We humans are all idiot drivers.

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"Leave the oil in the soil"
~Cynthia McKinney
community.freespeech.org/node/11470/play
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worldchanging.com/archives//004215.html
...We've bought the ticket, and we're going to take the ride...We are impacting every system, every flow, every creature on Earth in some way, already. There used to be a time when

we called
nature humanity had changed - "gardens"
and
nature humanity hadn't touched - "wilderness."

It's all gardening now...Every block of the world's wildlands is already severely impacted. The question is not whether we must manage nature, but rather how shall we manage it - by accident, haphazardly, or with the calculated goal of its survival forever?...we have acquired evolutionary responsibility...vs. the presumption that things are taking care of themselves...
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Coal River Mountain Watch
crmw.net
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Wind for sustainable income vs coal for one-time profit
www.coalriverwind.org
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We took a wrong turn with the invention of the water toilet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_(waste)
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Nuclear power business whores and gangsters still in D.C.
dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/10/718594/-Yet-Another-$50-Billion-for-Rust-Bucket-Nukes
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"One Man, One Cow, One Planet" film
7pm Tue, April 21, 7pm – 8pm
Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Avenue
thomasmertoncenter.org/The_New_People
about the work of biodynamic farmer Peter Proctor. Joshua Capy, who lived in India and saw much of the context of Proctors work, will introduce the film.
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"Every environmental victory grows the economy."
~John Hanger
smith156.org/archives/2006_07.php
pennfuture.org
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From
Elise Gatti Remaking Cities Institute
cmu.edu/rci
"...your comments about the ability of “soil to clean” brought to mind a really neat artistic project from Toronto. Artist Noel Harding created...from recycled plastic along the Don River...called “Elevated Wetlands”. Using a special growing medium and solar power...water from the polluted Don River is pumped into...and cleansed by the bacteria living in the roots systems of the plants. It’s token but at the same time, very cool visually and functionally ecological! Wouldn’t something like that be neat along Hazelwood’s riverfront?"
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toronto.ca/archives/acquisitions_fonds1236_noelharding.htm
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canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/?p=1155
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kidsforabetterfuture.org
treehugger.com
kidsforabetterfuture.org/bhopal.lasso
akilaworksongs.com
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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver
animalvegetablemiracle.com
kingsolver.com/bookshelf/miracle.asp
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greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/criteria/GreenCriteria.pdf
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Renewing soil while sequestering carbon
renewableecology.com
amazingcarbon.com
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peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Using_green_algae_to_produce_hydrogen_from_sunlight_and_water_via_photosynthesis
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pmb.berkeley.edu/newpmb/faculty/faculty_index.shtml
...product generation directly from photosynthesis, bypassing the need to harvest and process the respective biomass...
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To those who have money to invest, these are some, from my research, I think worthwhile directions. I hope you will try to allow yourselves the time and to be open-minded despite whatever your present mindsets are, including about me. Think about the possibility that one's current situation may - or may not - reflect one's past decisions. The fact that some of you have succeeded in making money in your lives so far - and I have not - should not affect your interest in my recommendations. There are parts of the dynamics of world events outside of the economy, since the world economy is only a subset of the ecosystem and of course the universe. Think of all those things which have not yet been monetized - given a money value. While I think the world economy may collapse and eventually evolve to a world without money - just as we humans no longer have to carry around big round rocks and coins and livestock to use for money now - as long as cash/electronic/whatever money exists, I think my research and time taken to look at aspects of the world you may not have looked at, my point of view should hold just as much weight as those with financial expertise. I saw things coming sometimes which those afraid to look sometimes failed to see. I got called Dr. Doom and Chicken Little for getting emotional at what I saw coming (and you didn't much have time to look into). Now listen to me for once. The changes themselves may be relatively minor in the big picture, but the interactions between the changes is making for the perfect storm. To the extent we can "biosphere" our food and energy production - realizing we can no longer assume ecosystem services such as arable land - these directions can make money while other things are falling apart. I think it's Celunol that's working on an algae harvesting system which harvests the algae's byproducts without even having to harvest the algae themselves. Since I happen to be persuaded that all living creatures have some basic consciousness, that fact is important to me. Not only for moral reasons, but because of the big-picture philosophy of science that cooperation between species (such as humans and algae) rather than conflict is really the determiner of the survival of the fittest...

Some saw before many others that ozone layer thinning threatens the whole planet...saw many years ago that the next (and possibly last) world war was going to be over oil in the Middle East. The Earth IS now in an extinction crisis, not just for humans but for most multicellular life forms. That makes us all endangered. Whether you define the present moment in history as World War 3 is really just a matter of semantics. Knowing this, shouldn't we each feel called to work on saving the world rather than watching that baseball game?
Jim
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Celunol
celunol.com
Arkenol.com
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"fuels from living creatures"

"reengineered the metabolism of yeast to ferment sugar into pure hydrocarbon fuels...industrial chemicals, plastics..."

"Sugarcane is much better than corn at 'fixing' carbon..."

GreatPoint Energy "'hydrocrack' hydrogen
"biomass to methane"
"coal to methane"

headline - Scientific Breakthrough Fixes Problem Caused by Last Scientific Breakthrough

Amyris Biotechnologies - gas and diesel from sugar...straw, wood chips...

Earth, the Sequel
The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming
by Fred Krupp 2008

The Environmental Defense Fund's Fred Krupp on the Best Capitalist Climate Solutions
wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/16-03/st_krupp
...Wired: How so?

Krupp: In 1992, the EDF worked with Bush Sr. to craft a market system to reduce acid rain. It spurred a revolution in sulfur dioxide scrubbing technologies. The costs were projected at up to $2,000 a ton, but after 10 years they were down to about $100 a ton and emissions were slashed by 50 percent. In 2005, George W. Bush signed off on an additional 70 percent cut. Why? The costs proved so low, the political controversy had disappeared. I suspect the same thing can happen with a cap on global warming emissions once the incentives are right...

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foodfromthehood.com
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federationsoutherncoop.com
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greencommunitiesonline.org
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groundworkprovidence.org
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gridalternatives.org
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Greencorps Chicago
cityofchicago.org/Environment
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greenworker.coop
======
growinghomeinc.org
isles.org
laofamilynet.org
======
Los Angeles Conservation Corps
lacorps.org
======
milwaukeecommunityservicecorps.org
mobetterfood.com
mothersonthemove.org
nativemovement.org
======
New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
nyceja.org
======
Office of Applied Innovations
oaiinc.org
======
Pacific Energy Center
pge.com/pec
======
peoplesgrocery.org
======
risingsunenergy.org
======
secondchanceinc.org
======
Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles
see-la.org
======
solarrichmond.org
======
Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice
sneej.org
======
urbanhabitat.org
workplace.org
======
St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corps
stnicksnpc.org
======
Sustainable South Bronx
ssbx.org
======

gpuac.org
======
gardenproject.org
======
Industrial Hemp Farming Act
brasschecktv.com/page/591.html
======
connectgreenfield.com
wiwavshell.org
1sky.org
arc.org
stateinnovation.org/policy.php
cows.org
energyactioncoalition.org
engagenet.org
intertribalcoup.org
civicworks.com/bmghome.html
cityofboston.gov/bra/bostonez/index.html
borderecoweb.sdsu.edu
self-sufficiency.org
livingeconomies.org
======
Center for Environmental Policy and Management
cepm.louisville.edu
======
dcgreenworks.org
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Center for Integrated Waste Management
ciwm.buffalo.edu
======
cbecal.org
builditgreen.org
======
East Bay Conservation Corps
ebcc-school.org
======
ellabakercenter.org
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Food From the Hood
foodfromthehood.com
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American Council on Renewable Energy
acore.org
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"Arthur Hanes" "Hayes Aircraft" "Viola Luizzo" "Gary Thomas Rowe"
Haynes" "Hayes Aircraft" Liuzzo
+
namebase.org/main2/Hayes-Aircraft-Corporation.html

+
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loe.org
biofertilizer biopesticide
sri
sri farming water seeds
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Hello Diana

Perhaps a thumbnail sketch of wonderful people driving this growing movement
will best serve all of us. We can see the energy flow.

Pittsburgh has been acknowledged for the number of community gardens. We are
a city of multi-cultural neighborhoods.

We have the most vacant land next to Detroit. We are a city creating a green
transformation with the help of our new administration under the leadership
of Mayor O'Conner and Gov. Rendell.

We have the most LEEDS buildings in the country due to Green Building
Alliance.

There is one 5 ac. farm in Allegheny County, Mildred's Daughters, teaching
families how to farm and do natural building.

Garden Dreams is just outside the city limits where Mindy Schwartz grows
3,000 seedlings in her basement that is licensed as a greenhouse. She has a half
acre plot in the middle of three houses. These two entities have created Grow
Pittsburgh, a non-profit. Distribution happens through e-mail and a working
relationship with Construction Junction, a recycling center. Mindy identifies
products for organic growing and sells them at the center. She also provides
food for a historic site that has an upscale cafe.

Healcrest Farm is growing in Garfield as a community center growing herbs.
This is one of our communities experiencing alot of unrest. For three years I
have been working to identify and put to work two acres of land close to
Healcrest Farm. There is an opportunity to create a working demonstration farming
site on this land.

The Urban Farming Initiative has worked over three years in spinning off
Green Lots helping people identify in their neighborhood's spaces to be
transformed into green areas.
We now have two lots in the East End about to be transformed into growing
areas.

The models I am working with is The Food Project in Boston, and the Food
Trust in Philadelphia. These two ten year old organizations are mentoring groups
around the country by teleconferences and workshops. I would not have as much
hope as I do if it were not for the young people in Boston growing close to
250,000 pounds of food last year
through their CSA in Lincoln on Conservation land and two acres in Roxbury
with food sold there in their own farmers market. In addition they have
purchased a church in Roxbury with a commercial kitchen where the youth learn
catering skills and feed the homeless. The youth are paid through their efforts!

There is not a day that goes by that I do not hold these youth in my mind as
a beautiful example of work that truely transforms lives in our urban centers.

We have one of the finest examples of a social enterprise in the country with
Bidwell Training Center. Growing food in greenhouses is one of the focused
trainings available to the community.

Penn State University and the Extension Center are potential resourses for
the city. Penn State has created high tunnels for growing year round and Bill
Lamont, Horticulture Dept. has held onto a dream of a farm in the city since
the early 80's.

My dream for UFI 2 is to have a 5 ac. space that would no doubt be various
diverse lots in a given area growing demonstration crops for an existing market
that has identified itself through the "Buy Fresh Buy Local" movement
spearheaded by PASA(Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture) Farmers to
Institution movement. I believe this is one of the biggest social movements of
our time.

We have an organization called Sustainable Pittsburgh that is doing a great
job looking at technology but not food. The core business community has not
really taken hold of sustainable agricuture in the city as a viable piece of
development. As gas prices continue to climb and food prices do the same there
will be no choice. Like Cuba we will all be growing food on all our vacant
land and rooftops, as well as parking lots. Our health will improve over time,
our communities will become safer, our air cleaner, the visuals will be
breathetaking. A new ethic for aesthetics and a return of fruit trees and berry
bushes will grace our cities. Wildlife will return.

In order to fill this vacum of the developers not including space to grow in
the city, I have contacted Carniege Mellon University, Indira Nair, Vice
Provost who will help me sponsor a major speaking/experiental series starting in
January of '07, She will be designing a course around the speakers for students
to take the information from people like Dave Jacke, Edible Forest Gardening
right into community plots and work with families in these areas.

We will learn about Permaculture, Gaia University, The Food Project will
bring youth here with their Executive Director.

I would not be thinking along these lines if it were not for people within
the food industry itself pushing for the local food system to be in place:
Jamie Moore of Eat's Park, for ten years this company has sought out local food
for their restaurtant and catering services. Whole Food and Kim Wyneski,
Community Development Coodinator will be creating a childrens market in the parking
lot this summer. Can we deliver plants, food, products grown with the help of
children is the challenge.

There is another entity doing a great job here in Pittsburgh and that is Slow
Food Pittsburgh who will be paying a tribute to Bill Fuller of Big Burritos
Group that have established the finest restaurtants and lead the pack in
purchasing locally grown food. Slow Food keeps their pulse on the Buy Fresh Buy
Local movement and is continually introducing local products to the foodies.

I am hoping Slow Food will sponsor Alice Waters coming to Pittsburgh as she
begins a first food festival in San Francisco in '07 with the hope of moving it
across the country.

UFI's mission is to use horticulture for economic development and education
starting in early development and working our way through the high school
systems providing materials and opportunities to do hands on work in the earth.
Connecting our communities to the soil with hands on technology.

Last but not least is Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Permaculture Farm in
Sandy Lake, Pa.
Darrell built his own Bio-dynamic Greenhouse ten years ago and provides salad
greens and herbs to the finest restaurants in Pittsburgh. A grandfather who
gives to the city and to his local community in endless ways, just received
his BA degree and will be teaching farming to youth in a whole educational
system built around an orphange, adding a permaculture design to over 300 acres
they own. It is Darrell's greenhouse I am waiting to see built in the center of
the Lincoln Larimor area as an educational site connecting the vacant
demonstration sites.

Follow the energy and identify the people with the same passion you feel. We
will be looking to you for our inspiration.

Peace in the garden
Carole Walsh
Urban Farming Initiative 2
412-362-5501
406 So. Fairmount St.
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15232

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