and considering it coming down upon our heads in abundance this month, it’s a timely topic… most of what we’ve addressed is ways to capture it, why we need to do this,... even when it seems we have plenty. What are the local and state issues around water, but also what’s happening on a national level…. Where are we in the grand scheme of things… what’s going on in the international level? Is there enough usable water for 6.5 billion people and what about global water pollution?

Is desalination our saving grace?

Intentional Communities

2008-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Does it ever feel as though you have nothing in common with the people you live with and around? You’re concerned about the environment and everyone else is shopping til they drop. You just don’t relate to them… in fact maybe you’re even a little afraid of the people in your community. Is popular culture separating us from our most basic human cravings; belonging, understanding, non violence and security. Have you ever wanted to live in a way that you and your neighbors actually cooperated and shared living skills so you could be more open to explore your passions, to live closer to your highest ideals, and share your experiences with others?

Well, it’s possible... and many people have found a way to live this way…
It's called Cooperative Living... check it out ....www.ic.org.

What are your thoughts?
deb

Are we doomed to Historical Repitition?

2008-01-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ours is not the first civilization to face self created water crisis.... could we please learn from our past so we don't have to repeat it!!

Two articles in the Monterey Herald this morning, both of them on water…. One talks of Northern California farmers selling their water rites to Southern California and letting their fields go fallow, because they can make three times the amount of money by not growing, but selling the water.

Second, talks about the snow pack this year and how we’re getting water, but not in the form of snow…. Big deal to skiers, but bigger deal to anyone who happens to drink water in California.

The question is, how are these two stories related and what can we do about it.