Based on the success of this past fall’s MRV focused UVM course, Local Community Initiatives, instructor Chip Sawyer is planning a second round in the fall of 2010. Now is the time to start planning the course, and more importantly, brainstorming potential projects.
The UVM course Local Community Initiatives is a service-learning course that allows undergraduate and graduate students to contribute to community projects in the Mad River Valley. This course will be held in the fall of 2010. The course was very successful and valuable for both students and Mad River Valley residents, alike, in the fall of 2009. The final project reports are available at the Mad River Valley Planning District website at http://www.mrvpd.org/DocumentsLibrary.php.
Please see attached the course description and the list of expectations for students and project partners.
During the first weeks of the course, the students will choose from among 3-5 projects in the Mad River Valley. Now is the time for interested community members to propose projects. The projects will be compiled by the Mad River Valley Planning District and the Valley Futures Network. A steering committee made up the of the course instructor, the Executive Director of the Mad River Valley Planning District, members of the Valley Futures Network, and other Mad River Valley community members will consider the projects submitted and choose a list to be proposed to the students.
Projects will be chosen based on:
the likelihood of a project to be completed by students in the fall and winter of 2010;
the learning potential that a project presents to the students and community partners;
the extent to the which the project will contribute to efforts and partnerships going forward; and
the impact that the project could have upon the Mad River Valley.
Based on the success of this past fall’s MRV focused UVM course, Local Community Initiatives, instructor Chip Sawyer is planning a second round in the fall of 2010. Now is the time to start planning the course, and more importantly, brainstorming potential projects.
The UVM course Local Community Initiatives is a service-learning course that allows undergraduate and graduate students to contribute to community projects in the Mad River Valley. This course will be held in the fall of 2010. The course was very successful and valuable for both students and Mad River Valley residents, alike, in the fall of 2009. The final project reports are available at the Mad River Valley Planning District website at http://www.mrvpd.org/DocumentsLibrary.php.
Please see attached the course description and the list of expectations for students and project partners.
During the first weeks of the course, the students will choose from among 3-5 projects in the Mad River Valley. Now is the time for interested community members to propose projects. The projects will be compiled by the Mad River Valley Planning District and the Valley Futures Network. A steering committee made up the of the course instructor, the Executive Director of the Mad River Valley Planning District, members of the Valley Futures Network, and other Mad River Valley community members will consider the projects submitted and choose a list to be proposed to the students.
Projects will be chosen based on:
the likelihood of a project to be completed by students in the fall and winter of 2010;
the learning potential that a project presents to the students and community partners;
the extent to the which the project will contribute to efforts and partnerships going forward; and
the impact that the project could have upon the Mad River Valley.
Attendees: Susan Klein, Rob Williams, Jared Cadwell, Stan Ward, Joshua Schwartz, Dan Holtz, Amy Todisco, David Hartshorn, Gregor Barnum, Peter Forbes, Ginny McGinn, Jen Higgins, David Dion, Tom Barefoot, Susan Johnson, Suzie Snow, Jill Arace, Geri Pocachinni???, Mike Dupee, Carmen Dupee, and John Donaldson
1) Time Bank – Jen, Suzie and Geri from Rootswork described this project which the Rootswork board has approved as a pilot project. They anticipate that 2010 will be a slow but steady building year to get to a critical mass of participants. The Time Bank is an organized system to exchange services, using “Community Weaver” software provided by timebanks.org. It will be similar to the Onion River Exchange in Montpelier (see http://www.orexchange.org/). The Onion River Exchange has grown from 35 members to over 300 in 28 towns.
Jen is pulling a working group together and would like VFN participation to make it a collaborative effort. Anyone interested in working on this should contact Jen.
2) Music Bank - Mike Dupee presented this idea for bringing the Valley music community together. It is still a work in progress. The effort may kick off with an Open Mike night in February, perhaps to also help kick off the Time Bank.
3) Community Pot Luck - The first potluck, organized by Jill Arace and Susan Klein will be held at the Waitsfield Church at 6 pm on January 24th. Posters made by Dan Holtz were distributed. There may be music, but this will be done at the end so it doesn’t interfere with the social mixing. People are encouraged to bring their own “plateware” in addition to a food item to share. Help is needed to set up at 5:45.
4) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants Update – Josh reported that 6 or the 7 local grant applicants made the first cut. About $ 11 million was requested statewide for the $ 6 million that is available. More comprehensive applications are due February 2 and results will be announced in May.
5) Update on Local Community Initiatives Class taught at UVM – Chip Sawyer reported that based on the resounding success of the recent class, another class will be given next fall and we should be thinking of projects for the students. All information and output from the recent class is hosted on the Mad River Valley Planning District website (http://www.mrvpd.org/DocumentsLibrary.php).
6) Announcements –
Ad hoc agriculture group – Gregor announced the second meeting of this group will be February 15. Hardwick representatives will be reporting on what they have done at this meeting.
Gross National Happiness International Conference – Tom Barefoot said the conference will take place in Burlington on June 1 – 4. GNH is based on the premise that the calculation of “wealth” should consider other aspects besides economic development: the preservation of the environment and the quality of life of the people. (See http://gnhusa.org/). Some background sessions will be held in February and the group is looking for volunteers to help test community measures to indicate progress.
Workshop – Susan Klein said Rob Williams is working with the MRV Chamber to lead a workshop on demystifying Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and other social media outlets. He will show how to use these Web 2.0 tools to further business and to work together through social media for general benefit of the MRV business community. The workshop will be Tuesday, January 12 from 9am-noon at the Big Picture Theater. It is free to chamber members and $10 for all others.
Another Karaoke Night - organized by Dan Holtz will be held January 22 at the Big Picture. Will Susan Klein give an encore performance of Harper Valley PTA?
Throughout fall 2009, the Mad River Valley served as the focus of a University of Vermont course within its Community Development Applied Economics Department. The 14 students in the undergraduate service learning course, CDAE 295 “Local Community Initiatives,” participated and analyzed a handful of the Valley’s community organizations.
With local partners the Valley Futures Network and the Mad River Valley Planning District, the students learned about the different ways that community-members work together to identify challenges, resources and solutions and how they envision their future. The three projects were: a research-based analysis of the organizational structure of the Valley Futures Network, a similar analysis of the Mad River Path Association focusing on membership, and an inventory of renewable energy projects in the Valley.
I am happy to present the final presentations and reports from each of the three groups. Please note that these reports are based on data and impressions gathered by UVM students during the fall semester 2009.
• That there is a compost-powered hot water system experiment currently underway in Fayston?
• That a study was completed of the total valley-wide electrical energy use for 2006, 2007 and 2008?
• Where the Efficiency Vermont “Button-Up” workshops are being held this fall?
All of these topics and many more may be found on the Mad River Valley Energy Wiki, a new website found at mrvenergy.org.
This new website is envisioned as a community-created “living document” to serve as the go-to reference for energy information in the Mad River Valley. Think Wikipedia, except focused on energy in the Mad River Valley.
Like Wikipedia, the website is intended to be “community-powered” in order to overcome the common challenge faced by many websites and information sources that become quickly outdated with no effective way to update the information.
In the case of the MRV Energy Wiki, anyone at all can easily update an existing page or create a new article for the site. After some initial editing and adding of pages on the site, Waitsfield resident and town energy coordinator Dennis Derryberry said, “After last night’s adventure on the wiki, I’m now feeling like it’s very, very easy to use.”
Topics covered on the website include grant funding and money-saving opportunities, active energy projects within The Valley, future project ideas for the community, a list of upcoming local events, and information on energy subcategories including solar, wind, energy efficiency, heating, biomass and more.
The website was launched on October 8. Over a dozen people have already contributed to the website. Jesse Stowell, a wind project development consultant who lives in Warren, said of the new Energy Wiki, “It is a central place where people can put their contributions. It’s a great start.”
As Stowell points out, the information on the website is just getting started. The Energy Wiki needs wide participation and sustained community involvement to help it flourish and deliver its community-powered vision. Students, energy professionals, energy committee members, town planners, event organizers and energy enthusiasts are all invited and encouraged to contribute to the site.
Interested? Check out the Wish List on mrvenergy.org to see how to help or bring energy ideas and knowledge to the site.
There will be a live demonstration and discussion of the Mad River Valley Energy Wiki as a part of the next Valley Futures Network Energy Group meeting on Tuesday, November 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wait House in Waitsfield.
Learn more at mrvenergy.org or contact Stan Ward at stan [at] mrvenergy [dot] org
Stan helps lead projects that combine sustainability and information technology. He is active with the “Localvolts” Valley Futures Network Energy Group.
Please join us and others around the world on Saturday October 24th (the International Day of Climate Action) to raise awareness about climate change. We’ll take over Route 100 with a Bike for the Planet event: meet at Lareau Park at 3:50pm and bike to the General Wait House and back. We’ll stop at the Big Picture Theater to pose for a photo which will be posted on the 350.org website along with others from around the world. To show our support of and participation in the global 350 campaign, we’ll have “350″ signs on our backs (provided).
350 parts per million is considered the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere. Currently, the concentration in the atmosphere is approx. 387 ppm.
MORE INFORMATION
On October 24, people from around the Mad River Valley will gather to cycle for change—leading a “Bike for the Planet” event on Route 100 in Waitsfield—as part of the largest global day of climate action ever. The event—one of more than 3,700 rallies in more than 160 nations—is coordinated by 350.org to urge world leaders to take fast and effective action on global warming. This is the first global campaign ever organized around a scientific data point: 350 parts per million CO2 is the safe upper limit for the atmosphere according to the latest scientific data.
WHO: All are welcome to join—please wear bright colors and a helmet. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mad River, the Valley Futures Network, the Mad River Path Association, and the Mad River Valley Planning District.
WHAT: Participants will lead a Bike for the Planet from Lareau Park to the General Wait House, where there will be a rally and refreshments. The Bike Parade will then return to Lareau Park. Participants will stop at the Big Picture Theater to take a photo for posting on the global 350 campaign website.
Simultaneously, people in every corner of the world will be taking similar action, from climbers with 350 banners high on the melting slopes of Mount Everest to government officials in the Maldive Islands holding an underwater cabinet meeting to demand action on climate change before their nation disappears.
WHEN: October 24, 2009 at 3:50pm
WHERE: Begin at Lareau Park in Waitsfield, bike to the General Wait House for a short rally and refreshments, then return
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Photos from the event will be available at: http://www.FriendsoftheMadRiver.org
Photos from events happening all over the world will be available for free use at: http://350.org/media
For more information on the global 350 campaign, please visit www.350.org or contact Cosa Bullock in New York, cbullock@mrss.com.
ABOUT 350.ORG
Founded by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, 350.org is the first large-scale grassroots global campaign against climate change. Its supporters include leading scientists, the governments of 89 countries, and a huge variety of environmental, health, development and religious NGOs. All agree that current atmospheric levels of CO2—390 parts per million—are causing damage to the planet and to its most vulnerable people, and that government action at the Copenhagen climate conference is required to bring the earth’s carbon level swiftly down.
This fall marks the beginning of a new relationship between the Mad River Valley and the University of Vermont’s Department of Community Development Applied Economics. An undergraduate service learning course, titled “Local Community Initiatives,” will analyze and participate in a handful of the Valley’s community organizations.
The 14 UVM students in the course will partner with the Valley Futures Network and Mad River Valley Planning District to take an active role in local projects in the Mad River Valley. Through local project work, case studies, course texts, student research and class discussions, the students will learn about the different ways that community-members work together to identify challenges, resources and solutions and how they envision their future.
The students will break into groups to focus on three projects throughout the semester: a research-based analysis of the organizational structure of the Valley Futures Network, a similar analysis of the Mad River Path Association focusing on membership, and an inventory of renewable energy projects in the Valley.
A dessert potluck kick-off event is schedule for Wednesday, 9/16, 6:45-9 PM at the Center for Whole Communities’ Knoll Farm. This is designed as an opportunity for the students to familiarize themselves with the Valley, meet members of the community, and initiate their student projects. All residents and visitors are encouraged to come and learn more about the work of the Valley Futures Network and the student projects.
The timing of the kick-off event is such to accommodate those that will be participating in the MRV Chamber’s Annual Meeting (5:30-7 PM on 9/16 at the Warren Town Hall). For more information contact the Mad River Valley Planning District’s Joshua Schwartz at 496-7173.
This seems like it ought to be an easy question to answer.
Not so, in this day and age, according to a new documentary film called Food, Inc.
“The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years than in the last 10,000 years,” explains the film’s introduction, “but the image we see is still the image of agrarian America.”
Beyond the pretty but misleading pictures put forth by the corporate brand managers from Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill, ADM and Perdue– good-looking farmers, happy animals, clean and green landscapes– is a disturbing and largely untold story about the nature of the United States’ 21st century industrial factory food system. Director Robert Kenner has served up one of the most vital and provocative new documentaries of this year. In Food, Inc, he assembles an all-star cast – Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser, Omnivore’s Dilemma author Michael Pollan (hero to localvores everywhere), and a variety of farm folks who are doing the hard work at ground zero of our modern “farming” system.
Uniformity, conformity, and cheapness are the 3 words that define our early 21st century food system, according to Schlosser.
And wheat, corn, and soybeans, Pollan tells us, are the three commodity crops that drive the 21st century U.S. farming system, producing food that is high in unhealthy fats and high fructose corn syrup, but very cheap at the pump, cash-wise, for the consumer.
But let’s not call it farming, oh no. To call it “farming” is to make a mockery of the term.
It is an industry.
Like any other factory, the goal of our 21st century industrial food system is simple: mass production to maximize profit at the cheapest consumer price per unit as possible, while externalizing all other social values – humane treatment of animals, equity for workers and farmers, and the health of both the land and the human body. “Our food is coming from enormous assembly lines,” Pollan observes, “and both the animals and the workers are being abused.”
Food Inc. is full of fascinating facts – “the modern American supermarket has on average 47,000 products” – as well as Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser’s trademark well-researched wit and wisdom.
Pollan’s assessment of corn as the uber-element of your typical 21st century American’s diet, for example, is as fascinating as it is disturbing. “Cows are not evolutionarily designed to eat corn,” Pollan wryly observes. “The only reason we feed cows corn is because corn is really cheap, and it make cows fat quickly.” Lots of American cows. Millions, in fact. And, oh, by the way – only 13 slaughterhouses, according to Schlosser, process the majority of beef in the United States. Can you say “Let us render Mad Cow”?
And a high corn diet – think “fructose” and then check the ingredients in just about any packaged supermarket item – makes American people fat, too, as well as exposing them to E Coli and other pathogens that lead to national health scares, illness, and death. But the factory system has a “solution” – cleanse processed meat with ammonia to try and kill the E Coli. Um, genius.
And, as Schlosser explains, the USDA and other federal agencies, charged with looking out for Americans’ food safety, have become little more than “captive regulators,” run by individuals from the very industries these agencies are supposed to be watch dogging. “We put our faith in the government to protect us,” observes one tearful mother, who lost a son to a food outbreak and has since become a dedicated citizen activist working to pass Kevin’s Law, calling on the USDA to shut down meat factories who continually produce contaminated meat. “And the very agencies charged with doing so don’t help us.”
There are heroes in this film, too – notably farmer Joel Salatin of Virginia’s Polyface Farms, who runs a grass-fed farm operation that has become quite well-known in agricultural and foodie circles, thanks to Pollan’s writing and Salatin’s own combination of outspokenness and smarts, as a farmer, a businessman, an author and a citizen.
“Our system has been built on faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper, and we have allowed ourselves to become so disconnected and ignorant about something so important as the food we eat,” Salatin says while processing chickens in a tent on his farm. “The FDA tried to shut our open-air operation down because they claimed it was unsanitary. What is that about?”
Point(s) taken.
So what’s a concerned American citizen to do? Grow your own food as you can. Buy local whenever possible. Get to know your food, and the farmer who produced it. Invest your money locally as often as you can. Educate yourself about your food choices. And throw yourself into the fight for a more humane food system.
Vermonters face a critical decision on our energy future: Vermont Yankee, the state’s sole nuclear power plant, is scheduled to close down on 2012. Currently, the Vermont Legislature is considering whether or not to grant a 20 year license extension to continue operation of the plant through 2032.
Panelists will discuss the political, health, economic, and environmental implications of this decision. Come join the discussion and learn more about this critical issue.
Adam Greshin,
Washington-1(Waitsfield, Fayston, Warren) State Representative
Nancy Chickering MD, MPH,
Physicians for Social Responsibility
James Moore,
Clean Energy Advocate, VPIRG
Lawrence Mott,
Managing Director, New Generation Partners
Moderator: Eugene Jarecki, Filmmaker, Author, Public Thinker
Co-sponsored by Valley Futures Network Energy Group, with support from Mad River Valley Localvores, Green Mountain Global Forum, Carbon Shredders, Friends of the Mad River, and Big Picture Theater.
For more information call (802) 496-4566
On Thursday, April 30th from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield, Sharon resident Dee Gish will deliver an educational slideshow on climate change, updating the information presented in the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” Ms. Gish, one of 1,000 Americans personally trained by Nobel Laureate Al Gore to spread the message about the challenges of and solutions to the climate crisis, is connected with “The Climate Project”, a non-profit organization with the mission of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level in the U.S. and abroad. The evening’s events will be presented by the Mad River Valley Interfaith Council and generously underwritten by Carbon Shredders and the Mad River Valley Rotary Club. There will also be an opportunity to learn more about the nearly twenty organizations who are making unique and particular efforts to provide a sustainable and hopeful future for our immediate and worldwide community. Waitsfield Cable’s channel 44 will be airing Al Gore’s original film, “An Inconvenient Truth” the week of April 19th, a week that includes “Earth Day” on April 22 – originally celebrated for the first time in 1970 by over twenty million people. The presentation is free of charge, there will be free CFL’s available, and a simple, affordable supper will be offered in the Big Picture Café prior to the event.
For further information, contact Amalia Veralli at 496-3162
Q. What is “The Climate Project,” and how did you get involved?
A. The Climate Project, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville, TN, began operations in June 2006 with the mission of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level in the U.S. and abroad. By April 2007, a diverse group of 1,200 volunteers from throughout the U.S. had been trained by Al Gore himself to present a version of the slide show featured in the Academy Award-winning film An Inconvenient Truth. As of October 2008, we have delivered nearly 20,000 presentations and reached a combined audience of 2 million people. I was fortunate enough to get selected for the 5th training session in January, 2007. Since then, I’ve given over 30 presentations to varied audiences – from civic groups, churches, colleges and universities, and open public forums.
Q. When did you first see “An Inconvenient Truth,” and how did it impact you?
A. I actually read the book first, when it was first published in 2006. The book did not contain any information that particularly surprised me, since intuitively I knew just by casual observation that climate change/global warming was happening now, and at an alarming rate. The book did inspire me, however, to learn more, to see the film, and to sound the climate change alarm to anyone willing to listen. The most surprising thing, to me, about the book and the film, was how many people at the time were NOT willing to listen and to dismiss An Inconvenient Truth as politically motivated.
Q. To what extent have you yourself researched the conclusions surrounding anthropogenic climate change?
A. I try to keep on top of the latest research as it emerges. The Climate Project is great at providing internal notices and links to many relevant scientific studies. I have the NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies), UCS (Union of Concerned Scientists) and other research sites bookmarked on my web browser and refer to them often. I’ve also tried to beef up my basic ecological knowledge base by reading environmental classics like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Bill McKibben’s The End of Nature, and I’m currently reading Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. I am neither an climate expert, nor a scientist, however, and so also truly appreciate mainstream sources on climate change such as National Geographic and Scientific American.
Q. How do you respond to critics who suggest that global warming is caused by sunspots, or other non-human-caused phenomena?
A. There are definitely historical cycles to warming and cooling periods of the earth. For example, every 40,000 years, the tilt of the earth on its axis changes by nearly 1 degree, then back again. This small change in the tilt of earth’s axis has corresponded with some of the conclusions of the 100,000 year ice age cycles. We are currently in one of these interglacial, cyclical warming periods, with the last ice age ending nearly 11,000 years ago. The dramatic rise in global average temperatures that we have seen especially in the last 30 years, however, falls well outside of any warming that scientists can explain by natural and cyclical phenonemon such as changes in the earth’s orbit, axis tilt, or sunspot activity. Skeptics also need to revisit their elementary school science concerning the greenhouse effect. There is not a single reputable scientist that does not agree that when greenhouse gases are increased in our atmosphere, higher temperatures will result. Greenhouse gasses, such as CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane, trap more of the sun’s infrared radiation that would otherwise radiate back into space. By burning fossil fuels and deforesting many areas of the planet, mankind has increased the level of CO2 in the atmosphere to 385 parts per million. The current level of CO2 in our atmosphere is much higher than any time in the past 650,000 years of earth’s history.
Q. What suggestions and solutions do you have for anyone interested in becoming involved in these issues?
A. Do not wait. Jump in with both feet. The climate crisis is such an immediate emergency. After educating yourself on the science behind climate change, the most effective (and simplest) thing individuals can do is to correspond with your elected officials and urge them to pass sweeping emissions reduction legislation. Write or call your local selectmen, State Representatives, Congressmen and Senators. Send them pictures of your children, write personal stories, tell them why you are concerned about global warming. Do whatever it takes to persuade them to initiate and vote for legislation that invests in energy efficiency, renewable energy, coal plant moratoriums, and CO2 emission reductions. Sign up with organizations such as The League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, 1Sky, 350.org, and Sierra Club. These organizations will notify you when an important piece of relevant legislation is coming to a vote. They will also prompt you to get involved with international, national and local environmental activities. 350.org, for example, is organizing an international day of activities on October 24, 2009, six weeks ahead of the world-wide climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December. 350.org wants everyone to understand that scientists believe the “safe” upper limit of CO2 in our atmosphere is 350 parts per million. This day of action is intended organize global citizens to call for a fair global climate treaty. You are welcomed and encouraged to be a part of the movement, by visiting www.350.org.
The compelling documentary, Garbage: The Revolution Starts At Home, will be shown for free on April 16th, 7 pm at the Barre Opera House. In addition, the Greenpeace’s Rolling Sunlight solar demonstration truck will be in Barre throughout the day on the 16th.
What if you had to live with every scrap of trash, pollution, and waste you created? Would you find uses for the garbage of your life, or be overwhelmed by it? Find out how one family lived with every scrap of garbage they created for three months, at a special FREE screening of “Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home,” presented by Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, the Agency of Natural Resources, and Community for a Greater Barre. This powerful documentary skillfully and succinctly puts all the information in one place – from melting glaciers and oil slicks to our neighborhoods and into our homes – so anyone can connect the dots between our daily actions and the reactions that affect us and our planet.
The event will also feature a visit from the Greenpeace’s Rolling Sunlight solar demonstration truck. The Sunlight carries a bank of working solar panels that will power an educational activity for area school kids following an early matinee showing of the film and will store the extra power in batteries to power coffee makers and other appliances to serve refreshments for evening showing attendees.
The Sunlight will be touring Vermont all April as part of Greenpeace’s local work to support the development of renewable energy in Vermont, and the on-time closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant in 2012.
