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WISHING YOU HAPPY HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!
FIRST THURSDAY, December 6, 2007
Note: Change of venue this month
Time: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Click the first item on the left, below "IN THIS ISSUE," for details.
Our annual Holiday Party for EFM members and Class 35 students will be held at the home of David and Marilyn McConnell on December 16, 2007, between 5 and 8 p.m.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
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Saturday Course on Environmental Sustainability
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Beginning Saturday, February 2, 2008
Applications for the Environmental Forum of Marin's Sustainable Communities Seminar Series are now being accepted.
The Seminar Series runs for seven Saturdays and is designed for decision makers of all types, including voters, business people, and public employees. This is the perfect alternative to our longer program (Sustainable Earth Forum) for those who only have weekends available.
A key part of the Seminar Series is the time it provides for interaction with our speakers--college and university instructors, politicians, business people and environmental activists--who have real-world experience in creating, deciding or implementing policies for environmental sustainability.
In addition, the Seminar Series is eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) in conjunction with The Dominican University of California.
The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin offers a full scholarship to a West Marin resident who would like to take this class. For details call Fred Smith (A3) , Executive Director, 415 663-9312.
For more information and an application click the link below or email the Director at Seminar@MarinEFM.org with your questions.
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Application Info and Flyer |
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Earth Forum Report
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The Earth Forum course is now past the halfway mark with very positive student feedback :
EFM is changing my life and making me very conscious of my daily choices & actions and how they are connected to the issues of the environment around me, as well as how I can be involved in change.
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Click here for info on the Earth Forum program schedule |
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Julie Grantz
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Honorary EFM Life Member Julie Grantz (Class 19) passed away peacefully on the afternoon of November 29th in Kaiser Hospital, Terra Linda.
Julie was the current EFM Historian and held the office of EFM President in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She served as Training Director with Karol Raymer in 1992-93, with Jane Bowen in 1993-94 and with Nancy McKean in 1994-95.
Julie had long been active in education and women's issues as well. The Environmental Forum, and our entire community, suffer a serious loss with her passing. We will miss her.
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Community Education Outing to MMWD
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On November 9th, Janet Klein, Vegetation Ecologist for Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), led a group on a field trip into the Mt. Tamalpais watershed to learn about the progress being made on the management of invasive French broom.
The District operates under a 1994 Vegetation Management Plan, which directs MMWD to aggressively manage invasive species, but with greater emphasis on fire protection than biodiversity.
The plan is in the process of being updated, taking advantage of new research in this area. The update will certainly involve public discussion, mainly about whether the current moratorium on use of herbicides should be lifted so they can be applied to individual broom plants in some areas.
A summary of what we saw and learned is posted on the EFM members-only web area.
Photo: Janet Klein (kneeling) and Mike Swezy (right) describe the aggressive French broom to (L to R) Ginger Souders-Mason (Class 9), Marilyn McConnell (Class 30), Kathy Cuneo (Founding Class), David Weinsoff, (Fairfax Town Council), and Bruce Ackerman (Class 34).
Submitted by Bruce Ackerman (Community Education Committee Chair)
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Tour of NorCal Transfer Station
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Many thanks to Marilyn McConnell (Class 30) for arranging the November 17th tour of the San Francisco NorCal transfer station where all waste collected in the city is separated or shipped off to more remote facilities.
We were given a presentation about the operation and saw the Construction and Deconstruction facility.
In addition to seeing the huge waste stream upclose (see photo) and the innovative artist-in-residence program, we were able to explore the interesting ramifications of the "single-stream" recycling approach.
The city gives households separate collection bins for recycling (mixed), for green waste and compostables (mixed), and for all other items (destined for the landfill).
We hope to arrange a tour of the recycling portion of this facility, so stay tuned.
Submitted by Bruce Ackerman (Community Education Committee Chair)
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A Bird's Eye View of the Oil Spill
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EFM President, David McConnell (Class 27), piloted a Lighthawk flight to observe the November 8th oil spill in San Francisco Bay. This aerial photo of Marin's Rodeo Beach clean-up was taken by local photographer Rob Badger. LightHawk is the largest and oldest volunteer-based environmental aviation organization in North America. It makes more than 700 flights each year for hundreds of partners in ten countries throughout North and Central America.
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LightHawk Website |
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2007 Environmental Leader Award Goes to Marty Griffin
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December 6, 2007, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Marty Griffin, a founding member of the Environmental Forum of Marin and Audubon Canyon Ranch, will be presented this prestigious award by last year's honoree, Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan (Class 30).
Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction at
Embassy Suites Hotel,
101 McInnis Parkway,
San Rafael, CA
For more information call 415-485-4908, ext 3
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See EECOM's Website |
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Word of the Year: Locavore
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If you attended the Environmental Forum of Marin's 2006 Annual luncheon, you heard guest speaker Jessica Prentice talk about the Locavore movement that she, Jen Maiser, Sage van Wingand and DeDe Sampson formed.
Recently the word locavore was honored by the New Oxford American Dictionary as the 2007 Word of the Year.
The Locavore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers' markets or even to grow or pick their own food and shun supermarket offerings since shipping food over long distances requires fuel for transportation.
Photo: (Left to Right) - Jen Maiser, Jessica Prentice, Sage Van Wing, and DeDe Sampson
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Join the Locavores |
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Plastic Bags Not Recycled in Marin
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Current Earth Forum student Barbara Lovejoy and immediate past president Solvig Palm-Nicholls (Class 28) have spent the last couple of months giving presentations on plastic to various church and community groups around Marin County. Their series of talks was organized by Green Sangha and will continue throughout spring 2008.
No plastic bags, oil based or biodegradable, are recycled here in Marin. They all end up in landfill where they remain for hundreds of years. Many of us mistakenly think that biodegradable plastics are broken down in landfill. But in order to break down, biodegradable plastics must be subjected to levels of temperature and moisture that can only be provided by composting facilities. Such facilities, do not exist today in Marin County.
Both Barbara and Solvig emphasize that single-use bags and bottles are a terrible waste of our world's resources and contribute to global warming. Most plastics are used just once and are thereafter thrown away. As part of their talks, they give examples of alternatives to the use of disposable plastic containers.
Submitted by Solvig Palm-Nicholls
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Plastic Bags on the Way Out?
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Hooray for the city of San Francisco! Beginning November 20th, large grocery stores in that city were no longer allowed to use traditional plastic bags in their checkout lines.
In the UK nearly 80 towns say they intend to introduce their own bans. And last week 33 London boroughs declared they would seek a law on the issue.
All this started because a BBC camerawoman named Rebecca Hosking began a campaign to eliminate the use of plastic bags in her home town. She was outraged at the effects of plastic pollution on marine life she saw while filming in Hawaii. When she came home to Modbury in Devon, she persuaded the town to ban plastic bags, inspiring towns and cities across the world to follow suit.
Last month she was honored for her efforts at the British Environment and Media Awards, receiving the Andrew Lees Memorial award.
Even Prime Minister Gordon Brown noticed Rebecca Hosking. In his first significant green speech he said he would call a meeting of all supermarkets to see how the plastic bag could be eliminated. "Every year in Britain, over 13 billion single-use carrier bags are distributed - over 10 bags a week for every household. I am convinced we can eliminate single-use bags altogether in favor of long-lasting and more sustainable alternatives."
Makes you think.
Submitted by Sherry Stanton (Class 29)
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Read Guardian article |
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EFM Members Create Eco-friendly Garden
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Master Gardeners Karen Halvorsen (Class 31) and Pat Compton (Class 31) have created an eco-friendly garden in Larkspur connected with the Marin Brain Injury Network on College of Marin property.
Their garden will be featured in the second Eco-Friendly Garden Tour, to be held May 17 - 18, 2008
Calling all Professional Landscapers and Home-Gardeners: Applications to have YOUR garden on tour are being accepted now through March 2008.
There is no fee to apply.
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For application info |
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Backyard Organic Vegetable Gardening
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During WWII, ordinary citizens of the United States raised 40 percent of their vegetables by planting Victory gardens in backyards, on rooftops, and on corner lots to ensure an adequate food supply for civilians and troops. Government agencies, private foundations, businesses, schools, and seed companies all worked together to provide land, instruction, and seeds for individuals and communities to grow food.
With this in mind, Francine Allen is offering classes, free of charge, to beginning or non-gardeners at the Dance Palace in Point Reyes Station on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., January 12th to March 15th.
Learn the basics of raising vegetables and fruits organically. Visit the gardens of community growers. View demonstrations of basic gardening techniques.
Class is limited to 30; please register only if committed to the entire course. To register, call 663-1075 or email fa@horizoncable.com
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Dance Palace Website |
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Member News
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Frank Binney (Class 25) has written the text in a remarkable book of aerial photos by renowned aerial photographer Robert Campbell. Look out for "Point Reyes and the San Andreas Fault" when it hits the local bookstores sometime in January. To see a large copy of the bookjacket go to http://www.marinefm.org/EventData/Enews_2007_12/PointReyesHardcoverJacket.pdf
Marie Kerpan (Class 28), Founder of Green Careers, the first consulting practice supporting the transition to careers that promote sustainability, has joined the faculty of the Green MBA program at Dominican University.
The ENews Team is Expanding....
We now have both Pat Compton (Class 31) and Al Brewster (Class 33) working with Sherry Stanton (Class 29) to bring you the latest news from the Environmental Forum of Marin. Thanks to John Nygren, EFM Webmaster, who uploads photos and past ENews into our Website.
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