News-Record.com

Enrollment is open for two separate summer programs at the Center for Energy Research and Technology at N.C. A&T.

The Energy Engineer Starters Program is a June camp that will teach students in middle school and high school about the use of energy and efficiency and conservation. This program is ideal for students interested in pursuing a career in engineering or environmental sciences. The cost is $200 and the camp runs from June 17-30. Details here.

An energy educators workshop will take place June 22-26 for educators who teach grades six through 12. Details here.

S. Loren Cole, co-founder of the first Earth Day celebration, will be a featured guest at a fundraiser being held at New Garden Friends School on Friday to raise money for a green building project.

Check out my latest Turning Point podcast about the N.C. Farm to Fork Summit taking place this week. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems convened the summit on Monday and Tuesday to finalize proposals to promote and strengthen sustainable agriculture and local foods consumption in the state.

You can track the progress of the summit at the Farm to Fork Web site. There, you can check out highlights from Monday's discussions and find most of the "game changer" and local actions ideas on the Web pages of the specific working issues teams. I heard that speaker presentations will also be added to the site this week.

About 400 people from across the state registered to attend the summit. Some of the Triad area registrants represented Urban Harvest in Greensboro, the Guilford, Davidson and Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Service agencies, the Piedmont Conservation Council, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Deep Roots Market, Healthful Living Organic Farm, Peregrine Farm, N.C. A&T, city of Greensboro Parks & Recreation, Slow Food Piedmont Triad, and Garden Discovery Tours.

Today, Gov. Perdue is expected to address the summit participants at 9 a.m., with the rest of the day focused on regional proposals. (I couldn't make it as I have another story to work on.)

Stephen and Rebekah Hren of Durham will hold an open house of their home on Sunday, May 17. The Hrens wrote a book called "The Carbon-Free Home" that explains the myriad of ways homeowners can reduce their energy consumption. Looks like a good opportunity to get some layman advice on making changes with a do-it-yourself budget. (Amazon reviews here.)

The 20th annual Haw River Community Festival will take place Saturday in Bynum (Chatham County) from 1-6 p.m. The lineup includes: music, art, puppet parade, chalk drawing on the bridge, hiking along the river, catching river critters that live in the Haw, free short canoe rides for kids 12 and under, environmental awareness displays and activities, kayak raffle, good food. Details.

Shakori Hills in Chatham County will host a June concert to both help fund construction of a new elementary school in West Virginia and raise awareness about the devastating effects of mountaintop coal removal.

Organizers are holding the concert in North Carolina because some state lawmakers are trying to ban utilities from powering plants using this method. Fifty percent of the coal used to produce electricity in the state is extracted through mountaintop removal at Appalachian coalfields.

The Sesa Group, an events planning firm in the Triangle, is organizing a career fair for people looking for a "green job." The "Hybrid Future" green career expo will take place on Sept. 17 in Morrisville.

Jessica Averhart, executive producer of the Sesa Group, said she hopes to have 50 companies represented and at least 1,200 attendees at the expo. She also hopes to eventually hold three of these expos a year, with events possibly in Charlotte and Wilmington, she said.

"We want the audience to be broad enough so that it's technical and skilled labor as well as middle managers and executives," Averhart said about who should attend the expo. "It's really across the board."

Averhart has yet to finalize the list of participating companies; when she does, I'll pass that information along.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church will hold a conversation on Sunday about relieving hunger, sustaining local farms and gaining fair treatment for farmers. The event takes place at 2105 W. Market St., Greensboro, from 7-8:30 p.m.

The conversation will cover the following areas:
• Why people of faith are called to work for fairness for farmers and access to fresh, healthy food for everyone;
• The problems of the current agricultural system - the injustices in contract farming, threats to family farms, and food insecurity in our communities; and
• How congregations can take practical action to support and honor family farmers and to get fresh, local food to those who need it most.

The event is open to the public and will be led by RAFI-USA (Rural Advancement Foundation International), Come to the Table, and The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Call St. Andrew's at 275-1651 for more information.

Background on what's happening locally around local foods can be found here and the March podcast below:

You can also view photos of the Saturday event at the Piedmont Environmental Alliance's Facebook page.

I just got word of another local Earth Day event. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Greensboro will hold a festival on Sunday. Details here.

Update: The town of Kernersville will also hold its first Earth Day event on April 22 on the town hall lawn. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free to attend.

Bike riders of all ages and persuasions are encouraged to pedal in downtown Greensboro on May 1 from 6-9 p.m. in support of Shop by Bike, an initiative by Bicycling in Greensboro (BIG) and Ped Power geared to promote camaraderie and healthy living through cycling.

The organizers have partnered with Downtown Greensboro Inc.’s First Friday showcases of the art community for this event. First Friday attendees who travel by bike and show their helmet can receive discounts on purchases, according to a press release. Posters will be displayed on storefront windows or inside stores to denote participating merchants.

This event could be a good way to fulfill your Triad Commute Challenge pledge.

Bike riders are also encouraged to artistically decorate their bikes and helmets in celebration of First Friday. First Friday attendees traveling by car are encouraged to be mindful of bike traffic as there may be an influx of evening bike riders; cyclists should also remember to adhere to the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. Find a map of bike racks here.

For more information about Shop by Bike call 215-1890.

Winston-Salem State University's first annual Generation Green Festival takes place April 20-22. The event is free and open to the public and will feature workshops, an art contest, film festival, fashion show, "Communiversity Day" and tree planting ceremony. Details here.

High Point University will also hold an event with booths and food on April 22 from 1-3 p.m. at its campus amphitheatre.

UNCG and Greensboro College info here.

Just wanted to pass along some Earth Day-related events happening during the month of August April at our local universities:

UNCG
* Tuesday, April 21: Sustainability Scholarship Fair. 5-7 p.m., Gatewood Studio Arts Building. Free and open to the public! (I don't know yet the specifics of this event.)

* Wednesday, April 22: EARTH DAY! Foust Park, UNCG Campus, noon-4 p.m. Live music: Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Eating the Invaders, Our Horse Jethro and WUAG DJ's; kids activities, prizes, environmental information, refreshments, arts and crafts, DIY workshops, etc.

(By the way, UNCG planned to hold a sustainability conference for UNC employees and students on April 3, but it was canceled due to budget constraints.)

Greensboro College
Wednesday, April 15: Interested members of the community are invited to the “Envision a Greener Campus Sustainability Forum” from 4-6 p.m. in the Alumni Dining Room. The forum is designed to generate discussion on building a sustainability plan for Greensboro College. Areas of focus will be student activities, curriculum and research, buildings and
grounds, recycling, energy, transportation, food and purchasing. Refreshments served.

I found out about these weekend events late, but still thought I'd pass them along:

Art of Well Being and Golden Flower Tai Chi in Winston-Salem will show a film called "The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community," on Friday from 7-9 p.m. I was told this film was done by Peak Moment Television, but apparently another group is working on a documentary about the same subject. Below, a portion on an interview with social critic and writer David Korten:

David Korten on Equity from Chris Landry on Vimeo.

Also, Saturday is the grand opening of Lakeside Avanti Salon and Spa, a Greensboro spa dedicated to green and sustainable practices. Read more from this press release.

N.C. Project Green is co-sponsoring a vermiposting Webinar on April 1 from 12-1 p.m. Learn how to set up and maintain a worm bin to recycle your food scraps and used paper. Register here.

The owners of the Greenspiration home in Northwest Greensboro are raising funds for the United Way, American Red Cross, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Autism Society by offering paid tours of their home this weekend and throughout April. Learn more here.

Prizes at the "Nature Nurture Days" event will include:
- Four separate drawings for a FREE night stay at Proximity Hotel in Greensboro;
- Four fabulous pieces of furniture from Stanley Furniture’s Coast Living Collection – each piece valued at well over $1500.00;
- Four separate drawings for 2 hours of FREE interior design consultation with Bella Designs, the official interior designers for the Greenspiration Home.

I recently learned that a few N.C. cities will join hundreds across the globe in turning off the lights for Earth Hour on March 28: Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Lincolnton and Asheville, as well as Triad Air Awareness. Now, I'm trying to find out what buildings in those cities will go dark at that 8:30 p.m. hour.

Earth Hour is an annual symbolic event in which communities demonstrate their commitment to finding solutions for climate change.

Update: Winston-Salem facilities manager Randy Rogers responded that city employees will turn off all non-essential lighting at City Hall and the municipal building. His department has also distributed information to other city departments encouraging them to do the same.

Maggie Ullman with the city of Asheville's sustainability office said she is recommending that the city shut off outdoor spotlighting on City Hall and the Council will make a decision next week.

Ron and Anita Shaver of Browns Summit will offer tours of their passive solar home next weekend to raise funds for their church, Unity in Greensboro. The event will feature classes on passive solar gain for students, members of the church selling jewelry and other items, and displays of electric-powered vehicles.

The house includes:
- Pre-cast Superior Walls Concrete walls (10 7/8'' upon completion of drywall)
- 6-inch acid-stained concrete floors which contains radiant floor heat
- Cream-colored metal roof with radiant barrier underneath
- Five solar tubes, five clerestory windows
- Fiberglass-framed double-paned windows

Find out more about the event here.

Anita Shaver says her family has lived in the $165,000 house for four years and built it while living in a 700-square-foot mobile home. Shaver said her average electricity bill in the mobile home was $160 a month, compared to a first month's bill of $60 in the new passive solar 1,674-square-foot home.

"Our mission is to show people you don't have to be rich to live a green lifestyle," said Anita Shaver, who is a stay-at-home mother.

(photo of family by Nancy Sidelinger)

I wrote earlier today about the workshop and concert the Peace and Justice Network will hold later this month. I thought I'd link to some of Robert Jensen's writings, if you are curious about the man who will be speaking at the alliance building workshop:

Jensen on the human predicament; Jensen and a Q&A with Wes Jackson of The Land Institute about the future of farming; Jensen on "solutions."

Leon's Beauty School will hold a RecycleRama fashion show competition with its eight Greensboro salons on April 19 - three days before Earth Day - as the school seeks ways to reduce its landfill waste. Participants must design costumes and hair pieces out of reused or recyclable materials, such as plastic bottles and newspaper.

Between the nine presentations will be announcements about how salons can cut back on waste, said owner Parker Washburn. The school's teachers are trying to find companies that manufacture recyclable shampoo and hair coloring bottles, she said.

"We deal with a lot of plastics," she said. "The beauty industry has been very slow to react to the greening of America."

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Earth Fare will offer a $100 gift card and other prizes to winners of a recycled arts contest that is taking place now through March 31. Details here.

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Following is another breakdown of the energy-related programs funded by the federal economic stimulus package, courtesy of the Congressional Research Service.

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I previously wrote about the development of international biofuels standards now underway. Here are the notes
from the January stakeholder meeting held in Durham.

I have added a podcast called "Turning Point" to the features available on goGreenTriad.com. I will continue with this long term if interest exists; let me know what you think and share ideas. The podcast will feature audio recaps of events going on in the Triad as well as Q&A's with people involved in the various sustainability movements.

This first episode is about the UNCG community gardening conference that took place this weekend:

The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) hopes to get 2,500 people to ditch the car at least once over a three month period. PART and partner Triad Air Awareness will kick off its third annual Triad Commute Challenge in High Point next month. Details here.

I plan to sign up. Anyone participate last year?

The Center for Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland will examine the global peak oil theory and its potential impact on public health at a conference in March. People in health care or related industries who are interested in learning more about this can participate in the conference by Web cast.

According to the conference agenda, organizers aim to:

• Describe the linkages among peak oil, climate change, the built environment, and declining
ecosystems;
• Analyze the key implications of peak oil and the linkages to public health;
• Explain the implications of peak oil to key economic sectors like transportation, health
care, and food production and distribution; and
• Describe critical planning activities that must be undertaken to prepare for the challenges
to public health, health care, disaster preparedness, and communities.

The last university that I am aware of that looked at this issue was the College of Public Health at Ohio State University.

Of course, we don't know how the oil situation will play out as its production and consumption are influenced by many factors. People who believe global oil production will soon peak have different prognoses for potential impacts on the U.S., with some believing the country will transition to other energy sources without major economic and social disruptions and others claiming peak oil will have devastating effects on society. They also differ on whether the public or private sector should be most responsible for curtailing society's petroleum use.

Not sure yet where Johns Hopkins academics stand, but a Q&A interview with Brian Schwartz, professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-director of the School’s Program on Global Sustainability and Health, provides some clues:

Question: What should governments and communities be doing to prepare for peak oil?

Answer: To maintain industrial society and other aspects of our current way of living, energy must be rapidly scalable to capacity, be transportable and storable, and have a high EROEI (energy return on energy invested). It must be energy--dense and renewable, because if it is not, it only postpones the problem, and it must be ecologically sane and not exacerbate climate change. However, there are probably no alternatives to oil that meet all of these criteria. If we had started planning for peak oil 30 years ago—and we could have because it was predicted even before that—with a transition to other energies, public transit, energy-efficient building, and a different built environment than our current sprawling one, we could have avoided much of the likely disruption that is coming. However, we did not do this. So, once we pass peak and begin removing huge quantities of energy inputs to our current ways of living, we will notice it profoundly.

It is thought that nothing that governments do now can entirely prevent some of the challenges that are coming, because we cannot scale up any new energy regime rapidly enough. Experts on peak oil have argued that communities must start planning for this by enhancing their community resilience, by re-localizing and provisioning food locally, for example. The impacts are wide-ranging and the work that needs to be done is extensive. More can be read about this at http://postcarboncities.net and other sources. Many U.S. cities have begun this planning. For example, Portland, Oregon’s peak oil planning describes the different way of life that is coming and what must be done.

The Program on Global Sustainability and Health that Schwartz is a member of describes future communities as:

• Locally based
• Decentralized
• Downscaled
• Low energy
• Resource conserving
• Reorganized for local and regional food production and distribution
• Based on international cooperation

I'm betting that funerals and cemeteries are not the first things that pop into people's minds when they decide to adopt environmentally-friendly lifestyles. But interest is building in the concept of "green burials" as evidenced by this symposium taking place in Greensboro next month.

The symposium at FaithAction International House will provide information on family-coordinated funerals and natural alternatives to modern burials. One of the speakers at an environmental conference I attended last year made the point that he didn't want to try to live a sustainable life and then have his embalmed body leaching poisonous chemicals into the ground.

Symposium workshops include:

* Funeral Myths and Consumer Rights and Options by presenter Carol Cothern, of Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Piedmont: Did you know that North Carolina law never requires embalming? That sealed metal caskets actually contribute to putrefaction? That you can serve as your own funeral director? In this workshop, a dozen myths related to funerals will be exploded. In the process, participants will gain valuable knowledge about their rights and
options as funeral consumers.

* Natural Burial and Caring for the Body at Home by presenter Sandra Crater LaGrega, Crossings, of Caring for Our Own at Death: This workshop will introduce participants to why natural, at-home after-death and home funeral care is worthwhile and what it involves. Participants will learn some of the noninvasive skills involved in caring for the body of a loved one in the home. They will also receive a bibliography and resource list pertaining to home
funerals.

* Muslim‐Jewish Funeral Practices and How Shared Death‐Care Concerns Are Sparking Interfaith Collaboration by presenters Ahmad‐Rufai Abdullah and David Zabarsky, of Raleigh:
This workshop will explore Muslim and Jewish burial practices and how their common death care concerns are sparking interfaith collaboration.... A need for religious accommodation and less government regulatory intrusion on these religious funeral rituals in the U.S. have brought the Muslims and Jews on a common course of actions and advocacy on behalf of the Muslim and Jewish dead and their families.

Update: The conference flier.

The Center for Energy Research and Technology will hold a conference on March 19 called "Sustainable Energy Alternatives and Their Impact on Low-Income Citizens." The conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a banquet at 6 p.m.) at the A&T alumni-foundation event center at 200 N. Benbow Road. The conference is the result of a partnership with the American Association of Blacks in Energy.

Presenters include Nita Patel, of Duke Energy in Cincinnati; Joe Lucas, of the Association of Clean Coal; Paul Quinlan with the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association, Gary Sink, of Red Birch Energy in Virginia, and others.

Workshops will focus on clean coal opportunities, green jobs, biomass uses and the effects of green technologies on personal lifestyles. All with a focus on impacts on the low-income community.

Registration is $25 (plus another $25 for the dinner and banquet). Contact coordinators Venetia Fisher or Matthew O'Brien at 256-2406 or frseng@ncat.edu for more information.

People interested in purchasing or selling green cleaning products in the area can attend a networking event with Shaklee on Monday at the downtown Marriott from 7-9 p.m. Chairman and CEO Roger Barnett will speak. For more information, contact Beverly Willingham at 288-5143.

Robert Powell, one of the panelists speaking at tonight's National Teach-in on Global Warming, will discuss the greenhouse gas inventory being completed as part of the city's Cool Cities initiative.

It turns out the Greensboro community emitted more than 6 million tons of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2007, according to a draft report I received. The largest emitters: The commercial and residential sectors, followed by transportation, industrial and waste, in that order. This amount does not yet include emissions by city government operations; that part of the report should be complete next week.

I have yet to talk with Mr. Powell in detail about what he sent me; that will happen either before or at the teach-in.

Update: I spoke with Mr. Powell this afternoon and he explained that the report does actually include city operations emissions, but does not break them out (expect that the city government percentage to be small, less than 5 percent). Powell, co-chairman of the city's Community Sustainability Council, works with N.C. A&T's Center for Energy Research and Technology and a research associate there conducted the inventory for the whole city. The city of Greensboro is conducting its own inventory and should have the data ready soon.

"I'm comfortable that we've got some basic numbers but I would still say the numbers are preliminary," Powell said.

Powell said the Community Sustainability Council will next research the details of Greensboro's energy usage to determine what sectors to target and how. The advisory group will meet on Monday at 1 p.m. in the conference room on the Plaza Level of Melvin Municipal Office Building. There, members will start the process of creating a local action plan to be presented to City Council this summer.

Mark your calendars for these building and business-related events:

Greening historic buildings:
Preservation Greensboro sponsors a presentation on LEED certification for historic building renovations on Feb. 10.

Get schooled by the Rocky Mountain Institute:
Leaders from the renowned institute will speak Feb. 18 at the Center for the Environment at Catawba College in Salisbury on “Tackling Air Quality & Climate Change Issues through a Low-Carbon Electrical System: Implications for Businesses and Communities.”

Changing the culture at your workplace:
Learn at Wake Forest University on Feb. 20 how to overcome systemic and interdependent obstacles to sustainable practices.

I thought I'd pass this along for those of you willing to make the two-hour trip to Boone:

Joel Salatin, whose Virginia Polyface farm was profiled in Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," will give a theatrical performance at Appalachian State University on March 26. The event is free.

"Ballet in the Pasture is a theatrical performance mixing humor and bomb-shell food system analysis. Joel Salatin passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm. His stemwinder educates, entertains, and encourages. First rate pictures provide the audience with a virtual tour of the legendary Polyface Farm. Life-changing and ultimately memorable, Ballet in the Pasture is Joel's signature performance."

Below, a video of Polyface farm from our sister paper, The Virginian-Pilot:

Don't forget, the statewide Farm to Fork summit is in March too.

The international Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels will hold a public meeting in Durham this month to gather input for a set of guidelines for the worldwide production of biofuels.

The meeting will take place 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Southern Growth Policies Board, 100 Capitola Dr, Suite 100, Durham. Details and the agenda.

From the draft guidelines:

According to the triple bottom line approach of sustainability, biofuels shall be environmentally sound, socially fair, and economically viable. While some aspects of the economic sustainability of biofuel projects can be assessed at the production unit level, others depend on national macro-economic policies. To ensure a level playing field for global biofuel production, domestic use and trade, macro-economic policies such as trade barriers and distortive subsidies that disrupt global food and biofuel markets should also be addressed by the appropriate authorities. If produced sustainably, biofuels can create opportunities for developing countries with a comparative advantage in their production to, in some cases, even export biofuels to countries that need them.

Taking green building to the next level: lifecycle construction. A Southeast conference is planned for late February and takes place in Atlanta. Early registration ends Jan. 31.

From the Web site:

This is the first conference of its kind focused on the Southeast! We will examine issues that may have substantial impacts on design and construction in the Southeast such as: drought, congestion, diminished air quality, stormwater, energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and construction waste and recycling. The conference will consider the complete construction lifecycle-- site preparation, building materials selection, debris management, air pollution control, stormwater and sediment control, demolition, converting buildings for reuse, design for disassembly and creating buildings that facilitate and anticipate future changes. You will hear from Regional and National experts on the full construction lifecycle; and network with federal, state and local government officials and regulators.

Related:

Turning House Millworks, a subsidiary of Bassett Mirror Co. in Virginia, hopes to position itself as a leader in the Southeast for reclaiming and giving new life to rare and precious hardwoods - Southern Longleaf Pine, wormy chestnut, fiddleback maple - used in industrial buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The company expects to recover roughly one million board feet of lumber out of the mill, enough to floor more than 650 homes and save 19,000 trees.

"We don't believe the economy will change the direction of our society," said Jerry Dodson, president and chief operating officer of Turning House Millworks and sister company, Turning House Furniture. "The green building movement is long term. We are well-positioned to ride that wave."

Sustainability Now! symposium

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24
Where: Unity Church of the Triangle, 118 S. Person St., Raleigh
What: A symposium featuring N.C. speakers talking about positive steps toward becoming sustainable.

Topics and speakers:
* Simple Living: Achieving and Honoring Simple, Just, and Sustainable Ways of Life ~ Wanda Urbanska
* Change How You Garden ~ Pam Beck
* Living in a Local Economy ~ Lyle Estill
* Renovating Your Home to Be Carbon-Free ~ Stephen Hren
* Thomas Berry's Sense of Sacred ~ Carolyn Toben
* Motivating to Action: Education and Activism in the Legislative Process
~ Andy Wood

Cost: $20 advance; $25 at the door; $10 students

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National Teach-in on Global Warming

When: 7-9 p.m. on Feb. 5
Where: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 6-7 N. Greene St.
What: The teach-in will begin with a Webcast on the actions the Obama administration needs to take in its first 100 days to combat global warming. Following this, a panel of environmental, political and educational leaders will discuss the federal, state and local impacts and challenges of global warming. It will end with an open discussion of what we can all do in these first 100 days and beyond.

Local environmental groups supporting the teach-in are the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society, the Piedmont Land Conservancy, Environmental Stewardship Greensboro, Guilford County Cooperative Extension, and the Greensboro Community Sustainability Council. Names of participating panelists to be announced. Free and open to the public.

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"Ten Americans" presentation

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19
Where: Center for the Environment at Catawba College, 2300 W. Innes St., Salisbury
What: Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group will present the findings of a study on industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in human bodies. Read the full press release here. Free and open to the public, but must RSVP.

Brian Higgins, founder of Green Drinks Greensboro, is forming a new organization in Greensboro that aims to expand upon the various sustainability initiatives now underway. He will hold an organizational meeting on Jan. 27 for those interested in learning more about Sustainable Greensboro, volunteering or serving on advisory boards. Learn more about the organization at his Web site.

Meeting information:
When: 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27
Where: Greensborough Gateway Center, 620 S. Elm St. (at Lee St.), Third Floor Conference Room
Who: Anyone interested in serving on the Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, Volunteering, or just learning more about Sustainable Greensboro.

I'll have more details about this new effort once I interview Brian this week. From an e-mail he sent out today:

"The momentum for this movement must be maintained. Just think...how successful would the redevelopment of downtown Greensboro be without Downtown Greensboro, Inc.? How would our educational system succeed without the support provided by the Guilford Education Alliance? Greensboro has an opportunity to turn the momentum behind sustainability here into more than just an underlying buzz. A positive reputation for innovative and creative sustainability projects and programs can raise our profile in the state and country as a desirable place for business and relocation. Yes, sustainability not only increases quality of life but also is good for business.

"To paraphrase a popular saying: "You do not serve the world by being small." Together, we can be big enough to create some fundamental change in our neighborhoods, communities and city that can continue to nurture and grow the movement for sustainability. Individuals, groups, nonprofits, businesses will all be needed to support this movement."

The Sustainability Festival makes a comeback in Stokes County as the Hare Krishna community in Sandy Ridge hosts its second event in January, this time focused on food production.

The community held its first event in November and included workshops on everything from solar photovoltaics and sustainable businesses to finding security in uncertain times. Organizer Mitra Das said someone remarked to him that subsequent festivals should elaborate separately on the topics of food, shelter and transportation.

The centerpiece of the upcoming event will be a sit-down with local farmers who will share their agricultural wisdom with whoever desires to listen. Also planned for the agenda are presentations on seed saving, gardening for lazy people, encouraging young and new farmers and harvesting year-round without a greenhouse. Local music and food, to boot.

Who should go?

"Anyone with a mouth and a stomach," Mitra Das said. "Each and everyone of us depends on food everyday."

The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Prabhupada Village, 1283 Prabhupada Road, Sandy Ridge. The event will be indoors; shoes off in the temple according to tradition so wear nice socks.

Organizers are seeking volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors for two Earth Day festivals scheduled for April 2009.

Greensboro
The Kathleen Clay Edwards library branch in Greensboro will holds its festival on April 4. The library encourages groups to participate in Greensboro Beautiful’s city-wide litter clean-up that morning (contact Gerry.Alfano@greensboro-nc.gov for information), and then exhibit at the festival at the library in the afternoon.

Groups interested in participating in Earth Day events should contact Melanie Buckingham, the environmental resources librarian, at Melanie.Buckingham@greensboro-nc.gov. Organizers will schedule an upcoming planning meeting.

Winston-Salem
The Piedmont Environmental Alliance will host its fourth annual festival on April 18 at Wake Forest University. The organization expects more than 100 exhibitors and 7,500 attendees. Details here.

The zero-waste event will feature:

* exhibits on a wide range of environmental topics, sustainable solutions, and local initiatives

* Passport to the Earth, 12 geographically themed stations featuring fun, interactive children's activities

* hands-on demonstrations on a wide variety of topics

* green building information offering ways to green your home

* green jobs section

* green car parade

* eco-friendly gifts and goods for sale

* all natural food and drink for sale

* entertainment featuring local talent all day long

Local food enthusiasts and newcomers will meet at SciWorks in Winston-Salem tonight to brainstorm ways to encourage and develop local food economies that are based on sustainable agricultural practices in North Carolina. More than 100 people have RSVP'd.

The meeting is being held by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and is the fifth one held this year after strong participation at meetings in Raleigh, Burgaw and Asheville. The meetings will culminate in a statewide conference in March, to be followed by the creation of a state action plan.

The center has made available the notes from the previous meetings, including questions and comments participants had about defining "local food" and what is needed to develop it.

I just found this out today, but apparently a national energy forum is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday. It's free and online.

Details from a press release:

WHO: Fortune 500 CEOs, COOs, CFOs, public policy leaders, sustainability & energy experts & innovators of energy products & services.

WHAT: www.VirtualEnergyForum.com, a free online-only conference, brings together 5,000 Fortune 500 executives, public policy leaders & energy innovators in an innovative interactive format. Live video presentations by energy experts, with questions answered real-time.

Topics: Obama administration, federal funding, municipal or public works, green building, energy-efficient technologies, sustainability, alternative energy, clean technologies, and manufacturing.

WHEN: Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

WHERE: Entirely online at www.VirtualEnergyForum.com. Register and Login Dec. 10-11 to attend this live, interactive event, from the ease of your PC. To view coverage of the last Virtual Energy Forum by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, or to view the complete list of speakers and agenda, visit www.VirtualEnergyForum.com.

WHY: President-elect Barack Obama pledged on Dec. 6 to launch the biggest public works program since the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. The estimated $700 Billion plan is projected to include a push to make federal buildings more energy efficient.

The Virtual Energy Forum includes speaker sessions that address this topic, including:

· Mike Kearney of Siemens Building Technologies, speaking on "Practical Strategies to Green Existing Buildings" on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

· Kevin Kampschroer, US General Services Administration, "Making the Federal Green Building a Reality" on Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

· Public sector keynote speakers at the event include:

o The Honorable James T. Kelliher, Chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

o The Honorable Ed Markey, US House Select Committee on Energy Independence

o Kathleen Hogan, US Environmental Protection Agency

o Paul P. Bollinger Jr., United States Army

o Kevin W. Billings, of the United States Air Force.

This sounds interesting and I will try to check it out this week.

Mark Raines and Trish Holder, owners of the "Greenspiration Home" in Northwest Greensboro, will host a free lunch on Friday with local homebuilders to demonstrate energy efficient and enviromentally-friendly features of the house they are building. The meeting will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to the press release:

Several vendors will be present to discuss the products used in this LEED® registered home, including the manufacturer of the geothermal system, the solar tube lighting, and the whole house ventilation system. Energy efficient lighting, insulation, and a unique hot water system selected to minimize water waste are also on the agenda....

"Lots of people say they are interested in green building. This is a chance for builders to come face to face with suppliers in a unique home setting and talk about things like cost, comfort, and practicality. And they can talk to us – the owners! Our goal throughout this project was to be candid about what worked and what did not. We want builders to learn from our mistakes!” said Trish Holder.

Contact Trish Holder at mail@trishholder.com or 668-9264 for details.

Triad residents have a chance to provide input for a statewide initiative to build local food economies. A meeting will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 at SciWorks, 400 W. Hanes Mill Road, Winston-Salem.

RSVP for the meeting by e-mailing amber_polk@ncsu.edu.

The event is one of several being held throughout the state this year by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a partnership between two universities that seeks to develop and promote food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities, and provide economic opportunities.

The center will incorporate participant feedback into a statewide action plan that it will complete next year. The center also received a $3.15 million endowment from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help with this effort.

The center intends for the state plan to:
1. describe key elements of our current food system and define key terms;
2. identify the diversity of people, businesses, and organizations involved in and impacted by North Carolina’s food system;
3. highlight specific efforts and partnerships underway across our state and within different sectors of the food system to achieve greater “localness” in our food system; and
4. identify opportunities for action, and propose priorities, both in the short and long term, that will enable us to make progress toward shared goals.

Discovering the treasures of one's own community is one of the themes in today's sustainability movement that seeks to rebuild local economies, wean society off fossil fuels, reverse environmental degradation and restore people's connection with their natural environments.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Stokes County residents will come together to for a "sustainability festival" at the Hare Krishna temple grounds in Sandy Ridge (1283 Prabhupada Road). The festival will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and feature local food, musicians and speakers.

Organizer Mark Walters, who goes by the name of Mitra, said he's hoping for a crowd of about 200 people. The event will include presentations on creating a local economy by Eric Henry of TS Designs in Burlington; on community-supported agriculture by Tony McGree of Stokes CORE; on the history and possible revival of hydroelectricity in Stokes County; local herbs and their uses; on and turning scarcity into abundance by Greensboro activist Liz Seymour.

"The world is ready for good ideas and it's exciting," said Mitra, who works for a new organization called My Green Earth Foundation. "It's become a patriotic thing to save energy and try to do something sustainable."

The festival will also include a solar oven competition, talks about alternative vehicles and a tour of a straw bale house and cob structure. Mitra said people who are not of Hindu faith should not be deterred from participating.

"We're not going to try to stop people from being Christians or whatever their religion is," he said. "I don't want people to be scared away thinking we are trying to lay something on them."

Above, a photo Mitra sent along of Norma-Jean and Lewis Hutchens, who will be supplying sweet potatoes for the event.

Prepare for the Institute for Emerging Issues' Triad energy forum by reading its October progress report on the state's new energy economy.

In summary, the institute says North Carolina needs to do the following: improve energy efficiency in buildings, reform the utility regulatory environment, recruit and sustain new energy businesses, develop a green workforce and create financing options. By the way, there's still time to register for this free event.

Also, North Carolina Green Drinks participants will gather with the Sustainable Furnishings Council in High Point on Friday for a socializing event.

Green jobs supporters in Greensboro will be participating in a national fundraising and grassroots organizing event for presidential candidate Barack Obama from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 20 at Sticks and Stones restaurant on Walker Avenue.

Clean Tech and Green Business for Obama (CT4-O) and other environmental leaders from around the country are organizing, with the support of the Obama Campaign, an “Evening to Re-energize America.” The event will bring together thousands of people at over 300 house parties/fundraisers across the country, including San Francisco and Colorado Springs.

Attendees are responsible for their own food and drinks. To RSVP, e-mail pjmdesign AT gmail.com.

By the way, find here the environmental positions of Obama and John McCain along with a comparison by the League of Conservation Voters. Let me know of any related events going on in support of McCain.

The N.C. State Fair is calling its latest eco-friendly endeavor "Funnel Cakes for Fuel." That is, processing the thousands of gallons of vegetable oil used to deep fry everything from corn dogs to candy bars into biodiesel.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services expects to collect about 8,000 gallons of used oil this month and process it at its 18 agricultural research stations. The fuel will be used in department tractor-trailers that deliver food to North Carolina schools.

In addition, the fair will add a new exhibit called Green NC that will highlight alternative fuels, renewable energy sources, locally grown foods, recycling, water conservation, etc. Another overdue move: four recycling stations on the fairgrounds that will accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

The Greensboro Community Sustainability Council invites members of environmental/energy-related organizations to attend a community gathering from 4-7 p.m., Nov. 13, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on North Greene Street. The networking meeting will help determine the advisory group's focus going forward.

One group that recently joined local green efforts is Action Greensboro with its "Naturally Green, Cool by Design" campaign. April Harris of Action Greensboro told members of the sustainability council at a Monday meeting that committees are trying to determine how to best support current initiatives. Harris said the organization's goal is to promote green building programs and connect neighborhoods to the outdoor environment.

Action Greensboro is also pushing for passage of a $134 million transportation bond that would provide funds for a 4.8-mile downtown greenway.

"There" could have been almost anywhere, of course, except inside. I participated in this year's Campout! Carolina at Shakori Hills, pitching a tent for the first time. I learned about zero waste and wild medicinal herbs, and woke up in the middle of the night to The Duhks and African drums.

Below are weekend photos of boy scouts at Farrish Park in Mayodan submitted to me by Mike Brumble, scoutmaster of Troop 75 in Elon.

E-mail me your pictures with a description and I will post on my blog. Try to keep the file size low and jpeg.

Update (Oct. 15): Below is a photo from Lee Bush, an assistant professor at Elon University, of friends setting up a tent in the back yard of her Gibsonville home. Her students helped promote the event and she said more than 2,000 campers participated this year compared to last year.

If you take pictures, send them my way with captions/descriptions and I will post as many as I can on the blog. E-mail me at morgan.josey@news-record.com. I plan on camping out myself at Shakori Hills.

Update: The Institute for Emerging Issues holds an energy forum in Greensboro on Nov. 6. (By the way, I'm scratching my head on the panelists listed on the agenda. The N.C. Zoo?)

I'm waiting on details but I just found out that some Stokes County residents will hold their own sustainability festival, complete with alternative energy displays, local food and music, on Nov. 8 at Prabhupada Village in Sandy Ridge. More here.

Also, Lester Brown, a renown environmental analyst who founded the Worldwatch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, will be speaking about an hour away at the Center for the Environment in Salisbury. Free event but registration required.

Brown will speak on his latest book, “Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.” Below, one of four YouTube clips of Brown speaking on his plan.

Update: Also coming up: Campout! Carolina and Choctoberfest at Ten Thousand Villages.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, Andy Wood will present "Global Warming: Its Impacts on Birds, Biodiversity and People" at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library at 7 p.m. Wood is the state Audubon's director of education and a weekly contributor to Wilmington's public radio station WHQR.

Consultant and Greensboro resident Michiel VanderSommen will give a free talk about residential passive solar use at the Kathleen Clay Edwards library branch on Oct. 22. VanderSommen recently compiled information on green living and sustainability energy on a Web site, free to the public.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, Clean Water for North Carolina will hold “Managing North Carolina’s Water for Health and Justice,” a statewide conference on fair water resource management, public health and environmental justice. UNCG's Department of Public Health Education co-sponsors the event on campus in the Bryan Building. Registration: $20, including lunch.

Topics:

* A New Paradigm for Water Infrastructure
* Water and Energy: the Need and Opportunities for Freeing and Protecting Our Water Resources
* Privatizing a Human Right? Economic, Health and Environmental Impacts
* Protecting Safe, Affordable Water for 2.7 Million Rural NC
Well-Users

One doesn't have to live next to a smokestack or mountain top removal coal mining site to understand and sympathize with the plight of people living on the underbelly of industrialization.

All one needs is a sense of decency and compassion. But as this country lurches from one economic crisis to another, the question becomes will decency and compassion or fear and competition undergird the next wave of jobs? And can the transition being pushed by many to a "green economy" happen without repeating the social sins of America's past?

About 200 activists, community organizers, educators, students and business owners struggled with this and other questions at a green jobs conference that took place on Saturday at N.C. Central University.

This movement, pioneered in New York and California, has taken hold in the Tar Heel state and folks wanted to know how North Carolinians could enable and benefit from new industries that pay adequate wages while reducing the state's dependency on fossil fuels and better managing its natural resources.

The Aycock neighborhood in Greensboro will sponsor a "Good Green Fun Fair" on Saturday at Aycock Middle School to show families how to incorporate green and healthy practices into their lives. The fair will take place from 2-4:30 p.m. and will be paid for with part of a $3,000 Building Stronger Neighborhoods Grant the neighborhood received.

Booths will include: Recycled Art, Make Your Own Pottery (North Carolina clay), Green Cleaning, and organic Vegetables and Fruit seedlings booth where fairgoers can take home their own organic seedling.

Prizes will be awarded for the Litter Pick-Up Contest, where Guilford County Schools students can collect litter from their neighborhoods, parks, etc. and bring their litter-bags to the fair for green-inspired team prizes.

Children will also perform “An Earthy Story”, an original play with music performed by students ages 5 to 13, about the cleaning of the world. For more information, or how to participate, contact Zora Medor, event producer at 273-8724 or zoramed@yahoo.com.

T.S. Designs in Burlington is hosting on Oct. 4 the "First Annual Piedmont Green Gala," billed by Peter Kauber of Guilford Solar Communities as the "hands-down biggest green event ever held in the Piedmont Triad."

Kauber:

"Featured will be solar and wind power generation, biodiesel production, alternative transportation (hybrids, biodiesel, electric cars), sustainable agriculture (organic gardens, composting), water conservation and grey water use, sustainable business practices, two workshops on renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits, display tables, locally produced food and beverages, musical entertainment, and -- above all -- some folks who are nothing short of inspiring."

I apologize for the sparse postings over the past few weeks; my daughter has been hospitalized since Aug. 1 so I have been in and out of the office.

However, I wanted to take this moment of quietude to reflect on my experience with the health care systems in Greensboro and Chapel Hill (both of which I have been pleased with so far). I've never had a reason to be in a hospital room for more than a week at a time, so visiting the same room for weeks has been quite disorienting. Occasionally I would ponder modern medicine's relationship to fossil fuels and the "one step forward, two steps backward" feeling that a disruption to one's life causes.

I would look at the hi-tech ICU machinery and think "Will these lifesaving devices be around and affordable 20 years from now?" Or, "I can't believe I'm in a 21st century hospital and the cafeteria is still serving hamburgers and pizza with no vegetarian options."

Then I would think about the garden I planted in early summer that is now in disarray, my frequent car trips between cities and the heavily transported and packaged foods I purchase for convenience instead of my weekly trips to the farmers market. Of course, energy efficiency is low on my list of concerns right now; my main priorities are my daughter and my sanity. But I was reminded of how vital convenient and effective health care, food and transportation are to us and how we must rethink their provision so that they continue to be available when we most need them.

.... And while I'm posting, Elon University will hold a conference on sustainability in September.

Landscape architects, government officials and builders will gather at the downtown Marriott Sept. 9-11 to learn practical ways to plan and maintain sustainable green urban environments.

The conference -- "Trees for an Urban Future: Emerging Issues, Innovations and Current Trends" -- will be hosted by the N.C. Urban Forest Council, N.C. State University’s College of Natural Resources and the N.C. Division of Forest Resources.

Keynote speakers:
Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf, research social scientist at the College of Forest Resources, University of Washington;
Gary Moll, vice president of the Ecosystem Analysis Center at AMERICAN FORESTS.

From organizer Brian Higgins:

"In just the third month of Green Drinks we've managed to grow from around 30 attendees to around 65 and the email list from around 30 to 150.... One of my goals in putting this together is to simply get people together to talk - share ideas, knowledge, make connections both social and professional, and to have a good time doing so."

Check out the schedule for a "sustainable world" film series planned for showing at Weatherspoon Art Museum that runs from August to April. I attended a couple showings earlier this year, including Manufactured Landscapes and The Power of Community; healthy audiences each time.

The films:

Aug. 28: The 11th Hour
Sept. 25: King Corn
Oct. 23: Thirst
Nov. 13: Oil on Ice
Jan. 29: Waste=Food
Feb. 26: Black Diamonds
March 26: Invisible
April 23: Wal-Town

Various dates: Greensboro Community Television, Cable Channel 8, will air a 90 minute presentation about peak oil given in July by Peter Kauber of Guilford Solar Communities at the following times: Sunday, Aug. 17 at 6:00 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 29 at noon; and Monday, Sept. 1 at midnight.

Aug. 20: Greensboro Green Drinks (5:30-7:30 p.m. at Natty Greene's)

Sept. 20: A "Growing a Just, Green Economy" conference will take place in Durham on the campus of North Carolina Central University. Early registration fee is $20.

Keynote speakers include environmental justice activist, Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx, and minister, community activist and State President of the NAACP the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. The day-long event will also feature panels and workshops covering policy, business development, job assessment, education and training, and resource security.

Sept. 25: “No Child Left Inside” talk and book signing, starting at 5 p.m. at Greensboro Montessori School, 2856 Horse Pen Creek Road. Call 668-0119 for more information.

According to the school: Author Richard Louv, whose award-winning book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" has sparked an international movement to reunite children and nature, will bring his message to Greensboro at a public lecture and book signing at the school.  The free event, which will be held (appropriately) outside, will begin with an array of family-friendly activities; Louv will speak at 7. 

Louv’s visit to Greensboro will be the centerpiece of a community-wide celebration of national "Take a Child Outside Week," September 24-30 that will include everything from a night hike at the library’s Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch to a workshop on wilderness skills at Bur-Mil Park. 

Sept. 29: Starting on this day, UNCG will host a "Sustainability" book club. To register, call Barry Miller at 256-0112 or go here.    

Other events here and here.

Starting this Sunday, the News & Record will feature a three-part series I worked on this year about peak oil. I'm encouraging you all to take a look because you will likely hear more about it in the news from now on.

If you want a head start, take a look at this article.

In addition, Peter Kauber of Guilford Solar Communities will do a two-hour presentation on peak oil on July 12. Details:

What:    Guilford Solar July Program: "Peak Oil -- Theory
           and Evidence"
Where:  Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library,
           1420 Price Park Road
           Greensboro
When:   Saturday, July 12, 10 AM -- 12 Noon
Cost:     Free
Description:  Transportation is the lifeline of our current global and US economies.  Over 95% of our transportation is dependent upon the refined products of oil -- gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and bunker fuel.  As the price of oil sets new records weekly, the question naturally arises: Why is this happening?  One increasingly common explanation is that the rate of production worldwide of cheap, high-quality oil has peaked or will do so in the near future.  This is the "peak oil" hypothesis.  Guilford Solar's July program will explain the meaning of peak oil and will examine the evidence that supports it.  The presenter is Peter Kauber, who has researched the topic over the past four years.  Kauber was employed by Marathon Oil Company during the 1979-1981 "oil crisis" and thus brings a historical and industry perspective to the discussion.

About 40 people showed up for Greensboro's first Green Drinks socializing event at Natty Greene's on Wednesday, a pretty strong turnout for the first meeting. Participants included folks from the building industry, the city of Greensboro, Elsewhere Artist Collective and local colleges and neighborhoods (I even met a recent Guilford College graduate who was looking for a job). Very cool indeed.

Brian Higgins, who just moved to Greensboro with his wife from Seattle in February, is responsible for getting Green Drinks going.

He said he was going to the one in Winston-Salem but realized it would be better to get one going here than commute. Now it's established that there is a legitimate interest in green living here; now it's up to Green Drinks to be a tool for positive and progressive change in the city. Can you drink to that?

The Piedmont Environmental Center will host a free talk on sustaining your business on July 17 at the Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point. Refreshments will be served. Questions answered include "who represents the new green audience" and "what going green means to your future."

The Fund for Democratic Communities and the Greensboro Montessori School will co-sponsor a screening of the new PBS documentary "Where Do the Children Play?" at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 at the HIVE, 1214 Grove Street. 

    The film examines an issue of growing concern among pediatricians, mental health experts, educators, and environmentalists that today's children have little or no opportunity for unstructured play, especially outdoors:

“When you think about it, for tens of thousands of years children spent much of their childhood playing or working in natural settings,” says Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," and one of the experts who appears in the film.  “Within the space of two or three decades in Western society, particularly in the United States, that's in danger of ending. This is a radical change in a very short period of time. It's got to have important, perhaps profound implications for mental health, physical health, and spiritual health -- for who we are.”

    The film screening is the initial event in a year-long community discussion about the state of childhood and play in Greensboro.  Louv will be at the Greensboro Montessori School on Sept. 25 for a talk and book signing.

    WHAT: Screening of the PBS documentary "Where Do the Children Play?"
    WHEN:  Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m.
    WHERE:  The HIVE, 1214 Grove Street
   
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Muktha Jost, 549-0733, mjost@ncat.edu

Yay! I've been waiting for this to happen. Green Drinks, a social networking opportunity for those interested in green living and sustainability, is finally coming to this city. Winston-Salem has had one for a while but I could never justify driving 30 minutes out of my way in rush hour just to chit chat.

But then I got this message, and my toes curled because I realized I could easily swing by after work:

When:   June 18th, 5:30pm
Where:  Natty Greene's Brewing Company, 2nd Floor
Why:      See below...

What is Green Drinks Greensboro? It's a social hour.  It's a networking event.  It's unwinding with friends.  It's a time and place where it's okay to be green and to find out what others in your city are doing to be green, work green, play green, or live green.  And it happens all over the country and the world in over 300 cities.  Proving that it's never too late to join the green movement, Green Drinks Greensboro will begin meeting every third Wednesday of the month on the 2nd floor of Natty Greene's Brewing Company (345 S. Elm St.) starting on June 18th from 5:30 until 7:30(ish).

Green Drinks Greensboro invites all those who care about the environment, teach about and learn about the environment, work in an environment-related field, have interest in the environment, environmental products, sustainable building, environmental protection, eating local, ecological design, alternative energy…you get the idea.  There will be no agenda and there are no dues. From time-to-time we will allow a few minutes for short presentations. To get on our e-mail list, simply send an email to greendrinksgso@gmail.com and we will keep you posted on our events.  See you there!

And, to truly make this a fun event for all, please forward this message on to others who would enjoy this event.  You can search www.greendrinks.org to see what other groups around the world are doing.

This Saturday, from 10-11:30 a.m.: Guilford Solar Communities will feature passive solar design.

Where:  Barn Kitchen Meeting Room, Guilford County Agricultural Center,
             3309 Burlington Rd., Greensboro, NC 27405. (Nearest cross
             street is Huffine Mill Road.)

Description:  This month’s presentation will be about Passive Solar Design. Passive Solar is the system of making use of the sun’s energy without mechanical devices.  It’s a system that was already used by the native Indians, but was “forgotten” in the modern world due to the availability of air-conditioners and heaters.  Passive solar principles are now slowly making a comeback in buildings in the U.S.
 
Presenter:  Michiel VanderSommen.  For more information, contact Michiel directly, at 558-4405.

Also on Saturday, from 2-4 p.m.: “Take Action Tour” on climate change at the Museum of Natural Science in downtown Raleigh. Will include the following topics: setting a reduction goal for carbon dioxide emissions, adapting to climate change, clean cars, and ways you can make a difference. Please RSVP. Click here for more information.

On July 31: Greening Your Events & Parties (from Piedmont Environmental Alliance). Planning a wedding, conference, race or festival?  Or, maybe just a backyard BBQ?  Events and parties typically generate a lot of waste.  Learn how to make your events eco-friendly, perhaps even zero waste.  Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost – we will provide lots of suggestions, alternatives and local sources for greening your event. Join the alliance on Thursday night, July 31st, for its quarterly Environmental Exchange.  More details in the coming weeks. 

In the news: Ten Thousand Villages, with local stores in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, was recognized this month as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by The Ethisphere Institute and Forbes Magazine.

An invitation to formal and informal educators from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh: 

Join the Museum of Natural Sciences as we explore natural areas our state! Our itinerary includes stops at a number of state parks: Mt. Mitchell, Stone Mountain, Hanging Rock, Falls Lake, Jones Lake, and Hammocks Beach. We'll spend a lot of time in and on the water kayaking the Dan River (class 1 rapids - no experience necessary but loads of fun!) and canoeing on Salters Lake (a Carolina Bay in eastern NC), plunging in swimming holes, cooling down in waterfalls, and everywhere examining the geology and ecology that shape the streams, rivers, lakes, and coast of our state! No camping experience is necessary - we'll have an "advance team" of Museum staff to help with the camp setup and cooking (and there will be showers at almost all campsites!). There will be moderate to strenuous activities over the course of the week, including hiking, kayaking, and canoeing. It should be an amazing adventure! We hope you'll join us.

Location: Various natural sites around NC
Date: Sunday, July 20–Saturday, July 26, 2008
Cost: $250 (includes transportation from Raleigh, camping fees, 
most meals, take-home materials and kayak rental)

Spend a week traveling from the highest point in the mountains, the spruce-fir forest atop Mt. Mitchell, to the barrier islands along our coast. As we explore the diversity of North Carolina, we'll examine changes in the geology and ecology, including a close look at the characteristics and inhabitants of our streams, rivers and estuaries. We will camp our way across the state to experience the changes in local climates — from cool mountain air to salty ocean breezes. Most camping equipment can be provided by the Museum;  participants need to provide sleeping pad and bag.

For more information or to sign up, call Melissa Dowland at (919) 733-7450 ext. 613
or e-mail at melissa.dowland AT ncmail.net

The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, president and founder of Interfaith Power and Light, asked as much during the closing keynote addresses at the conference on faith, spirituality and environmental stewardship, I attended with almost 300 others in Salisbury last week. With all the work to do globally regarding climate change, it seems the pace of change on the government, business and community level is mighty slow.

But Bingham and other presenters made the case that people of faith have much to contribute to the transition away from a carbon-based society to one that relies on conservation, efficiency and renewable energy to meet its needs. I left quite inspired to do as much as I can personally and professionally in Greensboro.

Bingham said: "I think we are at a point where enough people have realized we are destroying ourselves.... I see a wonderful horizon. It may get worse before it gets better but I believe it will get better."

To which Gary Gardner, senior researcher of the Worldwatch Institute, responded: "I don't think we should underestimate the challenge that is before us. The challenge is huge."

Highlights from the conference (pictured below is Dr. Samuel Dansokho, an associate professor at Hood Theological Seminary, who gave a presentation):

Gardner said humans need a new understanding of progress, one that is not based on material consumption and lack of boundaries. He said religion can spiritually ground people to find their self-worth in something other than wealth generation.

Matthew Sleeth, an evangelical Christian who gave up his career as an ER physician to preach a green message, said that churches are starting to open up to the message of being better stewards of their natural resources. One session he gave was on observing the sabbath, both as a way of taking care of one's health and also as a way of reducing material and energy consumption. Sleeth said on Sunday, he and his wife only drive to church. They take walks and don't require anyone else to work on that day, for example, by ordering takeout.

"I don't think God intended our lives to be one long run-on sentence," Sleeth said.

Erik Assadourian of the Worldwatch Institute listed 10 ecological ethical choices for people to follow in their daily lives: right diet, just livelihood, active political engagement, life of service, mindful consumption, family for all families (population control), renewing life rituals (and planning green versions of funerals, weddings, etc), preparing for a changing world, spreading community and shifting perspective. Assadourian said he doesn't see any reason why a coffee shop can't use reusable items, compost its waste and provide locally-produced products, such as garden produce, etc. (Sounds like a business idea!)

Of course, a lot more happened, but I think you get the point. If you are interested in any particular session, I will try to provide more information. Also, the Center for the Environment plans to some video of the keynote speakers online.

The Elsewhere Artist Collaborative in downtown Greensboro hosts "Green Dialogues," an eight-part series of North Carolina-based eco-thinkers presenting DIY environmental projects for urban living. They take place every other Saturday through September.

The group has started a hanging garden system in the back alley of the collective. Charlie Headington of UNCG will speak Saturday at 2 p.m. of living vertically in the city. Sounds interesting. 

I've got a few announcements for you about events going on in the area.

This, by way of Piedmont Environmental Alliance:

April 30: Another Green Drinks Gathering will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Foothills Brewery on 4th Street in downtown Winston-Salem. This is a networking opportunity for those interested in green living/working and environmental issues. To see well-developed and bustling groups in action, check out LA Green Drinks or Asheville Green Drinks.

May 10: Ten Thousand Villages in Greensboro will celebrate its first annual World Fair Trade Day Children's Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is designed to educate children about fair trade and ecology, and to celebrate global culture and the diversity of the Triad. There will be live music, and dance performances, storytelling, costumes, games, and other activities.

Guilford Solar Communities has an announcement on its blog about a May 10 session on installing solar hot water at your home.

Also, T.S. Designs in Burlington is hosting the Sustainable North Carolina Café on May 8 from 5:30-8 p.m. The company is showcasing its new sustainable initiatives along with food and wine from local vendors. RSVP with Eric Henry at eric@tsdesigns.com if you are interested.

Don't forget to register for the faith and environment forum at the Center for the Environment at Catawba College in Salisbury on May 29-31. Registration fees go up on May 7. I'll actually be giving a workshop on that Friday. Hope to see you there!

I attended the 5th annual Sustainable Energy Conference in Raleigh last week as part of my reporting on a project for the N&R. Gov. Mike Easley and others spoke about the need for the U.S. and North Carolina to become more energy independent (i.e. stop importing foreign oil) and the importance of creating a decentralized, diverse energy infrastructure. Overall, the presenters tried to sound hopeful about our opportunities. Below, photos from the conference.

Listen here to the speech Easley gave participants during the conference luncheon (about 20 minutes of unedited audio). He wrapped up his speech by saying:

"We're all trying to get independence from foreign oil. We know we have to have that to survive. America has to have independence from foreign oil to survive.... What will get us there is that new way of life, bringing the future to us now, taking those mini steps in unison."

Scott Sklar, president of The Stella Group, a marketing firm for renewable energy, said Americans must use less energy and become decentralized in our infrastructure, similar to what happened with the Internet and cell phones. He said:

"It is very hard to bring in the new technology when to this very day we're subsidizing the old technology.... They think this is a free market. It is not."

Even with the work being done, government leaders are taking a 10- to 20-year view on reducing energy consumption and some question whether we have that much time to adequately curtail global carbon emissions and prepare for a peaking in conventional oil production. Richard Heinberg, for example, has a greater sense of urgency.  

NC Mobile CARE will hold a symposium on May 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro to recognize efforts of North Carolinians to reduce mobile emissions and promote fuel diversity. The symposium will also feature a tour of the green hotel and keynote speaker David Morris, co-founder and vice president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He will talk about "Driving our way toward energy independence." Tickets for symposium and luncheon are $20.

Check out this unique and overdue idea: On April 10, the College of Public Health at Ohio State University will hold a free online teach-in on energy, climate change, water, agriculture and population. I'm definitely putting this on my calendar.

"Converging Environmental Crises" is a Web-based conference featuring more than a dozen health and environmental experts who will provide live and recorded presentations. Details here.

Just with eco-festivals that practice what they preach by recycling/composting their waste, this conference gives the public access to information without requiring them to hop in a plane or car to get it. Perhaps our local universities could look at doing Web-based conferences.

The Green Festivals held each year also has a good practice of providing audio and video of their speakers online to the public, a vital service if you hope to expand your message beyond the activists and entrepreneurs who can afford to take the trip. And one organization blogs the presentations at a recent conference in the United Kingdom.

Four renowned authors and artists will gather at the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA) and elsewhere in Winston-Salem on April 12-22 during the annual Kenan Writers’ Encounters to engage university students and faculty and the broader community on the important issue of environmental stewardship and the arts.

Speakers include: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and essayist W.S. Merwin; author and conservationist Terry Tempest Williams; environmental scientist and ethicist Jonathan Gilligan; and environmental sculptor Herb Parker, who will address the crucial subject of arts and the environment, and what authors and other artists can do to raise community awareness and to help facilitate dialogue and debate about saving the planet.

Read the full press release and flyer .

I found a  video of a fascinating weekly event called Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia, where the city shuts down 70 miles of streets so that residents can ride bicycles, walk and exercise. This happens every Sunday and holiday. Every Sunday? All I can say is wow.

The Southern Ideal Home Show will host green building seminars at the Greensboro Coliseum this weekend. Tickets for the Friday through Sunday event are $8.

The Southeastern jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church will sponsor a conference April 3-6 at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Workshops include "Earth Care and Christian spirituality" and "Making Green Pay: An International Perspective on Sustainability."

Are any of you participating in this?

More and more I see opportunities for rallying behind this new phase of economic development, networking, and building community momentum as conferences and festivals take place in North Carolina and across the country. Creating green collar jobs seems to me a noble effort to reduce unemployment and underemployment in both urban and rural areas that have been plagued by corporate outsourcing, downsizing or just plain ole lack of decent-paying jobs.

One event I'll regret missing: The Dream Reborn in Memphis, Tenn. on April 4-6. I couldn't scrape up enough duckets to attend what looks to be a phenomenal and timely event, especially given my prior commitment to the Center for the Environment's forum. A peace conference also takes place here in Greensboro the same weekend.

N.C. State University provides details on its April 8-9 sustainable energy conference. And Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., hold Green Festivals this year.

Following is an announcement I received from Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro Inc., about an upcoming local event:

"The National Preservation Institute is holding a workshop on Green Strategies for Historic Buildings here at the Blandwood Carriage House on April 10th. The session will be led by Boston architect Jean Carroon, AIA, LEED, principal of preservation at Goody Clancy, and will qualify for 6 learning units in the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System.

This is the first such workshop of its kind held by the Institute in North Carolina and the Southeast!

The seminar will review practical applications of using green building strategies for historic structures. The environmental goal of "reduce, reuse, recycle" can enhance the cost competitiveness of preservation projects. Participants will review the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards used to assess building performance. They will also focus on preservation challenges relating to energy efficiency, windows, lighting, indoor air quality, HVAC, and local and national codes and regulations.

I hope that local architects will be aware of this unusual opportunity here in Greensboro! For additional information you can visit my blog or you can visit the NPI website or contact the National Preservation Institute directly by telephone: 703.765.0100 or email to info@npi.org . They are organizing the workshop, and we have donated use of our Carriage House."

If any of you go, give me a shout out and tell me what you learned.

If you have a couple free hours on Sunday afternoon, check out this community-building opportunity at the HIVE in Glenwood. The announcement:

"The Really Really Free Market is an event with a purpose: to show what the world looks like when we share our resources--when exchange is based on generosity, community, and caring, not on money. (To get an idea of how a Really Really Free Market works you can read about the Markets held regularly in Carrboro.)

WHAT: Really Really Free Market

WHEN: Sunday, March 2, 2:00-4:00 pm

WHERE: Parking lot of the HIVE, 1214 Grove Street (corner of Grove & McCormick Streets)

HOW IT WORKS: The Market is what its participants make of it. It's a little bit like a community yard sale, it's a little bit like a potluck picnic, it's a little bit like a festival. The idea is to bring whatever you want to share--even if it's just your enthusiasm!--and go home with things that others want to share with you. Anything is fine as long as it is FREE!

Some ideas: Clothing, books, household goods, performances, skill shares, workshops, information about other community events and organizations, garden produce, flowers, food, services such as massages, haircuts, and palm reading, toys, tools...and that's just a start."

I see this as the potential for generating interest in a community currency, something promoted by economists and monetary experts, such as Bernard Lietaer and Thomas Greco, for building a hedge against a falling/collapsing dollar and corporate globalization and making local economies more efficient and self-sufficient. Many communities in the United States have alternative currencies, including in Ithaca, NY, and in Berkshire, Mass.

A speech by Greco on Youtube:

And here are print and video interviews with Lietaer:

Time Banks is a national organization that promotes "paying" for services through time, not money, and represents a social change movement occurring in 22 countries:

"Have you ever wished you had someone around to give you a ride somewhere, help you run some errands, pick you up after you’ve dropped your car off for repairs, or just give you a hand when you need it. Someone you really trust?

Many of us have friends, neighbors and family members who help us out, but they can’t always be there in a pinch. In a Time Banking community, someone is always there when you need them.

It is like having an extended family to help out—with rides to the doctor, trips to the supermarket, help with the yard, chores around the house or childcare.

With Time Banking, sharing gifts means building trust.

Time Banking honors the unique gifts, talents and resources that each of us has to share, regardless of age, employment or ethnic background — such as tutoring, yard work, simple repairs, running errands, and storytelling. It’s labor with love."

Perhaps Greensboro residents would have more of a reason to get out and meet their neighbors and develop relationships. Those with useful but unmarketable skills could also contribute and people without a lot of money could receive the services they need. Time dollars or other community currencies can also support local businesses.

Greensboro politicians talk about drawing businesses to the city, but what about developing the "services" that already exist here? What would it take to get this going?   

Plug these events into your planner, courtesy of the Piedmont Environmental Alliance:

CFSA Triad Chapter Forming, Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 6:30-8 p.m.
The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) is pleased to announce an organizing meeting for the CFSA Triad Chapter. The purpose of the meeting is to choose Chapter Officers and prioritize sustainable agriculture initiatives for the area's CFSA membership.  The meeting is open to all current and prospective CFSA members in the Triad Region, including Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties.  Chapter organizations are one of the most important ways for CFSA to advance the cause of sustainable agriculture across the Carolinas' diverse communities. Come help fellow sustainable food advocates chart a course that is good for the Triad's farmers, consumers, and soils.  The meeting will be held at Goat Lady Dairy in Climax.  Light refreshments will be served.  Goat Lady Dairy is located at 3515 Jess Hackett Road, in Climax. For directions visit www.goatladydairy.com. Special thanks to our hosts, Ginnie, Steve and Lee Tate for graciously allowing us to come together on their farm.  Please RSVP to the CFSA office, 919-542-2402.

North Carolina Alliance for Transportation Reform Meeting, Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m.
NCATR invites the public to their next meeting.  This organization is dedicated to providing information and education to local officials and citizens throughout the state in an effort to persuade them that the principles of democratic, accessible and efficient transportation systems will enhance the quality of life for their communities and their state.  Come to this meeting to hear the latest updates on Heart of the Triad, Northern Beltway and other land use transportation issues.  The meeting will be held at Glenwood Library, 1901 West Florida Street, Greensboro.   

Living Roofs, Thursday, March 13, 3 p.m.
The Piedmont Triad Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council invites you to their Speaker Series.  This month guest speaker Emilio Ancaya with Living Roofs Inc. from Asheville, NC will discuss green roofs.  The event will be held at the Moose Café at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, located off of Interstate I-40 between Greensboro and Winston-Salem at 2914 Sandy Ridge Road, Colfax, NC, 27235.

Southern Energy and Environment Expo 2008, Aug. 22-24
The annual S.E.E. Expo provides the general public an opportunity to see and learn about - first hand- the practical and presently available options for utilizing clean, renewable sources of energy, protecting our natural environment and working towards a sustainable economy for the region. By working together, businesses, conservation organizations and government agencies have already made the S.E.E. Expo the largest event of its kind in the Southeast. 

City Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small has expressed an interest in holding a green fair in her district during Earth Day in April. I spoke to her briefly about it this afternoon. Bellamy-Small has only had preliminary conversations with folks, but thought the fair could be held as a pilot before becoming a city-wide event. I don't have details, but Bellamy-Small said she was looking for someone who could coordinate it. So if you are interested, give her a shout-out.

By the way, find out about the city's green initiatives here.

Today, members of the Greensboro Environmental Stewardship Group, an alliance of members from several local churches, met to help plan a faith and environment forum taking place at the Center for the Environment in Salisbury this spring (I was there representing the environmental stewardship committee at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant).   Director John Wear was at the meeting at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church brainstorming ideas, and said many people of faith have approached him about holding a conference.

"I'm seeing tremendous enthusiasm on this particular topic," Wear said.

A few of the goals of the conference, according to the center's winter newsletter are to:

• Convene faith and environmental leaders for the exploration of environmental issues and the scriptural mandate to care for God's creation;
• To bring diverse people together to examine the relationship between faith/spirituality and the environment and to promote dialogue and strategies to address the environmental challenges we face;
• To inspire participants to assume leadership roles in their communities or churches/temples in developing innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

Workshop ideas were myriad and included: determining your carbon footprint, buying local food, recycling, water/air quality, relocalization and public policy. What would you suggest?

The Greensboro ESG group has been meeting since last year, originating out of a conference sponsored by Holy Trinity. The group is still establishing its goals but has been involved in some local initiatives, including an effort to get free rainwater harvesting barrels to members of the Glenwood neighborhood and the study of  Greensboro "geologian" Thomas Berry's The Great Work.

You can still catch the six-week study groups taking place from April to May at the following locations:

• First Friends Meeting: Contact Valerie Vickers (natureteach@ bellsouth.net), Paul Mitchell (pdmitchell@bellsouth.net) or Emilie Sandin (emilieandtom@yahoo.com) for details.
• St. Paul the Apostle Church: Contact Jacqueline Messick (jmessick2@triad.rr.com) for details.
• The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro: To register, visit www.servantleadergreensboro.com or call 275-0447.

Additional groups interested in having a study leader for their group or sending a study leader to be trained may contact F. Nelson Stover at stovern@bellsouth.net or Steve McCollum at smccollum@triad.rr.com.

The next ESG meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. March 30 at Holy Trinity. You can also join the Yahoo! group listserv at "Environmental Stewardship GSO."

Anyone interested local energy policies and initiatives, effects of climate change on minority communities or careers in the industry might want to sign up for a conference to be held here by The American Association of Blacks in Energy. The event takes place all day on Feb. 21 at the Marriott Hotel on North Green Street.

You can't beat a free movie and engaging chat. UNCG's sustainability committee has been hosting viewings and discussion of films on environmental issues since last summer. Following is a list of the remaining films. Hope to see you there!

I have seen The Power of Community and would highly recommend it; I am excited about the opportunity to see Manufactured Landscapes because I was debating whether to scrap together some dollars for the DVD.

UNCG Sustainability Committee Film Series: Wild Caught
UNCG professor Matt Barr's documentary about the challenges of a North Carolina fishing community. Weatherspoon Art Gallery 6:30pm.

Unfortunately I may have to miss one of these to cover a school board meeting. But if you attend, drop me a line and let me know how it went:

On Jan. 31, The Piedmont Environmental Alliance is hosting "Paint the Town Green - Moving Towards Sustainable Communities" from 7 to 9 p.m. at Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. The discussion will focus on how to encourage local governments to invest in sustainability. Free to the public.

Panel Members:

Vivian Fulk, The Climate Project

Elyse Jung, Sierra Club

Cathy Poole, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League & N.C. Alliance for Transportation Reform

Greg Savage, US Green Building Council, Piedmont Triad Chapter

Anne-Marie Scott, Triad Slow Food Convivium

Robert Vorsteg, Winston-Salem Neighborhood Alliance

David Wright, American Institute of Architects

Moderator: Terri LeGrand, Executive Director of Piedmont Environmental Alliance

On Feb. 12, the Rev. Mac Legerton, program director of the new Institute on Sustainable Development, Social Justice and Transformative Learning in Robeson County, will speak  at UNCG from 4 to 6 p.m. in the MacDonald Center of the Curry Building. This is part of the university's Scholarly Colloquium Series. Legerton is a statewide leader in school and community partnerships, rural development, policy advocacy, family support and literacy, youth and leadership development, environmental justice, cultural and place-based education and service learning. Check out an essay he wrote on sustainable development. On Feb. 12, he will speak on the role of education in promoting social justice and sustainability in a multicultural context, according to Kathe Latham at UNCG.

On March 28, UNCG will sponsor "The State of Our State: Wild Things in North Carolina," as part of its 2008 environmental symposium, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the New Science Building auditorium, Rm. 101. Prominent biologists from around the state will be speaking about the state of our state with regards to the flora and fauna of North Carolina. The event is free. 

Speakers:

Richard B. Hamilton has recently retired as Executive Director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) and is now working with the N.C. Wildlife Federation.

Curtis Smalling is the mountain region biologist for Audubon North Carolina. Curtis conducts extensive breeding bird surveys in the mountains to identify important birding areas. In 2005, Smalling and others investigated the impacts of wind turbines on birds at Beech Mountain.

John Alderman is an endangered species specialist and aquatic biologist who monitors and helps to conserve freshwater crayfish, mussels, snails, and fish.

Alan Weakley is the author of "Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Surrounding Areas" and is curator of the University of North Carolina Herbarium, which houses the largest collection of plant specimens from the Southeastern United States. For several decades, he has spent his time documenting and helping to preserve plant biodiversity in the Southeast.

For more information, contact Ann Berry Somers at 334-4978.