Enjoy the Holidays without the guilt, without refined sugar, without the gluten, without the rancid processed oil, without yeast, without the unwanted fat calories!
Celebrawte with whole honest-to-pure-goodness truth of the RAWlicious gifts from Mother Nature to our sacred table.
Learn how to make 8 Raw recipes which include, raw cakes, raw tarts, raw pies, raw muffin, raw sprouted bread, raw uncookies and a raw white Christmas balls and a "Super raw naked antioxidant, energy booster to reverse the aging and sagging process and natural aphrodisiac power bar". All Raw recipes open the possibilities of living a raw truthful super sexy life. You'll see the rawsults!
Raw Event, November 21, 2009, on a raw Autumn Saturday from 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM at The Raven's Wing Healing Center, www.rwnaturalhealing.com
Your investment of $45. includes demos, treats to take home, recipe hand outs and rawlicious, nutritious snacks. Sign up and prepay before November 7 for both events and get a $10 discount. Space is limited so email me to save your raw sacred space.
Raw parties, raw events and raw catering available.
Gingy Caguioa, Rawlicious OM
Mind & Body Connection Studio
www.connectmindandbody.com
(910) 695-1877 studio
(910) 528-5538 cell
11/05/2009
11/04/2009
PUD Proposal, Nov. 5, Carthage, 6 pm
The proposed Pine Forest Development covers around 1,799 acres of forested land between Pinehurst and West End. This tract contains the headwaters of Nick's Creek and is one of the last large expanses of undeveloped land remaining in the greater Pinehurst area.
It is located in Area A.
Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 PM at the old courthouse in Carthage, the Moore County Planning Board will hear a proposal by the developer for rezoning the tract to PUD.
Of interest will be how the Board will see this proposal in view of the provisions in the Moore County Land Use Plan, which calls for the protection of the rural landscape.
It is located in Area A.
Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 PM at the old courthouse in Carthage, the Moore County Planning Board will hear a proposal by the developer for rezoning the tract to PUD.
Of interest will be how the Board will see this proposal in view of the provisions in the Moore County Land Use Plan, which calls for the protection of the rural landscape.
Dinner, Wine Tasting, Nov. 13, Raven's Wing
A Special Wine Tasting and Dinner
Raven’s Wing Healing Center, 325 N. Page St, Southern Pines
Featuring:
1979 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
And classical guitar performance after dessert
Friday November 13
Dinner at 6:00 pm
RSVP by Nov. 10, seats are limited, call 692 9413
Dinner will be prepared with as much local, organic food as possible. 100%vegetarian meal followed by an amazing homemade dessert.
Please be courteous and alert us at least one day in advance if you cannot come so that we can offer your space to another. Thank you!
A minimum suggested donation of $25 is requested to help cover food and wine costs. Anything extra will go to funding other aspects of the Center and those who maintain it. Thank you for your kindness!
Raven’s Wing Healing Center, 325 N. Page St, Southern Pines
Featuring:
1979 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
And classical guitar performance after dessert
Friday November 13
Dinner at 6:00 pm
RSVP by Nov. 10, seats are limited, call 692 9413
Dinner will be prepared with as much local, organic food as possible. 100%vegetarian meal followed by an amazing homemade dessert.
Please be courteous and alert us at least one day in advance if you cannot come so that we can offer your space to another. Thank you!
A minimum suggested donation of $25 is requested to help cover food and wine costs. Anything extra will go to funding other aspects of the Center and those who maintain it. Thank you for your kindness!
11/01/2009
10/31/2009
Support for Marsh Smith Campaign
[personal message from blogger Maureen Sutton]
As a Southern Pines resident for the past 28 years and as one of her local urban farmers, I'm supporting Marsh Smith's campaign for a seat on Town Council.
For at least two decades I've watched Marsh's tireless efforts at educating us on issues surrounding responsible land and water use, responsible development and the creation of an infrastructure that best supports those of us fortunate enough to live here now.
We know of many town's having been saddled with costs and results only to see developers leave the area and the responsibilities subsequent to their developments. Marsh supports growing business from inside the existing community and keeping as many dollars as possible circulating within our local region.
One of the most-used arguments for development is jobs creation. I have never met a young person whose driving ambition is to work at a big box store; rather, many young people would stay in the area for training in and working in professions that support green development and responsible use of irreplaceable resources, those being clean, abundant water, clean air and permeable land surfaces, without which our water sources become more and more polluted.
Marsh, known as a water regulations expert and the environment's legal counsel, is our best bet for bringing alternative views to local jobs creation, to conserving water, recycling materials, and to using already available land sites without disturbing the green ambience that supports tourism, local food production, recreation, horse country and our rare and precious longleaf ecosystem.
As a Southern Pines resident for the past 28 years and as one of her local urban farmers, I'm supporting Marsh Smith's campaign for a seat on Town Council.
For at least two decades I've watched Marsh's tireless efforts at educating us on issues surrounding responsible land and water use, responsible development and the creation of an infrastructure that best supports those of us fortunate enough to live here now.
We know of many town's having been saddled with costs and results only to see developers leave the area and the responsibilities subsequent to their developments. Marsh supports growing business from inside the existing community and keeping as many dollars as possible circulating within our local region.
One of the most-used arguments for development is jobs creation. I have never met a young person whose driving ambition is to work at a big box store; rather, many young people would stay in the area for training in and working in professions that support green development and responsible use of irreplaceable resources, those being clean, abundant water, clean air and permeable land surfaces, without which our water sources become more and more polluted.
Marsh, known as a water regulations expert and the environment's legal counsel, is our best bet for bringing alternative views to local jobs creation, to conserving water, recycling materials, and to using already available land sites without disturbing the green ambience that supports tourism, local food production, recreation, horse country and our rare and precious longleaf ecosystem.
10/29/2009
What to Plant Where, Nov. 4, SCC
THE RIGHT PLANT FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION
November 4 at 10 AM The Sandhills Horticultural Society and the Council of Garden Clubs will sponsor a program at the Ball Visitors Center of Sandhills Community College. Noted television host of “In the Garden with Bryce Lane” will present a free lecture on “The Right Plants for the Right Location.” Contact Trisha Mabe at 910-695-3882 to register.
November 4 at 10 AM The Sandhills Horticultural Society and the Council of Garden Clubs will sponsor a program at the Ball Visitors Center of Sandhills Community College. Noted television host of “In the Garden with Bryce Lane” will present a free lecture on “The Right Plants for the Right Location.” Contact Trisha Mabe at 910-695-3882 to register.
Nutrition Workshop, Nov. 14, Raven's Wing
Workshop: Soil Science for the Human Being with Ron Veitel
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1:00-4:00
Raven’s Wing Center, 325 N. Page St. Southern Pines
pregistration fee before Nov. 8: $30
registration Nov. 8 - 14: $38
“The life cycle of nature is an expanding spiral. At the base of this spiral is the soil. A fruit or vegetable’s health is determined by the health of the soil it is growing in, which inevitably has an influence on the health of those who eat it. Key principles in soil science carry over to the science of the human terrain.
“In this workshop we’ll discuss the correlation between what’s healthy for our soil is what’s healthy for the human. We’ll learn to use Brix Refractometry as a way to analyze a plant’s mineral status and thus the health of the soil it was grown in.
“Come join us for a new and refreshing way to view nutrition from the perspective of soil.”
Ron Veitel holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor. Ron has worked in the field of nutrition for the past 15 years as a consultant to health food stores and doctors around the country and as the Director of Education for MegaFood Vitamins, a whole food nutrient company, for whom he has lectured throughout North America.
Currently one can find him at the Saxapahaw General Store or moonlighting as the Nutritional Consultant for Integrative Functional Medicine in downtown Pittsboro.
Ron Veitel CNC,CMTA
Integrative Functional Medicine
www.integrativefunctionalmedicine.com
to register, contact Maureen 910-692-9413 or suttonmaureen@hotmail.com or mail fee to her at 345 N. Page St, Southern Pines
Jan Leithschuh and Maureen attended Veitel's workshop last month and were so impressed that Raven's Wing decided to proudly host Ron here in Moore County. We know you'll be rewarded by the wealth of information that Ron presents! We have room for only 20 participants, so you'll be wise to pre-register by Nov. 8. We sincerely hope you'll come! (beware, your Turkey Day menu may change after hearing what Ron has to say. . .!)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1:00-4:00
Raven’s Wing Center, 325 N. Page St. Southern Pines
pregistration fee before Nov. 8: $30
registration Nov. 8 - 14: $38
“The life cycle of nature is an expanding spiral. At the base of this spiral is the soil. A fruit or vegetable’s health is determined by the health of the soil it is growing in, which inevitably has an influence on the health of those who eat it. Key principles in soil science carry over to the science of the human terrain.
“In this workshop we’ll discuss the correlation between what’s healthy for our soil is what’s healthy for the human. We’ll learn to use Brix Refractometry as a way to analyze a plant’s mineral status and thus the health of the soil it was grown in.
“Come join us for a new and refreshing way to view nutrition from the perspective of soil.”
Ron Veitel holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor. Ron has worked in the field of nutrition for the past 15 years as a consultant to health food stores and doctors around the country and as the Director of Education for MegaFood Vitamins, a whole food nutrient company, for whom he has lectured throughout North America.
Currently one can find him at the Saxapahaw General Store or moonlighting as the Nutritional Consultant for Integrative Functional Medicine in downtown Pittsboro.
Ron Veitel CNC,CMTA
Integrative Functional Medicine
www.integrativefunctionalmedicine.com
to register, contact Maureen 910-692-9413 or suttonmaureen@hotmail.com or mail fee to her at 345 N. Page St, Southern Pines
Jan Leithschuh and Maureen attended Veitel's workshop last month and were so impressed that Raven's Wing decided to proudly host Ron here in Moore County. We know you'll be rewarded by the wealth of information that Ron presents! We have room for only 20 participants, so you'll be wise to pre-register by Nov. 8. We sincerely hope you'll come! (beware, your Turkey Day menu may change after hearing what Ron has to say. . .!)
Bluefin Tuna Ban
Tuna ban 'justified' by science
Banning trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is justified by the extent of their decline, scientists advising fisheries regulators suggest.
Banning trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is justified by the extent of their decline, scientists advising fisheries regulators suggest.
Marsh Smith for Town Council, Sou. Pines
http://marshforcouncil.com/index.html
You can get flyers at Marsh's office, New York Ave east of Bennett St.
To volunteer, contact Tom Goergen at 691-1917.
Election Day, Tuesday Nov 3. For Southern Pines it's crucial that Marsh wins a seat on the council.
You can get flyers at Marsh's office, New York Ave east of Bennett St.
To volunteer, contact Tom Goergen at 691-1917.
Election Day, Tuesday Nov 3. For Southern Pines it's crucial that Marsh wins a seat on the council.
10/27/2009
Sustainable Sandhills Wins Energy Award
The 2009 Sustainable Energy Community Leader of the Year Award goes to…. Sustainable Sandhills!
Sustainable Sandhills is the 2009 Sustainable Energy Community Leader of the Year! The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) honored SS for “Faithful and Valuable Leadership in Promoting Sustainable Energy in North Carolina.”
"Thanks to the hard work of the Sustainable Sandhills staff and board, the organization continues to grow and increase their impact on the eight county region surrounding Fort Bragg. Sustainable energy has a champion in Southeastern NC, and it is Sustainable Sandhills," announced Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director of NCSEA, while presenting the award.
SS is dedicated to community involvement in programming, including:
- A community-driven Sustainability Master Plan recently adopted by Fayetteville’s City Council.
- A low-income weatherization program using local utility-donated materials and community/faith-based volunteers.
- The SS Certified Green Business program recognizing sustainable energy, water and solid waste practices by small businesses in the region.
- Community Action Teams in each county providing an opportunity for residents to learn about sustainability and participate in local projects.
A few easy ways to conserve energy in your everyday life include:
- Turn off lights when not needed
- Unplug laptops, battery chargers and electronic devices when not in use
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Dry clothes on a rack or clothes-line instead of in the dryer
- Place weather stripping on doors and windows to keep heat in this winter
Sustainable Sandhills is hosting the Green Living and Design Tour on November 7, 2009 in Cumberland, Moore, Hoke and Harnett Counties, and on Fort Bragg. The Tour highlights local homes and businesses with green elements and practices. For more information, please visit http://sustainablesandhills.org.
Sustainable Sandhills is the 2009 Sustainable Energy Community Leader of the Year! The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) honored SS for “Faithful and Valuable Leadership in Promoting Sustainable Energy in North Carolina.”
"Thanks to the hard work of the Sustainable Sandhills staff and board, the organization continues to grow and increase their impact on the eight county region surrounding Fort Bragg. Sustainable energy has a champion in Southeastern NC, and it is Sustainable Sandhills," announced Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director of NCSEA, while presenting the award.
SS is dedicated to community involvement in programming, including:
- A community-driven Sustainability Master Plan recently adopted by Fayetteville’s City Council.
- A low-income weatherization program using local utility-donated materials and community/faith-based volunteers.
- The SS Certified Green Business program recognizing sustainable energy, water and solid waste practices by small businesses in the region.
- Community Action Teams in each county providing an opportunity for residents to learn about sustainability and participate in local projects.
A few easy ways to conserve energy in your everyday life include:
- Turn off lights when not needed
- Unplug laptops, battery chargers and electronic devices when not in use
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Dry clothes on a rack or clothes-line instead of in the dryer
- Place weather stripping on doors and windows to keep heat in this winter
Sustainable Sandhills is hosting the Green Living and Design Tour on November 7, 2009 in Cumberland, Moore, Hoke and Harnett Counties, and on Fort Bragg. The Tour highlights local homes and businesses with green elements and practices. For more information, please visit http://sustainablesandhills.org.
10/26/2009
Birnbaum Reminder, Oct. 28, Sunrise Theater
A KIND REMINDER! ... 7:00 Wed, October 28th--Sunrise Theater
CHARLES BIRNBAUM
Founder and President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest"
From the v-shaped cuts etched in longleaf pines by former slaves and their descendants, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate, we have shaped nature in a way that marks us as a community.
Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills in celebration of the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
FREE ADMISSION
This event is presented by The Classical Design Foundation in association with: The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Preservation North Carolina, The Sandhills Council of Garden Clubs, Sandhills Natural History Society, The Southern Pines Garden Club and Sustainable Sandhills
www.classicaldesignfoundation.org
CHARLES BIRNBAUM
Founder and President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest"
From the v-shaped cuts etched in longleaf pines by former slaves and their descendants, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate, we have shaped nature in a way that marks us as a community.
Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills in celebration of the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
FREE ADMISSION
This event is presented by The Classical Design Foundation in association with: The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Preservation North Carolina, The Sandhills Council of Garden Clubs, Sandhills Natural History Society, The Southern Pines Garden Club and Sustainable Sandhills
www.classicaldesignfoundation.org
Workshop, Central Park, Star, NC. Oct. 29
http://www.centralparknc.org/AM2009Workshop.cfm
MICHAEL SHUMAN WORKSHOP
Michael Shuman will give a “Local Works” workshop on October 29, 2009 from 2:00-4:30pm. During this workshop, Mr. Shuman will discuss an alternative approach to economic development that focuses on nurturing and expanding the local and small business sector.
In his book, The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition, Shuman makes a compelling case for his alternative business model, one in which communities reap the benefits of "going local" in four key spending categories: goods, services, energy, and finance. He argues that despite the endless media coverage of multinational conglomerates, local businesses give more to charity, adapt more easily to rising labor and environmental standards, and produce more wealth for a community. They also spend more locally, thereby increasing community income and creating wealth and jobs. According to Shuman, ““The ability to solve our economic problems is not just the responsibility of the city council or the chamber of commerce,” he said. “It is everyone’s collective responsibility.”
[to register, click website]
MICHAEL SHUMAN WORKSHOP
Michael Shuman will give a “Local Works” workshop on October 29, 2009 from 2:00-4:30pm. During this workshop, Mr. Shuman will discuss an alternative approach to economic development that focuses on nurturing and expanding the local and small business sector.
In his book, The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition, Shuman makes a compelling case for his alternative business model, one in which communities reap the benefits of "going local" in four key spending categories: goods, services, energy, and finance. He argues that despite the endless media coverage of multinational conglomerates, local businesses give more to charity, adapt more easily to rising labor and environmental standards, and produce more wealth for a community. They also spend more locally, thereby increasing community income and creating wealth and jobs. According to Shuman, ““The ability to solve our economic problems is not just the responsibility of the city council or the chamber of commerce,” he said. “It is everyone’s collective responsibility.”
[to register, click website]
To Foster Compassion, Empathy
Take a break from the stories and judgments that you may have created about others or yourself. Maybe write them on a notepad and come back to them later. Then, take a few deep breaths to relax and let your compassion and clarity develop about the person or situation.
May you find ways to meet your needs.
Rick Goodfriend
Founder - World Empathy Day
http://www.walkyourtalk.org/
May you find ways to meet your needs.
Rick Goodfriend
Founder - World Empathy Day
http://www.walkyourtalk.org/
Big Week in Southern Pines, 3 Events
Tuesday, Oct. 27--Long-Range Planning Meeting, the last one for public comments, Sunrise Theater
Wednesday, Oct. 28--Our Cultural Landscape lecture by Charles Birnbaum, Sunrise Theater, 7:00, FREE
THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."
When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.
As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.
Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should sustain our landscape heritage.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:00 --Save Our Sandhills Meets at Civic Club, downtown Sou. Pines. Craven Hudson on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”
Wednesday, Oct. 28--Our Cultural Landscape lecture by Charles Birnbaum, Sunrise Theater, 7:00, FREE
THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."
When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.
As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.
Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should sustain our landscape heritage.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:00 --Save Our Sandhills Meets at Civic Club, downtown Sou. Pines. Craven Hudson on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”
10/25/2009
Now On-line Transition Times
http://allalongtheedge.blogspot.com/2009/10/fabulous-new-online-publication.html
10/24/2009
Will Allen Coming to Raleigh, Nov. 9
http://eatinginraleigh.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/will-allen-speaks-in-nc-nov-9/
10/23/2009
Great Advice
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs
10/22/2009
Fresh at SCC, Oct. 22
Sustainable Sandhills
presents "FRESH", a FREE sustainable film
Thursday, October 22nd, 6:30-8:00pm
Sandhills Community College,
Dempsey Student Center, Clement Dining Room
presents "FRESH", a FREE sustainable film
Thursday, October 22nd, 6:30-8:00pm
Sandhills Community College,
Dempsey Student Center, Clement Dining Room
Fresh at the Sunrise, Thurs, Fri.
A quick reminder, the solution-oriented food movie "Fresh" is playing today (Thursday) and Friday evenings at the Sunrise theater. 7:30PM.
The Sunrise was kind enough to take a risk back in August, even if documentaries "hadn't done well" before. Make a point to return the support. It's our community theater, and brings us films we wouldn't see otherwise.
The Sunrise was kind enough to take a risk back in August, even if documentaries "hadn't done well" before. Make a point to return the support. It's our community theater, and brings us films we wouldn't see otherwise.
You're Invited, Oct. 22, Sou. PInes Election Campaign
"As a downtown Southern Pines business owner I am very interested in the up coming Southern Pines Town Council Election. I love the feel and activity of Southern Pines and am invested in its success. I know many of you feel the same way.
I would like you to have the opportunity to meet and talk to my friend Marsh Smith who is running for town council.
Marsh is long term Southern Pines resident and business owner himself. He is dedicated long term economic prosperity for our community. Attached please find a note inviting you to my Office on Thursday October 22nd at 5:30 pm for a chance to meet Marsh. We’ll be here for about an hour and I’ll even spring for some refreshments!
Hope to see many of you then, feel free to bring your friends.
Best Regards,
Sue
PS: if you do not live in SP… sorry to bother you but feel free to come and meet him anyway. Moore county towns are so connected we are all impacted by each other.
Sue Stovall PT DPT
Southern Pines Physical Therapy
210 S Bennett Street
Southern Pines, NC 28387
(910) 692-8269 V
(910) 692-8479 F
I would like you to have the opportunity to meet and talk to my friend Marsh Smith who is running for town council.
Marsh is long term Southern Pines resident and business owner himself. He is dedicated long term economic prosperity for our community. Attached please find a note inviting you to my Office on Thursday October 22nd at 5:30 pm for a chance to meet Marsh. We’ll be here for about an hour and I’ll even spring for some refreshments!
Hope to see many of you then, feel free to bring your friends.
Best Regards,
Sue
PS: if you do not live in SP… sorry to bother you but feel free to come and meet him anyway. Moore county towns are so connected we are all impacted by each other.
Sue Stovall PT DPT
Southern Pines Physical Therapy
210 S Bennett Street
Southern Pines, NC 28387
(910) 692-8269 V
(910) 692-8479 F
10/20/2009
The Last Beekeeper, Oct. 24
On Saturday, October 24th at 8pm on Planet Green TV (channel 115 on Time Warner cable), will be a program called "The Last Beekeeper". It deals with the problem of the decline of honeybees.
NC Poetry Society, Weymouth, Oct. 24
Saturday, October 24, 2009 — NCPS Fall Meeting
Southern Pines, NC — Weymouth Center, 555 East Connecticut Ave.
Event Schedule
09:15 Registration and Annual Dues Payment
Keep your society membership current by paying your annual dues. Order a box lunch ($10, cash or check payable to "I95") until 10:15 am. Enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks. If you’re a member and didn’t pick up your 2009 Pinesong (edited by Debra Kaufman) in May, claim it in the book room.
10:00 Business Meeting and NCWN Greetings
Tony Abbott, president, presides. Ed Southern, director of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, delivers a brief message.
10:15 Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition
Honorable mention Marjorie Hudson reads. This NCWN competition was judged by poet Sarah Lindsay.
10:30 Brockman-Campbell Book Award
Winner, Dannye Romine Powell (A Necklace of Bees), reads, followed by honorable mentions Irene Blair Honeycutt (Before the Light Changes) and Joe Mills (Angels, Thieves, and Winemakers). This award was judged by poet David Romtvedt.
11:30 Open Mic and Recitation
If you're interested in participating, sign up. If you're not sure how to sign up, ask a board or society member.
12:00 Lunch (book room open)
01:00 Cutting Edge of Poetry
Poet and professor Alan Michael Parker talks about what's going on in contemporary poetry
01:45 Open Mic and Recitation Reprise
02:30 Reception to Honor Readers and Speaker
Southern Pines, NC — Weymouth Center, 555 East Connecticut Ave.
Event Schedule
09:15 Registration and Annual Dues Payment
Keep your society membership current by paying your annual dues. Order a box lunch ($10, cash or check payable to "I95") until 10:15 am. Enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks. If you’re a member and didn’t pick up your 2009 Pinesong (edited by Debra Kaufman) in May, claim it in the book room.
10:00 Business Meeting and NCWN Greetings
Tony Abbott, president, presides. Ed Southern, director of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, delivers a brief message.
10:15 Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition
Honorable mention Marjorie Hudson reads. This NCWN competition was judged by poet Sarah Lindsay.
10:30 Brockman-Campbell Book Award
Winner, Dannye Romine Powell (A Necklace of Bees), reads, followed by honorable mentions Irene Blair Honeycutt (Before the Light Changes) and Joe Mills (Angels, Thieves, and Winemakers). This award was judged by poet David Romtvedt.
11:30 Open Mic and Recitation
If you're interested in participating, sign up. If you're not sure how to sign up, ask a board or society member.
12:00 Lunch (book room open)
01:00 Cutting Edge of Poetry
Poet and professor Alan Michael Parker talks about what's going on in contemporary poetry
01:45 Open Mic and Recitation Reprise
02:30 Reception to Honor Readers and Speaker
10/18/2009
Reminder, Food, Inc. and Fresh, Oct. 20-23, Sunrise Theater
The movie "Food, Inc" is returning to the Sunrise Theater in October.
Pairing up with it is a brand new solution- and action-oriented food movie called "Fresh".
After two sell-out nights in August for the documentary "Food, Inc," the Sunrise Theater is bringing it back.
Yes, the important and much-talked-about "FOOD, INC" will make its return engagement Tues-Wed, Oct 20-21. If you didn't get to see, now is your chance, and bring a friend. If you have seen it, tell a friend.
Hard on the heels of "Food, Inc", comes another food film. The Sunrise has also booked the new movie "Fresh" for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 .
It's been said that if "Food, Inc" was your wake-up call, "Fresh" is a look at some of our options.
"Fresh" (see: www.freshthemovie.com).
is confirmed for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 on the heels of "Food Inc."
Get the dates down on your calendar. And bring a friend!
Pairing up with it is a brand new solution- and action-oriented food movie called "Fresh".
After two sell-out nights in August for the documentary "Food, Inc," the Sunrise Theater is bringing it back.
Yes, the important and much-talked-about "FOOD, INC" will make its return engagement Tues-Wed, Oct 20-21. If you didn't get to see, now is your chance, and bring a friend. If you have seen it, tell a friend.
Hard on the heels of "Food, Inc", comes another food film. The Sunrise has also booked the new movie "Fresh" for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 .
It's been said that if "Food, Inc" was your wake-up call, "Fresh" is a look at some of our options.
"Fresh" (see: www.freshthemovie.com).
is confirmed for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 on the heels of "Food Inc."
Get the dates down on your calendar. And bring a friend!
10/17/2009
10/16/2009
U.S., New Zealand Rank at the Bottom
Food Day praise for Brazil, China
Brazil and China are praised, and India criticised, in a new report on efforts to tackle hunger, published on UN World Food Day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/in_depth/8309979.stm
Brazil and China are praised, and India criticised, in a new report on efforts to tackle hunger, published on UN World Food Day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/in_depth/8309979.stm
10/15/2009
Pickin' on the Porch, Tonight
Sustainable Sandhills Hosts Concert, Barbecue
Sustainable Sandhills will host "Pickin' on the Porch," an acoustic music concert and backyard barbecue from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15
Joe Craven will perform along with local favorites, The Parsons, at a historic Gray's Creek farmhouse built in the 1840s.
All entertainment, food and beverages are included in the ticket price.
"Please bring a lawn chair to relax comfortably during the concert," says a spokesman.
Tickets are only $35 per person or $60 per couple. Children 12 and under are only $15 each. Purchase tickets online at www.sustainablesandhills.org or by calling (910) 484-9098
All proceeds benefit Sustainable Sandhills local programs.
Sustainable Sandhills is a nonprofit organization working in the communities surrounding Fort Bragg that is committed to protecting natural resources and encouraging green growth.
Sustainable Sandhills will host "Pickin' on the Porch," an acoustic music concert and backyard barbecue from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15
Joe Craven will perform along with local favorites, The Parsons, at a historic Gray's Creek farmhouse built in the 1840s.
All entertainment, food and beverages are included in the ticket price.
"Please bring a lawn chair to relax comfortably during the concert," says a spokesman.
Tickets are only $35 per person or $60 per couple. Children 12 and under are only $15 each. Purchase tickets online at www.sustainablesandhills.org or by calling (910) 484-9098
All proceeds benefit Sustainable Sandhills local programs.
Sustainable Sandhills is a nonprofit organization working in the communities surrounding Fort Bragg that is committed to protecting natural resources and encouraging green growth.
Internat'l Seed Bank
Banana marks seed bank milestone
An international seed bank has hit its target of containing 10% of all the world's wild plant species, researchers announce.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8305456.stm
An international seed bank has hit its target of containing 10% of all the world's wild plant species, researchers announce.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8305456.stm
Sustainability Master Plan , Fayetteville
Sustainable Sandhills eBlast
October 14, 2009
www.sustainablesandhills.org · PO Box 144 · Fayetteville · NC 28302 · 910-484-9098
City of Fayetteville Sustainability Master Plan Adopted!
The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department, with help from their consultant Greenworks Partners and Sustainable Sandhills, engaged key citizens and stakeholders in creating a comprehensive and visionary Sustainability Master Plan to guide the City’s efforts over the coming years. The plan was adopted – UNANIMOUSLY – by the City Council on October 12, 2009!
The final and adopted Sustainability Master Plan can be downloaded from the city’s website. The Master Plan includes a set of seven Guiding Principles:
1. Promote national energy independence, reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a healthier environment.
2. Increase competitiveness and produce economic benefits.
3. Promote regional cooperation.
4. Preserve neighborhoods and maintain housing affordability.
5. Develop healthier communities and social equity.
6. Lead by example.
7. Utilize performance metrics and ensure accountability.
The Master Plan is organized into 4 sections, each with its own specific goals and a list of current efforts and future proposed efforts.
1. Environment and Natural Resources Air, climate, energy, water, solid waste
2. Planning Green buildings, land use & open space
3. Community Health, economic development, social equity, education
4. City Agencies (internal operations) City and Public Works Commission facilities & operations
The Master Plan will further the Greater Fayetteville Futures II vision of the Greater Fayetteville community becoming one of the top 10 places to live in the Southeast.
Congratulations to City staff (especially the City’s Environmental Services Department), Liz Burdock from Greenworks Partners, the residents and stakeholders whose input created the Master Plan, and to the City Council for adopting this plan.
October 14, 2009
www.sustainablesandhills.org · PO Box 144 · Fayetteville · NC 28302 · 910-484-9098
City of Fayetteville Sustainability Master Plan Adopted!
The City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department, with help from their consultant Greenworks Partners and Sustainable Sandhills, engaged key citizens and stakeholders in creating a comprehensive and visionary Sustainability Master Plan to guide the City’s efforts over the coming years. The plan was adopted – UNANIMOUSLY – by the City Council on October 12, 2009!
The final and adopted Sustainability Master Plan can be downloaded from the city’s website. The Master Plan includes a set of seven Guiding Principles:
1. Promote national energy independence, reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a healthier environment.
2. Increase competitiveness and produce economic benefits.
3. Promote regional cooperation.
4. Preserve neighborhoods and maintain housing affordability.
5. Develop healthier communities and social equity.
6. Lead by example.
7. Utilize performance metrics and ensure accountability.
The Master Plan is organized into 4 sections, each with its own specific goals and a list of current efforts and future proposed efforts.
1. Environment and Natural Resources Air, climate, energy, water, solid waste
2. Planning Green buildings, land use & open space
3. Community Health, economic development, social equity, education
4. City Agencies (internal operations) City and Public Works Commission facilities & operations
The Master Plan will further the Greater Fayetteville Futures II vision of the Greater Fayetteville community becoming one of the top 10 places to live in the Southeast.
Congratulations to City staff (especially the City’s Environmental Services Department), Liz Burdock from Greenworks Partners, the residents and stakeholders whose input created the Master Plan, and to the City Council for adopting this plan.
10/14/2009
Farm Up the Street Is On the Tour!
Almost twenty sites so far • FREE!!! • Self guided tour
Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, & Moore Counties
Come out and join us to see firsthand what ordinary people with ordinary homes are doing with “GREEN DESIGN.” We’ll also highlight what each of us can do on a daily basis to “LIVE GREEN.” Talk with vendors one-on-one at tour sites about all sorts of green technologies, and visit some of our areas greenest businesses. We’ve got everything from a straw bale house to an inside look at Fort Bragg’s sustainability initiatives to Raft Swamp Farms, a completely organic farm right here in our region!
Don’t miss it! Want to go green but don’t know how? ... Let us give you a 'green'print!
for more info: www.sustainablesandhills.org • 910-484-9098
Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, & Moore Counties
Come out and join us to see firsthand what ordinary people with ordinary homes are doing with “GREEN DESIGN.” We’ll also highlight what each of us can do on a daily basis to “LIVE GREEN.” Talk with vendors one-on-one at tour sites about all sorts of green technologies, and visit some of our areas greenest businesses. We’ve got everything from a straw bale house to an inside look at Fort Bragg’s sustainability initiatives to Raft Swamp Farms, a completely organic farm right here in our region!
Don’t miss it! Want to go green but don’t know how? ... Let us give you a 'green'print!
for more info: www.sustainablesandhills.org • 910-484-9098
Farm Stand Just South of Kolcraft, Hwy 211
Just south of Kolcraft on 211 a farm stand is selling pumpkins, apples, winter squashes, honey (when they can get it), and later, Christmas trees.
On commission they will sell things for you if you have a bumper crop of something. Stop by and visit Miles and his brother!
On commission they will sell things for you if you have a bumper crop of something. Stop by and visit Miles and his brother!
10/13/2009
Sacred Demise
"The collapse of industrial civilization is rapidly unfolding and offers us an opportunity far beyond mere survival, even as it renders absurd any attempts to "fix" or prevent the end of the world as we have known it. Sacred Demise is about the transformation of human consciousness and the emergence of a new paradigm as a result discovering our purpose in the collapse process, thereby coming home to our ultimate place in the universe.
Our willingness to consciously embark on the journey with openness and uncertainty may be advantageous for engendering a quantum evolutionary leap for our species and for the earth community.
"Carolyn Baker is tireless in her quest to understand and speak about the collapse of civilization. Her message is simple: our journey through collapse will be as much a spiritual one as a physical one, a journey back from profound disconnection to the sacred.
And so our emotional, psychological and spiritual preparations will be as important as the gardens we plant, the healing skills we acquire, and the actions we take in defense of the community of life. A book of tools and exercises to help with that preparation, then, is a welcome and much-needed addition to the literature of collapse."
--Tim Bennett and Sally Erickson, Writer and Producer of the documentary "What A Way To Go: Life At the End of Empire"
http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Demise-Spiritual-Industrial-Civilizations/dp/1440119724/ref=pd_sim_b_3
Our willingness to consciously embark on the journey with openness and uncertainty may be advantageous for engendering a quantum evolutionary leap for our species and for the earth community.
"Carolyn Baker is tireless in her quest to understand and speak about the collapse of civilization. Her message is simple: our journey through collapse will be as much a spiritual one as a physical one, a journey back from profound disconnection to the sacred.
And so our emotional, psychological and spiritual preparations will be as important as the gardens we plant, the healing skills we acquire, and the actions we take in defense of the community of life. A book of tools and exercises to help with that preparation, then, is a welcome and much-needed addition to the literature of collapse."
--Tim Bennett and Sally Erickson, Writer and Producer of the documentary "What A Way To Go: Life At the End of Empire"
http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Demise-Spiritual-Industrial-Civilizations/dp/1440119724/ref=pd_sim_b_3
10/12/2009
Herbals--Stinging Nettle!
http://www.hairlosssupplements.com/hair-care-herbal-supplements/stinging-nettle-herbal-supplement.shtml
[it can also be eaten as a cooked, spring green. Try it for some relief from fire ant stings; both the ant and the nettle contain formic acid]
[it can also be eaten as a cooked, spring green. Try it for some relief from fire ant stings; both the ant and the nettle contain formic acid]
Growth and Quality of Life, Moore County
SAVE OUR SANDHILLS GUEST TACKLES ISSUE:
POPULATION GROWTH and/or QUALITY OF LIFE
On October 29, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Craven Hudson to give a talk on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”
For years, North Carolina has been a magnet for newcomers. We have so much to offer as a state. Our location, favorable climate and friendly folks make North Carolina the final home destination for so many. Golf courses beckon to tourists and retirees, and a growing economy both in the military and private sectors brings workers looking for opportunity. Couple that with a decline in traditional agriculture, and you get the equation for drastic land changes.
This situation did not sneak up on North Carolina. Demographers, university researchers, and business people have been predicting these changes for years. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that North Carolina will grow to a population of 12 million by the year 2030, which is an increase of more than 50% from the tally made in the year 2000. Many would argue, however, that major public policy changes or even small local land use planning decisions have not nearly kept pace with the swift population growth. Tackling growth at the macro level is extremely difficult. As the saying goes: “all politics is local.”
Craven Hudson, Moore County Extension Director, will discuss state level trends in growth and natural resource protection. He will focus primarily on what has happened, what is happening, and what may take place in the future within Moore County.
Hudson’s background gives him a unique perspective in which to consider the effects of burgeoning population growth. A forestry graduate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, his early career included working on natural resource issues as a NC Cooperative Extension agent in the Raleigh Triangle area. Other than a 2-year stint as an agricultural missionary in Venezuela, he has worked in North Carolina first as a member of the NC Cooperative Extension’s Neuse River Team, then as a Cooperative Extension agent in Gaston County, and finally as Moore County’s Extension Director since 2005.
Please join us at our regular meeting, with refreshments, on Thursday October 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Center, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. This timely topic affects the quality of life for each one of us.
POPULATION GROWTH and/or QUALITY OF LIFE
On October 29, Save Our Sandhills will host guest speaker Craven Hudson to give a talk on the topic “More people, same land . . . What are we going to do?”
For years, North Carolina has been a magnet for newcomers. We have so much to offer as a state. Our location, favorable climate and friendly folks make North Carolina the final home destination for so many. Golf courses beckon to tourists and retirees, and a growing economy both in the military and private sectors brings workers looking for opportunity. Couple that with a decline in traditional agriculture, and you get the equation for drastic land changes.
This situation did not sneak up on North Carolina. Demographers, university researchers, and business people have been predicting these changes for years. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that North Carolina will grow to a population of 12 million by the year 2030, which is an increase of more than 50% from the tally made in the year 2000. Many would argue, however, that major public policy changes or even small local land use planning decisions have not nearly kept pace with the swift population growth. Tackling growth at the macro level is extremely difficult. As the saying goes: “all politics is local.”
Craven Hudson, Moore County Extension Director, will discuss state level trends in growth and natural resource protection. He will focus primarily on what has happened, what is happening, and what may take place in the future within Moore County.
Hudson’s background gives him a unique perspective in which to consider the effects of burgeoning population growth. A forestry graduate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, his early career included working on natural resource issues as a NC Cooperative Extension agent in the Raleigh Triangle area. Other than a 2-year stint as an agricultural missionary in Venezuela, he has worked in North Carolina first as a member of the NC Cooperative Extension’s Neuse River Team, then as a Cooperative Extension agent in Gaston County, and finally as Moore County’s Extension Director since 2005.
Please join us at our regular meeting, with refreshments, on Thursday October 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Center, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. This timely topic affects the quality of life for each one of us.
10/10/2009
Conservation Insider Bulletin, Oct. 9
Conservation Insider Bulletin
Published weekly for the Conservation Council of North Carolina
Conservation News to Peruse & Use
Editor: Dan Besse, cib@conservationcouncilnc.org
October 9, 2009
There were mixed greens & browns in the Raleigh races this week, while in one upcoming Senate race green becomes stylish, this week in CIB:
--Campaign Watch: Raleigh Results; Senate Energy Action
--Global Warming Update: Chamber Bleeding High-Profile Membership Over Climate Obstructionism
--Washington Watch: EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Reporting Rule
--Conservationists: Remembering Margaret Pollard and Margie Ellison
Campaign Watch: Raleigh Results; Energy Steps Up as Issue in Dem Senate Race
Raleigh Results: The balance of power on the Raleigh City Council underwent an apparent shift as former council member John Odom re-took a seat over District B Councilor Rodger Koopman, an ally of strong land use planning. This is viewed as likely to end a previous Council majority for Mayor Charles Meeker's policies such as higher impact fees on development. However, other environmental allies such as Meeker himself, At-Large Councilor Russ Stephenson, and District D Councilor Thomas Crowder succeeded in retaining their seats. Local observers speculated that the heated Wake County school board races attracted many conservative voters in the North Raleigh contest which overlapped with Koopman's district, affecting that outcome.
Energy Steps Up as Issue in Dem Senate Race: So far, two North Carolina Democrats have declared their candidacies for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Richard Burr, and at least one other is nearing a decision on whether to run. Interestingly, it is the still-maybe candidate, former State Sen. Cal Cunningham, who has jumped into the debate with the greatest enthusiasm for action on clean energy / climate change legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Cunningham traveled to Washington last week to attend the unveiling of the Barbara Boxer / John Kerry legislation on clean energy and climate change. He (along with N.C. House environmental leader Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford) is a cheerleader for that proposal.
When asked, Chapel Hill attorney Ken Lewis said he supported such legislation, and N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall indicated that she was studying it. Lewis and Marshall are the two declared Democratic candidates thus far.
Global Warming Update: Chamber Bleeding High-Profile Membership Over Climate Obstructionism
Here's an encouraging twist on the ongoing, intense national debate over climate change policy. Several high-profile business organizations have dropped their memberships in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in protest over the Chamber's obstructionism on this issue. In contrast to many other business organizations, the U.S. Chamber has uncompromisingly fought against efforts in Congress to require reductions in U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases.
As a result, two large electric utilities dropped their memberships in late September, and this week it was electronics leader Apple, Inc. In a letter to the Chamber president, Apple vice president Catherine Novelli said, "Apple supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and it is frustrating to find the Chamber at odds with us in this effort." (Washington Post, 10/5/09.)
The Chamber president, Thomas J. Donohue, is receiving criticism for what some perceive as a conflict of interest between his duties to that group and his membership on the board of directors for Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific opposes climate action legislation, as an estimated 20% of its business comes from shipping coal. Donohue has agreed to Union Pacific's policy for its board members, which calls for them to back Union Pacific's interests in other contexts. There have been calls for him to resolve the conflict by resigning one position or the other. Thus far, he has refused. (National Public Radio, 9/28/09.)
Washington Watch: EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Reporting Rule
As expected, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in late September issued its final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The rule will require approximately 10,000 industrial facilities to monitor and report their greenhouse gas emissions. The first reports are due on March 31, 2011 for calendar year 2010 emissions. Monitoring and recordkeeping activities must begin January 1, 2010, at covered facilities. EPA rejected arguments to delay the rule's implementation for a year.
If nothing else, this helps reinforce the message to potential obstructionists in Congress and lobbying groups that action is coming on climate change. Congress can set the policy—or, the Obama Administration is signaling, the executive branch has the existing authority under previous clean air legislation to act on its own through rulemaking.
Conservationists: Remembering Margaret Pollard and Margie Ellison
Two strong environmental activists with a history of special service to North Carolina's minority communities passed away recently. Margaret Pollard was a Chatham County Commissioner, and a trail-breaker as an African-American women in that post. A community organizer for decades, she also served at times as a member of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission and as a member of the board of directors of CCNC. N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Chatham), speaking at Pollard's funeral, told mourners, "She had a real passion for helping poor people, for helping provide good nutrition for them and building houses for them."
Margie Ellison, also African-American, served as NC WARN's organizing director since 2006 and was a founder of the Grassroots Energy Alliance. Her work for Chatham County included chairing its Human Relations Commission, and serving on both its Economic Development Board and its Green Economy Task Force. In a statement, NC WARN said that "Margie's life was dedicated to the struggle for civil rights and for social, economic, and environmental justice."
Published weekly for the Conservation Council of North Carolina
Conservation News to Peruse & Use
Editor: Dan Besse, cib@conservationcouncilnc.org
October 9, 2009
There were mixed greens & browns in the Raleigh races this week, while in one upcoming Senate race green becomes stylish, this week in CIB:
--Campaign Watch: Raleigh Results; Senate Energy Action
--Global Warming Update: Chamber Bleeding High-Profile Membership Over Climate Obstructionism
--Washington Watch: EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Reporting Rule
--Conservationists: Remembering Margaret Pollard and Margie Ellison
Campaign Watch: Raleigh Results; Energy Steps Up as Issue in Dem Senate Race
Raleigh Results: The balance of power on the Raleigh City Council underwent an apparent shift as former council member John Odom re-took a seat over District B Councilor Rodger Koopman, an ally of strong land use planning. This is viewed as likely to end a previous Council majority for Mayor Charles Meeker's policies such as higher impact fees on development. However, other environmental allies such as Meeker himself, At-Large Councilor Russ Stephenson, and District D Councilor Thomas Crowder succeeded in retaining their seats. Local observers speculated that the heated Wake County school board races attracted many conservative voters in the North Raleigh contest which overlapped with Koopman's district, affecting that outcome.
Energy Steps Up as Issue in Dem Senate Race: So far, two North Carolina Democrats have declared their candidacies for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Richard Burr, and at least one other is nearing a decision on whether to run. Interestingly, it is the still-maybe candidate, former State Sen. Cal Cunningham, who has jumped into the debate with the greatest enthusiasm for action on clean energy / climate change legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Cunningham traveled to Washington last week to attend the unveiling of the Barbara Boxer / John Kerry legislation on clean energy and climate change. He (along with N.C. House environmental leader Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford) is a cheerleader for that proposal.
When asked, Chapel Hill attorney Ken Lewis said he supported such legislation, and N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall indicated that she was studying it. Lewis and Marshall are the two declared Democratic candidates thus far.
Global Warming Update: Chamber Bleeding High-Profile Membership Over Climate Obstructionism
Here's an encouraging twist on the ongoing, intense national debate over climate change policy. Several high-profile business organizations have dropped their memberships in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in protest over the Chamber's obstructionism on this issue. In contrast to many other business organizations, the U.S. Chamber has uncompromisingly fought against efforts in Congress to require reductions in U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases.
As a result, two large electric utilities dropped their memberships in late September, and this week it was electronics leader Apple, Inc. In a letter to the Chamber president, Apple vice president Catherine Novelli said, "Apple supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and it is frustrating to find the Chamber at odds with us in this effort." (Washington Post, 10/5/09.)
The Chamber president, Thomas J. Donohue, is receiving criticism for what some perceive as a conflict of interest between his duties to that group and his membership on the board of directors for Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific opposes climate action legislation, as an estimated 20% of its business comes from shipping coal. Donohue has agreed to Union Pacific's policy for its board members, which calls for them to back Union Pacific's interests in other contexts. There have been calls for him to resolve the conflict by resigning one position or the other. Thus far, he has refused. (National Public Radio, 9/28/09.)
Washington Watch: EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Reporting Rule
As expected, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in late September issued its final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The rule will require approximately 10,000 industrial facilities to monitor and report their greenhouse gas emissions. The first reports are due on March 31, 2011 for calendar year 2010 emissions. Monitoring and recordkeeping activities must begin January 1, 2010, at covered facilities. EPA rejected arguments to delay the rule's implementation for a year.
If nothing else, this helps reinforce the message to potential obstructionists in Congress and lobbying groups that action is coming on climate change. Congress can set the policy—or, the Obama Administration is signaling, the executive branch has the existing authority under previous clean air legislation to act on its own through rulemaking.
Conservationists: Remembering Margaret Pollard and Margie Ellison
Two strong environmental activists with a history of special service to North Carolina's minority communities passed away recently. Margaret Pollard was a Chatham County Commissioner, and a trail-breaker as an African-American women in that post. A community organizer for decades, she also served at times as a member of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission and as a member of the board of directors of CCNC. N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Chatham), speaking at Pollard's funeral, told mourners, "She had a real passion for helping poor people, for helping provide good nutrition for them and building houses for them."
Margie Ellison, also African-American, served as NC WARN's organizing director since 2006 and was a founder of the Grassroots Energy Alliance. Her work for Chatham County included chairing its Human Relations Commission, and serving on both its Economic Development Board and its Green Economy Task Force. In a statement, NC WARN said that "Margie's life was dedicated to the struggle for civil rights and for social, economic, and environmental justice."
10/09/2009
Land Suitability Workshop, Pinehurst
http://sustainablesandhills.org/docs/LandSuitabilityWorkshopRelease2.pdf
Moore County Beekeepers, October 13
The October meeting of the Moore County Beekeepers Association will be held on Tuesday, October 13th at 7pm in the Moore County Agricultural Center in Carthage. The program will be presented by Taylor Williams on "Cooperative Extention Services".
Raven's Wing Movie Tonight Is. . .
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!”
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!”
10/08/2009
Many Believe It Already Has
Warning over global oil 'decline'
There is a "significant risk" that global production of conventional oil could "peak" and decline by 2020, a report suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/uk_news/8296096.stm
There is a "significant risk" that global production of conventional oil could "peak" and decline by 2020, a report suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/uk_news/8296096.stm
10/06/2009
Free Longleaf Pine Seedlings
Free Longleaf Pine seedlings, you just have to dig them up! Contact Susan Campbell susan@ncaves.com if you are interested in getting some seedlings for your property. They are in a pasture that is due to be disked this fall, and the landowner is interested in transplanting as many of the trees as possible.
10/05/2009
Dem Women, Oct. 10, Carthage
The Democratic Women of Moore County will hold their next meeting on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 AM at Democratic Headquarters, 104-A North McNeill St., Carthage.
Steve Gerkin, Visitor Educator and Public Programs Coordinator for the NC Zoo in Asheboro, will be talking about the NC Zoo including what’s new, the zoo’s conservation efforts, the role of zoos today, and upcoming plans. He will also be bringing along some biofacts (skulls or teeth or other animal artifacts) to share with the group.
The meeting is open to the public and all interested persons are welcome to attend. Don't forget to bring along some non-perishable food items for the food bank collection.
Steve Gerkin, Visitor Educator and Public Programs Coordinator for the NC Zoo in Asheboro, will be talking about the NC Zoo including what’s new, the zoo’s conservation efforts, the role of zoos today, and upcoming plans. He will also be bringing along some biofacts (skulls or teeth or other animal artifacts) to share with the group.
The meeting is open to the public and all interested persons are welcome to attend. Don't forget to bring along some non-perishable food items for the food bank collection.
Sustainable Sandhills Meetings, Events
MOORE COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION TEAM
Thursday, September 24, 2009 | Team Meeting
The Team was given updates on the following projects and events. To learn more, please view our meeting summary.
Local Food Consumer Survey
Green Living and Design Tour, November 7th
Sustainable Sandhills Pickin' on the Porch Fundraiser, October 15th
Our next film in the sustainable film series is "Fresh", October 22nd
Household Hazardous Waste collection day, November 21st
During the "take action" portion of the meeting we invited Rich Cregar to discuss carbon legislation, global warming and green transportation.
Please view our full meeting summary for more details.
If you have a green topic you would like to learn more about, please contact Amanda Blue and we will try to include that topic in future meeting presentations, discussion and community action.
SAVE THESE DATES!
Thursday, October 22, 2009 | Sustainable Film "Fresh", Sandhills Community College, Dempsey Student Center, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | Charles Birnbaum lecture, "Our Cultural Landscape" at the Sunrise Theater, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Charles Birnbaum, Founder and President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC, will speak on "'Our Cultural Landscape." Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest. The program will explore the unique role landscape design played in the establishment of the town, and why residents should care to sustain our landscape heritage. For more information visit The Classical Design Foundation website at www.classicaldesignfoundation.org, or contact Ray Owen at (910) 638-3982
Our next CAT meeting and green topic will be determined soon. Please check our website for updates. www.sustainablesandhills.org
Thursday, September 24, 2009 | Team Meeting
The Team was given updates on the following projects and events. To learn more, please view our meeting summary.
Local Food Consumer Survey
Green Living and Design Tour, November 7th
Sustainable Sandhills Pickin' on the Porch Fundraiser, October 15th
Our next film in the sustainable film series is "Fresh", October 22nd
Household Hazardous Waste collection day, November 21st
During the "take action" portion of the meeting we invited Rich Cregar to discuss carbon legislation, global warming and green transportation.
Please view our full meeting summary for more details.
If you have a green topic you would like to learn more about, please contact Amanda Blue and we will try to include that topic in future meeting presentations, discussion and community action.
SAVE THESE DATES!
Thursday, October 22, 2009 | Sustainable Film "Fresh", Sandhills Community College, Dempsey Student Center, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | Charles Birnbaum lecture, "Our Cultural Landscape" at the Sunrise Theater, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Charles Birnbaum, Founder and President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC, will speak on "'Our Cultural Landscape." Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest. The program will explore the unique role landscape design played in the establishment of the town, and why residents should care to sustain our landscape heritage. For more information visit The Classical Design Foundation website at www.classicaldesignfoundation.org, or contact Ray Owen at (910) 638-3982
Our next CAT meeting and green topic will be determined soon. Please check our website for updates. www.sustainablesandhills.org
10/03/2009
Events at Raven's Wing Healing Center, Sou. Pines
http://www.rwnaturalhealing.com/events.html
Raven's Wing Healing Center, Page St. Sou. Pines offers:
vegetarian dinners, sustainability documentaries, massage therapies, Alexander Technique, holistic nutrition counseling, and various workshops:
mushroom cultivation; chemical-free, kitchen beauty recipes; vermiculture; sheet-mulch techniques for building garden soil; creating a food forest; basic sewing skills; raw food; and nutrition
Also offering:
A Halloween Social
A vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner with our family
Check us out at http://www.rwnaturalhealing.com
Raven's Wing Healing Center, Page St. Sou. Pines offers:
vegetarian dinners, sustainability documentaries, massage therapies, Alexander Technique, holistic nutrition counseling, and various workshops:
mushroom cultivation; chemical-free, kitchen beauty recipes; vermiculture; sheet-mulch techniques for building garden soil; creating a food forest; basic sewing skills; raw food; and nutrition
Also offering:
A Halloween Social
A vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner with our family
Check us out at http://www.rwnaturalhealing.com
10/02/2009
Our Cultural Landscape, Oct. 28, Sou. Pines
Media Contact:
Ray Owen (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com
Event title: “Our Cultural Landscape” with Charles Birnbaum
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines, NC
Presented by: The Classical Design Foundation
Admission is free and open to the public.
Southern Pines, NC - October 28, 2009, THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."
When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.
As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.
Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should care to sustain our landscape heritage.
This event is presented by The Classical Design Foundation in association with The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Preservation North Carolina, The Sandhills Council of Garden Clubs, Sandhills Natural History Society, The Southern Pines Garden Club and Sustainable Sandhills.
The Classical Design Foundation is a Southern Pines based nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. It exists for the preservation, education, and practice of classical visual design. For more information visit The Classical Design Foundation website at www.classicaldesignfoundation.org, or contact Ray Owen at (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com. Mailing address: 115 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387.
Ray Owen (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com
Event title: “Our Cultural Landscape” with Charles Birnbaum
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 7:00-9:00 PM
Location: Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines, NC
Presented by: The Classical Design Foundation
Admission is free and open to the public.
Southern Pines, NC - October 28, 2009, THE CLASSICAL DESIGN FOUNDATION presents CHARLES BIRNBAUM, Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, DC. Introduction by Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest."
When a design is successful, how long is it worth keeping? When the design is a landscape of historical significance, why should we care? Understanding the value of where we live will be the subject of “Our Cultural Landscape.” This event unites two acclaimed speakers in an illustrated talk on the natural and man-made beauty that defines the singular character of the Southern Pines landscape.
Charles Birbaum is the Founder and President of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, DC. Recognized for his ground-breaking achievements in preserving endangered landscapes throughout the United States, Mr. Birbaum will turn his attention to the Sandhills--from our lumber and turpentine industry past, to the development of James Boyd's Weymouth estate.
As the Vanderbilts were to Asheville or the Tufts to Pinehurst, so were the Boyds to Southern Pines. Under their influence, town founders overcame the devastations of clear-cutting that by the turn of the twentieth century had left a wasteland. With emphasis on plantings of native flora along with naturalized drought-tolerant ornamentals, Southern Pines emerged as a "garden place." A leader in this movement was Alfred Yeomans, a Boyd family relative who guided town landscape design in a patchwork of efforts spanning more than half a century.
Lawrence Earley, author of "Looking for Longleaf, The Fall and Rise of an American Forest," will describe the cultural and natural history of our region's longleaf pine habitat, setting the stage for an understanding of Southern Pines as a resort named for a forest, and why residents should care to sustain our landscape heritage.
This event is presented by The Classical Design Foundation in association with The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Preservation North Carolina, The Sandhills Council of Garden Clubs, Sandhills Natural History Society, The Southern Pines Garden Club and Sustainable Sandhills.
The Classical Design Foundation is a Southern Pines based nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. It exists for the preservation, education, and practice of classical visual design. For more information visit The Classical Design Foundation website at www.classicaldesignfoundation.org, or contact Ray Owen at (910) 638-3982, E-mail: information@classicaldesignfoundation.com. Mailing address: 115 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387.
10/01/2009
Moore Tells Dems "Find Your Spine"
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/09/30-3
link includes Moore's health care speech to both the Dems and to Obama.
$1.4 million a day being spent right now by the health care lobby...
Dynamite!
link includes Moore's health care speech to both the Dems and to Obama.
$1.4 million a day being spent right now by the health care lobby...
Dynamite!
Dieting and World Peace
Ancient wisdom from a good friend: "Eat a big breakfast, share your lunch with your friend, give your supper to your enemy."
9/30/2009
What Happened to We?
The New York Times
September 30, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Where Did ‘We’ Go?
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
I hate to write about this, but I have actually been to this play before and it is really disturbing.
I was in Israel interviewing Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin just before he was assassinated in 1995. We had a beer in his office. He needed one. I remember the ugly mood in Israel then — a mood in which extreme right-wing settlers and politicians were doing all they could to delegitimize Rabin, who was committed to trading land for peace as part of the Oslo accords. They questioned his authority. They accused him of treason. They created pictures depicting him as a Nazi SS officer, and they shouted death threats at rallies. His political opponents winked at it all.
And in so doing they created a poisonous political environment that was interpreted by one right-wing Jewish settler as a license to kill Rabin — he must have heard, “God will be on your side” — and so he did.
Others have already remarked on this analogy, but I want to add my voice because the parallels to Israel then and America today turn my stomach: I have no problem with any of the substantive criticism of President Obama from the right or left. But something very dangerous is happening. Criticism from the far right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination.
What kind of madness is it that someone would create a poll on Facebook asking respondents, “Should Obama be killed?” The choices were: “No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.” The Secret Service is now investigating. I hope they put the jerk in jail and throw away the key because this is exactly what was being done to Rabin.
Even if you are not worried that someone might draw from these vitriolic attacks a license to try to hurt the president, you have to be worried about what is happening to American politics more broadly.
Our leaders, even the president, can no longer utter the word “we” with a straight face. There is no more “we” in American politics at a time when “we” have these huge problems — the deficit, the recession, health care, climate change and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — that “we” can only manage, let alone fix, if there is a collective “we” at work.
Sometimes I wonder whether George H.W. Bush, president “41,” will be remembered as our last “legitimate” president. The right impeached Bill Clinton and hounded him from Day 1 with the bogus Whitewater “scandal.” George W. Bush was elected under a cloud because of the Florida voting mess, and his critics on the left never let him forget it.
And Mr. Obama is now having his legitimacy attacked by a concerted campaign from the right fringe. They are using everything from smears that he is a closet “socialist” to calling him a “liar” in the middle of a joint session of Congress to fabricating doubts about his birth in America and whether he is even a citizen. And these attacks are not just coming from the fringe. Now they come from Lou Dobbs on CNN and from members of the House of Representatives.
Again, hack away at the man’s policies and even his character all you want. I know politics is a tough business. But if we destroy the legitimacy of another president to lead or to pull the country together for what most Americans want most right now — nation-building at home — we are in serious trouble. We can’t go 24 years without a legitimate president — not without being swamped by the problems that we will end up postponing because we can’t address them rationally.
The American political system was, as the saying goes, “designed by geniuses so it could be run by idiots.” But a cocktail of political and technological trends have converged in the last decade that are making it possible for the idiots of all political stripes to overwhelm and paralyze the genius of our system.
Those factors are: the wild excess of money in politics; the gerrymandering of political districts, making them permanently Republican or Democratic and erasing the political middle; a 24/7 cable news cycle that makes all politics a daily battle of tactics that overwhelm strategic thinking; and a blogosphere that at its best enriches our debates, adding new checks on the establishment, and at its worst coarsens our debates to a whole new level, giving a new power to anonymous slanderers to send lies around the world. Finally, on top of it all, we now have a permanent presidential campaign that encourages all partisanship, all the time among our leading politicians.
I would argue that together these changes add up to a difference of degree that is a difference in kind — a different kind of American political scene that makes me wonder whether we can seriously discuss serious issues any longer and make decisions on the basis of the national interest.
We can’t change this overnight, but what we can change, and must change, is people crossing the line between criticizing the president and tacitly encouraging the unthinkable and the unforgivable.
September 30, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Where Did ‘We’ Go?
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
I hate to write about this, but I have actually been to this play before and it is really disturbing.
I was in Israel interviewing Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin just before he was assassinated in 1995. We had a beer in his office. He needed one. I remember the ugly mood in Israel then — a mood in which extreme right-wing settlers and politicians were doing all they could to delegitimize Rabin, who was committed to trading land for peace as part of the Oslo accords. They questioned his authority. They accused him of treason. They created pictures depicting him as a Nazi SS officer, and they shouted death threats at rallies. His political opponents winked at it all.
And in so doing they created a poisonous political environment that was interpreted by one right-wing Jewish settler as a license to kill Rabin — he must have heard, “God will be on your side” — and so he did.
Others have already remarked on this analogy, but I want to add my voice because the parallels to Israel then and America today turn my stomach: I have no problem with any of the substantive criticism of President Obama from the right or left. But something very dangerous is happening. Criticism from the far right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination.
What kind of madness is it that someone would create a poll on Facebook asking respondents, “Should Obama be killed?” The choices were: “No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.” The Secret Service is now investigating. I hope they put the jerk in jail and throw away the key because this is exactly what was being done to Rabin.
Even if you are not worried that someone might draw from these vitriolic attacks a license to try to hurt the president, you have to be worried about what is happening to American politics more broadly.
Our leaders, even the president, can no longer utter the word “we” with a straight face. There is no more “we” in American politics at a time when “we” have these huge problems — the deficit, the recession, health care, climate change and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — that “we” can only manage, let alone fix, if there is a collective “we” at work.
Sometimes I wonder whether George H.W. Bush, president “41,” will be remembered as our last “legitimate” president. The right impeached Bill Clinton and hounded him from Day 1 with the bogus Whitewater “scandal.” George W. Bush was elected under a cloud because of the Florida voting mess, and his critics on the left never let him forget it.
And Mr. Obama is now having his legitimacy attacked by a concerted campaign from the right fringe. They are using everything from smears that he is a closet “socialist” to calling him a “liar” in the middle of a joint session of Congress to fabricating doubts about his birth in America and whether he is even a citizen. And these attacks are not just coming from the fringe. Now they come from Lou Dobbs on CNN and from members of the House of Representatives.
Again, hack away at the man’s policies and even his character all you want. I know politics is a tough business. But if we destroy the legitimacy of another president to lead or to pull the country together for what most Americans want most right now — nation-building at home — we are in serious trouble. We can’t go 24 years without a legitimate president — not without being swamped by the problems that we will end up postponing because we can’t address them rationally.
The American political system was, as the saying goes, “designed by geniuses so it could be run by idiots.” But a cocktail of political and technological trends have converged in the last decade that are making it possible for the idiots of all political stripes to overwhelm and paralyze the genius of our system.
Those factors are: the wild excess of money in politics; the gerrymandering of political districts, making them permanently Republican or Democratic and erasing the political middle; a 24/7 cable news cycle that makes all politics a daily battle of tactics that overwhelm strategic thinking; and a blogosphere that at its best enriches our debates, adding new checks on the establishment, and at its worst coarsens our debates to a whole new level, giving a new power to anonymous slanderers to send lies around the world. Finally, on top of it all, we now have a permanent presidential campaign that encourages all partisanship, all the time among our leading politicians.
I would argue that together these changes add up to a difference of degree that is a difference in kind — a different kind of American political scene that makes me wonder whether we can seriously discuss serious issues any longer and make decisions on the basis of the national interest.
We can’t change this overnight, but what we can change, and must change, is people crossing the line between criticizing the president and tacitly encouraging the unthinkable and the unforgivable.
Appreciations
World Empathy Tip # 125
During my vacation I met 4 nurses from England. They were on a 10 day vacation from their job ashospice nurses. I could tell from talking with them that they were burned out. I offered 2 of them appreciations as being a group that helped my family while my step-dad was moving through his final days.
I replayed my stories for them and the values and needs the Hospice staff met for my family and myself knowing that they offer the same amazing support. It was a powerful appreciation and using my compassionate communication skills I made sure they heard and understood my words to them, so they could feel the energy of the values being met. I could see their energy rise immediately.
The Tip:
This week if someone says a thank you to you or offers an appreciation for something you did, stop, take a breath and feel that appreciation. Identify the values that you met for another. Relish in the life energy that will be rejuvenated. Mostly, take your time to appreciate the appreciation.
Better yet, look back a few days and identify something that you did for another or for yourself to make life easier or more rewarding. Take a moment and again feel the energy. This is a time not to be humble, just appreciative for your compassion and contribution to life.
Maybe something you did for a loved one, friend or a stranger. Take a minute to remember the situation and what values were met. Take a few deep breaths then go on with your day. Try this before you leave your bed for the day and before you sleep. Try it now.
May you find ways to meet all your needs.
Rick Goodfriend
Founder - World Empathy day
http://www.empathyday.com/
Author of "I Hear You, But..."
Over 70 communication tips to make your relationships easier
https://www.createspace.com/3391718
PS. Any comments on this tip or how to make World Empathy Day more
effective would be a contribution.
Goodfriends Communication Skills
1734 Bath St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
During my vacation I met 4 nurses from England. They were on a 10 day vacation from their job ashospice nurses. I could tell from talking with them that they were burned out. I offered 2 of them appreciations as being a group that helped my family while my step-dad was moving through his final days.
I replayed my stories for them and the values and needs the Hospice staff met for my family and myself knowing that they offer the same amazing support. It was a powerful appreciation and using my compassionate communication skills I made sure they heard and understood my words to them, so they could feel the energy of the values being met. I could see their energy rise immediately.
The Tip:
This week if someone says a thank you to you or offers an appreciation for something you did, stop, take a breath and feel that appreciation. Identify the values that you met for another. Relish in the life energy that will be rejuvenated. Mostly, take your time to appreciate the appreciation.
Better yet, look back a few days and identify something that you did for another or for yourself to make life easier or more rewarding. Take a moment and again feel the energy. This is a time not to be humble, just appreciative for your compassion and contribution to life.
Maybe something you did for a loved one, friend or a stranger. Take a minute to remember the situation and what values were met. Take a few deep breaths then go on with your day. Try this before you leave your bed for the day and before you sleep. Try it now.
May you find ways to meet all your needs.
Rick Goodfriend
Founder - World Empathy day
http://www.empathyday.com/
Author of "I Hear You, But..."
Over 70 communication tips to make your relationships easier
https://www.createspace.com/3391718
PS. Any comments on this tip or how to make World Empathy Day more
effective would be a contribution.
Goodfriends Communication Skills
1734 Bath St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
9/29/2009
Oct. 3, Lecture, Longleaf Pine Ecosystem
Workshop scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, 10:30 to Noon at the Pinehurst Village Hall, 395 Magnolia Road.
The workshop, "A Story of the Longleaf Pine...Our Roots to a Green Future," will include a PowerPoint presentation by Ruth and Bob Stolting, members ofthe Greenway Wildlife Habitat Committee and Master Gardener Volunteers. The Stoltings will tell the story of the longleaf pine, its importance to the diverse ecosystem of the Sandhills, and how controlled burns can protect the Sandhills from the type of raging wildfires that have plagued California. The workshop is sponsored by the GWHC and is free of charge. We hope to see you there.
The workshop, "A Story of the Longleaf Pine...Our Roots to a Green Future," will include a PowerPoint presentation by Ruth and Bob Stolting, members ofthe Greenway Wildlife Habitat Committee and Master Gardener Volunteers. The Stoltings will tell the story of the longleaf pine, its importance to the diverse ecosystem of the Sandhills, and how controlled burns can protect the Sandhills from the type of raging wildfires that have plagued California. The workshop is sponsored by the GWHC and is free of charge. We hope to see you there.
9/28/2009
Why Are Farmers Afraid of Pollan?
Published on Friday, September 25, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Why Are Farmers Afraid of Michael Pollan?
by Jim Goodman
Author Michael Pollan [1] is no stranger to controversy. He has broadened the discussion of what we eat, where and how it is grown, big vs. small, organic farming vs. conventional. When he speaks some in the audience will love him, some will not.
Advocates of large scale agriculture see Pollan as the enemy, they believe he stands against everything they see as the future of agriculture. Pollen however is not an absolutist, his basic premise is that people need to think more about their food; where it was grown, how it was grown, was the farmer paid fairly, is it good for you?
Pollan wants people to think about cooking, about food freshness and flavor, about the dinner table as more than a "filling station".
Knowing your food is not a radical concept, and it should not be a frightening concept. Knowledge is power, the more we know, the better choices we can make.
Farmers should have nothing to hide, and those most upset with Pollan's theories on eating, tout their large scale farming methods as being models of efficiency, environmental protection, animal welfare and safe food.
Still, they fear his thoughts being mainstream. Granted, Pollan is not a farmer, and does not know all the intricacies of farming; he does not claim to. However, those who denounce him do not know the intricacies of the local, regional and organic farming he advocates.
So, why are they afraid of what he has to say? Pollen admits there is no one right way to farm, there is no one system that will work for all farmers. He maintains that all farmers need to make a living yet be mindful of how they farm, how they raise their animals and how they maintain the environment. If Pollan has an argument with agriculture, it is not with farmers, it is with agribusiness.
Author Wendell Berry notes that "Agribusiness is immensely more profitable than agriculture". Any farmer knows that the corporate owners of seed, chemicals, fertilizer and the buyers of grain, livestock and milk always seem to make a profit; farmers do not.
Over the past 60 years farmers have seen competition in the market place steadily disappear as corporate mergers concentrated all aspects of agriculture into the hands of a few multinational corporations.
Their profit comes at the expense of the farmer, the farm worker, consumer safety and the environment.
While farmers defend themselves against what they see as an attack by Pollan, they are really defending agribusiness. When they say they love their Roundup Ready corn, the hormones and the chemicals they are promoting the corporations that always make a profit whether the farmers win or lose.
When farmers disparage small-scale ecological agriculture because it "will never feed the world" they conveniently forget that conventional agriculture has not fed the world either, despite 60 years of promises to do so. They also ignore the findings [2] of IAASTD [3] that indicate [3] the old paradigm of industrial agriculture is a thing of the past.
The industrial model sources food from the world, pits farmer against farmer in a race to the bottom. Globalized commodities converted into processed nutritionally empty foods, make corporations rich, Americans obese, and developing countries destitute .
Pollan just wants farmers and consumers to think. Agribusiness is rich and persuasive, they own both ends of the market place and they want to keep it that way. When people think about what they eat and what they grow, chances are, eventually, they will make the right choice.
Jim Goodman is a dairy farmer and activist from Wonewoc, WI and a WK Kellogg Food and Society [4] Policy Fellow.
Why Are Farmers Afraid of Michael Pollan?
by Jim Goodman
Author Michael Pollan [1] is no stranger to controversy. He has broadened the discussion of what we eat, where and how it is grown, big vs. small, organic farming vs. conventional. When he speaks some in the audience will love him, some will not.
Advocates of large scale agriculture see Pollan as the enemy, they believe he stands against everything they see as the future of agriculture. Pollen however is not an absolutist, his basic premise is that people need to think more about their food; where it was grown, how it was grown, was the farmer paid fairly, is it good for you?
Pollan wants people to think about cooking, about food freshness and flavor, about the dinner table as more than a "filling station".
Knowing your food is not a radical concept, and it should not be a frightening concept. Knowledge is power, the more we know, the better choices we can make.
Farmers should have nothing to hide, and those most upset with Pollan's theories on eating, tout their large scale farming methods as being models of efficiency, environmental protection, animal welfare and safe food.
Still, they fear his thoughts being mainstream. Granted, Pollan is not a farmer, and does not know all the intricacies of farming; he does not claim to. However, those who denounce him do not know the intricacies of the local, regional and organic farming he advocates.
So, why are they afraid of what he has to say? Pollen admits there is no one right way to farm, there is no one system that will work for all farmers. He maintains that all farmers need to make a living yet be mindful of how they farm, how they raise their animals and how they maintain the environment. If Pollan has an argument with agriculture, it is not with farmers, it is with agribusiness.
Author Wendell Berry notes that "Agribusiness is immensely more profitable than agriculture". Any farmer knows that the corporate owners of seed, chemicals, fertilizer and the buyers of grain, livestock and milk always seem to make a profit; farmers do not.
Over the past 60 years farmers have seen competition in the market place steadily disappear as corporate mergers concentrated all aspects of agriculture into the hands of a few multinational corporations.
Their profit comes at the expense of the farmer, the farm worker, consumer safety and the environment.
While farmers defend themselves against what they see as an attack by Pollan, they are really defending agribusiness. When they say they love their Roundup Ready corn, the hormones and the chemicals they are promoting the corporations that always make a profit whether the farmers win or lose.
When farmers disparage small-scale ecological agriculture because it "will never feed the world" they conveniently forget that conventional agriculture has not fed the world either, despite 60 years of promises to do so. They also ignore the findings [2] of IAASTD [3] that indicate [3] the old paradigm of industrial agriculture is a thing of the past.
The industrial model sources food from the world, pits farmer against farmer in a race to the bottom. Globalized commodities converted into processed nutritionally empty foods, make corporations rich, Americans obese, and developing countries destitute .
Pollan just wants farmers and consumers to think. Agribusiness is rich and persuasive, they own both ends of the market place and they want to keep it that way. When people think about what they eat and what they grow, chances are, eventually, they will make the right choice.
Jim Goodman is a dairy farmer and activist from Wonewoc, WI and a WK Kellogg Food and Society [4] Policy Fellow.
9/25/2009
Over-consumption Alive and Well
Recession barely dents 'eco-debt'
The global recession has barely dented the trend to over consumption according to a report out today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8273791.stm
The global recession has barely dented the trend to over consumption according to a report out today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8273791.stm
9/24/2009
In-depth Article on Peak Oil
http://www.truthout.org/092209W?n describes current energy sources and their continuing scarcity; meanwhile, alternative energies lag far behind. A recipe for more environmental degradation and global energy wars. Please insist that our local governments are discussing these issues and developing some sensible plans to get us thru the next very difficult decades.
9/23/2009
Pollan's In Defense of Food, on Campus
In Dairyland, Pollan's 'Food' book sparks debate - Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_re_us/us_food_book_university
Kilowatt Ours Links Up with Whole Foods
[from the makers of the movie, Kilowatt Ours]
Pssst... The Kilowatt Ours DVD is now on sale at Whole Body/Whole Foods in Nashville. For readers not in Nashville, I have this to share: My dream is that Whole Foods Market will carry Kilowatt Ours in all stores nationwide, and you can help. Currently WFM is testing the Kilowatt Ours DVD in selected stores. If you and all your friends purchase the DVD and/or request a copy and the DVDs fly off the shelves, Whole Foods will likely continue promoting it --getting the conservation message out to new audiences and financially supporting our work.
Please visit your local Whole Foods Market (find a store at: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Dwhah&m=1dQiDS5ryTuyw5&b=P0Nlbh1Z45xasxuSiU8KIA) and ask if they carry KO. If they don't, please request it.
If they do carry KO, make a purchase--it is still a great gift for friends and family. And encourage your friends to pick up their copy too! THANK YOU!
**ENERGY SAVING TIP** As the cooling season draws to a close, please remember to change the filter in your HVAC intake vent. This will improve your indoor air quality and cut energy usage as we move into the heating season.
Pssst... The Kilowatt Ours DVD is now on sale at Whole Body/Whole Foods in Nashville. For readers not in Nashville, I have this to share: My dream is that Whole Foods Market will carry Kilowatt Ours in all stores nationwide, and you can help. Currently WFM is testing the Kilowatt Ours DVD in selected stores. If you and all your friends purchase the DVD and/or request a copy and the DVDs fly off the shelves, Whole Foods will likely continue promoting it --getting the conservation message out to new audiences and financially supporting our work.
Please visit your local Whole Foods Market (find a store at: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Dwhah&m=1dQiDS5ryTuyw5&b=P0Nlbh1Z45xasxuSiU8KIA) and ask if they carry KO. If they don't, please request it.
If they do carry KO, make a purchase--it is still a great gift for friends and family. And encourage your friends to pick up their copy too! THANK YOU!
**ENERGY SAVING TIP** As the cooling season draws to a close, please remember to change the filter in your HVAC intake vent. This will improve your indoor air quality and cut energy usage as we move into the heating season.
Press Release from High Mowing Farms
For Immediate Release
September 23, 2009
Local Seed Company Wins Lawsuit Against Genetically Engineered Crops
High Mowing Organic Seeds, a mail-order organic seed company based in Wolcott, Vermont announced today that it has won its nearly 20 month lawsuit against the USDA for the premature deregulation of Monsanto’s genetically engineered sugar beets. Additional plaintiffs include the Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance and the Sierra Club and were represented in addition, by Earth Justice attorneys. The groups filed the lawsuit in January 2008.
High Mowing’s founder and President, Tom Stearns says, “This ruling is a success not just for organic farmers but for all who have hope for a healthier food system in this country. All wise solutions to our agricultural challenges should serve our physical health, environmental health and the economic viability of farmers and the communities in which they live.”
The U.S. District Court for the northern district of California ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) violated federal law by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement before deregulating genetically altered sugar beets.
Monsanto developed the biotech beets to be resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide Roundup, and promotes the sugarbeets as "Roundup Ready."
In 2009, 1.1 million acres were planted with GMO sugar beets and almost half of the sugar in the U.S. is made from beets.
Recently, the USDA has shown great signs of progress in support of local and organic food by elevating the National Organic Program to its own division and just yesterday, hiring Miles McEvoy as its head. The USDA, headed by Sec. Vilsack and Deputy Sec. Merrigan have also been making important announcements for the last week as they kick-off their new campaign, Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. Stearns believes that these are critical and substantial changes within the department and “that a tipping point has been reached and that the USDA is now becoming part of the solution to re-building healthy food systems in this country.”
High Mowing is just one of dozens of farms and agricultural businesses in the Hardwick, Vermont region that have been collaborating with each other for many years. The NY Times, Gourmet Magazine, Eating Well Magazine and authors Michael Pollan, Bill McKibben, Sen. Patrick Leahy and many others have declared the region as a national model for healthy food systems and building economic development through value-added agriculture. In mid-September, camera crews and Chef Emeril Legasse and Dan Rather Reports filmed many activities of the region for their upcoming shows on healthy food systems.
For more information contact:
Tom Stearns, High Mowing Organic Seeds
tom@highmowingseeds.com
802-472-6174 ext. 114
September 23, 2009
Local Seed Company Wins Lawsuit Against Genetically Engineered Crops
High Mowing Organic Seeds, a mail-order organic seed company based in Wolcott, Vermont announced today that it has won its nearly 20 month lawsuit against the USDA for the premature deregulation of Monsanto’s genetically engineered sugar beets. Additional plaintiffs include the Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance and the Sierra Club and were represented in addition, by Earth Justice attorneys. The groups filed the lawsuit in January 2008.
High Mowing’s founder and President, Tom Stearns says, “This ruling is a success not just for organic farmers but for all who have hope for a healthier food system in this country. All wise solutions to our agricultural challenges should serve our physical health, environmental health and the economic viability of farmers and the communities in which they live.”
The U.S. District Court for the northern district of California ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) violated federal law by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement before deregulating genetically altered sugar beets.
Monsanto developed the biotech beets to be resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide Roundup, and promotes the sugarbeets as "Roundup Ready."
In 2009, 1.1 million acres were planted with GMO sugar beets and almost half of the sugar in the U.S. is made from beets.
Recently, the USDA has shown great signs of progress in support of local and organic food by elevating the National Organic Program to its own division and just yesterday, hiring Miles McEvoy as its head. The USDA, headed by Sec. Vilsack and Deputy Sec. Merrigan have also been making important announcements for the last week as they kick-off their new campaign, Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. Stearns believes that these are critical and substantial changes within the department and “that a tipping point has been reached and that the USDA is now becoming part of the solution to re-building healthy food systems in this country.”
High Mowing is just one of dozens of farms and agricultural businesses in the Hardwick, Vermont region that have been collaborating with each other for many years. The NY Times, Gourmet Magazine, Eating Well Magazine and authors Michael Pollan, Bill McKibben, Sen. Patrick Leahy and many others have declared the region as a national model for healthy food systems and building economic development through value-added agriculture. In mid-September, camera crews and Chef Emeril Legasse and Dan Rather Reports filmed many activities of the region for their upcoming shows on healthy food systems.
For more information contact:
Tom Stearns, High Mowing Organic Seeds
tom@highmowingseeds.com
802-472-6174 ext. 114
Progress on Global Warming
UN chief praises climate summit
UN chief Ban Ki-moon says a one-day summit in New York has given fresh impetus to efforts to tackle global warming.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon says a one-day summit in New York has given fresh impetus to efforts to tackle global warming.
9/21/2009
9/19/2009
Important Quote by Kennan
The counsels of impatience and hatred can always be supported by the crudest and cheapest symbols; for the counsels of moderation, the reasons are often intricate, rather than emotional, and difficult to explain. And so the chauvinists of all times and places go their appointed way: plucking the easy fruits, reaping the little triumphs of the day at the expense of someone else tomorrow, deluging in noise and filth anyone who gets in their way, dancing their reckless dance on the prospects for human progress, drawing the shadow of a great doubt over the validity of democratic institutions. And until people learn to spot the fanning of mass emotions and the sowing of bitterness, suspicion, and intolerance as crimes in themselves--as perhaps the greatest disservice that can be done to the cause of popular government--this sort of thing will continue to occur. -- George F. Kennan
9/18/2009
What Goes Around Comes Around
The importance of the city-farming agitation cannot be overestimated. Gardening this year is not a fad; it means family and national preparedness.
Popular Mechanics
Magazine, May 1917
Popular Mechanics
Magazine, May 1917
Local Food Survey
If you have not already done so, please take five minutes now to fill out the on-line food consumer survey:
http://www.sustainablesandhills.org/localfoodsurvey.html
By doing so you will be helping get the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative started. This is an enterprise that will help preserve local farms by making fresh local produce and food conveniently available to you, delivered to your church, office, or home.
This effort will make a positive difference in the community, and your assistance is greatly appreciated. Let's work together to keep our farmers and our money here in the Sandhills!
http://www.sustainablesandhills.org/localfoodsurvey.html
By doing so you will be helping get the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative started. This is an enterprise that will help preserve local farms by making fresh local produce and food conveniently available to you, delivered to your church, office, or home.
This effort will make a positive difference in the community, and your assistance is greatly appreciated. Let's work together to keep our farmers and our money here in the Sandhills!
9/17/2009
Food, Inc. AND Fresh, Flicks at Sunrise!
[from Jan's Cottage Garden Newsletter]
After two sell-out nights in August for the documentary "Food, Inc," the Sunrise Theater is bringing it back next month.
Yes, the important and much-talked-about "FOOD, INC" will make its return engagement Tues-Wed, Oct 20-21. If you didn't get to see, now is your chance, and bring a friend. If you have seen it, tell a friend.
Hard on the heels of "Food, Inc", comes another food film. The Sunrise has also booked the new movie "Fresh" for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 .
It's been said that if "Food, Inc" was your wake-up call, "Fresh" is a look at some of our options.
Featured in the film is more of the ever-engaging Joel Salatin, plus McAurthur Genius Grant award-winner Will Allen of Milwaukee's innovative "Growing Power".
I had a chance to meet Will this June, and tour the simple community-engaged systems of "Growing Power" with my mad-scientist brother. The "urban farm" produces local food year-round in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Lake perch from aquaculture, and fresh greens, are the year-round stars. Worm compost is the fertilizer.
Anyway "Fresh" (see: www.freshthemovie.com).
is confirmed for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 on the heels of "Food Inc."
Get the dates down on your calendar.
And bring a friend!
After two sell-out nights in August for the documentary "Food, Inc," the Sunrise Theater is bringing it back next month.
Yes, the important and much-talked-about "FOOD, INC" will make its return engagement Tues-Wed, Oct 20-21. If you didn't get to see, now is your chance, and bring a friend. If you have seen it, tell a friend.
Hard on the heels of "Food, Inc", comes another food film. The Sunrise has also booked the new movie "Fresh" for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 .
It's been said that if "Food, Inc" was your wake-up call, "Fresh" is a look at some of our options.
Featured in the film is more of the ever-engaging Joel Salatin, plus McAurthur Genius Grant award-winner Will Allen of Milwaukee's innovative "Growing Power".
I had a chance to meet Will this June, and tour the simple community-engaged systems of "Growing Power" with my mad-scientist brother. The "urban farm" produces local food year-round in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Lake perch from aquaculture, and fresh greens, are the year-round stars. Worm compost is the fertilizer.
Anyway "Fresh" (see: www.freshthemovie.com).
is confirmed for Thur-Fri, Oct 22-23 on the heels of "Food Inc."
Get the dates down on your calendar.
And bring a friend!
China, Venezuela, Oil
China in huge Venezuela oil deal
Venezuela announces a $16bn deal with China for oil exploration in the Orinoco river, after a similar agreement with Russia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/americas/8260200.stm
Venezuela announces a $16bn deal with China for oil exploration in the Orinoco river, after a similar agreement with Russia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/americas/8260200.stm
9/16/2009
Rich Countries' Carbon Emissions
Bank urges climate 'action now'
Rich countries must lift climate change spending and accept responsibility for their historical emissions, says the World Bank.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8256961.stm
Rich countries must lift climate change spending and accept responsibility for their historical emissions, says the World Bank.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8256961.stm
Happiness Is Contagious
From the NY Times: "But two years ago, a pair of social scientists named Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler used the information collected over the years about Joseph and Eileen and several thousand of their neighbors to make an entirely different kind of discovery.
By analyzing the Framingham Heart Study data, Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing.
And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people. By keeping in close, regular contact with other healthy friends for decades, Eileen and Joseph had quite possibly kept themselves alive and thriving. And by doing precisely the opposite, the lone obese man hadn’t.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13contagion-t.html?pagewanted=2&em
By analyzing the Framingham Heart Study data, Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing.
And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people. By keeping in close, regular contact with other healthy friends for decades, Eileen and Joseph had quite possibly kept themselves alive and thriving. And by doing precisely the opposite, the lone obese man hadn’t.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13contagion-t.html?pagewanted=2&em
Racism, Obama
Carter says Obama row is 'racist'
Former US President Jimmy Carter says much of the vitriol against President Barack Obama's health reform plans is "based on racism".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/americas/8258011.stm
Former US President Jimmy Carter says much of the vitriol against President Barack Obama's health reform plans is "based on racism".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/americas/8258011.stm
World Health Catastrophe
Doctors warn on climate failure
Failure to agree a new UN climate deal in December will usher in a "global health catastrophe", according to medical leaders.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8257766.stm
Failure to agree a new UN climate deal in December will usher in a "global health catastrophe", according to medical leaders.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/8257766.stm
9/15/2009
Attacking Health Care Reform
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/26/772871/-Who-are-the-League-of-American-Voters-and-
[NOT TO BE CONFUSED with The League of Women Voters, a strongly non-partisan bastian of American political discourse]
[NOT TO BE CONFUSED with The League of Women Voters, a strongly non-partisan bastian of American political discourse]
9/14/2009
9/13/2009
Long-Range Plan Meeting, 9/16
Mark your calendar for either of two Sept. 16th sessions:
11:30-1:30, Douglass Center, Penn. Ave OR
7:00-9:00, Sou. Pines Recreation Center, Memorial Park Ct.
Southern Pines is developing a 20-year and needs YOUR input!
11:30-1:30, Douglass Center, Penn. Ave OR
7:00-9:00, Sou. Pines Recreation Center, Memorial Park Ct.
Southern Pines is developing a 20-year and needs YOUR input!
9/10/2009
Big Food vs. Big Insurance
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
9/09/2009
Indigenous Foods Under Attack
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-09-08-globalization-threatens-indigenous-foods-says-u.n.-agency/
Localwashing
http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/localwashing/Content?oid=1159742 [Rebranding for corporate power]
9/08/2009
Van Jones Resigns Obama Adm.
White House Environmental Adviser Van Jones Resigns Citing "Vicious Smear Campaign Against Me"
The Obama administration's special adviser for environmental jobs, Van Jones, has resigned citing what he described as a "vicious smear campaign" against him.
For the past month, Fox News has run a series of reports on Jones's alleged association with communists and his decision to sign a petition calling for a congressional probe of the 9/11 attacks. Jones is the founding president of Green for All and author of the book The Green Collar Economy. We speak with James Rucker, who co-founded the group Color of Change with Van Jones, and with Malkia Cyril, founder of the Center for Media Justice. We also talk to Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP.
The Obama administration's special adviser for environmental jobs, Van Jones, has resigned citing what he described as a "vicious smear campaign" against him.
For the past month, Fox News has run a series of reports on Jones's alleged association with communists and his decision to sign a petition calling for a congressional probe of the 9/11 attacks. Jones is the founding president of Green for All and author of the book The Green Collar Economy. We speak with James Rucker, who co-founded the group Color of Change with Van Jones, and with Malkia Cyril, founder of the Center for Media Justice. We also talk to Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP.
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