I appreciate Amy Babich's desire to help us push the envelope on making Earth Day a model sustainable event. She makes several references to Earth Day 2000, in which I had only a tiny bit of involvement, but my guess is that she is referring to Earth Day 2001, in which I played a large role - it was a dusty (and windy) day and there were a lot of vehicles on the park depite our requests for them to be used only when "absolutely necessary".  

For those who care to read, I would like to share the list of (nearly all successful) efforts that contributed to Earth Day being a model event for large festivals (we even won city-wide and state-wide awards for being a model of sustainability.)  I am dedicated to this type of organizing and have even proposed the idea of starting an initiative called Clean Green Events to help others besides Earth Day lighten their impact on the Earth.  

Amy has several additional ideas which I hope to integrate into this year's event, especially the bike trailers  - In fact I've told others that we would be trying to arrange the bike-carts though I hadn't yet talked with all the bike folks. No time like the present...we've only had one planning meeting so far and the next is March 18th and everyone input is welcome. I am available by phone and e-mail almost all the time as well.

In response to a couple of specific issues Amy raised...We did keep close track of our trash and we definitely left the park cleaner than we found it. In contrast to the large country music concert that happened in the same park the evening before that nearly filled a 20-yard trash container, our all-day event with 100 booths, food vendors, bands and over 5000 attendees generated only one cubic yard of trash and composted food/paper scraps and recycling (with a combined weight of  approximately one ton.) Also, there was substantial litter on the ground from in the park the night before and we spent considerable time before, during, and after our event picking up trash off the ground.

I need to note that this year's sustainability efforts are complicated by the fact that Earth Day Expo is just one part of a larger two day festival called ParksFest that had a life of its own before joining with Earth Day. But I am still doing my best to effect postive choices at every turn possible. The BBQ contest and Carnival are large parts of ParksFest that are a lot less than resource and energy efficient than I would like, but I welcome any realistic ideas that I may pass along to help even those elements be more sustainable. We already have two solar trailers committed to help us with the stage (with smaller sound systems than before) and concessions, though I don't know how we could run a carnival off of renewables - other than plugging into the city outlets - since the city buys it's own Green Choice energy. Do all of you? sign up at http://austinenergy.com/greenchoice/  Other ideas?

OK, all that being said, please read on to find out the high standards to which I/we will honestly be challenged to reach again.

Project Summary Information:

(1) Summarize the project in one paragraph.  Include project dates, who was involved, activity and location, why the project was initiated, and if this is an ongoing project, describe the schedule or timetable.

A visionary team of Ecology Action staff and dedicated volunteers organized the most sustainable large-scale outdoor festival that has ever taken place in Austin. The team of organizers thoughtfully planned the event taking into consideration the environmental and social impacts of every aspect of the festival. Everything from the organizational meetings to the PR plan, the “recycled” stage to the compostable cups and forks was a model of sustainability. For the first time at an Austin festival, triple sets of bins were set out to collect trash, recycling and compost. Planning took place throughout the entire preceding year and culminated in a hugely successful Earth Day Festival on Sunday April 22, in Waterloo Park located in downtown Austin. The line-up of talent, excellent promotions (and cooperative weather) attracted more than double the attendance of previous years to share in the themes of Earth Day (over 5000 people). This resulted in Ecology Action raising five times more money than the previous year while generating less trash than any event its size. Austin’s Earth Day Festival 2001 has set a new benchmark for sustainability and will serve model for outdoor events in Austin and beyond.

(2) Describe the project in detail (date of event (s), sites (s), number of people participating, purpose, goals, history, description of the problem, accomplishments to date, etc.)

Problem Statement: The organizing and promotion of and gathering of many people for outdoor festivals typically generates a lot of waste and may support companies that do not share the values of the host organization.

Our guiding principle: Make all aspects of Austin’s Earth Day Festival 2001 as sustainable as possible while increasing participation, creating environmental awareness, and raising money for Ecology Action.

Planning the event:

By retaining a majority of the core planning staff of the previous year’s volunteers we were able to build on their knowledge, experience, and  skills to make this festival truly remarkable. We invited input from as many people as possible. Monthly organizing meetings were announced in the local paper and on appropriate web sites such as www.volunteermatch.org. Nearly all the staff and volunteers walked, rode their bikes and/or carpooled to each of the planning meetings. Since our meetings took place after work hours (during normal dinner times) we made sure to have substantial food available at meetings to care for our volunteers. Even our food selection was conscious. Most snacks were bought from Whole Foods Market from the produce (organic fruits and vegetables) and bulk sections (less packaging). We also offered organic cheese, fresh bread, locally-produced chips & salsa, hummus & pita, and some sweets.

Nearly all communications during the planning process were car and tree-free. Most of the sponsor solicitation and organizing took place over the phone. In addition to mailing booth applications to previous Earth Day exhibitors, we posted a digital version of the application on the Ecology Action web site and referred interested booth applicants to get it online. For committee interactions outside our monthly meetings, we set up and utilized an E-groups list to notify volunteers of meetings, progress deadlines, and announcements.

PR

When ordering our advertising and promotional materials we made conscious choices to purchase the most environmentally friendly options (even when they were not the least expensive) and support local businesses wherever possible. In addition we educated others about our endeavor to be sustainable via the Ecology Action web site and press releases.

·          Earth Day stationery was printed on tree-free kenaf paper

·          Our posters were printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink. We printed those facts on the posters to educate the public that specifying those option is possible.

·          We eliminated the use of flyers (which we had used in the past) to cut down on paper waste.

·          We had three sturdy across-the-street banners made to advertise the event which can be altered with minimal materials and re-used for the next three to five years.

·          Our event t-shirts were made from recycled cotton and the tote bags we ordered were made from recycled soda bottles. Both were printed with the Earth Day logo in just two colors by a local screen printer.

·          We utilized various individuals’ and organizations’ e-mail lists to spread the word about meetings and other opportunities to be involved.

Sponsors and donors of raffle prizes

We felt blessed to find Cielo Wind Power to partner with Ecology Action as the overall event sponsor. They fit so perfectly with our mission (and the national Earth Day theme of clean energy). HEB, which has extensive recycling programs and community involvement continued to support us as the sponsor of the Children’s Pavilion. Childer’s Commercial Group (Austin’s first green commercial broker) and Carrier (manufacturers of Puron, a non-ozone depleting air conditioning refrigerant) co-sponsored the Healthy Living Pavilion. Tokyo Electron (active supporters of community events, especially in East Austin) sponsored the Schools Pavilion and the Arts for the Earth tent. Middleman Music Company, our stage sponsor who allowed us to re-use their stage fencing and many tents, is not overtly green but the owner supports several large benefits each year and seemed open to working on waste reduction in the future. Twenty other companies, government agencies and media outlets were counted as sponsors at the Friend level and above. Many of these provided valuable in-kind services including PR, the production of our event banners, compost, trash and port-o-let services while others contributed cash which will ultimately help Ecology Action continue its mission of reaching the public with more recycling service and composting programs.

The companies that we sought for raffle donations were also environmentally friendly businesses and nearly all locally-owned. Whole Earth provisions, West Lynn Café (vegetarian restaurant), East Side Café (restaurant with innovative compost and recycling program), Jackson Ruiz Salon (Aveda concept salon - all herbal and botanical formulas), Half Price Books (seller of new and used books), River City Cycles (bike shop in South Austin that donated a children’s bike), New Belgium Brewing (our beer vendor that also donated a Fat Tire Cruiser), NiaSpace (mind-body-spirit exercise and community center), Colorwheels (local fabric artist using non-toxic dyes), Gymboree (a shared play space facility) and Habitat Suites (Austin’s only green hotel).

Nonprofit and vendor booths

In our cover letter to potential booth participants we made it clear that we were trying to make the event as sustainable as possible. To that end we asked them to notify us if they had any need for trash bags, cups, plates, or utensils at their booth and we would supply them with biodegradable versions of each. We requested that they limit the number of different handouts and minimize the distribution of trinkets. We also asked that on the day of the event that they refrain from driving delivery vehicles on the park grounds unless absolutely necessary.

Festival Food

First, we made the decision to have our event feature all vegetarian food. With that initial guideline we sought to gather food vendors that would provide Earth Day attendees with a variety of tasty choices that were minimally packaged. In the end we had Wheatsville (a local food co-op), the Vegetarian Network of Austin, Marakesh Middle Eastern restaurant, a caterer who makes fine organic wheat-free and dairy-free baked goods, and a festival food vendor from Houston who purchases her supplies from Whole Foods and was interested in experimenting with the all vegetarian menu.

We worked with each food vendor to estimate how much food to bring so as to not sell out too quickly nor create much waste. We also provided paper plates and ordered biodegradable cups and utensils from BioCorp for all food and drink vendor needs.

Food that was made available for the volunteers and musicians (and their families) was donated by various bakeries, catering services and purchased from a local food co-op.

Drinks

Each of our drink vendors is in their own way a model for socially and environmentally responsible business.

·          New Belgium Brewing, which provided Fat Tire beer (and a bike for the raffle) powers their brewery from wind energy, they give a bicycle to each employee who has been with the company for at least a year and encourages them to ride to work. At the event they needed to maintain the back-up kegs to be cold but we talked them into closing the truck and placing ice on the kegs rather than run their noisy gas-powered generator all day.

·          The Sierra Club repeated their fresh-squeezed lemonade fund-raiser which was a hit.

·          Nile Valley Herbs sold their hibiscus tea which is made from flowers from the proprietor’s native village in Africa. Sales of this tea have already paid for the construction of a central clean drinking water system for his village.

In addition these last three were willing to use biodegradable cups without their logos as well as re-usable (donated) stadium cups that had other companies logos. Even more remarkable was the fact that they were all willing to give a full dollar off for people who brought their own cups or re-used their festival cups.

·          Barton Creek Beverage Company provided bottled water and sports drinks in containers that were recyclable and got recycled. We felt good about a partnership with BCBC since they promote education about Barton Creek on their labels and donate a portion of water sales profits to the Save Barton Creek Association. For Earth Day the owner agreed to sell the drinks with his own staff and donate everything above the cost of product to Earth Day and the Save Barton Creek Association.

No caffeinated drinks or commercial sodas were a part of the line-up and it seemed like they weren’t really missed.

Infrastructure and park operations

The stages, many of the tents and the fencing of the park (required when alcohol is served) were all “recycled” from events that had taken place in the same park the previous day. Middleman Music Company was willing to turn their one paying event on Saturday night into a way to help support the Walk for Safe Families before their event and the Earth Day Festival after their event. We opted out of the available gas-powered golf carts and generator-powered air conditioned trailers since they didn’t fit with our renewable energy focused event. For our power needs we had a solar generator on site, and for when we did tap into the city’s power we confirmed that the city purchases its energy through the Green Choice program and thus we used renewable energy.

Getting there

Recognizing that emissions from vehicles contributes heavily to Austin’s worsening air quality, we took multiple steps to promote alternative transportation. We encouraged and even offered incentives (food/drink/raffle tickets) for event attendees to bike,  walk or take a bus to Earth Day.

At the event, next to the healthy living pavilion, we had exhibits of alternative fuel and low-emission vehicles with their owners there to answer questions. Among those featured were the hybrid Toyota Prius, Honda’s hybrid Insight, a converted electric Geo Metro, and a natural gas powered Volvo.

Entertainment

We focused our musical line-up on local performers, in part because they are a part of our community, plus there is less embodied energy involved in getting them to the event. Every single artist, from environmental folk singers to grammy-award winning Shawn Colvin, donated their time and talent to make Earth Day an appealing and entertaining event.

Learning moments

We offered workshops for adults, hands-on activities for kids and maximized every opportunity possible to use the main stage as a place to let folks know about the high quality sponsors we had and how we organized the event to be as sustainable as possible.

Even our program of events (kept to one page front and back) was meant to be a resource guide for future events. It listed the sponsors, the exhibitors and vendors, and information on where to get the supplies to organize a similar low-impact event.

(3) How did you track the progress of the project?  Were there measurable results?

We tracked our progress at our monthly meetings and through follow-up phone calls. Our best guide was our conscience - did we feel like we were putting together a festival that a bunch of idealistic organizers would feel proud to stand behind? Yes!

We tracked results in terms of:

1)       happy event planners who returned to each meeting to continue donating their time - 10-18 every meeting

2)       money raised from sponsorships and donations - we know we did a good job of creating an event businesses and individuals were happy to support by the amount of money that came rolling in. We collected $40,000 in sponsorship contributions and another $10,000 in pre-event and donations and donations at the door.

3)       Booth Applications - we had a 25% increase in booth participation over last year.

4)       Attendance - well over 5000 people. More than double last year’s attendance

5)       Trash generated from our event- very little -one cubic yard. We even left the park cleaner than we found it by cleaning up cans and other trash left from the music festival that had been in the park the night before. Several barrels of compost were collected which ended up at the Austin Community Gardens.  The rest was recycling that was collected and processed by Ecology Action – mainly cardboard boxes and plastic bottles from the one drink vendors that sold pre-bottled beverages.

(4) Describe the involvement and cooperation between employees, departments or outside businesses or organizations.

The staff of Ecology Action (EA) was invaluable in terms of tapping into their long-term relationships with business partners, EA members. They also planned the PR strategy and allowed their two VISTAs to help us with community outreach and the coordination of approximately 100 event volunteers.

A representative from our event sponsor Cielo Wind Power attended several of our planning meetings and was very supportive.

The paper and printing for all of our posters were donated by various Austin businesses.

Food and drink vendors cooperated like we described above.

Meeting locations shifted throughout the year between various public libraries and then settled on a consistent location of Keep Austin Beautiful, an organization that Ecology Action wanted to build a relationship with.

(5) How has the project/program made an environmental impact in the community and in the State of Texas?

We have proven that a large-scale event can successfully be run in a sustainable manner. This sets a new benchmark not only for future Earth Day Festivals, but for every outdoor (and indoor) event that is organized. If we can generate some press about the impressive results of our event and gain some recognition (legitimacy) then we may encourage and inspire organizers everywhere. We already had a complimentary write-up in the national magazine Natural Home. Hopefully it will lead to others.

While they haven't been great neighbors in Texas
I'm not sure we want to send them to despoil pristine
lands in Iceland where their emissions will not be regulated.
Tailor a fax to Alco demanding that they clean up their act
rather than run away to avoid being responsible. BC

WHAT'S NEW ON CORPWATCH

Holding Corporations Accountable

<< http://www.corpwatch.org >>

Dear Corp Watchers,

TAKE ACTION
Stop Alcoa From Destroying Iceland's Wilderness!
http://www.corpwatch.org/action/PAA.jsp?articleid=5828

Source: International Rivers Network
Date: 3/10/2003


The Icelandic government plans to construct a large hydropower project in Iceland's Eastern Highlands, one of Europe's largest remaining wilderness areas, in order to supply power to a US aluminum smelter owned by Alcoa. The "Kahranjukar Project" involves building miles of roads, boring a series of tunnels, diverting dozens of rivers to create 3 reservoirs and erect nine dams, including one that is 630 feet -- Europe's highest. The level of the immense reservoir will fluctuate seasonally, from 170 to 250 feet.

The Karahnjukar Project would supply power to a planned Alcoa aluminum smelter. US-based Alcoa is the world's largest aluminum producer and is moving to Iceland not to expand production, but to cut costs. It is closing smelters in the US and moving to Iceland where the government is offering dirt-cheap electricity.

The aluminum plant will get a subsidized rate, thought to be about 1.5 cents/kWh. The price will rise and fall with the price of aluminum (which is currently quite low, due to a glut on the market). The utility has yet to release the price at which it will sell Alcoa its hydropower.
It's not just cheap power that draws Alcoa to Iceland: Iceland's reliance on geothermal power has given it an exemption from the Kyoto Protocol's fossil fuel emissions, which would allow Alcoa's smelter to operate without having to pay penalties for any carbon dioxide emissions.

What is at Stake

If Karahnjukar goes forward, a large wilderness area will be sacrificed so that the world can consume cheaper aluminum. The massive project will be built on the north side of Europe's greatest glacier, Vatnajokull, a vast ice field beneath which lie several active volcanoes. The project will drown 22 square miles of tundra, presently the grazing grounds for more than 2,000 reindeer and the nesting ground for the pink-footed goose, and affect the flows of close to 60 waterfalls. In early summer, silt from the exposed banks will blow off all over the countryside.

Iceland's equivalent of America's Grand Canyon, Dimmugljufur, or Dark Canyon, is a deep cleft carved out by the region's most powerful glacial river, the Jokulsa a Bru. The part of the canyon between the edge of the glacier and the dam will be submerged; on the far side of the dam, it will become a dry gulch, the impounded water diverted through a 25-mile-long tunnel to the power station that will generate the electricity needed for Alcoa's smelter.
The Karahnjukar Project officials claim that it will create close to 750 jobs in Eastern Iceland, an economically disadvantaged region. Yet the economics of the project are questionable. According to an independent analysis commissioned by Iceland's Nature Conservation Agency, it will likely produce annual losses of $36 million. These funds could be spent for creating other jobs that don't destroy a major wilderness area.

Take Action!
The Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) has led a strong campaign against Karahnjukar for several years. So far it has included regular large demonstrations, daily protests at the parliament building, a hunger strike and a court case against the environment minister. The environmental activists want to turn the area into a National Park of "Fire and Ice." For more information, please visit: www.inca.is

But time is running out. The Icelandic government plans to sign the agreements for the project to go ahead before the national elections of May 2003. At this critical hour, Iceland's campaign against Karahnjukar needs your support. Please  go to : http://www.corpwatch.org/action/PAA.jsp?articleid=5828  to send a free fax to Alcoa telling them to withdraw from their destructive project in Iceland immediately.


Thank you for  your support

**************************************

Julie Light

Managing Editor

CorpWatch--Holding Corporations Accountable

PO Box 29344

San Francisco, CA 94129 USA

Tel: 415-561-6559

FAX: 415-561-6493

Email: editor@...

-Public is invited to FREE talk - Introduction to Permaculture - Tues., March 11, 7:30 - 9:00 PM at American YouthWorks Theater, 216 E. 4th Street, Austin, TX. Sponsored by the local Permaculture group, Texas Institute of Practical Sustainability; presentation by Dick Pierce. AYW is on 4th Street, between Brazos and San Jacinto, one block East of Congress.

-Composting Seminar - Saturday, March 15, 9:00 - 11:30 AM at Alma de Mujer Center, 3621  FM 2769. Hands-on composting (wear shoes that can get dirty), talk about compost, worm composting. Bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy this retreat center now owned by the Indigenous Women's Network. Directions: take 2222 (NW) past 620 to the end; then right on FM 2769; Alma sign on right, about 3/8 mi.. (about 30 min from downtown)

* Earth Day Expo and It's My Park! planning meeting next Tuesday March 18th  4:30 pm at Waller Creek center - 625 E. 10th Room 104 (I think - it's on the first floor)

-Permaculture and Ishmael - Tues., March 18 at 7:00 PM at Casa de Luz, Toomey Rd., off of S. Lamar. Discussion of Permaculture as it relates to Daniel Quinn's books: Ishmael, "B", My Ishmael, and Beyond Civilization. Quinn points the reader to the fact that our current dominant culture is using up resources, polluting the air and water, and exterminating species at an ever-increasing rate - a rate that threatens human survival. Permaculture promotes ways of thinking, designing, and behaving that moves individuals and communities toward lifestyles and resouce usage that will cooperate with and replenish Nature. The one wakes you up - the other sets you to work!

Hello All

I am currently working on a project with House the
Homeless (www.housethehomeless.org) that is the
umbrella organization that is providing me with the
avenue in which to create homeless housing. We all
know that one financial reversal, major medical bill,
loss of employment, can cause a individual family to
become homeless almost overnight. My 6 year old son
and I have invented a way of building healthy homes
using recycled telephone books. These homes would have
18 inch thick walls bound with a clay matrix then
plastered, providing excellent insulation. This method
of construction much like Strawbale lowers utility
cost considerably. We have two demonstration
structures in the works currently. One is a garden
shed 12x16, the other is a 700 square foot storage
building. They are both located within the city limits
of Austin. Leadership Austin, a protege', leadership
program has selected my stackwall project as this
years sole focus. They are mainly concerned with
putting in place the means of redirecting the phone
books from local businesses and documenting this
process for duplication in other cities. Here in
Austin there are approximately 1.4 million phone books
delivered each december, enough to build 145 single
family dwellings, 1400 square feet in size <4 bedroom,
2 bath>. Austin has over 6,300 homeless of which 82%
are single mothers. My endeavor is to establish a
homeless <village/community> where displaced
individuals can find transitional/permenant housing.
There are other such villages around our nation, one
is in Los Angeles, www.domeville.org, another is in
Portland, OR, www.outofthedoorways.org, a third in
Seattle, WA,
http://insideshare.hypermart.net/tentcity/ . The Hay's
National Homeless Plan is also something that is close
to my heart. These clustered homes/dorms would become
a hand up, not a hand out to the homeless. My father
often told me prior to his death when I was 12 years
old, "son, you can educate a person all you want, but
if they dont have a home to come to, whats the use".

My father was a photojournalist during the Korean War,
attached to the 101st Airborne Division. He also was a
reporter for the Everret Herald, where he wrote
articles concerning the plight of uneducated migrant
children. He assisted in writing the census and
schedule of how to implement the programs for
educating migrant children in the 60's and early 70's.
I have lobbied on behalf of migrant housing using
Strawbale Construction much like Ironstraw does
(www.ironstraw.org). I am also active in the Strawbale
Association of Texas (www.greenbuilder.com/sbat).

Austin's Landfill grows by over 2 feet deep over 2
full acres each year from phone books that are not
recycled. Imagine phone books in every city across our
nation that could be used to create additional housing
for low income and homeless. Another excellent website
on a movement to create a universal living wage that
is tailored by location not by federal mandate
(www.universallivingwage.org).

The challenge I am having now is my savings which my
family has been living from while this project is
being established is gone. H the H has no budget or
funds to assist me with my basic living expenses, such
as shelter/rent, food, phone, and internet access.
There are individuals offering expertise in grant
writing that help future funds. But until that comes
to fruit I will be needing immediate assistance.

I was to recieve a personal loan from a relative but
they decided that my endeavors to house the homeless
were not a basis for loaning me the funds. I am
currently without transportation due to the need for a
repair on a vehicle that was gifted by someone that
supports my work. Soon the home that I am living in
with my lady and 4 young children is scheduled to be
put on the market and sold by the owner, so that we
will not even have a place to live.

We would appreciate your gracious attention to
assisting us in our endeavor.

David Farris

6016 Belfast Drive, Austin, TX 78723

512-407-8874



__________________________________________________
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Lots has happened in a couple weeks! These are shaping up to be spectacular events! Please read (or at least skim) the next three pages below to catch up and find out WHAT’S STILL NEEDED…

Topics below include:

next meeting, website, registration clarification, early bird deadline TODAY, PR, sponsors, Earth Day Expo content, music, concessions, volunteers

The next Earth Day & It's My Park! Planning Meeting:

These events are two (big) elements of Austin ParksFest, a huge two-day festival on April 26th nd 27th hosted by the Austin Parks Foundation.

Tuesday March 18th 4:30-6:15

625 E 10th - Waller Bldg - Rm 104.

Free parking available on 6th floor of garage.

Metered parking on the street.

Bus routes 2, 10 & 15 stop at the corner 11th and Red River

Please forward and post this announcement to all appropriate lists and calendars.

Thanks to Suzanne Gilchrist and the City of Austin Water & Wastewater Department (our Water Education Pavilion Sponsors) for hosting us again.

Website:

Check out http://www.parksfest.org so see the new page developments. There is a description of It's My Park! http://www.parksfest.org/itsmypark.htm  WE NEED TO KNOW IF THE INITIATIVE IS CLEARLY EXPLAINED. Folks can sign up via any page on the website by clicking on the button at the top that says Become a Partner for Parks. http://www.parksfest.org/partners/index.asp. A BIG thanks to Donnie ONeal at RunTex for all his assistance in setting up the website and online registration process!

Registration clarification:

Exhibitors for Earth Day Expo are SUNDAY ONLY from noon-6pm.* (the header for the food vendors got copied over to exhibitors. We will remedy that promptly.) Sorry for any confusion.

* If your organization or business fits with the national Earth Day theme of  “WATER” you could be exhibiting in the Water Education Pavilion from 10am –6pm. This is to catch the morning swimmers and their families participating in the Capital 2k Open Water Swim and Pledge Swim. Anyone who can swim in cold water should SIGN UP TO SWIM in what will no doubt be the first of a  long tradition like the Capital 10,000.

If you are a VENDOR, the option exists for you to also sell during the events on both Saturday- BBQ contest and Kids Carnival and Sunday.

Exhibitor Early Bird Deadline TODAY!

SIGN UP ONLINE at http://www.parksfest.org/exhibitorguidelines.htm

Exhibitors who register online by today save a few dollars (nonprofits SAVE $15, Gov’t and small business SAVE $25, and Big businesses SAVE $50).

It’s My Park! PR

Many THANKS to the talented Sara Hickman, who graciously recorded our 60 second radio ad that is playing on KGSR this week. If you’ve missed it on the radio you can hear it by calling Dial-A-Spot at 908-4928 and press 27 when you hear a recording. KGSR is multiplying the value of our ad money to give us a nice promotional package.

Sara also involved her whole family in a video shoot today that took place at Zilker Park and the MacBeth Recreation Center. She and her family, and the hundreds of squealing kids who were so excited to have a sunny day to play were all wonderful.. I am confident that Connie Leaverton of Walkabout Productions will turn the footage into wonderful :30 and :10 second PSAs that will hopefully air on all 5 major local stations between next week and the event.  One is even designed to be generic enough that it can be used for years to come as a recruiting tool for Partners for Parks.

Reza from LCRA has gotten a preliminary design for a card that explains Partners for Parks. Also, Keep Ausitn Beautiful will be spreading the word through their network of clean-up and service project-oreinted folks. yea! 

Earth Day  PR

Word is spreading across the e-mail networks in Austin but YOU CAN STILL HELP – USE YOUR E-MAIL NETWORKS TO HELP US MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT EARTH DAY AND IT’S MY PARK! Help spread the word so that anyone who might want to have a presence at Earth Day, either as an exhibitor, vendor or sponsor, at least gets to hear about the opportunity.

Our MAJOR event sponsor, KGSR has really stepped up to the plate for Earth Day. All sorts of promotions, live liners, ads, calendar listsing etc will make it impossible for anyone who listens to that station to not know that Earth Day is happening this year!

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY CALENDAR WE SHOULD BE LISTED IN… Please SEND ME THE DETAILS, DEADLINE AND CONTACT INFO.

I secured spaces on Riverside, S. Lamar and Burnet Road for across-the-street banners to promote the events of ParksFest weekend.

We have an ad coming out in the March New Texas Magazine, with more ads to follow next month. Possibly full page color back cover if someone else doesn’t buy it. (Keep your fingers crossed. For this promotion, plus the promise to do what Steve always does (which is write feature articles highlighting Earth-themed topics) New Texas will be a Friend of Earth Day Sponsor.

Sponsors

Most of our sponsors have been mentioned above, plus we have more:

KSGR Earth Day - Event Sponsor

City of Austin Water & Wastewater Department – Water Education Pavilion Sponsor

New Texas Magazine – Friend of Earth Day

EcoWise – Friend of Earth Day

Barr Mansion (catering and event facility) – Friend of Earth Day

We are also cooperating with GSD&M on a co-promotion of It’s My Park – their annual Shoal Creek Cleanup will be the Friday kick-off to the weekend’s events and we will likely co-produce the t-shirts.

Several other previous Earth Day sponsors plus Amy’s Ice Cream are interested in sponsorships of this year’s events. IF YOU KNOW OF A COMPANY OR AGENCY THAT MIGHT BE A SPONSOR PLEASE LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY. We want them to get full benefits and as long a promotion period as possible.

Earth Day Expo Content

So far, the Water Education Pavilion has the most content committed to it. A dozen experiments and activities that the COA WWW department has will be there, water-related environmental groups, and water sport (swimming and paddling) will be represented.  Reportedly Keep Austin Beautiful is working on some exciting educational content...details to follow.  As soon as I figure out how to log into DOIT SPORTS (which explains the slightly odd form Exhibitors have to fill out – you can lie about your age ; ), I’ll be able to report on what I know is over 40 booths that are signed up for already.  A speaker’s tent has at least two noteworthy presentations lined up with room for more. An hour or so spent at the General Land Office produced some commitments from them. Solid Waste Services, Green Building, Green Choice, and more will be represented. I’ll cover that more in depth next time.

Music

The lovely and talented singer-songwriter, children’s enchanter and mom Sara Hickman has committed to play at the Earth Day Expo.  (I am waiting to hear back from a couple more big names so keep your fingers crossed.)  We also have Bill Oliver the Environmental Troubadour, ensuring that we have environmentally focused musical content. We have several other bands interested in playing at Earth Day. The challenge is not filling six hours with music, the challenge is creating the best lineup that draws people, informs them, generates an atmosphere of fun and doesn’t detract from the ability of exhibitors to talk with event goers. I’m confident it will turn out well

Concessions

The food and drink category has really taken shape this week. The menus are not totally set but we will have proven food vendors including Mary Ann Justman (the originator of Casa de Luz food), Wheatsville Food Co-op, the Vegetarian Network of Austin, Marakkesh Café, Out To Lunch and potentially a few more (maybe Jim O’Brien, Amy’s Ice Cream, Curra’s and more) We have delicious drinks including fresh-squeezed lemonade served up by the Sierra Club, Hibiscus Tea from Nile Valley Herb Company and homemade scones from Susan Fine.  The beer issue has not been worked out yet, and water is being worked on.

Volunteers

Mil Gratzie to Rachel Cowart who is back for an encore performance as Earth Day Volunteer Coordinator. We are in the process of developing the task list and will have on-line sign-up ability in the next week. When that happens we’ll need to blast the e-mails out to fill the spots. Kevin Sands, logistics coordinator extraordinaire has agreed to handle the food vendor permits and other specific tasks as they arise.  Emily Walter took the meeting minutes at our first meeting and typed them up beautifully!  Ginny Sanders will be the point person for It’s My Park sign-ups. In addition to the wonderful Leadership Austin Class Action Team that is helping with It’s My Park!,  Mary Ann Neely from the LCRA will be helping with strategy and outreach. .Several people have committed to helping in whatever way necessary which is great.

That’s enough news for now. I’ll keep you posted and welcome your input and help. Please contact me, Brandi Clark, producer of It's My Park! and Earth Day Expo with, questions, feedback, RSVPs for March 18^th,  etc. Email (1st choice) brandi_clark@...  or 477-3311.

 Thanks! Brandi

http://www.paxchristitexas.org/pctconf03.htm


_________________________________________________________________
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Brandi wrote:

>  Sounds like we need an ecodiscussion group! I think it's great for
>dialogues to develop and get hashed out, but I think we should
>develop a separate discussion group... hey vteam... can we set up an
>unmoderated discussion list (maybe with reply to sender as the
>default) and invite everyone on the list to subscribe if they want?

Before starting up yet another discussion group, I suggest taking a
look around at what else is already out there.  Someone may have
already started the perfect group for us to take ove... I mean, join.

As I've said before, I'm not really as tied in to the local scene as
many here are, so my knowledge of existing forums is spotty at best.
Anyone know of any Austin based general enviro discussion groups that
could fit the bill?  Anyone up for doing some research?  (I just did
a quick check at topica.com/liszt.com, and though I didn't see
anything specifically interesting, there are some listed that local
enviros might be interested in knowing about. Mostly biking and
running related.  See http://www.liszt.com/dir/?cid=4581).

--
Bill Christensen
http://greenbuilder.com/contact/

Green Building Professionals Directory: http://directory.greenbuilder.com
Sustainable Building Calendar: http://www.greenbuilder.com/calendar/
Green Real Estate: http://www.greenbuilder.com/realestate/
Straw Bale Registry: http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/
Books/videos/software: http://bookstore.greenbuilder.com/

Don't miss it!  Clean Sweep 2003
18th Annual Town Lake Cleanup
kab@...   www.keepaustinbeautiful.org

Keep Austin Beautiful is a local non-profit environmental
organization with a mission to empower and educate the citizens of
Austin to take personal responsibility for their environment.  We
accomplish this by organizing community cleanups and beautification
projects for Austin's public places, parks and schools.  We also host
Clean Sweep, an annual event that mobilizes volunteers to remove
trash and recyclable materials from the shores of Town Lake and other
public areas.

This year's Clean Sweep, celebrating 18 years, will be held on
Saturday, April 5.  Hundreds of Austin area volunteers will gather at
Town Lake Festival Beach to help rid the Town Lake shores and
surrounding areas of unwanted debris.  Last year we experienced
record numbers in volunteers and in trash collected!  This year, we
are expecting our greatest volunteer turnout ever.

Volunteers will clean Town Lake and surrounding neighborhoods from
9:00 am-12 noon.  Registration begins at 8am at Town Lake Festival
Beach.  Volunteers are provided with a free lunch, T-shirt (as
supplies last), safety training, entertainment and a chance to win
door prizes.  This year sponsors include Waste Management, BFI, Coca
Cola, HEB, Fiesta Mart, KLBJ, TDS, PARD, SWS and Austin Energy to
name a few.

Community groups are encouraged to organize their own local cleanups
in the spirit of the event.

Mark your calendars and bring your family, friends and co-workers to
lend a hand in the largest clean up event in Austin.

Contact KAB for more information, 974-2533 kab@....

Thanks for your reply Patrick. It's posted below. I suppose I started it by posting my response to the recycling is rubbish article. Sounds like we need an ecodiscussion group! I think it's great for dialogues to develop and get hashed out, but I think we should develop a separate discussion group... hey vteam... can we set up an unmoderated discussion list (maybe with reply to sender as the default) and invite everyone on the list to subscribe if they want?

My hope is that the AustinEcoNetwork list for now focus on being informative and less of a discussion list so busy organization leaders and activists see posts coming from AustinEcoNetwork as useful to them. The list was first set up to be a  communication tool amongst folks laying the groundwork for more virtual and interactive connections, including shared office space, between the many enviro groups in town. Secondly it's a place to post events relevant to the wider enviro community. 

Thanks to John Martin who is taking the nonprofit survey to the next step by revising the draft I wrote awhile back. Perhaps then we can post it online, use zoomerang or some other tool do get an inital round of feedback and then do more in-depth interviews with organizations that seem interested. vteam, help?

 kropotkin@... wrote:

75% is from memory, but i think i got it from UCS (union of concerned
scientists' "consumers guide to environmental choices", 1999?). they have a section on recycling benefits. it is a full evaluation from start to finish of
the recycling process. according to this study, if memory serves me, glass, metals, and paper present the clearest ecological benefits.

another estinate, from the Center for Ecological Technology, gives energy
savings, for glass, as 50%.

of course, for many reasons, the recycling process is inefficient, if the
measure of efficiency is, say, reduction of landfill use, or, say, reduction of
greenhous gas emission. those a re social goods. the goals of the actors are to make profit. that is how they measure efficiency.

with the environmental movement as with health care as with education,
providing social goods is not profitable. trying to force them to be destroys
the social good.

hahnel, in "abcs of political economy" (pluto, 2003) gives an elegant
theoretical explanation of how the market destroys social goods,
called "externalities", with a very simple game theory model called "the free-rider problem".

green consumerism uses the market and appeals to individual choice and
individual responsibility in an attempt to generate a social good. in addition
to its lack of class analysis (why don't poor people don't shop at
wheatsville?), it does not address in any meaningful way the systemic anti-
social biases of the market, which exist independent of the moralities of the
actors in the economy. nor does it address the necessity of capital in a
merket to expand, and why that expansion must be, in part, the material, "Earth destroying" kind.

so i gues my note on green consumerism was a little harsh. if that's the
activism people want to pursue, have at it. but expect criticism from me, and others who don't believe green consumerism holds much in the way of prospects for improving the prospects for sustainability.

real work towards sustainability must address the fundamental economic issues described above. that may mean envisioning an entirely different economic structure alltogether. i don't know what the answer is. nobody does. all we can do is work together and theorize and experiement, i guess.

a further note; i'm sorry about my misunderstanding of this being an open
discussion thread. i was under the impression that, as such, people would be critical of what they saw, and able to double check facts for themselves.
patrick


Quoting brandi_clark :

> I want to post your email to the list but want to get a few more
> facts for our readers to make it as informative as possible ; )
> I believe you that if a manufacturer was looking at a stack of
> recycled glass chips to make glass from and a stack of sand to make
> glass from that the energy savings might be 75% by choosing the
> recycled glass. But I'm curious, does that figure include the energy
> expended in collecting, transporting, sorting, crushing and re-
> transporting the glass chips to the manufacturer? When you consider
> gas, vehicle maintenance, processing and labor expenditures - that's
> a lot of embodied energy.
> Also, could you please clarify the last paragraph as well as explain
> what you think genuine ecological activism might look like?
> "furthermore, green consumerism - expecting the maket to produce,
> though changing individual consciousnes alone, socially benefical
> outcomes, despite its enourmous anti-social systemic bias (see
> hahnel, 2003), seems to be a poor susbstitute for genuine ecological
> activism."
>
> Thanks so much! Brandi
>
>
as it turns out, the energy savings from recycling glass is enourmous. 
something like 75% savings over making new glass.  but social bemnefits like that don't get translated into profits (individual benefits) - it's almost a
logical contridiction.

things that are socialy (environmentaliy) beneficial tend not to be profitable.  furthermore, green consumerism - expecting the maket to produce,
though changing individual consciousnes alone, socially benefical outcomes, despite its enourmous anti-social systemic bias (see hahnel, 2003), seems to be a poor susbstitute for genuine ecological activism.

patrick


Quoting Brandi Clark <brandi_clark@y...>:

>  Irene.Guzman@c... wrote: Brandi what do you think of this? It is
> somewhat interesting...
> http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030304-94642203.htm
> Very interesting Irene. Thanks for sharing. I certainly want to be up to date on the latest thinking and technoIogy about recycling and waste management.  I can certainly understand the economic inefficiency of collecting and recycling a lot of products, especially glass. But paper and metal products can be made into so many other materials that would otherwise demand virgin resources to be further depleted. To that end, fewer trees cut, fewer mines dug, and less oil to be drilled is a good thing since they are exploitive and extractive processes that depend on limited resources. Even most farmed trees are not that great for the environment. They are monocultures like lawns that grown and clearcut which is not conducive to habitat development and biodiversity.
> Purchasing, product use (and re-use) and discarding habits still need to change. There is still a huge need for waste minimization (pre-cycling), and
re-use (before discarding).
> Turning waste streams into supply streams is still a good idea.  Even the
> brilliant Bill McDonough says WASTE=FOOD. We will prove ourselves clever beings by turning all forms of waste into fuel for other processes.
> Incinerators do this and therefore fall in that line of thinking. But a big
> part of the process of getting efficient requires a re-evaluation of
> materials choices in the first place and how we generate waste.
> Also, for me, the viability of incinerators really does depend on their
> ability to avoid burning toxics (requires meticulous separation) and to burn cleanly. Thanks for the thought-provoking article. Our work is far from done
> ; )
>
> Brandi

Irene.Guzman@... wrote:

Brandi what do you think of this? It is somewhat interesting...
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030304-94642203.htm

Very interesting Irene. Thanks for sharing. I certainly want to be up to date on the latest thinking and technoIogy about recycling and waste management.

I can certainly understand the economic inefficiency of collecting and recycling a lot of products, especially glass. But paper and metal products can be made into so many other materials that would otherwise demand virgin resources to be further depleted. To that end, fewer trees cut, fewer mines dug, and less oil to be drilled is a good thing since they are exploitive and extractive processes that depend on limited resources. Even most farmed trees are not that great for the environment. They are monocultures like lawns that grown and clearcut which is not conducive to habitat development and biodiversity.

Purchasing, product use (and re-use) and discarding habits still need to change. There is still a huge need for waste minimization (pre-cycling), and re-use (before discarding).

Turning waste streams into supply streams is still a good idea.  Even the brilliant Bill McDonough says WASTE=FOOD. We will prove ourselves clever beings by turning all forms of waste into fuel for other processes. Incinerators do this and therefore fall in that line of thinking. But a big part of the process of getting efficient requires a re-evaluation of materials choices in the first place and how we generate waste.

Also, for me, the viability of incinerators really does depend on their ability to avoid burning toxics (requires meticulous separation) and to burn cleanly. Thanks for the thought-provoking article. Our work is far from done ; )

Brandi

> 		 <<...OLE_Obj...>>  NEWS FLASH
>
> A public hearing will be held tonight on an air permit for the Holly Power
> Plant. Here is the press release provided to the media.
>
> Hearing Tonight on Air Permit For Holly
>
> The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is holding a public
> hearing Tuesday, March 4, 2003 at Metz Elementary on an air permit for the
> Holly plant. An initial hearing on this permit was held December 5, 2002
> at Metz. Approximately 20 citizens from the Holly neighborhood attended
> and spoke.
>
> The air permit is required by Senate Bill 7 for so called "grandfathered"
> power plants. These are power plants that were already operating when
> state air permitting requirements were being developed in the 1970s. The
> permit is required by the state in order for Holly to operate until its
> closure. The standard life of this permit is 10 years. However, Austin
> Energy has requested that the permit extend to only 2009 as Holly will be
> retired by that date or sooner.
>
> To receive this permit, Austin Energy must meet limits on nitrogen oxide
> (NOx) emissions through what is called a cap and trade program. This means
> AE must limit NOx emissions from all of its power plants in Austin
> combined to 1,741 tons per year. The permit allows a utility to either
> reduce emissions at its plants or purchase credits.
>
> AE will meet the requirements of the permit by reducing emissions at both
> power plants. In fact, AE is reducing emissions from Holly and Decker to a
> greater level than required to offset completely the NOx emissions from
> all generating units at AE's new Sand Hill energy center.
>
> Background on Holly Emissions and Operations
>
> * Holly is fueled by natural gas. NOx is its only significant
> emission. Particulates (dust), sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic
> compounds (VOC) and carbon monoxide (CO) are emitted in trace amounts.
>
> * A 1994 assessment by the TCEQ found that emissions from the Holly
> plant would not exceed any national ambient air quality standards.
> Emissions rates from Holly today are lower than they were in 1994 by more
> than one-third.
>
> * Reductions of NOx emissions have been achieved through modifications
> at both Holly and Decker at a total cost of $3.9 million. AE's contractor
> for the work, RJM Corporation, has completed improvements to Decker Unit 1
> and Holly Units 3 and 4.  Modifications are underway to Decker Unit 2 and
> will be completed by May 2003.
>
> * Holly generating units are operating less each year. In 1998 all
> four units together operated for 13,000 hours. For 2002 the total was
> about 5,300 hours and operating hours for 2003 are projected at 3,600.
>
> * In actual numbers Holly emitted 708 tons of NOx in 1999. NOx
> emissions for 2002 are projected at 273 tons.
>
> * As a point of reference, on road vehicles (traffic) and off road
> vehicles (trains, boats, construction equipment, lawnmowers) in Travis
> County emitted 27,000 tons of NOx in 1999, the latest emissions inventory.
>
> * Austin Energy installed continuous emissions monitors in the stacks
> of all four generating units at Holly in 1995 to measure NOx and SO2
> emissions as required by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Emissions
> results are submitted quarterly to the Environmental Protection Agency
> (EPA).
>
> * Holly is no longer capable of operating on fuel oil. Fuel oil has
> not been used at Holly since the late 1980's. All fuel oil has been
> physically removed from Holly and the fuel storage tanks at the plant will
> be disassembled during 2003.
>
> * A public health assessment was conducted by the Texas Department of
> Health (TDH) in 1999. The TDH reviewed emissions data, TCEQ air dispersion
> modeling and other information and found that the Holly Power Plant poses
> no apparent public health hazard. Specifically the assessment found that
> neither emissions from the plant nor the plant site pose a health threat
> to the Holly neighborhood.
>
> * EMF is associated with any device using or transporting electricity.
> This includes power lines and home appliances such as TVs, computers, hair
> dryers, lights. The TDH assessment referenced above indicated that
> "magnetic field measurements near the power lines in the neighborhood
> adjacent to the Holly Street Power Plant were similar to the magnetic
> fields calculated for other power lines throughout the City of Austin."
>
>  Readings directly under power lines in the Holly neighborhood and
> across Austin are in the range of 20-60 milliGauss (mG). By comparison a
> handheld hair dryer exposes the user's head to 25-80 mG. Microwave oven
> use exposes the user to 25-80 mG. No national mG safety threshold has been
> established. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
> recommends a maximum exposure limit for workers of 10,000 mG. No standard
> has yet to be adopted for workers.
>
> * Noise. Between 1994-1997 at a cost of $30 million, Austin Energy
> implemented sound proofing measures at the power plant to reduce noise. In
> addition, since 1994, Austin Energy has weatherized or helped soundproof
> over 200 homes around the power plant. In 1998 Radian International was
> commissioned to conduct noise level testing around the Holly neighborhood
> and around Metz Elementary. They found that noise levels were well within
> standards (65 decibels) and comparable with noise levels experienced in
> other Austin neighborhoods.  As a point of comparison, the noise level 20
> feet from a running automobile is 74 decibels. At a busy intersection it
> is 90 decibels.
>
> Holly Retirement
> Austin Energy will retire Holly units one and two by the end of 2004 and
> will retire the entire plant by 2009, or sooner if possible. Austin Energy
> has expended over $300 million dollars making improvements to the electric
> system necessary before Holly can be physically retired.
>
>
>
>
>
>

Hey, all.

Just wanted to give you a heads up on what's going on environmentally
at UT.  This spring is the first semester for the Environmental Center,
a student-run resource center on environmental issues.  We do a lot,
including coordinating an internship program, hosting a weekly
environmental events email list, and coordinating a variety of
environmental projects.  You can find out more about us at
http://www.UTenvironment.org/

This is also the first year of the Center for Sustainable Development,
a part of the School of Architecture.  See
http://mather.ar.utexas.edu/csd/ for details.

There will also be a conference at UT in a few weeks; you are all
invited to attend.  More info is at the bottom of this message.

Thanks,

Corinna Kester
Director, UT Environmental Center
(512) 2-EARTH-0 [232-7840]
www.UTenvironment.org

*********

Campus Earth Summit: Enabling Environmental Change on Campus
Saturday, March 22
University of Texas at Austin

**please pass this announcement on**

Register now for the Campus Earth Summit, which will take place on
Saturday, March 22, at the University of Texas at Austin.  It's a free
conference on how to run campus environmental projects.

We'll learn new techniques for addressing important environmental
issues on campus, including assessing each school's environmental
impact, reducing energy use, and implementing more environmentally
friendly purchasing policies.  We'll study what other schools are doing
to address these concerns and what has succeeded and failed on other
campuses.  Suzanne Savanick, the Coordinator of the Sustainable Campus
Initiative Committee at the University of Minnesota, will lead the
conference.

The conference is open to anyone, and registration is free. Visit
http://www.UTenvironment.org/ for more information and to register.

Hello all, I am David Farris. I recently co-invented with my 5 yr old
son, a new way of building homes for the homeless and other citizens
using recycled telephone books. This endeavor is fueled by my desire
to lessen waste in landfills across the world and to house the
homeless in a sustainable manner. SBC, www.housethehomeless.org and
Leadership Austin is assisting me in establishing the avenues and
volunteer base to collectand build-with... this coming-December's
estimated 1.4 million phone books. enough to build 275-- 1500 square
foot; 4 bedroom, 2 bath homes. or enough co-housing capacity to house
2,700 homeless/displaced persons.   I have an individual offering to
have the first-ever stackwall structure built on her property just
south of east st.elmo road in south austin. the storage shed/barn is
around 600 square feet. those interested in lending their support,
expertise or funding to this work-in-progress can call me directly at
512-407-8874 or thru this email  stackwallproject@...

thank-you,
  David Farris

Thanks to Katie Jensen for clarifying that the tech assistance grant is available through Southwestern Bell Corp - the Excelerator Grant - it can be downloaded online at http://www.sbc.com/corporate_citizenship/0,5931,58,00.html

The AustinEcoNetwork Calendar is online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AustinEcoNetwork/cal/ and you are free to post relevant events there.

The last day of super-cheap registration for Austin's Earth Day Expo is this Friday. you can register online at  http://www.parksfest.org/EarthDayExpo.htm  After March 7th it's only cheap ; )

At 5:30 tonight there is a protest at the front entrance to the Holly Power Plant. Tomorrow, March 4th, at 7pm at Metz Elementary is a hearing on the Air Permit for Holly PP that would allow it to operate another 10 years. Neighbors urge you to support them in their effort to get the TCEQ to deny the permit. more info from connie@....

Melanie McAfee is rallying folks to attend a County Commissioner's Court hearing tomorrow morning to address policies regarding the smelly landfill issues in East Austin. Anyone interested can show up at 9:15ish or contact organicmel@...

Kudos to all who organized and attended the legislative training session yesterday organized by the Alliance for Clean Texas http://www.allianceforcleantexas.org/ and especially those who took their knowledge to the capitol today to lobby for various envrionmental protections. The Water for People, Not for Profit rally was a success! Lots of media coverage!

Keep up the good work everyone! Brandi

--------------------
FROM: bucfan76@...
DATE: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:13:53 -0000
SUBJECT: Where is the discussion??????

Is there going to be any discussion or updates on this
board? If not then why have it??????

------------------
From Brandi...
The last several posts that came to the list were really directed to me, so I just answered them rather than burden the inboxes of everyone on the list. I think there was also a sense that the maelstrom of e-mails that happened in the first week was overwhelming and I've felt like there was a little simmer-down period. New members are joining regularly and you are welcome to help spread the word. The idea is to have the infrastructure here for us to use and build on as necessary.

The vteam (working on the virtual network) has been quite active on a separate listserv with lots of techie talk, but no decisions made worth reporting. One noteworthy fact is that we got a loan from Jim Holland, the owner of EcoWise to help pay for putting the Austin Environmental Directory online and purchasing the initial software necessary to develop a calendar that could be updated from multiple locations and also visible on multiple sites, with a central "brain" collecting the data. Thanks Jim! Y'all go support his one-of-a-kind store on Elizabeth behind Guero's - widest selection of non-food eco friendly products in town. The rest of the money needed to complete those two tasks will hopefully come form a grant through SBC. Anyone who can help us get this grant application filled out please contact me ASAP.

For now, the calendar page at is active and people are supposed to post events happening there that I will help publicize during Earth Month. ADD EVENTS The network will grow as we try to find our common voice.

Peace, Brandi Clark

Exactly Chris! The Citizen's Environmental Clearinghouse is one of the groups that we are modeling our idea on.  (It's bookmarked under Links page on the AustinEcoNetwork) As you can see CEC's newletter is full of good current information (parallel in many cases to issues we are dealing with there).(take note, vteam) In fact, Beverly Griffith is friends with Terry Hershey (sp?) and wants to organize a "traning day" for us to pick their brains and learn how they have done what they are doing there in Houston. I'm also thinking about a field trip to go visit the center in Houston. Maybe several people would want to go (perhaps delegates of the physical building team)- I'll let the whole group know.  Peace, Brandi

 Chris Wilson <chriswilson@...> wrote:

Perhaps Austin could have something like this?  

 

**************************************
CEC ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE ­ 2/21/03
**************************************
COALITION NOTES
Environmental Lobby Day
MFCA hosts air monitoring events
TPWD to hold crab trap cleanup
Master Naturalist Volunteer Training
Environmental Art Exhibit

LOCAL
Cleanup to begin on Houston Superfund site
Houston CEO calls for mandatory emissions reporting

THE WEEK¹S EVENTS
Ecological Symposium
Metro Mobility Meeting
Katy Prairie Conservancy Annual Meeting
Public Workshop for Grand Parkway Segment B
Public hearing for I-10 EIS
Trees and landscaping as a public health benefit
TCEQ Ozone SIP Public Meeting

IN THE NEWS
Houston Chronicle
The Facts

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION
**************************************
COALITION NOTES
***Environmental Lobby Day***
Coalition members will be out in force on March 3 for Environmental Lobby
Day in Austin- and you can join them.  First learn how to lobby by attending a training workshop on Sunday, March 2. Training sessions will focus issues like clean air and water, hazardous waste, environmental-law enforcement and renewable energy. Then put your new skills to the test on Monday by lobbying your state legislators. A rally on the steps of the Capitol will follow. For help with transportation from Houston to Austin contact Greg Broyles (West / Central Houston) at 713-880-2132, gmbroyles@... or Charlotte Wells
(East / Southeast Houston) at 281-842-7764, baytime@.... Register for the event by contacting Erin Rogers at 512-477-1729 or
erin.rogers@....

***MFCA hosts air monitoring events***
According to the 2000 U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Harris County ranks as the U.S. county with the third highest toxic air pollution in the country. Nearly twenty four million pounds of toxic pollutants were reported to have been released into the air by regulated industries, most of them located near the Houston Ship Channel. Yet recent scientific measurements indicate that many of these chemicals are underreported by a factor of five to twenty.

At high enough levels, toxic pollutants can cause serious health problems
including cancer, and reproductive and respiratory effects.  However, we
frequently do not know which chemicals people are actually exposed to, or at what levels, due to infrequent monitoring, distant monitors and poor
communication of monitoring data.

To highlight the importance of monitoring for air pollutants ,Mothers for
Clean Air will co-sponsor an air monitoring round table discussion on
Friday, Feb 28 and a Community Air Monitoring Fair Saturday, March 1.

The monitoring fair will consist of a series of exhibits that will educate
citizens, industry, regulatory agencies and the media on the latest
developments in air monitoring technology, give people hands-on experience
with community-friendly equipment that can test the air and inform industry
of citizen-led projects.

The roundtable will be a discussion among regulatory agencies, residents and industry where participants will learn about existing monitoring for air
pollutants in the Houston-Galveston area and foster dialogue about how
monitoring programs can expand our knowledge of air quality.

The roundtable discussion is Friday, February 28 from1:00-3:00 PM. at the
Pasadena ISD Administration Building, 1515 Cherry Brook Lane and Strawberry Road, in Rooms T3 and T4.

The Fair is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the City of Houston's Bureau of
Air Quality Control, 7411 Park Place and Telephone Road. Both events are
free and open to the public. For more information contact Jane Laping at
713-526-0110 or mfca@... . Visit MFCA on the web at
<http://www.mothersforcleanair.org>.

***TPWD to hold crab trap cleanup***
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department needs volunteers to join a coast-wide
effort to remove the thousands of wire mesh cages used to catch crabs that
have been lost or abandoned since last year's cleanup. The volunteer trap
removal will be held Saturday, Feb. 22 at 16 locations along the coast.

State game wardens pick up more than 2,500 traps annually, yet there are
many more still in the water to foul shrimpers' nets, snag fishermen's lines
and create an unsightly view of Texas shores.

Last year, 554 volunteers and 228 vessels participated in the cleanup along
with numerous sponsors.

To volunteer or for more information contact one of the local coordinators
Art Morris in Corpus Christi at (361) 825-3356 or Bobby Miller in Dickinson
at (281) 534-0110. For a complete list of collection sites visit
<http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/news/news/030203a.htm>.

***Master Naturalist Volunteer Training***
The Gulf Coast Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program is still
taking applications for it's Spring 2003 volunteer training session which
begins March 4th.  Classes will be on 13 consecutive Tuesday evenings, with six field trips on Saturdays.  The program, which is a cooperative effort of Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Cooperative Extension, will furnish participants with essential information and strategies to restore and
conserve our indigenous species and habitats.  For more information, or to
receive an application, contact the Harris County Cooperative Extension at
281-855-5614.

***Environmental Art Exhibit***
Natural Legacy will host a Student Environmental Art Exhibit and
"Friendraiser" at Michaeline's Restaurant & Gallery on Tuesday, Feb 25 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. There will be an exhibit and auction of the paintings produced by high school participants in Natural Legacy¹s Student
Environmental Art Council. The student artists will be in attendance to
discuss their work. $20 donations will be welcomed at the door. Food will be catered by Michaeline's Restaurant and there will be an open bar. All
proceeds from the auction will benefit Natural Legacy's community-based
environmental art after-school programs and field experiences for our high
school participants. Michaeline's is located at 1512 W. Alabama (across from the Menil Art Gallery parking lot). For more information please contact
Debbie Rhodes at 713-590-5193 or debbie.rhodes@....
**************************************

LOCAL
*** Cleanup to begin on Houston Superfund site***
The Environmental Protection Agency expects to begin new sampling activities soon at a Superfund site that local residents and the city of Houston hope can be remediated and developed as an extension of their neighborhood. The 36-acre Many Diversified Interests site, is in federal receivership after investigators found unacceptable levels of contaminants. EPA recently initiated a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study after elevated concentrations of lead, arsenic, chromium and other metals were collected at the former industrial facility in 1994.

Although buildings that once occupied the site were demolished and more than 5,000 barrels of used chemicals were removed, the soil is still dangerously contaminated. More than 100 families live within close proximity to the site and Bruce Elementary School is located directly across the street. A 1998 study by Texas Department of Health¹s , Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry concluded 22% of the children in the Fifth Ward had elevated levels of lead in their blood compared to the 9% average for the rest of Texas. The elevated levels may be linked to the children¹s proximity to the MDI site. The site is contaminated with lead and other metals from a steel casting operation that operated there decades ago. Although the buildings that once occupied the site were demolished and the barrels were removed, the soil is still dangerously contaminated.

The city held a series of meetings with local residents to determine a
possible future use, which resulted in a report calling for a largely
residential, mixed-use development after remediation. In 2001, the EPA
awarded a $50,000 grant to Mothers for Clean Air for technical assistance
and interpretation of environmental reports on the site¹s contamination.

Another plan currently in the works for the site is a beautification project
involving neighborhood children. Organized by the Museum of Cultural Arts
Houston, the project will recruit children from neighborhood elementary
schools and community centers to paint a 1,920-foot mural that will adorn a
chain-link fence that surrounds the site. For more information about the MDI Superfund site, visit
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/permitting/remed/superfund/mdia.html. For more information about the beautification project email MCOAH at
mocaharts@....

***Houston CEO calls for mandatory emissions reporting***
Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Lee Raymond said this week laws targeting emission cuts on gases blamed for global warming should not be created until companies are required to report on carbon emission.

"We voluntarily report our emissions and back mandatory reporting based on effective and reliable procedures as essential preconditions to policies
that target emission reductions," Raymond told a Cambridge Energy Research Associates conference.

Exxon Mobil has long been the focus of environmentalists' anger for its
perceived reluctance to acknowledge the growing scientific data showing the role fossil fuels play in climate change.

Carbon dioxide emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes are widely believed to contribute to global warming, which scientists say could lift sea levels and submerge island states and sharply alter weather patterns, increasing the frequency of severe storms.

Raymond said Exxon Mobil was researching cleaner energy sources, including hydrogen-based technologies, but said tremendous advances were needed for economically viable alternatives.

Measuring emissions from companies that burn fossil fuels is seen as a
precursor to developing an emissions exchange or "cap and trade" system
under which polluters who exceed their pollution allotment can buy other
companies' excess emission rights.

Supporters, including many industries, have said such a trading system is
the most economical method to reduce greenhouse gas output.

The European Union issued a proposal earlier this month to improve its
monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, and is expected to launch an
emissions trading system in coming years.

The Chicago Climate Exchange said last month it would launch an
Internet-based market this spring for carbon dioxide and methane, another
greenhouse gas.

The Bush administration, which pulled the United States out of the global
warming Kyoto Protocol pact in 2000, has been collecting written pledges
from industries to curb greenhouse gas emissions in a drive to stave off
mandatory controls, The New York Times reported in January.
**************************************
 
THE WEEK¹S EVENTS
***Ecological Symposium***
Date: Sat, Feb. 22
Location: Texas A&M University
Time: All day
Contact: <http://eco-symposium.tamu.edu/eco-home.htm >.


***Metro Mobility Meeting***
Date: Tue,  Feb. 25
Location: Taylor Lake Village City Council Chambers, 500 Kirby Boulevard
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

***Katy Prairie Conservancy Annual Meeting***
Date: Tue, Feb. 25
Location: 3015 Richmond Avenue, Upper Kirby District Building
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Contact: 713.523.6135

***Public Workshop for Grand Parkway Segment B***
Date: Wed, Feb. 26
Location: Alvin Community College, 3110 Mustang Rd, Alvin, TX 77511.
Time: 2-4 p.m. or 6-8 p.m
Contact: <http://www.grandpky.com/home/default.asp>

***Trees and landscaping as a public health benefit***
Date: Wed, Feb. 26
Location: Hyatt Regency Houston, 1200 Louisiana
Time: 7:30-9 am
Sponsored by: The Greater Houston Partnership, Treescape, and Contact:
713-844-3659. 

***Public hearing for I-10 EIS***
Date: Thur, Feb. 27
Location: West Chester Educational Center, 901 Yorkchester
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Contact: Polly Ledivina at 713-524-4578 or pledvina@...

***TCEQ Ozone SIP Public Meeting***
Date: Thur, Feb. 27
Time 2:00 p.m
Location: City of Houston Council Offices
Contact Kelly Keel at 512/239-3607 or kkeel@... .  or
<http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/oprd/sips/sipintro.html >
**************************************

IN THE NEWS
***Houston Chronicle***
Biologists, ranchers work to raise ocelot population
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1781823>

IT¹S STILL LONELY BEING GREEN; BUT ITS GETTING COOLER AS MORE DESIGNS DEFER
TO THE ENVIRONMENT, 12/17/03
Houston designers embrace eco-friendly architecture.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/zest/1778245>

CUTTING POLLUTION CAN HAVE BIG PAYOFF, NONPROFIT GROUP SAYS, 2/18/03
According to national report, businesses saved more than $660 million as a
result of pollution prevention efforts.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1782705>

WETLANDS PLAN WOULD AID LEARNING; PROJECT TO LET KIDS STUDY ENVIRONMENT, 2/18/03
A $3.5 million man-made wetland habitat, envisioned for construction this
fall at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, would create an
opportunity for schoolchildren to get hands-on environmental experience.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1782762>

ROBIN DIE-OFFS BAFFLE BIOLOGISTS, 2/19/03
Scientists suspect birds overdose on alcohol-spiked berries.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1784628>

PASADENA OKS YOUNG STREET DRAINAGE PROJECT, 2/20/03
Pasadena City Council on Tuesday approved spending $300,000 to acquire land for drainage improvements.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone03/news/1785450>

GRAND PARKWAY MEETINGS SCHEDULED, 2/20/03
State transportation officials and the Grand Parkway Association will
conduct two public meetings Tuesday in Alvin on route options for Texas 99
in Brazoria and Galveston counties.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone07/news/1783208>

SPEAK RIGHT UP: STATE LOOKS FOR COMMENTS ON FREEWAY, 2/20/03
Recent changes made to the Katy Freeway project plan -- primarily the
addition of a toll road down the middle of the freeway -- triggered the
re-evaluation of a year-old environmental study, and now community members have a chance to add their comments to the mix.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone05/news/1783172>

FORT BEND SEEKING STATE HELP IN GARBAGE FLAP, 2/20/03
Fort Bend County Commissioner Tom Stavinoha is moving his field of battle
from the city to the state to halt a garbage transfer operation in southwest
Houston and a landfill in Fort Bend County.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone17/news/1785674>

EXPANSION PLANNED FOR 1-45 STRETCH, 2/20/03
By the year 2011 eight lanes -- four southbound, four northbound -- and six
total lanes of feeder road will become the new face of Interstate 45 through
Conroe.
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone01/news/1785417>

***The Facts***
CENTENNIAL PARK TRAIL MAY GET GREEN LIGHT, 12/18/03
City Council unanimously approved a letter outlining plans to reopen the
trail on land partially owned by Dow Chemical.
<http://www.thefacts.com/story.lasso?wcd=7047>
**************************************

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication by the Citizens'
Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 dedicated to fostering dialogue,
education and collaboration about environmental issues in the Houston-Gulf
Coast Region. Visit the CEC online at <http://www.cechouston.org>

To subscribe or unsubscribe, or to suggest items for inclusion, send your
request via e-mail to Sarah Doss at <sarah@....>


Phone: 713-524-4232
Fax: 713-524-3311

"Miller, Diane" <dmiller@...> wrote:

Hello,
Thanks to outstanding public participation, Envision Central Texas is on
course to develop an innovative, community-based vision for addressing the
future growth of our region. From the public workshops conducted last fall
in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties, we received
input from more than 1,200 local citizens that is being incorporated into
several regional growth scenarios. Once we complete scenario forecasting and
modeling, we will again present them to the public for more feedback.
In the meantime, Envision Central Texas needs your help. We are working
with six selected communities in the region to conduct a series of
neighborhood workshops to explore how public planning can influence
development. Local stakeholders and residents are invited to participate in
these meetings, giving them the opportunity to work directly with
professional planners to include their ideas in each community's future. If
you live, work or own property in one of the workshop areas, your
participation is critical to the success of these events. For details on
the planning areas, visit www.envisioncentraltexas.org/events.php.
Participants will work in small groups to determine the development options
that make the most sense for their community - including issues like
transportation, the local economy, land use and the environment. Each group
will share its ideas with others at the meeting, and together we'll look for
ways to combine the possibilities to create the ideal plan for each project
site. Upcoming Workshops
Dripping Springs
Tuesday, March 4, 6-10 p.m.
Dripping Springs Primary School
29400 Ranch Road 12
Pflugerville
Tuesday, March 4, 6-10 p.m.
Park Crest Middle School
1500 Pflugerville Loop
Lockhart
Thursday, March 6, 6-10 p.m.
St. Mary's of the Visitation Catholic Church
205 West Pecan Street
McNeil Junction
Monday, March 31, 6-10 p.m.
McNeil High School
5720 McNeil Drive
Bastrop
Tuesday, April 1, 6-10 p.m.
Riverside Conference Center
1405 Willow Street
East Austin
Tuesday, April 1, 6-10 p.m.
David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
2211 E. MLK, Jr. Blvd.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Please help us plan for the workshop and RSVP early by contacting Diane
Miller at (512) 916-6037, or via e-mail at
dmiller@... participate in this exciting
opportunity, and help decide what your future can be.
Learn more about Envision Central Texas at www.envisioncentraltexas.org.

Due to the lack of understanding of how the listserve works I changed
the list setting to moderated. This means that (for now) all posts
will come to me and if they are pertinent to the list I will forward
them to the group. I will try to get to things as quickly as possible
so as not to delay your important info,  but this needs to be done to
eliminate extraneous mailbox filler, for which I apologize.
Unfortunately some really good people have left the list already.
Perhaps when things settle down on the list we can re-invite some new
members or old members to consider rejoining. And hopefully we can
switch back to unmoderated. So, welcome to the list- use the
calendar, bookmarks and share your events and eco-ideas with a bunch
of other cool people.
Hope this helps. Peace, Brandi

ok, so it is my understanding that AustinEcoNetwork@yahoogroups.com is a way for all of us to communicate.  there seems to be some misunderstanding.  if you hit "reply" it will go to everyone on the mailing list...hopefully that cleared up some confusion, but if someone understands it differently, please speak up.

~laura*

In case anyone is interested, the 4th annual
Ecological Integration Symposium is going to be held
this Saturday, February 22nd at Texas A & M.  The
title for this symposium is "Natural History and
Modern Conservation" and addresses the "history,
future directions, and challenges of the conservation
of biological diversity" More info. at
http:/eco-symposium.tamu.edu/eco-home.htm
-Tammy

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day
http://shopping.yahoo.com

If you are receiving this post directly, you have been added to a list of people who are exploring the logistics of  creating a stronger network among environmental and sustainability-focused organizations (and companies) in Austin. Many of you specifically asked me to join this list, others I added, knowing your interest in this subject, but every post from the list gives you the opportunity to unsubscribe form the list. Hopefully you will want to participate and will even invite others to join. Anyone can join this list via YahooGroups - the name of our group is AustinEcoNetwork. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AustinEcoNetwork/

Anyway, for those staying on the list, you should know that when you hit "reply" from a post, your e-mail gets sent to nearly 200 people who all have valuable input and limited time to sort through conversational e-mails. Please only post notices that are relevant and informative to the whole group. Otherwise, just copy and paste the address from the person who wrote a post that you want to reply to and paste it into a new email. We want people to stay joined to the list so that we can inform each other of events, especially meetings and minutes regarding planning for this network. Don't want it to be a mailbox clogger.

That being said, I owe the group minutes from our conversation on the 9th. In a nutshell we have three groups working on projects - virtual network, physical center, and collaborations. What I have done is create this list (slow-it was my first one) and post a bunch of bookmarks under the category Links. (look on the left-hand column under our page on YahooGroups. I also posted a few events, (our last meeting, the Earth Day planning meeting this Thursday at 4:30, the Ishmael discussion group) and you are welcome to add events for publicity. Unfortunately, until things come under a more comprehensive umbrella this YahooGroups calendar might be actually adding to the duplication rather than minimizing it. The Virtual Network team is exploring solutions. People should still check the AustinProgressiveCalendar.com, greenbuilder.com, progressiveaustin.org, and utenvironment.org for good stuff going on. These and other good sites for exploring what resources and models we have in terms of eco-networks are listed there. Please add to the list and provide a good description.

Happy networking!  Spread the word that this list exists and let people know to use it responsibly. Thanks, Brandi

President, Environmentality, Inc.

512-477-3311 H/O    512-736-8567 Cell

Apologies for duplicate postings.

Earth Day & It's My Park! Planning Meeting:

Thursday, February 20th at 4:30 Waller Bldg Rm 104. The address is 625 E 10th. Free parking available on 6th floor of garage. Metered parking on the street.         Bus routes 2, 10 & 15 stop at the corner 11th and Red River

Please plan to attend the first official planning meeting to find out what's in the works for Earth Day weekend in Austinand to share your input on how to make this year's events AMAZING. Earth Day will be one part of a two-day festival (April 26th & 27th) called Austin ParksFest, hosted by the Austin Parks Foundation. We've got the western side of Auditorium Shores to turn into and land of ecological education and entertainment. Plus a new event - It's My Park! is being planned. More information is available at www.parksfest.org

Exhibitor and vendor registration forms, and a sponsor packet are now available online at http://www.parksfest.org/EarthDayExpo.htm. If the registration pages don't load the first time just hit back and retry. 

Contact Brandi Clark, producer of It's My Park! and Earth Day Expo with RSVPs, questions, feedback, etc. Email (1st choice) brandi_clark@...  or 477-3311.

Please forward and post this announcement to all appropriate lists and calendars. Thanks!

 GREENBUZZ Editor <editor@...> wrote:

From: GREENBUZZ Editor
To: brandi@...
Subject: GREENBUZZ for February 17, 2003
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 19:34:56 -0500 (EST)

If you are having trouble reading this page, you may view the current issue by clicking here

	GreenBiz.com's GreenBuzz - Published Every Two Weeks	February 17, 2003

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	Taking Care of Business GreenBiz recently had an opportunity to talk with Dr. Henry Cole, whose company received last year's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for assisting in the commercial development of ACQ-Preserve, an arsenic-free wood preservative. In this week's feature, Green Technologies: Achieving Environmental and Marketplace Success, Dr. Cole speaks out about what it takes to get environmentally preferable technologies off the drawing board and put to commercial use. Also this week: The GreenBiz Essentials series is back with an A-to-Z backgrounder on green auditing. Find out why more CEOs are taking the time to take stock of their companies' environmental performance. Headlines The Latest News on Business and the Environment ChevronTexaco Greenhouse Gas Management System Now Available to Industry ChevronTexaco Corp. has made its proprietary system for managing greenhouse gas emissions available free of charge to the worldwide energy industry. ENSR Lauded for Using IT to Enhance Environmental Projects Environmental services firm ENSR has been recognized for its use of "extranets" to provide clients with global, 24-hour access to environmental project resources. Russians Develop 'Green' Method of Strengthening Concrete Scientists have developed an environmentally preferable way of improving the structure of concrete -- by making it sing. Marketing 'Cool' Lifestyles Key to Selling Clean and Green Products The United Nations Environment Program is enlisting psychologists and human behaviorists in a pioneering new initiative to save the planet. IFC Supports SME Entrepreneurship in Amazon The International Finance Corporation has pledged up to $240,000 for a project to assist small agricultural producers in the Amazon basin. Put GreenBiz news on your site for free! Learn more... More Headlines... Resources and Tools A Wealth of Hands-On Help GreenBiz Essential: Green Auditing With this GreenBiz Essential, find out why -- and how -- more companies are taking stock of their environmental performance. Healthcare EnviroNet Promotes sustainable, environmentally responsible health care in Canada. Industry Action List Web page helps businesses formulate an action plan to minimize global warming. European Eco-Label Catalog Search by country, manufacturer, or one of 19 product categories. The Basics of Climate Change: Straight Facts, Innovative Solutions Web page offers a comprehensive overview of global climate change issues. More Tools... | More Web Sites... Columns and Features Insight and Inspiration from the Experts Green Technologies: Achieving Environmental and Marketplace Success Dr. Henry S. Cole tells GreenBiz.com about the challenges and opportunities for creating a successful marketplace for advances in green technologies. By Emily Rabin The 'Loneliness' of the Pro-Business Environmentalist Let's force politicians in both parties to pay attention to the economic growth and new employment that pro-business environmentalism is creating. By Byron Kennard Wanna write a column? Let us know if you'd like to write a guest column reflecting your experiences or opinions in the environmental business world. Send a brief query to Editor@... | Read our editorial guidelines More Columns... | More Features... Ask the Experts! Your Questions Answered What is the latest on corporate EH&S and community report verification? What do employment recruiters charge for successfully placing a candidate with a company seeking to fill an open EH&S position? Experts! Archive... Ask a Question: Your Name: (Optional) Your E-mail: (Optional) Send This Newsletter to Colleagues Spread the Word! Amaze Your Friends! Win Our Gratitude! Your Name: Your E-mail: Colleague's E-mail(s): Separate each address with a comma (,) View Our Privacy Policy		What's New GreenBiz Education Direcory Access to hundreds of workshops, courses, and degree programs to help business people understand environmental issues and improve their companies' performance. Featured Book State of the World 2003 by Worldwatch Institute Twentieth-anniversary edition of this Worldwatch Institute series documents success stories to prove the "impossible" environmental revolution is already happening. Buy It! | Read Our Review More Books . . . Featured Event GEMI 2003: Sustainability Through Strategic Partnerships Host: Global Environmental Management Initiative Date: March 19-21, 2003 Location: Orlando, Fla. Spotlight on innovative partnerships that promote sustainability. Submit Your Event Our Sponsors Founding Sponsor: Major Sponsors: Interested in becoming a sponsor? E-mail us or call 202-261-6469.

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Will be glad to participate.

Thanks,

Herb Nordmeyer

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day
http://shopping.yahoo.com

......and thanks to Brandi for creating it.

I know I have numerous ideas that will be shared on here very soon
and certainly look forward to everyone else's ideas.

John