Already Veg...Trying for Buddha...Always Sandranista

Wind Mills on Coal River,not Blasting

2009-01-31T19:24:00.006-05:00

This:

Not this:

Please read this article about the Coal River Wind Project, where residents of the Coal River Valley are trying to save Coal River Mountain from certain destruction from mountaintop removal coal mining. This is one of the most important campaigns going on in the fight to end mountaintop removal.

This campaign shows that the central Appalachian region does have alternatives to destroying mountains and mountain communities. By investing in wind energy, this region can still produce electricity and provide jobs (and actually more jobs than mountaintop removal could) in a more sustainable manner.

Please spread the word. You can get more info at http://www.coalriverwind.org/

Blowing away King Coal By Jeff Biggers
Can a scrawny young wind-power activist topple the biggest, dirtiest industry in West Virginia?

Jan. 29, 2009 | ROCK CREEK, W.V. -- On Jan. 16, as Barack Obama visited a wind turbine factory in Ohio, Rory McIlmoil snaked along a muddy mountain road in West Virginia on a similar mission. He was headed up Coal River Mountain, the last mountain left untouched in a historic range ravaged by strip mining.

On a ridge, the 28-year-old activist brought his four-wheeler to a skid. He couldn't believe what he saw. Bulldozers had begun clearing the site for the first phase of a mountaintop removal operation, a radical strip-mining process that would clear-cut 6,600 acres of hardwood trees, detonate thousands of tons of explosives and topple the mountain range into the valley. A 100-foot swath of forest just below the ridge lay like an open wound.

Read the rest here....

Wind Map for Coal River Mountain: This map shows the average annual wind speeds along the ridges of Coal River Mountain. Class 4 wind speeds and higher (yellow to red) are required for utility-scale wind development.

2009-01-28T17:24:00.001-05:00

-------------------------------------------
DUKE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Duke University Office of News & Communications
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu
-------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009

CONTACT: Tim Lucas
(919) 613-8084
tdlucas@duke.edu

ANALYSIS SHOWS EXPOSURE TO ASH FROM TVA SPILL COULD HAVE 'SEVERE HEALTH
IMPLICATIONS'

Note to editors: Avner Vengosh can be reached at (919) 681-8050 or
vengosh@duke.edu. Photos of the research area can be viewed at
http://news.duke.edu/mmedia/hires/coalash_ruhl.jpg and http://news.duke.edu/mmedia/hires/coalash_plant.jpg.

DURHAM, N.C. -- A report by Duke University scientists who analyzed
water and ash samples from last month's coal sludge spill in eastern
Tennessee concludes that "exposure to radium- and arsenic-containing
particulates in the ash could have severe health implications" in the
affected areas.

"Our radioactive measurements of solid ash samples from Tennessee
suggests the ash has radiation levels above those reported by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for typical coal ash," said Avner
Vengosh, associate professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke's
Nicholas School of the Environment. "Preventing the formation of
airborne particulate matter from the ash that was released to the
environment seems essential for reducing possible health impacts."

More than a billion gallons of sludge coal waste spilled from a holding
facility at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston coal-burning power
plant on Dec. 22. The ash-laden waste flooded more than 400 surrounding
acres and spilled into a tributary of the Emory River, which converges
with the Clinch River and flows into the Tennessee River, a major source
of drinking water for many communities in the region. The spill was so
large it partly dammed the tributary of the Emory River, turning it into
a standing pond.

Vengosh's team found that the combined content of radium-228 and
radium-226 - the two long-lived isotopes of radium - in the solid ash
samples they collected from the TVA spill measured about 8 picocuries
per gram. That's higher than the average 5-6 picocuries per gram
reported by the EPA in most bottom and fly ash samples. The curie is a
standard measure of the intensity of radioactivity.

Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that decays from
uranium and thorium elements in coal. When the coal is burned, it is
concentrated in the ash. The EPA classifies radium as a Group-A
carcinogenic material, which means exposure to it could cause cancer.

Water samples collected and analyzed by Vengosh and Duke graduate
student Laura Ruhl found high levels of arsenic, measuring 95 parts per
billion, in water from the dammed tributary where coal ash has
accumulated. Only low concentrations were found in the Emory and Clinch
rivers. The EPA has set the arsenic standard for safe public drinking
water at 10 parts per billion.

Arsenic is a toxic metal that can occur naturally in the environment or
as a by-product of some agricultural and industrial activities.
According to the EPA, the effects of long-term chronic exposure to
arsenic can include increased risk of certain types of cancer, as well
as skin damage and circulatory problems.

"The good news is, we detected only trace amounts of arsenic in waters
beyond the dammed tributary," Vengosh said. "The data suggests that
in less than three weeks since the spill, river flow has diluted the
arsenic content. The river is clean, but the water from areas like the
dammed tributary, where the coal ash has accumulated, still contains
high arsenic levels."

Vengosh is an internationally cited expert on the chemistry of
radioactive elements in surface and ground waters. He has conducted
extensive research on radon and radium contaminants in the ground waters
of western North Carolina and the Middle East.

He and Ruhl collected the water and solid ash samples at sites affected
by the TVA spill on Jan. 9. Duke research scientist Gary Dwyer analyzed
the water samples for trace metal content using inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry. Following preliminary analysis, the solid ash
samples were incubated and underwent more detailed analysis of their
radioactive content using gamma spectrometry.

Vengosh's team collected the samples from the TVA spill after being
contacted by United Mountain Defense, a nonprofit environmental group
based in Tennessee. The Duke researchers received no funding from the
group or any other external party. All funding was provided by the
Nicholas School, Vengosh said, "to maintain total impartiality in our
analysis."

"The TVA spill is one of the largest events of its kind in U.S. history.
It raises questions concerning the safety of storing coal ash and the
potential effects of coal ash on environmental and human health,"
Vengosh said. "We hope our analysis will help provide some answers."

###

2 Funny, Sad, But True Videos about Coal And Bush!

2009-01-19T00:03:00.002-05:00

Hip Look at Dirty Coal. Very informative!

Keith Olbermann- 8 Years of Bush in 8 minutes. Makes your head want to explode. Thank God it's over!

Awesome Video- End of the (Bush) World

2009-01-18T13:32:00.005-05:00

This comes from a woman that I am so proud and privileged to know, and she used to be my boss dude, aka the bus driver, aka dragon lady. She has moved onto a new place, but still kicking butt, and so are we:). Thanks MA!

OK, something funny for once!

2009-01-17T00:49:00.002-05:00

Please check out this amazing stand up poet, Taylor Mali! He makes great points in a really funny way. Check it!

The Impotence of of Proofreading

Like, You Know?

What Teachers Make

Monsanto is evil!

2009-01-15T23:08:00.003-05:00

And I don't say that lightly. I know its sounds extremist until you start looking into it

Power Past Coal, Plug into New Power

2009-01-15T01:26:00.006-05:00

Repost from Huffington Post

As I and many others have reported here on Huffington Post, on December 22nd, at 12:30 a.m., a containment wall holding back 50 years worth of toxic coal ash gave way. The sludge rushed into the Emory River, creating a 20 foot tall wave of waste and water that proceeded to overtake 400 acres of land, ruining homes and permanently changing the lives of residents of Harriman, TN.

Coal combustion waste is not usually part of the conversation when the environmental impacts of coal are discussed. Traditionally, most of the "life cycle of coal" is excluded; most politicians, environmental groups, and mainstream media focus on what comes out of the smokestack.

Little attention is paid to where the coal comes from, like mountaintop removal coal mining (link: ), or to the waste created after the coal is burned. That focus has created stronger laws focusing on decreasing air pollution, by demanding that coal-burning utilities place stronger scrubbers on their operations, thereby making dirty coal "somewhat cleaner" to burn.

According to the law of conservation, once matter is created, it cannot be destroyed, but it can be re-arranged. Coal that is burned leaves waste behind, known as coal ash. The "cleaner" coal burns, the dirtier its waste, since toxins that would have been released into the atmosphere are now concentrated into the waste product.

Its important to note that all steps in the life cycle of coal wreck communities, from Appalachian coalfield residents watching their mountains being destroyed, to urban areas thick from smokestack pollution, to the incident in Harriman, TN.

So, if the mining of coal is dirty, the burning of coal is dirty, and the waste left over from burning and processing coal is dirty, what's the solution?

We need to Power Past Coal. We need to expose the truth that coal is dirty, and plug into new power.

Power Past Coal is a project of a loosely connected network of diverse organizations all across America who are working on energy and social justice issues.

Organizations fighting to defend their land from harmful mining practices, stopping new coal-fired power plants, or campaigning for a new energy policy agreed to launch a project together that could bring attention to the urgency of and connections between our efforts.

By identifying and publicizing 100 days of independent actions, we will highlight a narrative that shows both the problems with and solutions to our current energy policy. By joining together, we raise the profile of and add value to our individual campaigns.

The loose structure of this project is based on the philosophy of Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest who wrote,

"Groups ranging from ad hoc neighborhood associations to well-funded international organizations are confronting issues like the destruction of the environment [and] social justice. They share no orthodoxy or unifying ideology... they remain supple enough to coalesce easily into larger networks to achieve their goals".

Coal is dirty and outdated, from the extraction process to its waste disposal. You cannot make coal cleaner, you can only make parts of its process cleaner, but the toxins do not go away. It would go against the laws of physics.

We need to clean up our act. Coal won't end tomorrow, but we need to transition away from our dirty past, and invest in a clean energy future. We need to start with energy efficiency and conservation, because the United States is the Saudia Arabia of energy waste.

Once we do that, technologies like wind, solar, and geothermal, which leave a much smaller footprint on on the planet, become feasible.

We need to dramatically change the course of our energy future and we need to do it now. If not, we will continue to expose communities to land-destroying mining practices, pollution-belching smokestacks, and water-damaging coal combustion waste.

See Your Connection to Mountaintop Removal Coal

2007-11-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Go to http://www.ilovemountains.org/badges for the codes. There are a number of badges to choose from! Help spread the word about this environmental and human rights issue.

    
Pin this badge on your site.

Are You Connected to Mountaintop Removal Coal?

2007-11-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

Check this out! It's a really awesome feature on iLoveMountains.org. Go to the bottom of http://www.ilovemountains.org/badges to put this on your website, blog, etc.

2006-12-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Please buy cruelty-free products!

This is NOT the exception, it is the RULE...

2006-12-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

When animals are tortured, the humans doing the tortuing are tortured as well... this is not just about animals, it's about our humanity. What kind of society are we if we ignore this torture? Think about it!

Pigs at Wiles Farm “are ineffectively shot and left alive, beaten to death with hammers, have their heads slammed into walls and floors multiple times, and sows are strung up by their neck and slowly suffocated.” A former employee alleges: “They basically use them as target practice when they shoot them.” The whistleblower said the owner’s adult son told her: “Pigs don’t feel pain.” A special prosecutor is looking into these and other charges filed by the Humane Farming Association (HFA), which has been investigating the northeast Ohio pig breeding facility since September 2005. “Workers often vent their frustrations on the pigs by physically attacking and abusing them,” states the HFA complaint, which, including photographs, can be viewed at (PDF file): http://tinyurl.com/yd3r2a It also documents pigs forced to live in cold water and other inhumane conditions.

Law enforcement officials searched the property on November 8th. Less “disturbing” portions of undercover videotape obtained by HFA were aired by Cleveland station WKYC. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who viewed the broadcast, said he will address the issue of farmed animal treatment in the next Congressional session. (Kucinich has also announced his candidacy for the 2008 Presidential election: http://www.kucinich.us ) Farm owner Ken Wiles claims that he complies with all state and federal laws [there are no federal laws regarding the treatment of animals on farms], but HFA contends that the facility has systematically violated Ohio anti-cruelty laws. The National Pork Producers Council announced that it “abhorred” the acts on the tape but that Wiles is now working with a veterinarian who specializes in pigs to implement corrective measures.

Check it...good book for activists...

2006-12-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

I am SO getting this book....

Book Review: Hillary Rettig's "The Lifelong Activist"
by SusanG
Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 06:29:29 AM PST
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/4/92742/6520

If I had but one book to spend hard-earned cash on this year, this one
would be it, hands down.

Lifelong Activist is a unique and luscious hybrid, part inspirational
tract and part practical textbook on sustaining effective and dedicated
activism over the long, long haul.

The author, a business coach involved in progressive causes, brings her
approach in training entrepreneurs for success to the realm of
political involvement, adapting pragmatic and measurable exercises to
the personal realm.

Admitting from the get-go that one of the biggest problems facing
progressive activists is burn-out with its accompanying guilt and
joylessness, Rettig begins the book by walking the reader through the
logic of taking care of yourself, which includes your health, your
personal relationships and – yes, it’s true, despite the pushback
Rettig admits she gets on this final issue – your financial stability.
She explains:

"All this, by the way, has nothing to do with selling out, and
everything to do with common sense, meeting your obligations to
yourself and others, and not being a burden on your loved ones. It also
has to do with building the kind of happy, stable life that fosters a
sustainable and productive activist career.

"... if it is our privilege as activists to dream of a better world, it
is also our responsibility to do the hard work of figuring out how to
integrate our dreams into the real world around us, not only as a means
of taking care of ourselves and those whom we love and are responsible
for, but as a crucial step toward building that better world we all
dream of."

This message of self-care recurs throughout – Rettig clearly recognizes
in progressives the tendency to overwork, self-blame and ultimately
undermine one’s own better dreams through feeding a guilt-based
deprivation syndrome. Short of time, money, patience, comfort and
health, many activists, often without acknowledging it, sabotage their
own attempts to change the world.

To help progressives learn to sort out their priorities and operate
from an individualized base of strengths, Rettig guides readers through
a series of exercises and mission statements to help set priorities and
realistic goals. Time management skills are outlined in a step-by-step
process ("If you hope to succeed at an ambitious goal such as activism,
you need to make conscious decisions about how you spend your time, and
not let others, or random circumstance, decide for you."). Realistic
assessment of money needs – beyond mere survival, where comfort is
recognized as an acceptable value – is undertaken ("Choosing to be an
activist and choosing to be poor are two separate choices, and ...
choosing poverty will generally make you a worse activist, not a better
one."). Schedules and time-tracking charts are provided in the book
(and are downloadable at Lifelong Activist. Methods to combat
procrastination and to root out its causes – which usually can be
traced to perfectionism, negativity and hypersensitivity – are offered.

A whole section of the book is devoted to managing fear, which is often
an underlying stumbling block in one form or another to those
participating in activism. Figuring out which unproductive behaviors
are on display can often help point to the specific fears that often
hold us back, and Rettig examines ways to overcome these before they
undermine our mission.

As one would expect from a guide on progressive activism, networking
and relationships are emphasized, but instead of offering vague,
feel-good advice, there are concrete, practical steps advised,
particularly in the realm of finding and cultivating a mentor, which
Rettig claims is "the most powerful ‘success catalyst’ around." Tips on
how to identify, contact and maintain this vital relationship are
included, as well as advice on how to serve as a mentor one’s self –
one of the most fulfilling roles a seasoned activist can take on.

I suspect the most difficult portion of the book for progressives to
swallow – aside from the "it’s okay if you have some money at your
disposal" aspect – is going to be the final chapters of the book, in
which the nitty-gritty of marketing and sales techniques are explored.
The author herself realizes that most liberals find these areas an
"anathema," and spends quite a bit of time laying the groundwork,
debunking this notion, before she gets down to details. It’s worth
keeping in mind the blockquote that opens this review, as well as
quoting Rettig in depth here:

"... marketing and sales can, in fact, be used non-exploitatively and
to positive end.... I teach what is called "consultative sales," where
you’re not manipulating the customer, but working alongside of him to
arrive at a solution to a serious need he has.

"....The bottom line is that activism is, or should be, marketing and
sales. Meaning, that you should use the same marketing and sales
techniques that corporations use to sell products to sell your activist
cause, and progressivism in general. You should, moreover, use these
techniques wholeheartedly and without shame or embarrassment, for two
main reasons:
1 Modern marketing and sales are, literally, the most powerful
persuasive techniques ever devised.
2 What corporate marketing and sales harms, progressive marketing
and sales heals."

Once she establishes that these techniques are simply tools that can be
used for either good or bad purposes, Rettig reveals what she calls the
three "Bitter Truths" that progressives are most resistant to
acknowledging:

*The success of your venture depends much less on the quality of
whatever it is you are selling than on the quality of the marketing and
sales you use to sell it.
*People buy a product not because of its intrinsic qualities or
characteristics, but because they believe it will either solve a
problem or meet a need that they have.
*In any sale, the customer’s needs and viewpoints count far more than
yours. In fact, yours hardly count at all.

I won’t take the space here to elaborate how the author persuades the
reader that these bitter truths need to be accepted, except to point
out that she succeeds. Once the persuasion is out of the way, she dives
into the concrete details of marketing and sales techniques used most
successfully in the business world, and how they can translate into
convincing voters and other activists to sign on to your cause with the
goal of eliciting a desired behavioral change, i.e., a petition signed,
a vote made, a donation given, a meeting attended. Promises or
self-proclaimed changes of heart, she emphasizes, are not enough;
closing the sale of progressivism means soliciting some tangible
commitment from the "customer" and helping him or her through the
process of following through.

With the holiday season upon us, I can think of no better gift for
beloved activists in our lives than this wide-ranging guide to lifelong
commitment to important political and social causes. And bonus points
should be given to those who purchase an additional copy for themselves
– the person who, according to the author, each of us should be most
concerned with empowering.

To learn more about the book or to place an order, visit
www.LifelongActivist.com.
read sample chapters: www.lifelongactivist.com/resources
order: www.lifelongactivist.com/order
blog: www.lifelongactivist.com

The Lifelong Activist
How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way
By Hillary Rettig
Lantern Books
New York, 2006

Skip the Malls, Do your Shopping at Dandelion in Orlando!

2006-11-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hey I will make a comeback soon, but for now...

2005-10-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

This was our tent at Littlepalooza, a kids event at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando in Dowtown Orlando. There's me, Henry, a friend, and Julie, whose little mustard seed of a thought was tranformed into a Dandelion!

2005-10-24T21:21:00.000-05:00

Talking to a hip momma, giving her the lowdown on the best hrebal tonics in town!

2005-10-24T20:46:00.000-05:00

Check it out- this is Ourlando, a benefit for Simple Living Institute. This was one bitchin' party, and if you weren't there and you live in Orlando, you TOTALLY missed out. Relive part of it here!

2005-10-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

One of the best bands in Orlando is Omiza River. This is their lead singer, Tanyia Hall, who has the most incredible energy. It is a treat to see her perform. Check out their website here.

2005-10-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

Screw flowers or chocolate- if you really want to make a woman swoon with ecstasy, bring her to Dandelion and feed her a vegan fluffer nutter sandwich. The chicks go wild for it!

2005-10-24T19:55:00.000-05:00

We brought another to the dark side...with our "addictive like crack" fluffer nutter sandwich!

2005-10-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

Here's our lovely Amber explaining the healing benefits (not to mention the tastiness) of our Elixir Tonics.

2005-10-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

It was hard to believe this totally awesome event was happening in Orlando. I think we are becoming more and more of a real community. Hopefully, Dandelion can become a hub for this continuing tranformation!

2005-10-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

At the Ourlando event, we gave 2 samplers of Elixir Tonics to be raffled off to benefit the Simple Living Institute (see the side bar for their website). Here is one of the lucky winners- even happier after we tell him 2 of the tonics included are the sex tonics for him and her. Is that a tonic bottle in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

2005-10-24T19:37:00.000-05:00

When can we go to Dandelion, Mommy? Can we go, can we go? See even the youngins are counting the days till Dandelion opens.

2005-10-24T19:28:00.000-05:00

The positive energy from that day made Chris so happy, he just had to juggle some vegan fluff. And he's not half bad at it either!

Vegbuddha endorses Scott Randolph!

2005-10-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

It's time that Florida had some real leadership! Vegbuddha endorses Scott Randolph for State Representative, District 36.

I had to get away!

2005-10-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

Since I had no time between my gig with Alaska Coalition ending and the the Veg Fest 2 days later, I was feeling like one tired little girl. So I thought I would visit my new found friends from Boone, North Carolina that I met in DC. It was a wonderfully relaxing trip and went to visit a teahouse and coffeehouse for business reasons. Hey, I wonder if I get to write my trip off as a business expense? Ah, the cunning mind of a business person!

2005-10-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

This was my most gracious host, Matt. I met him and a bunch of folks you will see here from the Arctic Refuge Day of Action in DC. They do some awesome work through Appalachian Voices, espcially on mountaintop removal (for coal). Check them out-their link is on the side bar.

2005-10-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

This is Matt's steady sidekick, Kane. He is a beautiful husky and Matt think he may be half wolf. Pretty wild, huh?

2005-10-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

I am pretty new to canoeing myself, but I guess this what they call a "party barge". You get all the canoes together and you "party". Kinda of like a pool party, but not so wet on the body.

2005-10-14T10:34:00.000-05:00

Supposedly letting your horses in the river is against the law or something. I still think it's pretty awesome site myself.

2005-10-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

Isn't this the cutest house you have ever seen? Who would have thunk you would see this in Todd, North Carolina?

2005-10-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

We went to check out a coffeehouse that was owned by a friend of Matt's called the Dripolator. She sells mostly organic, free trade coffee. She just went to Nicuaragua to check out the whole coffee making process. Read about it here- http://www.blackmountainnews.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=1501&format=html

2005-10-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

While in North Carolina, I HAD to go to Asheville to check out Indigineous Teahouse! The concept is somewhat similar to Dandelion. They even sell the Elixir Tonics that we will be serving. If you are ever in Asheville, check them out! http://www.indigenous-asheville.com/index2.html

2005-10-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

You can only hide behind a beer for so long- especially if it's only a quarter of the way full!

2005-10-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

Cigarettes- not just a breakfast food anymore! And, is she trying to flick somebody off with that mixing straw?

2005-10-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

Crackpipe (formerly known as Lawyer) and his down-to-earth wife Tracy- this totally rad couple got hitched in the Yukon this summer. How cool is that! Aren't they cute? I feel honored that Scott actually let me take his picture. See how Scott normally has his picture taken at http://www.appvoices.org/staff.asp.

2005-10-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Smoke art photography- I just invented it! Just hold a cigarette in front of your camera and take a picture. Wacky bar fun!

2005-10-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

Holy Ghost? You decide! Looks like a tongue of fire to me and I certainly didnt understand what he was saying, so maybe he was speaking another language. Or maybe it was just the beer- we'll never know.

2005-10-14T09:53:00.000-05:00

It was sad to leave all the pretty fall colors behind, but at least I got a chance to enjoy them. An important philosophy to learn in life.

2005-10-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

It's more than a tea house-it's a way of life.

2005-10-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

Don't worry- the test will be an open cookbook exam.

2005-10-04T20:42:00.001-05:00

Spreading the love, one nutter flutter at a time.

2005-10-04T20:41:00.001-05:00

Greg handles the Veg Fest mob with panache.

2005-10-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

Put that in yer pipe and smoke it!

2005-10-04T20:40:00.001-05:00

Vegan Flutter nutter sandwiches- good like crack, but healthier.

2005-10-04T20:40:00.000-05:00

Julie is the hostess with the mostest!

2005-10-04T20:38:00.000-05:00

Chris, explaining the finer points of teas and tonics.

2005-10-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

John, super volunteer for Dandelion, whips up a tantalizing tonic!

2005-10-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

The fans go crazy over that vegan marshmallow fluff.

2005-10-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

If we can influence the next generation, we can change the future!

2005-10-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

The future is looking good for Dandelion Communitea Cafe!

Orlando's 1st Annual Veg Fest

2005-10-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

If you live in Central Florida, and you weren't at the Orlando Veg Fest, you missed out on the birthing of a real progressive community in Orlando. The response was amazing! Conservative estimates put the crowd at 3000 people. You can check all the exctiting vendors, speakers, musicians and cooking demos (one by yours truly) that you missed at www.orlandovegfest.com. I think this year's success will ensure that there will be a second annual event.

I was also able to plug the Orlando Veg Fest and Dandelion Communitea Cafe as Sandra the Vegan on the Philips Phile 1041.1 (http://philips.wtks.com/). THANK YOU JIM PHILIPS!!!

Here are some pictures of the Dandelion's experience at the Veg Fest!

Here is my life as it will be...

2005-09-27T19:05:00.000-05:00

Now I am in transition mode. I am taking a career shift hopefully for the better. To be honest, I feel odd detailing my life for whatever random stranger decides they want to take a peek into the windows of my mind. Don't ask how I got into this in the first place, but what the heck, we'll see how it goes.

But back to the career change. I will be now entering the realm of making yummy food for people to eat at a new veg-friendly cafe and tea house called Dandelion Communitea Cafe. It is scheduled to open in November. Check out the website at www.dandelioncommunitea.com. The best part about it, besides the yummy food, tasty teas, and locally made items that will be sold there, is the community room that we will have for use for different events, workshops, etc. One of the main goals is to have a place where people can feel at home. That will be so much easier since the cafe will be in a old 1930's bungalow home!

2005-09-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

Some of the signs and messages of the day, one espcially that Floridians should take heed of.

2005-09-26T18:01:00.000-05:00

Many Alaskan Natives oppose the drilling, despite what the Alaskan delegation might say. Ernie, Charlie and Ron and are from Point Hope in NW Alaska. Bertha is from Kongiganak in SW Alaska. They were part of the Florida lobby team for the Arctic Refuge Action Day and for the larger lobby week we call Wilderness Week. It was a privilege to spend time with these wonderful people.

2005-09-26T17:37:00.000-05:00

Pictured here are Senator Clinton and Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Other speakers included Senator Kerry, Senator Lieberman, Senator Chafee and Congressman Markey from New Jersey.

In the picture with Hillary Clinton, in the purple is Episcopal Bishop Mark MacDonald of Alaska who went so far as to pledge, "In the name of God, we will stop this from happening."

2005-09-26T17:27:00.000-05:00

Robert F Kennedy Jr- not so bad for an attorney! No, really, a remarkable man that has been fighting for the environment and environmental health issues.

"When we lose our connection with nature, we lose our connection with God". RFK Jr

2005-09-26T17:20:00.000-05:00

This is Savannah Walters from Tampa, Florida. She was so inspired about the Arctic Refuge after a slideshow presentation, she wanted to help. The fact that stuck in her head was that Americans could save more oil than what can be found in the Arctic Refuge just by pumping up the tires on their vehicles to the proper pressure. She started an organization called Pump 'Em Up, which encourages people to pump up their tires not Arctic oil!

Go, Savannah!

2005-09-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

This is Taylor Brown from the Chamberlain Marching band speaking truth to power on why the Arctic Refuge needs protecting- giving us all hope for future generations!

2005-09-26T16:25:00.000-05:00

We started off the event with the Chamberlain Marching Band. Children have the most to lose if drilling is allowed in the Arctic Refuge. After all, it's their natural heritage that will be taken away from them.

Arctic Refuge Action Day

2005-09-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, September 20th, 2005, was Arctic Refuge Action Day. This was a National Day of Action whereby thousands of citizens from all over the US, including Florida, came to Washington DC to gather outside our nation's capitol to see amazing speakers from children to politicans champion the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These citizens then took over the Capitol and lobbied their representatives and ask them to protect the Arctic Refuge by voting against the Budget Reconciliation Bill. Here are some picture from this amazing day!

Welcome to my life at it was...

2005-09-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

I used to work for a number of different environmental organizations. My last job was with the Alaska Coalition. They work to protect America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil development, among other things.

A vote will be occurring this fall that will decide the fate of the Arctic Refuge. "Drill everywhere" proponents are trying to insert language in the budget "reconciliation" bill to allow drilling in the Arctic Refuge, and now, consequently, Florida waters.

The stage was set in March of this year when Arctic drilling language was included in the Senate budget "resolution" bill. There was an amendment to strike out the language. We had hoped junior Senator Mel Martinez would vote for the amendment, thereby protecting the Arctic Refuge. We felt that the idea advanced by drilling proponents themselves that Arctic drilling would set the precendent for drilling in other sensitive areas would cause Senator Martinez to want to protect the Arctic Refuge. However, Martinez voted to keep Arctic drilling in the budget.

The amendment to remove Arctic drilling from the budget resolution lost 51-49.

That vote set the precdent to now include Florida off-shore drilling in the budget. While Martinez claims to be a staunch opponent of Florida off-shore drilling, he was instrumental in setting the course to to include Florida as a target for drilling by his anti-Arctic vote in March.

Alaska Coalition is now working to defeat the Budget Reconciliation Bill.