Re: UW-Madison News Release--Green gasoline advance

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 4/7/08
>
> CONTACT: James Dumesic, (608) 262-1095, dumesic@engr.wisc.edu
>
> MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES, BUT GASOLINE MIGHT
>
> MADISON - In 2003, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student George Huber and colleagues made hydrogen from plant sugars using nickel-tin alloy catalysts in the lab of Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor James Dumesic.
>
> In 2005, the team made a diesel-like fuel from plants.
>
> Today, University of Massachusetts Amherst Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering George Huber has graduate students of his own.
>
> Reporting in the cover article of today's issue of "Chemistry & Sustainability, Energy & Materials," Huber's team announced the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components. This "green gasoline" can be created from sustainable biomass sources like switchgrass and poplar trees.
>
> In the same issue, Dumesic and his team at UW-Madison announced an integrated process for creating chemical components of jet fuel using a green gasoline approach. While Dumesic's group had previously demonstrated the production of jet-fuel components by combining separate catalytic steps, its current work shows that these steps can be integrated together and run sequentially, without complex separation and purification processes between reactors.
>
> While it may be five to ten years before these green fuels arrive at the pump or power a jet, these breakthroughs have bypassed significant hurdles to bringing biofuels to market.
>
> "It is likely that the future consumer will not even know that they are putting biofuels into their car," says Huber. "Biofuels in the future will most likely be similar in chemical composition to gasoline and diesel fuel used today. The challenge for chemical engineers is to efficiently produce liquid fuels from biomass while fitting into the existing infrastructure today."
>
> For their new approach, the UMass researchers rapidly heated cellulose in the presence of solid catalysts, materials that speed up reactions without sacrificing themselves in the process, and then rapidly cooled the products to create a liquid that contains many of the compounds found in gasoline.
>
> The entire process was completed in less than two minutes by using relatively moderate amounts of heat. The compounds that formed in that single step, like naphthalene and toluene, make up one fourth of the suite of chemicals found in gasoline. The liquid can be further treated to form the remaining fuel components or can be used "as is" for a high-octane gasoline blend.
>
> "Green gasoline is an attractive alternative to bioethanol since it can be used in existing engines and does not incur the 30 percent gas mileage penalty of ethanol-based flex fuel," says John Regalbuto, who directs the Catalysis and Biocatalysis Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supported this research.
>
> "In theory, it requires much less energy to make than ethanol, giving it a smaller carbon footprint and making it cheaper to produce. Making it from cellulose sources such as switchgrass or poplar trees grown as energy crops, or forest or agricultural residues such as wood chips or corn stover, solves the life-cycle greenhouse gas problem that has recently surfaced with corn ethanol and soy biodiesel," Regalbuto adds.
>
> Beyond academic laboratories, both small businesses and Fortune 500 petroleum refiners are pursuing green gasoline. Companies are designing ways to hybridize their existing refineries to enable petroleum products including fuels, textiles, and plastics to be made from either crude oil or biomass and the military community has shown strong interest in making jet fuel and diesel from the same sources.
>
> "Huber's new process for the direct conversion of cellulose to gasoline aromatics is at the leading edge of the new 'Green Gasoline' alternate energy paradigm that NSF, along with other federal agencies, is helping to promote," states Regalbuto.
>
> Not only is the method a compact way to treat a great deal of biomass in a short time, Regalbuto says that the process, in principle, does not require any external energy. "In fact, from the extra heat that will be released, you can generate electricity in addition to the biofuel," he adds. "There will not be just a small carbon footprint for the process; by recovering heat and generating electricity, there won't be any footprint."
>
> The latest pathways to produce green gasoline, green diesel, and green jet fuel are found in a report sponsored by NSF, the Department of Energy and the American Chemical Society entitled "Breaking the Chemical and Engineering Barriers to Lignocellulosic Biofuels: Next Generation Hydrocarbon Biorefineries," released April 1. (www.ecs.umass/biofuels/roadmap.htm). In the report, Huber, Dumesic and a host of leaders from academia, industry and the government present a plan for making green gasoline a practical solution for the impending fuel crisis.
>
> "We are currently working on understanding the chemistry of this process and designing new catalysts and reactors for this single step technique. This fundamental chemical understanding will allow us to design more efficient processes that will accelerate the commercialization of green gasoline," says Huber.
> ###
> - Media contact: Jim Beal, (608) 263-0611, jbeal@engr.wisc.edu
>
>
>
> ****************************************************
> For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
> news release system, please send an email to:
> releases@news.wisc.edu
>
> For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
> http://www.news.wisc.edu/
>
> University Communications
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 27 Bascom Hall
> 500 Lincoln Drive
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> Phone: (608) 262-3571
> Fax: (608) 262-2331
>

04/08/2008 TO Enviro-news

Study Finds Climate Target Is Not Radical Enough
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040708D.shtml
Ed Pilkington, reporting for The Guardian UK, writes: "One of the world's leading climate scientists warns today that the EU and its international partners must urgently rethink targets for cutting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of fears they have grossly underestimated the scale of the problem. In a startling reappraisal of the threat, James Hansen, head of the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, calls for a sharp reduction in CO2 limits."

UW-Madison News Release--Prairie chickens lure agri-tourists

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 4/7/08
>
> CONTACT: David Drake, (608) 890-0445, ddrake2@wisc.edu; Carl Flaig, (715) 570-0782, stargazing@tznet.com; Sharon Schwab, (715) 343-6221, SchwabS@co.portage.wi.us
>
> WATCHING THE BIRDS: AGRI-TOURISM COULD HELP SAVE COLORFUL PRAIRIE CHICKEN
>
> MADISON - In terms of entertaining courtship rituals, few animals can hold a candle to "Tympanuchus cupido" -- the drummer of love, commonly known as the greater prairie chicken.
>
> To win the attention of a mate, male prairie chickens inflate their vibrant orange throat sacs and strut around with pinnae standing up like feathery horns, a comical display that has won the birds legions of fans. During the birds' spring mating season, some enthusiasts huddle for hours before dawn to catch a glimpse of the chickens in action.
>
> But for University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers David Drake and Ashly Steinke, the birds' unusual behavior represents an opportunity -- one that could help preserve the chickens' threatened population and benefit area farmers at the same time.
>
> Once prevalent in every Wisconsin county, prairie chickens have been on the state's threatened species list since 1979, as fragmentation and degradation of the birds' native habitat has reduced their population to an estimated 1,200 birds. Drake, an assistant professor of forest and wildlife ecology, is taking part in a five-year project to expand their numbers, which involves transporting chickens from Minnesota to help broaden their genetic diversity.
>
> But that's only part of the solution, he says. The birds need more habitat where they can mate and intermingle.
>
> And that's where Wisconsin farmers come in. During the birds' mating season -- usually marked by the annual Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival, which this year takes place April 18-20 -- some farmers offer deals that allow nature lovers to watch the birds' rituals on their land. Typically, bird-watchers arrive in the pre-dawn hours, huddling behind plywood blinds to take in the birds' display.
>
> "You get in the blind at 4:30 a.m., and it's still dark, and the birds are already there," says Carl Flaig, who last season allowed the state Department on Natural Resources to place two blinds on his land. "And you start hearing the booming. The sun is coming up, it's an incredible experience."
>
> Flaig says he and his wife, Carol, enjoyed the experience so much that they're expanding to four blinds this year. The couple now offers group tour packages that include an evening Chuckwagon meal and stargazing, the early-morning prairie chicken dance, and a home-cooked farm breakfast.
>
> It's exactly this kind of collaboration that Drake envisions helping restore the birds' population in the state. Drake and Steinke, one of his graduate students, are working to survey farmers and landowners to gauge interest in managing some land as grassland habitat for the birds.
>
> "We want to try and diversify the farm," Drake says, "to allow farmers to manage for grasslands on their properties and to offer them economic opportunities like bird watching."
>
> It can be a win-win situation, he says, offering entrepreneurial farmers such as Flaig a chance to earn some extra income while also creating an essential habitat corridor. "If you can save the prairie chicken," Drake says, "you can save other grassland associated species as well."
> ###
> - Kate Tillery-Danzer, (608) 957-1303, mkdanzer@wisc.edu
>
>
>
> ****************************************************
> For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
> news release system, please send an email to:
> releases@news.wisc.edu
>
> For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
> http://www.news.wisc.edu/
>
> University Communications
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 27 Bascom Hall
> 500 Lincoln Drive
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> Phone: (608) 262-3571
> Fax: (608) 262-2331
>

Re: UW-Madison News Release--Landscape ecologists converge

> April 4, 2008
>
> TO: Editors, news directors
> FROM: Jill Sakai, University Communications, (608) 262-9772, jasakai@wisc.edu
> RE: TIP/LANDSCAPE ECOLOGISTS DESCEND ON MADISON
>
> Next week, Madison will be inundated with hundreds of landscape ecologists.
>
> No, that's not a fancy new name for landscapers. These scientists, specializing in fields from biology and forestry to agronomy and resource management, will converge at the Monona Terrace from April 6-10 for the 23rd annual U.S. meeting of the International Association for Landscape Ecology.
>
> Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the first time, the meeting brings together people interested in how physical features and patterns in the environment influence the ecosystems they contain.
>
> Imagine looking out an airplane window or tall building, suggests Phil Townsend, a professor of forest and wildlife ecology at UW-Madison. The patterns visible on the land below - such as forests, fields, rivers, and roads - have a powerful influence on the workings of the underlying ecosystems.
>
> "Not all forests are equivalent and not all agriculture is equivalent," he says. By providing the context of space and physical relationships, landscape ecology offers a more complete picture of the critical features of an environment.
>
> Such context also enables scientists to build maps and models that can help predict the characteristics of other areas - an important consideration in conservation and resource management. "The tools of landscape ecology are used extensively by resource managers, especially park managers," Townsend says. "They want to characterize patterns on the landscape, how those patterns are changing, and what effects those changes may have on whatever they're managing, be it birds or water quality."
>
> He and UW-Madison zoology professor Monica Turner, the local meeting organizers, say that bringing the meeting to Madison reflects UW-Madison's strength in the field. "This campus has been seen as a real hotspot for landscape ecology research," Townsend says.
>
> In Wisconsin, such work is helping researchers understand local ecosystems, determine how best to manage the state's natural resources, and examine the impact of human activities such as urbanization, recreational development, and agriculture.
>
> For information about the conference, contact Townsend at (608) 262-1669, ptownsend@wisc.edu.
>
> Dozens of UW-Madison scientists are engaged in landscape-scale research, many on projects that apply close to home. A few of the current researchers and their projects include:
>
> - Ashley Bennett, a graduate student in the entomology department, investigates the impact of urbanization on beneficial insects, such as pollinators and species that help control pest insects. She has found that beneficial populations are lower in urban parts of Dane County than in suburban and rural areas, but that the presence of flowering plants in cities may partially offset the large-scale impacts of urbanization.
>
> CONTACT: (608) 263-0964 (office), (217) 369-4769 (cell), abbennett@wisc.edu.
>
> - Noah Lottig, a graduate student at the Center for Limnology, is studying how aquatic ecosystems such as lakes and wetlands influence carbon in the environment. In studies in northern Wisconsin, he has found that the presence and relative location of lakes within a watershed can affect how organic carbon - such as carbon from plant and animal material - is converted to carbon dioxide. This work suggests that altering the size or distribution of lakes and wetlands may impact environmental carbon levels and changes.
>
> CONTACT: (218) 310-7460, nrlottig@wisc.edu.
>
> - David MacFarland, a graduate student in the department of forest and wildlife ecology, studies black bear populations and distribution in the Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin. He has developed a map of favorable bear habitat throughout the state to help identify areas of likely range expansion as the population increases. His work will help guide bear management to promote health of the population and minimize conflict with humans.
>
> CONTACT: (608) 576-1259, dmmacfarland@wisc.edu.
> ###
>
>
>
> ****************************************************
> For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
> news release system, please send an email to:
> releases@news.wisc.edu
>
> For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
> http://www.news.wisc.edu/
>
> University Communications
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 27 Bascom Hall
> 500 Lincoln Drive
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> Phone: (608) 262-3571
> Fax: (608) 262-2331
>
>
>

UW-Madison News Release--Conference on climate change

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 4/2/08
>
> CONTACT: Steve Pomplun, (608) 263-3063, spomplun@wisc.edu
>
> CONFERENCE CONSIDERS RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN WISCONSIN
>
> MADISON - What can - and should - public officials, corporate leaders, farmers, small-business owners, community organizers, and the rest of us do about climate change in Wisconsin?
>
> Hundreds of people from across the state are expected to convene at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center here on Wednesday, April 16, to address that question.
>
> The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies' second annual Earth Day conference will feature more than 40 speakers from government, academia, business, and the non-profit sector on the theme, "Sustaining Wisconsin's Environment & Economy: Responding to Climate Change."
>
> "Our goal is to promote greater understanding of how we affect the climate and of how the climate affects us," says Lewis Gilbert, interim director of the Nelson Institute. Named for Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, the institute is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
>
> Jay Gulledge, a senior scientist at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and manager of its program on science and impacts, will give the keynote address, "Scientific Uncertainty and Climate Change Risks."
>
> For the remainder of the morning, the conference will examine current actions and future options to cut emissions of "greenhouse gases" that contribute to global warming and to reduce Wisconsin's reliance on energy sources from outside the state.
>
> Representatives of the governor's Global Warming Task Force and the state Office of Energy Independence, both created by Gov. Jim Doyle a year ago, will report on their efforts, as will private-sector innovators in industry, agriculture, transportation, electric generation, and energy conservation.
>
> At noon, attention will turn to the potential impacts of climate change and variability on human health, fish and wildlife, water resources, forests, tourism, and other components of Wisconsin's quality of life, and how the state might adapt to protect public health, natural resources, and the economy. Organizers of the newly launched Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI), among others, will discuss their work and plans.
>
> "It's become apparent during the past decade that more than 100 years of inputs from human activity are already changing the atmosphere," says Gilbert. "Unfortunately, even if we could halt all production of greenhouse gases today, the momentum of climate change resulting from past inputs would continue for decades. So we need to develop strategies both to adapt to the change already in motion and to prevent it from becoming more extreme."
>
> The conference is open to anyone, but pre-registration by April 8 is required. The $25 registration fee covers all conference materials, a continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments.
>
> To pre-register or for more information, see the Earth Day conference Web site at nelson.wisc.edu/outreach or contact Steve Pomplun, (608) 263-3063, spomplun@wisc.edu.
>
> The Nelson Institute conference is co-sponsored by Alliant Energy, Orion Energy, EcoEnergy, Johnson Controls, American Family Insurance, Madison Gas & Electric, American Transmission Company, RMT, Wisconsin Public Power Inc., and Focus on Energy.
>
> Partners in the event are 1000 Friends of Wisconsin; the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and WICCI.
> ###
> - Tom Sinclair, (608) 263-5599, tksincla@wisc.edu
>
>
>
> ****************************************************
> For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email
> news release system, please send an email to:
> releases@news.wisc.edu
>
> For more UW-Madison news, please visit:
> http://www.news.wisc.edu/
>
> University Communications
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> 27 Bascom Hall
> 500 Lincoln Drive
> Madison, WI 53706
>
> Phone: (608) 262-3571
> Fax: (608) 262-2331
>

Earth Policy News - The Beginning of the End for Coal: A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal Industry

> **********************
> Earth Policy Institute
> News Release
> April 2, 2008
>
> THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR COAL
> A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal Industry
>
> http://www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline.htm
>
> Lester R. Brown and Jonathan G. Dorn
>
> With concerns about climate change mounting, the era of coal-fired electricity generation in the United States may be coming to a close. In early 2007, a U.S. Department of Energy report listed 151 coal-fired power plants in the planning stages in the United States. But during 2007, 59 proposed plants were either refused licenses by state governments or quietly abandoned. In addition, close to 50 coal plants are being contested in the courts, and the remaining plants will likely be challenged when they reach the permitting stage.
>
> What began as a few local ripples of resistance to coal-fired power plants is quickly evolving into a national tidal wave of opposition from environmental, health, farm, and community organizations as well as leading climate scientists and state governments. Growing concern over pending legislation to regulate carbon emissions is creating uncertainty in financial markets. Leading financial groups are now downgrading coal stocks and requiring utilities seeking funding for coal plants to include a cost for carbon emissions when proving economic viability.
>
> On March 11, 2008, Representative Henry Waxman of California introduced a bill to ban new coal-fired power plants without carbon emissions controls nationwide until federal regulations are put in place to address greenhouse gas emissions. If Congress passes this bill, it will deal a death blow to the future of U.S. coal-fired power generation. Yet even without a legislative mandate for a moratorium, the contraction in financial support for new coal-fired power plants is escalating toward a de facto moratorium. The timeline that follows is witness to what may well be the beginning of the end of coal-fired power in the United States.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal Industry -- Timeline
> On-line at www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline.htm.
>
> 26 February 2007 - James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a leading climate scientist, calls for a moratorium on the construction of coal-fired power plants that do not sequester carbon, saying that it makes no sense to build these plants when we will have to "bulldoze" them in a few years.
>
> 26 February 2007 - Under mounting pressure from environmental groups, TXU Corporation, a Dallas-based energy company, abandons plans for 8 of 11 proposed coal-fired power plants, catalyzing the shift from coal-based to renewable energy development in Texas.
>
> 2 April 2007 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and that EPA's current rationale for not regulating this gas is inadequate.
>
> 3 May 2007 - Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signs a bill that prevents new power plants from exceeding 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour of electricity generated, creating a de facto moratorium on building new coal-fired power plants in the state.
>
> 30 May 2007 - Progress Energy, an energy company serving approximately 3.1 million customers in the Southeast, announces a two-year moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants.
>
> 2 July 2007 - The Florida Public Service Commission denies Florida Power & Light the permits needed to move forward with the massive 1,960-megawatt coal-fired Glades Power Park, citing uncertainty surrounding future carbon costs.
>
> 13 July 2007 - Florida Governor Charlie Crist signs an Executive Order establishing "maximum allowable emission levels of greenhouse gases for electric utilities." Under the emissions cap, building new coal-fired power plants in the state seems unlikely.
>
> 18 July 2007 - Citigroup downgrades the stocks of Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal Inc., and Foundation Coal Holdings Inc., prominent U.S. coal companies. The decision reflects the growing uncertainty surrounding coal's future in the United States.
>
> 18 August 2007 - After opposing new coal-fired power in Nevada, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he is opposed to building coal-fired power plants anywhere.
>
> 18 October 2007 - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denies Sunflower Electric Power Corporation air quality permits for two proposed 700-megawatt coal-fired generators on the basis that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant and should be regulated.
>
> 3 January 2008 - Merrill Lynch downgrades the investment ratings of Consol Energy Inc. and Peabody Energy Corp., two leading U.S. coal companies.
>
> 22 January 2008 - The Attorneys General of California, six eastern states, and the District of Columbia submit a letter to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control opposing the proposed 1,320-megawatt Pee Dee coal-fired power plant. They note that emissions from this plant would "seriously undermin[e] the concerted efforts being undertaken by multiple states to address global warming."
>
> 30 January 2008 - Citing escalating costs, the Bush administration pulls the plug on federal funding for FutureGen, a joint project with 13 utilities and coal companies to build a demonstration coal-fired power plant that captures and sequesters carbon.
>
> 4 February 2008 - Investment banks Morgan Stanley, Citi, and J.P. Morgan Chase announce that any future lending for coal-fired power plants will be contingent on the utilities demonstrating economic viability under future carbon costs. Demonstrating economic viability would require speculation of future costs, imposing a risk on the investment.
>
> 8 February 2008 - The U.S. Court of Appeals overturns two EPA mercury rules covering coal-fired power plants, thus requiring new coal-fired plants to implement the most stringent mercury controls available. Compliance is expected to raise the considerable costs of 32 proposed coal plants, some already under construction.
>
> 12 February 2008 - Bank of America announces that it will start factoring in a cost of $20–40 per ton of carbon emissions in its risk analysis when evaluating loan applications from utilities.
>
> 19 February 2008 - The federal government suspends a low-interest loan program for rural utilities seeking assistance for new coal-fired power plants.
>
> 11 March 2008 - Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) introduce a bill that would block the EPA and states from issuing permits to new coal-fired power plants that lack state-of-the-art carbon capture and storage technology. Since this technology is at least a decade away from commercial viability, if this bill passes it would essentially place a near-term moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Source: Earth Policy Institute, www.earthpolicy.org, April 2008.
> Additional details and references at www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline2.htm.

>
> # # #
>
> For a strategy on how to phase out coal-fired power generation worldwide by 2020, see Chapters 11 and 12 in Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, available for free downloading at www.earthpolicy.org.
>
> Additional resources at www.earthpolicy.org
>
> For information contact:
>
> Media Contact:
> Reah Janise Kauffman
> Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12
> E-mail: rjk (at) earthpolicy.org
>
> Research Contact:
> Janet Larsen
> Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14
> E-mail: jlarsen (at) earthpolicy.org
>
> Earth Policy Institute
> 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403
> Washington, DC 20036
> Web: www.earthpolicy.org
> ---
>

Ordered a new composter

This is the composter I chose. It's within my budget, rolls easily, and I can dump the compost close to where I want to use it.
I'll be giving away my old bio-orb composter, which is a black plastic 13 cu ft sphere that you roll on the ground.

Home  > Shopping  > Outdoor Gardening  > Composting  > Compost Systems Specifications at a Glance: 31" W x 26" D x 37" H Frame is powder-coated tubular steel Drum is high-density polyethylene Holds 5 cu feet Some assembly required More Information: Composting Made Easy Coffee Grounds in Compost How to Choose a Composter

The Rolling Composter Especially for Kitchen Scraps It's no bother composting kitchen scraps when you have this convenient tumbler near the back door. Our compact composter is sized just right to handle food scraps, and with a few quick spins, turn them into rich garden gold. When your compost is ready, just wheel it out to the garden. The big hinged door makes access easy. The easiest way ever to turn kitchen waste into rich compost! Compact tumbler takes up little space Tubular steel frame has rust-resistant powder coating Wheels right out to the garden when compost is ready Faster shipping is not available for this item Sorry, no shipments to AK, HI, PR, or VI This oversize item has an additional $20 shipping charge

GA News - New Earth Summit Meeting Update

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEW EARTH SUMMIT MEETING UPDATE May 3 & 4 MISSOULA, MONTANA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- ANA Free Book Offer Extended -- Why NES Forums? This email is being sent to you by Global Awakening Press and NES Forums. This is meant to be an informal meet-up. We are asking everyone who is planning to come to email something about themselves, personal philosophy, questions, ideas, concerns, etc. to aid in initial familiarization before the meet-up. Alex will circulate everyone's information to the group. The location will be mailed to those who are confirmed and shared some background material ahead of time and. As well, questions, and suggestions, etc. will be circulated up until the last day prior as well so that everyone will have a good opportunity to "chew on things" of mutual interest. This will save a great deal of introductory preliminaries and facilitate everyone getting to know one another better. We have reserved a block of rooms at nice hotel in Missoula along with a comfortable meeting place where we can put our feet up and carry on with our exchanges. Walks along the river can provide a good outdoor break without interrupting our process. Contributions will be asked from all to help cover the cost of the room. A simple agenda of general topics that people would like to devote group time to will be made ahead of time. Please email Alex directly (info@pfcn.net) and a compilation will be made and back and forth e-mail discussion shared every week or more often as the occasion arises. We want to allow ample time on both Saturday and Sunday to discuss ideas for land-based community as well as to have time set aside to share and discuss the issues and concerns of the day amongst ourselves. Agenda/themes for discussion Brief Introductions Awakened Community - what does this mean? Forming land-based community in Montana and elsewhere? Future of Earth, Humanity, Ascension Forming community where you live New Earth, Earth-2, Earth-3, etc. Topics suggested to NOT use group time on: The USA national elections and candidates Promoting specific religious or other teaching systems or doctrines (Of course if there is a specific reading background that is relevant to your personal perspective, please include that in your email to Alex for group distribution.) info@pfcn.net Subj: "NES Montana" Compilations will be emailed out a couple of times each week to the group. Concepts around awakened new community (see posting http://newearthsummit.org/forum/index.p hp? PHPSESSID=01aa782f4b7ad26e533c797d8a0ca476 &topic=13.0 for one example and community forum board for other comments) Lunch is in room so we do not lose time traveling to restaurants and losing time ordering, etc. We can go out and continue our discussion walking along the river if the weather is nice.

ANA Free Book Offer Extended ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The book offer for A New America, An Awakened Future on Our Horizon is still open. For more information see link: Generosity for Positive Change - Free Book Offer

Why NES Forums? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a need to highlight the most significant developments in our ordinary and non-ordinary existence. NES forums provides this and as well as opportunity for commentary -- all in an ad-free environment.. The New Earth Summit Forums are oriented to two closely related yet distinct concerns in the world: Human evolution as spiritual beings and creating a new social and economic community. New Earth Summit

NES Western Montana Meeting May 3-4

Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: info@pfcn.net web: http://newearthsummit.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April

Now, this is progress in biofuels. Soybeans & corn! Ptooey!

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080324/0378475.html?printer=1

Press Release

Source: PetroSun, Inc.

PetroSun Issues Algae-to-Biofuels Corporate Updates
Monday March 24, 10:48 am ET

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 24, 2008 -- PetroSun, Inc (Other OTC:PSUD.PK - News) announced today the following corporate updates.

The Rio Hondo, Texas algae farm will commence operations on April 1, 2008 as PetroSun's initial commercial algae-to-biofuels facility. The current algae farm consists of 1,100 acres of saltwater ponds that the Company projects will produce a minimum of 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million pounds of biomass on an annual basis. The Company has dedicated 20 acres of ponds for a proposed algae derived JP8 jet fuel research and development program.

The Rio Hondo algae farm will be expanded in the future to provide the feedstock required by present or proposed company owned or joint ventured biodiesel and ethanol refineries. The Company plans to construct or acquire additional plants in the Gulf Coast region that are reachable via barge up the Mississippi River and its tributaries including the Red River. The previously announced Bridgeport, Alabama refinery will receive algal oil feedstock from this distribution program.

"Our business model has been focused on proving the commercial feasibility of the firms' algae-to-biofuels technology during the past eighteen months," stated Gordon LeBlanc, Jr., CEO of PetroSun. "Whether we have arrived at this point in time by a superior technological approach, sheer luck or a redneck can-do attitude, the fact remains that microalgae can outperform the current feedstocks utilized for conversion to biodiesel and ethanol, yet do not impact the consumable food markets or fresh water resources."

About PetroSun

PetroSun's operations include oil and gas exploration, development and production and algae-to-algal oil alternative fuels production. The oil and gas division is focused on the exploration of the Holbrook Basin of Arizona, the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Australian based prospects. The Company will continue the development of oil and gas reserves in Louisiana. The alternative fuels division has entered the commercial stage of its algae-to-biofuels production technology. The Company plans to establish algae farms and algal oil extraction plants in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mexico, Brazil and Australia during 2008. The algal oil product will be marketed as feedstock to existing biodiesel refiners and planned company owned refineries. PetroSun is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona with field offices in Shreveport, Louisiana and Rio Hondo, Texas. For more information about PetroSun visit the company's website at www.petrosuninc.com.

Except historical matter contained herein, matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties, which may affect the Company's business and prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

     Contact:      Investor Relations      Jim LeCrone      480-425-4291      Email Contact        

---

Source: PetroSun, Inc.

It's A Tea-cup Universe...

It's A Tea-cup Universe...

An ancient bush reigns,
Upon the misted hills of China,
Stone trails nearly forgotten,
Walking a way of antiquity.

Can you taste the world or the sky?

Ten days of weather in a basket of leaves and buds,
How high a bush sits on  the hill,
What lies far beneath our feet,
How did hands move - long or fast or gentle?

A family art as fine as butterfly wing breezes.

Everything modern can move mountains,
Dead dirt and dull uniforms,
Machine-printed cheap art for the masses,
Careless rush of rough touch.

Stubborn - the seeker of ancient heart.

Masterworks revived from the crush,
Uniqueness in a land of conformity,
Living tradition tied to nature,
Poetry in cupped hands and scent.

Taste it - it's a tea-cup universe that awaits.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 03/31/2008

Upon watching the documentary film "All In This Tea," I was touched by the sheer poetic beauty of the ancient hills of China, covered in fields of tea bushes. For centuries, master tea makers have captured the nuances of location, weather, tradition, soil, and water in small cups, allowing the pass one's lips as liquid art. Every detail of environment is captured in each cup, every scrap of a bundle of tea's history blends with the water that makes it, and tells an intricate story in flavor to those who may listen.

Nearly overpowered and under threat of extinction by vast commercialization in the form of mass tea exporters, this was feared a dying art. Through the efforts of a man from the West who knew the true flavor of honestly authentic hand-made teas, a hole was pushed through the wall. A new way opened up for the art to survive, and thrive.

From the factories to history to the smallest hand-crafted details and most ornate ceremonies, this is the visual poetry of tea's truth, and how it is both coming home to China and appearing in America. As a cup of tea warms the hands, "All In This Tea" warms the heart, with knowledge and hope.

See it on the Sundance Channel Tuesday, April 29th at 9:35 pm Eastern and Pacific.

Dan Stafford
Publisher - The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal
http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html

I got my tomato seeds in from Seed Savers...

Http://www.seedsavers.org is an organization attempting to keep over 25,000 varieties of vegetables from going extinct due to the mono-crop nature of "modern" agriculture.

Basically, most large farms these days only grow a few varieties of vegetables, ones that look good on the grocery store shelves and resist spoilage longer. These varieties are not bred for taste or nutrition. This is why tomatoes don't taste like they did when you were a child. It's not your taste buds getting old, it's the food you're eating getting more tasteless.

I received 50 seeds each of Czech's Bush tomato, Black Krim tomato, and Isis Candy Cherry tomato.



These three types of tomato all take less than 80 days from transplant to fruit bearing, which is why I chose to grow them in Illinois.

Biodiversity and local foods. It's a start. Now to get the seedlings started.

Dan

The Sundance Channel; Big Ideas For A Small Planet: Power (Airs Tuesday, April 01, 9pm E/P)

The Sundance Channel; Big Ideas For A Small Planet: Power (Airs Tuesday, April 01, 9pm E/P)

Runtime approximately 30 minutes.

Featuring comments by environmental activists David Suzuki, this episode of the Sundance Channel's spring series for The Green, "Big Ideas For A Small Planet," Power covers the three major players in renewable energy.

Beginning with solar energy, the documentary uses the Washington DC annual "Solar Decathlon" as its example of what is going on in the world of solar energy. While focused on solar housing, the event coverage gets into enough of the underlying technologies to grant the viewer a good basic understanding of what can be done, and graphically displays how beautiful and unique solar housing can be. The event itself features many solar homes designed and built by teams from universities all over the world that compete on several levels.

Continuing on with wind power, Power focuses mainly on one wind farm development in a former coal town as its example, and covers the basics of the titan of renewable energy technologies that wind power has become. The documentary gives a good overall view of the issues and challenges facing the wind industry, as well as the benefits of successful wind development. The graceful cinematography in this segment for the most part was appealing. Wind power is the fastest-growing and most cost-competitive renewable energy technology to date, and thus rightly deserves our attention.

Finishing with biomass power generation, specifically methane digester-produced electricity on a dairy farm, Power rounds out the big three of renewable energy quite well. I was especially pleased with the coverage in this segment, as details of methane digester electricity production are not as readily available as those for wind and solar power. As with the other two segments, Power used a specific example of one farm's installation to illustrate its case. One gets a good sense of the daily operation of this system and how it fits into the farmers' lives and routine.

In all, the film is solid, and gives a good general knowledge of the three most-viable renewable energy sources currently in use. Power also manages to touch on some of the future potential of these technologies. Given the limitations of a thirty-minute time frame, the film packed as much as was possible in so short a time, leaving this viewer interested enough to seek out more details. If you are at all interested in caring for the planet without sacrificing comfort and modern technology, I STRONGLY recommend catching Power on the Sundance Channel on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 9pm Eastern and 9pm Pacific.

Best of all, this film is solutions-oriented, rather than just presenting a problem. That is something we always need more of.

Regards,

Dan Stafford
Publisher - The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal
http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html

Organic Bytes: Farm Slaves, Organic Lawsuit, Sustainability Tips, and more

Hello Daniel, ORGANIC BYTES #131 Health, Justice and Sustainability News Tidbits with an Edge! 3/28/2008 Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins IN THIS ISSUE: ALERT OF THE WEEK: END MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN U.S. FIELDS ALERT UPDATE: OCA THREATENS TO SUE BODY CARE COMPANIES FALSELY LABELING THEIR PRODUCTS AS ORGANIC GOOD NEWS OF THE WEEK: WAL-MART GOES rBGH-FREE U.S. GOVERNMENT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: FEDS SLAUGHTER OF WILD BISON BEATS 20th CENTURY RECORDS QUOTE OF THE WEEK TAKE ACTION ON PESTICIDES AND FARM BILL WEB PROGRAM OF THE WEEK: INTERVIEW WITH CANADIAN FAMILY FARMER WHO DEFEATED GOLIATH MONSANTO QUICK FACTS OF THE WEEK: A NATION BUILT ON UNSUSTAINABILITY - FUEL, FOOD, AND DEBT SUSTAINABILITY TIPS OF THE WEEK: ON THE EVE OF PEAK OIL- HOW TO CUT FUEL COSTS BOOK OF THE WEEK: FAREWELL, MY SUBARU ALERT OF THE WEEK: END MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN U.S. FIELDS The Organic Consumers Association (OCA)-- representing over 850,000 consumers across the U.S. -- has joined a growing alliance in support of the Florida-based Coalition for Immokalee Workers' campaign to “End Slavery and Sweatshops in the Fields.”  While the organic and sustainable agricultural movement has traditionally focused primarily on health and environmental issues, the time is long overdue to integrate Fair Trade and worker justice issues into our alternative food and farming system. Consumers need to understand that much of the so-called “natural” food and produce, such as tomatoes, sold in natural food stores like Whole Foods are actually coming from chemical-intensive farms where low wages and labor exploitation are the norm. Please join this growing campaign. Click here to sign the petition. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11123.cfm ______________________________ Look for the USDA Organic Seal when shopping for organic personal care products ALERT UPDATE: OCA THREATENS TO SUE BODY CARE COMPANIES FALSELY LABELING THEIR PRODUCTS AS ORGANIC As reported in the last issue of Organic Bytes, OCA's new expose on carcinogens found in various products misleadingly labeled as "organic" and "natural" is sending shockwaves through the personal care industry. The OCA and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Company have now filed Cease and Desist letters with the various companies who are labeling their products as “organic,” despite the fact that a number of their products tested positive for the cancer-causing synthetic ingredient 1,4-Dioxane, including Jason’s, Nature's Gate, and Kiss My Face, among others. The OCA is demanding that these companies reformulate their products to remove petrochemicals and 1,4-Dioxane or else remove "organic" label claims from their packaging. Offending companies who do not contractually agree by Earth Day 2008 to clean up their act will be sued by the OCA. To avoid tainted products, OCA recommends that consumers look for the “USDA Organic” seal on body care products and cosmetics. If you don't see the seal, it may not be truly organic. To see a list of body care and home cleaning products tainted with with 1,4-Dioxane, as well as a consumer guide for finding safe personal care products, go here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/ _______________________________ GOOD NEWS OF THE WEEK: WAL-MART GOES rBGH-FREE Last week, Wal-Mart announced its so-called “Great Value” store brand of milk will no longer come from cows injected with Monsanto’s controversial genetically engineered hormone, rBGH/rBST. As OCA's Director, Ronnie Cummins, stated in an interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail, Wal-Mart’s announcement will likely serve as a tipping point for driving Monsanto's controversial bovine drug off the market. Since its inception, the OCA has campaigned aggressively against rBGH , which is banned in Europe, Canada, and most of the industrialized world. Wal-Mart’s move, according to industry experts, will likely dramatically expand market demand for rBGH-free and organic dairy products. According to Cummins, “After 14 years of of bullying consumers and buying off FDA and USDA bureaucrats, this is the beginning of the end for this cruel and dangerous drug.” Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11050.cfm __________________________________ We need your support today to continue our work fighting for health, justice and sustainability! http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm ________________________________   U.S. GOVERNMENT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: FEDS SLAUGHTER OF WILD BISON BEATS 20th CENTURY RECORDS Over 1,000 wild buffalo have been slaughtered in the Yellowstone National Park area since November of 2007, representing the largest kill since the 1800s. "It would seem as though history was not learned the first time, for here we are today, watching these same government entities enacting the same policy," said Nez Perce tribal member James Holt. According to those monitoring the situation, namely the Buffalo Field Campaign, the total kill-off number will likely exceed 2,000 for the year. While the government's official reason for the slaughter is to prevent the spread of brucellosis from wild bison to cattle, no such transmission has ever been documented, and the bison being sent to slaughter are not being tested for the disease. Learn more and get involved: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11120.cfm _________________________________ QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We've never seen anything like this before with our bats, much less any other mammals, with a very large regional die-off...It’s very scary and a little overwhelming from a biologist’s perspective. If we can’t contain it, we’re going to see extinctions of listed species, and some of species that are not even listed.” Susi von Oettingen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service speaking to the New York Times this week about as many as a half million bats mysteriously dying in the U.S. Northeast. Experts have no idea what the cause is. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11135.cfm _________________________________ TAKE ACTION ON PESTICIDES AND FARM BILL Farm Bill conferees will be considering an amendment that would prohibit the USDA from exercising its authority to restrict specific pesticides in its conservation programs. For example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program could not be used for organic transition, and USDA would not be allowed to prohibit the use of a specific pesticide, like methyl bromide, in a conservation program. Click the following link to send a letter to your members of Congress to ask them to convince the Farm Bill conference committee to reject the pesticide amendment and allow USDA to advance conservation practices as needed: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11197.cfm _________________________________ WEB PROGRAM OF THE WEEK: INTERVIEW WITH CANADIAN FAMILY FARMER WHO DEFEATED GOLIATH MONSANTO Saskatchewan Farmer, Percy Schmeiser, has spent the last decade bogged down in court battles with the Monsanto Corporation. Monsanto originally sued Schmeiser for unintentionally growing the company's patented canola seeds, even though the biotech plants that were growing in Schmeiser's field were there due to drift and contamination. The courts originally ruled in favor of Monsanto, saying that regardless of contamination, a farmer cannot grow patented seeds. But Schmeiser recently counter-sued Monsanto, claiming the company should be liable for the damages that their property causes others. Last week, Monsanto settled out of court and paid Schmeiser what it cost to have the invading biotech plants removed. Listen to this radio interview with Percy Schmeiser shortly after the landmark settlement: http://www.cjly.net/deconstructingdinner/032008.htm _________________________________ QUICK FACTS OF THE WEEK: A NATION BUILT ON UNSUSTAINABILITY - FUEL, FOOD, AND DEBT With trucking diesel fuel prices now over $4 per gallon in many locations, food prices are reaching an all time high, since the average grocery store item has traveled 1500-3500 miles. Over the past year, alone, consumers have been forced to pay significantly more for staples like eggs (25 percent), milk (17 percent), cheese (15 percent), bread (12 percent), and rice (13 percent). This is partially due to increased costs of transportation and partially due to massive amounts of cropland being converted to biofuel production. As a result, consumers are paying more for their food and paying $15 billion in increased taxes per year for biofuel subsidies. Fuel prices have nearly doubled the expenses of commuters over the last year. Recent polls show a strong majority of U.S. citizens are in favor of allocating a larger portion of the federal budget for mass transportation. In contrast, the amount of federal money earmarked for mass transit projects (example: rail and bus) has been reduced by nearly 70% since the Bush Administration took over in 2001. A record number of consumers are using credit cards to pay for increased fuel costs. Although the recession has negatively impacted employment, the New York Times reports one of the few booming occupations in the current job market is as a Debt Collector. Since 2001, the top five oil companies have increased their annual profits by an average of 500%. Source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11013.cfm __________________________________ SUSTAINABILITY TIPS OF THE WEEK: ON THE EVE OF PEAK OIL- HOW TO CUT FUEL COSTS Obviously driving less, using mass transit, biking, walking or purchasing a fuel efficient vehicle are the best ways to cut your fuel consumption. But for those times where driving a car is a necessity, here are some tips: Don't be a jerky driver: Jumpy starts and fast getaways can burn over 50 percent more gasoline than normal acceleration. Use cruise control once accelerated. Drive slower: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, most automobiles get about 20 percent more miles per gallon on the highway at 55 miles per hour than they do at 70 miles per hour. A well maintained car (oil change, fuel filters, tire pressure, alignment) gets an average of 10 percent better fuel efficiency. Turn off your engine if you stop for more than one minute. (This does not apply if you are in traffic.) Restarting the automobile will use less gasoline than idling for more than one minute. Decrease the number of short trips you make. Short trips drastically reduce gas mileage. If an automobile gets 20 miles per gallon in general, it may get only 4 miles per gallon on a short trip of 5 miles or less. ___________________________________ BOOK OF THE WEEK: FAREWELL, MY SUBARU What happens when a Domino’s pizza loving suburbanite from New Jersey decides it's time to leave behind the urban world to start his own off-the-grid sustainable farm in New Mexico? Find out in "Farewell, My Subaru", a new nonfiction book chronicling the carbon-neutral misadventures of Doug Fine. Whether its nearly getting electrocuted setting up his own solar panels, buying goats and hens for the first time, or getting the munchies from the smell of his newly converted veggie-oil truck, Doug comically shows that even through the struggles and lack of know-how, with the right mindset an everyday American can take massive successful steps towards sustainability. Watch this short video about Doug's journey and order the book here: http://www.dougfine.com/ _________________________________ ******** support our supporters********* National Geographic GREEN GUIDE - The Resource for Consuming Wisely Go green with National Geographic's ALL NEW Green Guide. Make small changes that add up to big benefits for your wallet, your health & the planet. The Green Guide gives you simple, useful ideas that make going green a gradual & affordable process rather than an all-or-nothing plunge. Get & share what you love! - Reviews of eco-friendly products - Money-saving shopping tips - Green home improvement how-to's - 100 pages delivered four times a year Order National Geographic's Green Guide magazine today!   ________________________ EDEN FOODS OFFERS OCA CUSTOMERS 15% DISCOUNT Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a discount rate on any Eden Foods products by clicking here   Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! __________________________________ NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS: Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm _________________________________ ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of: ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION 6771 South Silver Hill Drive Finland, Minnesota 55603 Phone: (218)- 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652 __________________________________ Subscribe: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm __________________________________   xaxa93168

2008 Sundance Channel Film Review List

As some of you regular readers may be aware of, I did film reviews of three environmental documentaries for The Sundance Channel last Spring. ( The Refugees of the Blue Planet, Dead In The Water, & Five Disasters Waiting To Happen, 2007)

For the Spring, 2008 series, I will be reviewing the following films for The Sundance Channel's "The Green."

(Please note, these are NOT paid reviews, unless you count the free copy of the film on DVD I get so I can review each one.)


Tuesday, April 1

9:00pm e/p

“Big Ideas for a Small Planet: Power”

This episode explores the booming field of alternative energy as it introduces several individuals who are working to develop clean, renewable energy from resources like the sun, wind and even cow manure.

Alternative energy is a field I have a strong interest in. I've read a good bit about many different solutions, including wind, solar, various biofuels, and efficiency efforts. I definitely will take this film on.

This one looks to be of interest:

Tuesday, April 15

9:00pm e/p

“Big Ideas for a Small Planet: Water” 

Water is likely to be a flash point in the 21^st Century, as population growth collides with droughts and dwindling reserves.  This episode introduces three people who are embracing creative solutions to the looming shortage of drinking water – be it desalinating the ocean, catching rainwater or cleaning up our rivers.

I know water is huge and looming larger every year.

Both of these:

Tuesday, April 29^th

9:00pm e/p

“Big Ideas for a Small Planet: Food” 

Loss of biodiversity, water depletion, topsoil erosion, carbon emissions: when it comes to conventional farming and industrial food production, the cost goes beyond the supermarket bill.  This episode explores the different ways professionals and ordinary people are trying to nourish us with environmentally friendly food and wine.   

9:35pm e/p

All in This Tea – Directed by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht.  This documentary immerses viewers in the rich world of Chinese tea while profiling the affable Californian importer who has made it his mission to introduce Americans to the brew’s many pleasures.  David Lee Hoffman founded Silk Road Teas tea after spending much of 1970s living among the nomadic tribes and Buddhist monks of Asia, for whom tea is a way of life.  All In This Tea looks at the history, traditions and intricacies of tea and joins Hoffman on a buying trip to China, where he seeks out small, artisanal growers and tries to persuade Chinese officials to turn away from industrial production in favor of handcrafted, environmentally sustainable tea farming.  This is the most recent film from the award-winning documentarian Blank (Burden of Dreams).


I commute over 80 miles per day for work, so these:

Tuesday, May 27^th

9:00pm e/p

“Big Ideas for a Small Planet: Transport”

The automobile is still king in America, and it’s the single greatest polluter in most cities.  This episode will show us how city governments, private organizations and university scientists are working to get commuters to leave their cars behind for cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. 

9:30pm e/p

Contested Streets: Breaking New York City Gridlock – Directed by Stefan Schaefer.  Historians, urban planners and archival footage combine to tell the story of New York City’s chronic gridlock and its concurrent quest for safer, less crowded streets.  Beginning its tale at the turn of the 20^th Century, the film traces the dangers and developments, perspectives and personalities that have shaped the flow and flaws of Manhattan street traffic to the present day.  As New York City citizens and government alike seek to reduce congestion, filmmaker Schaefer travels to Europe to survey new approaches to transportation in three dynamic world capitals: Copenhagen, Paris and London.

And finally,

9:35pm e/p

The Great Warming – Directed by Michael Taylor.  Narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, “The Great Warming” explores how a changing climate is affecting the lives of people around the world. The film taps into the growing groundswell of public interest in climate change to present both an emotional and an accurate picture of the future of our planet. It includes comments from scientists, opinion-makers, and the emerging voice of the American Evangelical community about America’s lack of leadership in one of the most critical environmental issue of the 21^st century.


I believe that totals seven films over the next three months.

Is there a way I can view the April 1st movie online in addition to getting the screening DVD? I'm not certain there's time for you to mail it.

Regards,

Dan Stafford
Publisher,
The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal
http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html

Publisher, The First Church of Healing The Earth
http://firstchurchhealingearth.blogspot.com/

Co-Chair,
Progressive Democrats of Illinois
http://www.illinoisprogressives.org