vote for gallon of water for an almond, for unchecked cleaning/diluting pollutants, or for health and wellness?

[Dave]

Was initially going to just be the link to the video from last night, but election day today made me wonder. 
Read on, if so inclined:

 

Given what was discussed at the weekend retreat last month, I thought you’d be interested hearing Gene Baur discuss the enormous impacts of shifting our politics/diets/lifestyle on http://thedailyshow.cc.com/extended-interviews/rcpf6c/exclusive-gene-baur-extended-interview. 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=living+the+farm+sanctuary+life&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/farm-sanctuarys-gene-baur-talks-with-jon-stewart-video/

 

When it takes a gallon of water to eventually grow one almond, of course California (and all of us) should consider choices (even if they and Texas weren’t having an extended drought).

http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/climate-models-future-van-gogh-image

To a packed auditorium, Neil deGrasse Tyson says, “The good thing about science is that it is true, whether or not you believe in it.” 

Nonetheless, since Congress seems to have banned and burned all their science text books (and the people in both parties who might still have a hidden copy, seem to be fearful to vocally admit/uphold accountability for fear of losing their next election), how do we get rationality back into the dialogue?

 

How do we get to planetary progress when agents of distraction continually try to divide and conquer, like in last few weeks of Indiana “public servants” trying to (straw-man argument) “protect” an Indiana pizza shop from possibly being someday (never) forced to cater pizza to a gay wedding [are there even two spittoon-carrying, three teeth left in their mouth… gays in Indiana that finally found one another and now desperately awaiting the right to have pizza catered on their wedding day]?

 

What Indiana is (not) doing with their water, food, civil discourse… is vastly more important.

 

How do we stay focused (when Mother Nature is sending us no uncertain messages)?

How do we show up and vote?

I wonder if today’s election day in KC will have more than 5.8% voter turnout in Overland Park’s last election.

I wonder if voting will remain a valid tool (or someday something only talked about in history books, or just largely inconsequential like last voter registration drives after Ferguson riots had near zero impact to get people to get out and vote for their rights/lives/progress).

 

Can we lobby for online, mail, at-home, weekend, national day off… voting to increase citizen participation (so more reasonable voices contribute instead of only the crazies determining critical matters in low voter turnout decisions with years/decades of consequences)?

 

Even if you have to enter “pinch your nose while doing it” territory (in midst of many other things you’d rather be doing), can we get the momentum to go to the trash heap, pull on our galoshes, and lobby for campaign finance reform and publicly financed elections (like however imperfect New Zealand changed their constitution thereby facilitating ordinary people to get their voice back --like teachers to get to at least somewhat equal footing and ability to manage/afford a campaign to unseat incumbents, anchored power, and lobbyists)?

 

Best always to you and yours,

Dave

 

An ocean simulation focused on the Atlantic. (Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory) 

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-astrophysicist-charlie-rose-60-minutes/   To spark that curiosity, he told us this is the most mind-altering picture ever taken -- shot 46 years ago from Apollo 8, while orbiting the moon.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: This was the first time any of us had seen Earth the way nature had intended, with oceans and land and clouds. So many of us had only ever seen Earth on a school room globe. And so this is the birth of a cosmic perspective.

 

 

 

 

From: kc-arts-ecovi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:kc-arts-ecovi...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of M…
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2015 1:51 PM
To: KC ARTS Ecovillage Project
Subject: Fwd: Farms, food, food systems in focus at Slow Living Summit

 

This might be of interest to you,

View this email in your browser June 3 - 5 — Brattleboro, Vermont Food, Mindfully Join us for a mindful exploration of the journey of food,  from farming and food entrepreneurship to food systems to nourishment to food justice and policy.  Who should come? We invite attendance by: Engaged community members Farmers and gardeners Food entrepreneurs and innovators Food system investors and organizers Food sector professionals and non-profit leaders Food policy experts and researchers Students, educators, chefs, cooks... ... and YOU, with the aim of fostering results-oriented dialogues across a broad range of topics. The Summit's content will be important not only to those working in the farm and food sector, but also to leaders and learners in related fields like health and wellness, finance, government, non-profits, media and the arts. Please register today! Discounted early bird rates are in effect.  If expense is an issue: Thanks to generous support from sponsors and donors,we are able to offer stipended/sliding scale registration options for Summiteers with lower incomes, and for students, seniors, farmers or artists. The fifth annual Slow Living Summit brings food into focus. Photo by James UK, used under Creative Commons License   What we'll be exploring: Food Entrepreneurship: How can locally-oriented farmers and food producers flourish in the face of a globalized food industry? Food Systems: How do we develop food systems holistically — serving the entire community, using the entirety of available food resources? Nourishment and Wellness: How do we strengthen connections between food, body, mind, spirit, community? Food Justice and Access: Is good food just for those who can afford it and easily access it? Why are there food deserts? Food Policies: What policies can maximize the value of our food systems? An exploration of local, state, national farm/food policies and trends.   Register now — discounted early-bird rates expire soon!   www.slowlivingsummit.org   Questions? Call or email Shanta L. Evans-Crowley, Summit Coordinator  sha...@strollingoftheheifers.com SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Alisa Gravitz CEO, Green America (formerly Co-op America), which develops marketplace solutions to social and environmental problems with a key focus on tackling climate change, building fair trading systems, stopping corporate abuse and growing the green economy.   Topic: Growing the Green Economy   Dr. Michael Finkelstein The Slow Medicine Doctor — featured in media including The New York Times and CNN; a health blogger for The Huffington Post; presenter at venues ranging from GE Corporation and Omega Institute; and author of Slow Medicine. Topic: Food for Mind, Body and Soul   Laura Lengnick Local Food Research Center, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Ashville NC — researcher, policy-maker, educator and farmer, lead author of the USDA report Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture: Effects and Adaptation.  Topic: Resilient Agriculture   Vicki Robin Social innovator, writer and speaker, coauthor of the international best-seller, Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence. Her new book is, Blessing the Hands that Feed Us; Lessons from a 10-Mile Diet. She was called by the New York Times the “prophet of consumption downsizers.”  Allison Hooper Co-founder and CEO, Vermont Creamery — At the helm of the artisan cheese movement in Vermont and as president of the American Cheese Society from 2005 to 2008, Hooper has been a voice for and mentor to U.S. cheesemakers. Author of In a Cheesemaker's Kitchen. Topic: Land and Legacy   Judith D. Schwartz Journalist and author whose work looks at soil as a hub for multiple environmental, economic and social challenges—and for solutions. Author of Cows Save the Planet  Topic: How Changing the Way We Grow Food Can Restore Ecosystems and Reverse Global Warming   Alex Wilson Founder of Building Green and the Resilient Design Institute, which works to advance the many facets of resilience at personal, community and regional scales. Topic: Resilient Food Systems   Copyright © 2015 Strolling of the Heifers, All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

From: kc-arts-ecovi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:kc-arts-ecovi...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of S
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 2:20 PM
To: KC ARTS Ecovillage Project
Subject: Fwd: Diana Leafe Christian Workshop

 

ALL: If anyone is available and interested in attending a workshop on ecovillage sustainability and self-governance, please read on. The workshop is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and Diana Leafe Christian is the guest speaker.  The workshop is to take place April 18th-19th, and admission is on a donation-basis.

 

If interested, we can request additional information. 

 

Thanks!

 

S…

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Emily <bur...@mail.uc.edu>
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Subject: Diana Leafe Christian Workshop
To: in...@kcartsecovillageproject.org


From: Emily <bur...@mail.uc.edu>
Subject: Diana Leafe Christian Workshop

Message Body:
Hi,
 My name is Emily, and I’m working with the IMAGO and Community Earth Alliance in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m contacting communities throughout the Midwest to invite you all to attend a workshop on ecovillage sustainability and self-governance. The workshop is to take place April 18th-19th, and admission is on a donation-basis. As it is only one month away, we encourage all community members to sign up as soon as they can, although we will take anyone we have room for those days. We will have Diana Leafe Christian as our guest speaker. If you could provide me with an attachment-friendly email address, I’d be happy to send more information your way.
Below is a link to the site where you can register to attend.
http://www.imagoearth.org/home/public_programs/creating_sustainable_communities_workshop.html

Thanks!

-       Emily Burch
bur...@mail.uc.edu