Activities
& Updates
Education
that informs environmental action. A number of public
education projects need to be stepped-up due to their urgency.
When we the public understand the interconnections between
issues, and what they mean to us, of concepts like "Peak-Oil,"
Global Warming, Population Growth, Resource Scarcity (Food,
Clean Water and Air, Fertile Soil...) then we'll know that
time is past due for the U.S. to make an all-out effort to
lead humanity to a sustainable future. This can be very good
for us and our economic future, as well as for everybody else
and every living thing on the planet. This importance is especially
true of our energy policies and our need to build out our
renewable energy future.
To begin with, consider
the concept of "Peak-Oil." At the
SEMG General Membership Meeting of March 6, 2008 we had the
Film Presentation
of “A Crude Awakening:
The Oil Crash” which is all about "Peak-Oil"
and what it means for us all.
Al Gore presented us with “The Inconvenient
Truth” about global warming in 2006. Now comes
“A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash”
from the award-winning European journalists and filmmakers
Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack. This film tells the story
of how our civilization’s addiction to oil puts it on
a collision course with geology. Compelling, intelligent and
highly entertaining, this documentary film interviews the
world’s top experts and comes to the startling, but
logical conclusion—our industrial society, built on
cheap and readily available oil, must be completely re-tooled
and re-imagined. After the film, we had a guided discussion
about peak oil and sustainable “local future”
strategies for metro Detroit.
Here are some web links for those who would like to pursue
understanding "Peak-Oil" further:
LocalFuture.org
Local Future is an organization that develops compassionate,
sustainable, local, community systems to provide basic needs
such as food, energy, transportation, community services,
money and jobs. Local Future hosts the International Conference
on Peak Oil and Climate Change: Paths to Sustainability. NEW!
- Watch
conference presentations & download podcasts for free.
http://drydipstick.com/
"The purpose of this website is to give you up-to-date
links to all the information you need to understand Peak Oil
and what you can do to deal with its consequences."
http://energybulletin.net/
news by category; home, search, peak oil primer, about us,
contribute; Related Issues; Regions; Resources (Oil, Natural
Gass, Tar Sands, Shale Oil, Coal, Methane, Nuclear, Other
Resource Depletion, renewables...)
http://theoildrum.com/
Discussions (and videos) about Energy and our Future; "Cassandra's
curse: how "The Limits to Growth" was demonized"
“What
gets us into trouble is not
what we don't know,
it's what we know for
sure
that just ain't so.”
—Mark Twain
http://CrudeAwakening.org/
New to Peak Oil? If this is the first time you are hearing
about Peak Oil, you are among the majority of the population.
In the book, "Plan
B 3.0," “Lester
R. Brown gives concise, but very informative, summaries of
what he regards as the key issues facing civilization as a
consequence of the stress we put on our environment. . . .
a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate.”
—The Ecologist. Download
the whole book (and
updates) at:
http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/Contents.htm
It's also good to buy a case to pass out at local activist
meetings. We plan to start a book club in the Fall of 2008
with this as the first book.
• • • • • •
• • • •
Protection of Public
Lands. The Sierra Club continues
to work hard to protect southeast Michigan's wetlands and
other sensitive habitats, such as Humbug Marsh and the Greater
Sibley Priairie Complex (see Greater
Sibley Prairie Complex: The Next Nature Preserve).
• • • • • •
• • • •
Incinerators (by
any other name... (including
mass-burn, gasification, pyrolysis, plasma arc, refuse derived
fuel and other incinerator technologies. [PDF] Learn
more.))
"Heating
Up" Metro Times article from May 21-27,
2008 Issue; Incinerators
- [Weblink]
Here's the latest on the Detroit Incinerator. "When Detroit
Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams spoke at a "stop the incinerator"
rally last week, it was a little bit like walking into a lion's
den and then poking the lion with a sharp stick.... "
[Weblink] "Fired
up" (Metro Times) Detroit incinerator's long-simmering
opposition
by Curt Guyette 4/30/2008 (Dirty business down in Motown)
ALERT! INCINERATORS -
[PDF] ("[PDF]"
means this
links to another PDF fact sheet) and waste-to-energy conversion
schemes, are expensive- dirty businesses,
and the WTE / Suncrest proposal that was fought off in Macomb
County, well the company may approach other areas in the state
of Michigan. They still want to scam in Michigan - [Weblink]
in direct
opposition to the Zero Waste Movement (this link leads to
the The Zero Waste Alliance homepage). As the PDF says,
"More than half of the state Renewable Electricity Standards
explicitly exclude waste-to-energy technology as renewable
energy sources."
[Google Search Link] Zero
Waste
Sierra Club (PROPOSED Policy) Zero Waste – Cradle-to-Cradle
Principles for the 21st Century. [PDF] Sierra
Club (PROPOSED)
Conservation Policies. Approved by the Sierra Club Board
of Directors, February 23, 2008.
The National Sierra Club has a whole [Weblink] "Zero
Waste" committee and website section (http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/).
And, among the great links
from that page are:
[Weblink] Zero
Waste - Don't Burn or Bury Garbage (http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/zerowaste/garbage/)
[PDF] Garbage
is Not Renewable Energy
and,
[PDF] Exclude
Garbage from Renewable Energy Standards
Here's what you need
to know to fight back:
Don't Trash
Michigan (For more information, go to: http://www.stoptrash.org/.)
The Sierra Club endorses the "Don't Trash Michigan"
campaign, a movement whose focus is to clean up Michigan by
working to reduce the amount of trash that comes into the
state from Canada and Michigan’s neighboring states.
This group also works to improve recycling and end illegal
dumping in Michigan communities.
[Weblink] The
Story of Stuff Video (as seen in the SEMG General Membership
Program 5-1-08). Watch the 20 minute video about the value
of recycling, the life cycle of consumer products, and trash:
StoryofStuff.com
. While you're there,
check out the [Weblink] "Resources"
Section; especially about [Weblink] "Another
Way." And don't miss the [Weblink] "Recommended
Reading" section, for example, there's lots of info
about [Weblink] "Another
Way, Taking Action, Solutions." “Zero
Waste." We have the right, and duty, to speak out
about community well being.
~~~~~~~~~
bottled water (just say
no!)
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 7:12 PM, On Behalf
Of Carl Pope
At the suggestion of a number of
Sierra Club volunteer leaders, and in agreement with the Club's
overall value of using resources efficiently and avoiding
waste, bottled water should no longer to be offered at any
Sierra Club event or be sold from any Sierra Club office vending
machine. For additional information on the down side of using
bottled water, please
visit the following Sierra Club web site:
http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/bottled_water/bottled_water.pdf
Carl
~~~~~~~~~
Eco Friendly Organic
Lawn and Garden
After extensive research on how to do lawns organically (without
artificial pesticides or fertilizers), I (Hal Newnan) discovered
that:
Our lawns in South East Michigan are cold-grass types whose
roots are only growing during 2 periods each year:
1) a) a short time (about a month in the Spring, about the
2nd Week in May, right after the Forsythia bloom (I have lots
on the Northern edge of my property), and
1) b) from mid-September to the end of October. This second
period is the better time to apply fertilizer if you are only
going to do one application.
The "1) a)" period is a good time to put down an
application of Corn Gluten because it inhibits the germination
of broad leafed weeds (including crab grass, dandelions, and
others that are considered unsightly). Corn Gluten also slowly
releases nitrogen which is good for your lawn and okay for
the environment.
A second application of Corn Gluten about 3 months later will
discourage weeds for the whole year.
For the 1) b) application (the 3rd application), I recommend
Fertrell Super N 4 - 2 - 4. It's another slow release (very
good!) organic fertilizer; as it says on the package: "An
organic plant food for all plants" (including vegetables,
flowers, african violets, roses, shrubs, and bulbs of all
kinds). "It encourages earthworms and feeds soil bacteria
and the diverse micro-organisms that constitute a healthy
soil flora."
Eco Friendly Organic
Lawn and Garden Supplies
Where do you get this stuff at the best price? Many garden
supply stores might carry similar products. I recommend (but
the Sierra Club does NOT endorse):
1.) Uncle Luke's Garden Supplies
(248) 879-9147
6691 Livernois
Troy MI 48098-1540
Questions? I recommend asking Dale of Uncle Luke's
2) GardensAlive.com (this is a mail-order online store and
more expensive)
Gardens Alive! (Indiana)
http://www.gardensalive.com
Contact Us. Our Customer Service team is here to help in anyway
we can. Please drop our Customer Service department a note,
or give us a call weekdays at (513)354-1483
************************************************************
SOCRRA Communities - Recycling
SOCRRA link: http://www.socrra.org/srr.htm
In this website you can find the list of hazardous materials
which they will take along with the phone number to make an
appointment for drop off. You will need to show ID to verify
that you are a resident of one of the listed cities participating
in this recycling program.
(Thanks Linda!)
************************************************************
Upcoming Six Rivers'
SPRING NATIVE PLANT SALE!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Auburn Hills Community Center
Southwest corner of Squirrel Road and University Drive with
easy access from the University Drive exit of I-75.
For more information go to : http://www.oaklandlandconservancy.org/plantsale.htm
(Thanks Mitch and Carolina!)
************************************************************
OAKLAND WILDFLOWER FARM (Native Plants Farm)
Richard Dobies and Ruth Virbensky
520 N. Hurd Road
Ortonville, MI. 48462-9419
Website: http://www.oaklandwildflowerfarm.com/
email: oaklandwildflowerfarm@gmail.com
2008 Retail Sale Days:
Sunday May 18th 11am-4pm
May 24th & 25th 11am-4pm
All Saturdays in June 10 am-5pm
Saturday, July 19th 10am-5pm
Saturday, August 23rd 10am-5pm
September 6&7th 10am-5pm
Beverly Moss is their native plant landscaper.
Ruth Virbensky was our Sierra Club Green Lunch Series speaker
in May. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about native
plants. If you get a chance to attend to one of her lectures,
you will learn a lot from her and enjoy her good sense of
humor!
************************************************************
RAIN BARRELS
Most rain barrels are fairly expensive. However deals can
be found; buyer beware. These barrels are made of food grade
plastic. Please keep in mind that shipping costs might increase
their price. Here are the links:
Craigslist -Metro Detroit ==> http://detroit.craigslist.org/search/grd?query=rain%20barrel
(Most are 55 gal, prices range from $65- $95)
Oakland Conservation District and SOCWA/SOCRRA Rain Barrel
Sale 2008 ==> http://www.oaklandconservationdistrict.org/
(60 gal, 20% recycled material , $99) Wish it was 100 % recycled
material!
You can also find some out of state sales in ebay ===>
www.ebay.com .
Our tour hosts, Anne & Peter, said that plastic barrels
don't last very long (approximately 3 yrs). Wooden barrels
are preferable. They got their gorgeous barrel at California
Wine Grape Co. in Detroit (http://www.cawinegrapes.com/)
and adapted it into a rain barrel. Peter said that wine barrels
are very expensive, but this company also sells barrels that
contained vanilla which are a lot cheaper.
Also, rain gardens don't necessarily have to be in a land
depression. Raingardens.org
rain garden fact-sheet (http://www.raingardens.org/docs/rain_garden_factsheet.pdf)
says the best rain garden location is "down-slope from
building foundations and up-slope from storm drain infrastructure".
***********************************************
Last but not least... below is the link to the Rain Garden
Tour pictures. I, Italia, took over 90 shots! If you would
like to have any of these, e-mail me the photo description
and I will send you the file.
Sierra Club - Rain Garden
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15301828@N00/sets/72157605201642168
About the set, there are 45 pictures | of the Rain Garden
& Lawn Elimination Tour - Birmingham, MI, 5/17/2008
Regards,
Italia
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