This is a slideshow of images sent into 350.org from around the world of people just like you and me, connecting the dots on climate change. Here’s a message from 350.org co-founder, Bill McKibben:

We’re going to need you soon to fight the political battles that will make use of these images, but for the [...]]]>

This is a slideshow of images sent into 350.org from around the world of people just like you and me, connecting the dots on climate change. Here’s a message from 350.org co-founder, Bill McKibben:

We’re going to need you soon to fight the political battles that will make use of these images, but for the next day or two just relax, and enjoy the feeling of solidarity that comes from knowing there are millions of people thinking the same way, harboring the same fears and, more importantly, the same hopes.

On we go together.

Here’s our submission:

By the way , don’t forget to mark your calendar: Bill McKibben’s coming to Ann Arbor in September.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a direct-to-consumer marketing arrangement that permits household consumers to purchase advance shares of a farm’s production in return for regular (usually weekly) deliveries during the growing season. CSA operations have experienced a dramatic [...]]]> CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. Here’s a definition from the US-duh (a Joel Salatin term, not mine):

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a direct-to-consumer marketing arrangement that permits household consumers to purchase advance shares of a farm’s production in return for regular (usually weekly) deliveries during the growing season. CSA operations have experienced a dramatic rise in popularity in the United States during the past several years, expanding from an estimated 60 operations in 1990 to approximately 3,600 operations as of mid-2010.

You may have heard it before, but I don’t think there’s harm in saying it again: CSAs are good for communities. And: YOU SHOULD GET ONE.

The scale of benefits are absurd. You’ll COOK, experiment with new ingredients, end up google-finding for new and amazing things to do with kale, help local farmers focus on growing and not on selling, and on and on.

Many local CSA shares start pick ups in the next couple of weeks, so there couldn’t be a better time to sign up.

One CSA that I know still has shares — because they were tabling next to me at the Michigan Theater for Joel Salatin’s talk — is Tillian Farm Development Center. TILLIAN! There’s something you should know about. The TFDC facilitates new farm business development in order to increase diversified production for local markets, year round in our food shed. Your Tillian CSA share will support your and your family’s health and happiness, but it will also go right back into Tillian’s Incubator and Residency programs. Positive feedback loop! What’s not to love?

(Need a link?  http://tiliancenter.wordpress.com/ )

I’ve put a call out on Facebook for more farms with shares available. I’ll update this post with what I find. You should feel free to leave comments here or on Facebook so we can do some networking to get as many shares filled as possible.

UPDATES:

• This might help folks who otherwise couldn’t afford a CSA: Groupon deal through May 5th
• Grist article on CSAs
• People’s Food Co-op list of local resources (scroll down to “Local CSA’s”)

There’s more you can do besides the basics — e.g. switching to CFLs or LEDs, putting your energy vampires on surge protectors with power switches. Confession: I haven’t done that last thing [...]]]> Attention: Renters.  If you thought you couldn’t take energy saving actions because you rent rather than own your home, I’ve got good news for you!

There’s more you can do besides the basics — e.g. switching to CFLs or LEDs, putting your energy vampires on surge protectors with power switches. Confession: I haven’t done that last thing yet, but I do try to keep the vampires out of my sockets. Unsurprisingly, given this lack of information and options, many renters have given up and are assuming they don’t have much control over basic things like heating and cooling costs and efficiency in their rented apartments.

Fortunately, through my service on the City of Ann Arbor’s energy commission, I’ve learned that there will be funding to work on greening rental housing.  This is thanks to a $3 million Community Challenge Grant award for the Washtenaw County Sustainable Community project, the goal of which is to create a coordinated approach to promote affordable and energy-efficient housing locally.

A portion of the grant will go towards funding a staff person to coordinate green rental housing efforts across county agencies. One idea on the table is work with the major online rental housing listings in the county, especially those geared to students, to build monthly electric and gas costs into individual listings where renters pay utilities. This way you can compare one apartment to another by energy performance. If you can see that apartment A averages $100/month in energy costs and apartment B averages $300/month you will have a more realistic idea about expenses going into your lease. Plus, when you’re selecting where to live, you can choose apartments that are more planet-friendly.

Listings like these will create incentive opportunities — for renters and landlords alike — to start thinking about rental housing energy costs, an integral first step in inspiring action. We hope these listings will be accessible to the public in the next year or so. Once they’re launched, they will allow you, regardless of your income bracket, to be able to apartment shop by energy cost and performance.

In the meantime, remember this little known local fact: in Ann Arbor, landlords are required to provide a budget plan estimate for monthly energy costs to rental applicants upon request. If you can’t wait for the rental housing energy information listings, you can still shop for more cost-effective, planet-friendly apartments by asking for a budget plan estimate next time you find yourself apartment shopping in Ann Arbor.

Click here for more rental housing energy resources.

A long term goal

BUT you [...]]]> Our goal is to assemble a representative set of how many people care about our climate crisis as well as why (how it impacts us). On 5/5/2012, we’ll be at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market with “dots” — including blank ones — asking farmers what their thoughts are. You can join us then.

BUT you can also join us before that, but taking these 4 easy steps:

The most important step: ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT. We have construction paper, some ideas, and access to volunteers. We’re happy to help and would be sad to know you didn’t participate because something fixable stood in your way.

Step 1: Pick a location or idea that illustrates how climate change impacts us locally (e.g., Dexter/tornado after-effects)

Step 2: Make a climate “dot” — take a piece of paper, cut it into a circle, write why you picked the site

Step 3: Take a photo of yourself or someone else holding up the dot at the site you’ve chosen.

Step 4: Send your photo to annarbor350@ecocenter.org OR to poses39first@photos.flickr.com

We’ll post photos as they come in:

Photo courtesy of Project Grow Community Gardens

Another local example that I’m THRILLED about is a partnership between The Agrarian Adventure and Project Grow. These two incredible, local, [...]]]> I love it when two wonderful things come together to make an even more spectacular thing. One recent local example is The Brinery’s sauerkraut and Zingerman’s Deli’s reuben sandwich.

Photo courtesy of Project Grow Community Gardens

Another local example that I’m THRILLED about is a partnership between The Agrarian Adventure and Project Grow. These two incredible, local, grassroots groups are uniting to support and sustain the growing number of educational school gardens in our community. In short: WAHOO!

This spring, the two groups are launching a pilot series of workdays in AAPS school gardens to mobilize interested community members to get their hands dirty at local school gardens. Volunteers don’t need gardening experience – so you can also think of this as a free training from people who know what they’re doing.

You do need to register in advance.

I strongly suggest that you take advantage of this opportunity and be a part of growing healthier kids in schools.  You can sign-up for any of the following opportunities at a variety of locations:

• Sat. April 14th, 9am-12pm: Pittsfield Elementary School Garden
• Wed. April 18th & Fri. April 20th, 8am-3pm (2 hr block) Seedling Planting for School Gardens @ Tappan
• Sat. April 21st, 9am-12pm: Bryant Elementary School Garden
• Thurs. May 3rd, 9am – 3pm (2 hr block): King Elementary School Learning Garden

Photo courtesy of The Agrarian Adventure

Note that some of these volunteer opportunities are during the school-day and involve working with kids, while others are to support and build the school garden infrastructure. And it doesn’t end there.

More information: Contact The Agrarian Adventure or Christin Cave of Project Grow by email.

Background on both organizations: The Agrarian Adventure is an educational non-profit organization working in partnership since 2002 with public schools to schools to connect students with food, health, community, and agriculture. Project Grow Community Gardens is a non-profit that has been providing the space, education, and inspiration to make organic gardening accessible to all since 1972.

Click here to go to the volunteer form

Questions? [...]]]> Event CANCELLED.

Apologies for any inconvenience, but this event has been cancelled due to lack of turnout. For assistance with your garden, feel free to contact us by email and we can brainstorm solutions.

Click here to go to the volunteer form

Questions? Email Monica!

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Gasland got many of us thinking about fracking, what’s happening in Michigan, and how to understand what’s happening nationally. Since going to law school, I think in outline form [...]]]> If you missed our screening of Gasland last week, here’s a chance to catch up. Keep in mind that you’re also welcome to borrow the DVD…just email us.

Gasland got many of us thinking about fracking, what’s happening in Michigan, and how to understand what’s happening nationally. Since going to law school, I think in outline form so here’s a quick fracking outline for you:

1. Nationally
   • Fracking is a pretty big deal…particularly in states like Colorado and Pennsylvania, which were featured in Gasland.
   • Biologist Sandra Steingraber posted an article in 2010 that helps put it into perspective
   • More recently (i.e. today) Steingraber posted a piece called Breaking Up with the Sierra Club (spoiler: fracking caused the split)
2. Locally
   • Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has done an incredible job explaining fracking — and its Michigan history and status — here at their website (complete with diagrams!)
   • Last week, the Detroit Free Press reported that there’s an oil boom going on in the Irish Hills, where some residents are worried oil companies are using fracking technologies and putting water supplies at risk

Can you imagine the liquid from your faucet catching on fire? It’s insanity.

Come learn about fracking by watching Josh Fox’s critically-acclaimed film. Afterwards, we’ll briefly discuss a plan for monthly climate meet-ups.

RSVP

More information about the film, which is 106 minutes long.

We’re on the third floor (suite 300) of 339 E. Liberty … between the doors to [...]]]>

Can you imagine the liquid from your faucet catching on fire? It’s insanity.

Come learn about fracking by watching Josh Fox’s critically-acclaimed film. Afterwards, we’ll briefly discuss a plan for monthly climate meet-ups.

RSVP

More information about the film, which is 106 minutes long.

We’re on the third floor (suite 300) of 339 E. Liberty … between the doors to Mani and Ragstock.

We’ll have water, tea, and popcorn. You’re welcome to byo snacks and drinks (we’ll have plates and glasses, etc. too).

Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig’s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water.

From the [...]]]> TAPPED: THE MOVIE!

Tuesday, March 13^th at 7:30-8:45pm
1040 Dana Building
Popcorn will be provided!

A little bit about Tapped:

Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig’s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water.

From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A, this timely documentary is a behind-the- scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water.

From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry and the communities which were the unwitting chips on the table. A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, this revelatory film features those caught at the intersection of big business and the public’s right to water.

This event is put on by Take Back the Tap University of Michigan to learn more “like” our page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Take-Back-the-Tap-University-of-Michigan/329411837096689

Our group is working to reduce bottled water on campus. If you want to help in allowing reusable water bottles in the Michigan Stadium click the link below and signing in your UMich accont and click “sign this petition”: https://www.msa.umich.edu/upetition/p/takebackthetapbighouse