Archive for Event
November 9, 2008 at 5:48 am
· Filed under Event ·Tagged Electric Vehicle, EV, Go Green Expo, Life Time Building Supply, Miles, Mt Ararat, ReVision Energy, Sustainability Now, Topsham, USM, WGME 13
The Miles all electric truck has a range of 50-60 miles at 25mph for about 2 cents per mile of electricity.
Despite what Kermit the frog says, it’s not easy being green. If it was easy to be green, we all would be green. Being green in an un-green world is especially hard and takes constant attention. If it were easy to be green I would certainly be greener than I am. You may call me a hypocrite but I don’t have an electric car, I don’t compost, and I don’t have solar panels on my roof. I’m not as green as I could be yet but I’m on my way.
Now before we start beating ourselves up for not being green enough, its worth pointing out that the whole point of being green is to be as green as you can, when you can. The point is not to be as green as someone else. You can’t measure yourself by another person’s green ruler or you’ll just never measure up.
That said, the Go Green Expo today in the Mt. Ararat high school gym in Topsham was all about teaching people how to get started on their own green path. The focus of the expo was on goods and services for you and your home. There were vendors at the expo today ranging from green contractors that could build your house to green home products that can help you live in your house, and everything in between. Read the rest of this entry »
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November 7, 2008 at 4:02 am
· Filed under Event ·Tagged Denmark, Energy, Portland Museum of Art, Renewable Energy, Samso, Soren Hermarsen, Sustainability, Turbine, USM, Wind
50 Meter tall wind turbines off the coast of Samso Island, Denmark. (Photographer Unknown)
Soren Hermansen approaches the stage. He is a tall, middle aged man with a European accent that slightly resembles Steve Jobs. He begins his lecture by telling us a little about his Island in the middle of Denmark called Samso Island. He also pointed out that his name in Danish is Søren, where in the ‘ø’ is the single letter in Danish which means island. He is here in Maine to talk about sustainable energy in island communities. If you think your electric bill is rough, island residents in Maine pay between 2 and 4 times the main land rate. The point that Soren is trying to drive home is that islands make a great location to harvest abundant sustained winds and by doing so, Maine island residents could not only generate all of their own power but also sell some back to the main land to create a negative carbon footprint. Read the rest of this entry »
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November 6, 2008 at 10:05 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, Green Drinks, Maine Rock Gym, Portland, Ted Regan, USM
Portland Green Drinks will be making its monthly meeting on Tuesday November 11 from 5:30-8:00 at the Maine Rock Gym. This will be my first Green Drinks event but from what I saw at the Bioneers conference, it should be great. The Bioneers conference and Green Drinks both have something to do with Ted Regan who I’m hoping to get a chance to meet at Green Drinks.
A start up group I am involved in called Sustainability Now will be having a get together at a location to be announced, before the event to discuss, introduce, and generally shmooze about sustainability so we are all warmed up and pre-gamed for the big event. We are planning on meeting at USM around 4 and then walking to the TBA bar before we walk to Maine Rock Gym. If you’re interested, leave a comment.
If you can’t make it, no worries. I’m bringing my camera and iPod to take notes so I can report back on the site.
To find out more from the official website <a href=”http://portlandgreendrinks.com/Portland,_ME_Greendrinks/Home.html”>Click Here</a>.
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October 19, 2008 at 5:30 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, USM
Gail Darrell
Tom gave a great introduction to many of the issues facing communities that are fighting corporations last night. Today, Gail brought some first hand experience of her dealings with corporations in her town.
Did you know that New Hampshire has a provision written it’s constitution that states citizen responsibility and duty bound, when confronted by a law that doesn’t work, to revolt against it and replace it with a law that does work. That’s just one of the things that Gail and Tom learned as they set out to protect their town from a Nestle bottling plant. Thankfully the New Hampshire constitution made it easier for the communities to work the issues than in Pennsylvania but its still not over. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 19, 2008 at 3:23 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, USM
Wampanoag Elder and Teacher Gkisebtanamoogk prepares for his presentation.
Gkisebtanamoogk has a very rich experience to say the least. If you listen to the way he speaks, it’s obvious that his cautious and calm nature are a reflection of his wisdom attained after many years of the experience.
He spoke about how this recent trend if reconnecting to nature by the public consciousness is simply seeking to replicate the traditions, beliefs, and actions his people have been living for their entire history. There is nothing like being one of the people living the American lifestyle and getting a very powerful ‘I told ya so.’ it’s a very powerful message that we’ll take home. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 19, 2008 at 2:16 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged Art, bioneers, kindle, USM
June shows us some photographs of one artists work that created a wheat field in downtown NYC.
We need to take on the environment issues in a multifaceted way. Art is one if the facets in which we can address the issues facing the environment and make an emotional connection with people in order to foster a change in public policy.
June gave the audience numerous examples of how artists are working to highlight environmental issues through art, sculpture, and environmental installations. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 19, 2008 at 2:05 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, USM
Talk about high energy! The participants of this mornings presentations were lead by Emma Holder through a very vibrant session of dancing and music.
She started at the back and made her way down the aisle to the stage in a very robust dance. By the time she reached the stage the entire audience was clapping to the beat. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 19, 2008 at 1:29 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, USM
Katherine outlines the ITNAmerica network and how it provides affordable transportation to the elderly.
Katherine outlined her efforts to create a transportation system to address the issue of an aging generation.
She highlights that in the past 100 years we have added 30 years to our lifespan. The percent of change in longevity has increased more in the last 100 years than in the previous 50,000.
Elderly drivers are all to often unable or unwilling to drive but still need to meet the needs of life outside of their homes in the community and beyond. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 19, 2008 at 12:36 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, USM
There was a set back in Mission Recuclable last night. The facilities manager had already taken out all the bags.
Yesterdy Eric F. Had informed me that not only the paper plates but also the plastic cups and cutlary are recyclable which leads me to think that all the garbage from this event can be composted.
However, it should be noted that there is a difference between trash and compost. Trash in a landfill no matter how compostable or biodegradable will break down in the absence of air and water. They have dug up and identified thirty year old vegetables from land fills that haven’t degraded yet.
I’m going to try and grab a facilities person today and see if we can get all the trash and compost it.
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October 18, 2008 at 8:51 pm
· Filed under Event ·Tagged bioneers, kindle, Legal Defense Fund, Nestle, Tom Lenzey, USM
Tom Lenzey talking speaks to the inability for regulation to protect community interests.
Tom explains that throughout this country the legal policies in place have been established to benefit the corporations and not the people. There has also been a weaving of corporate interest throughout government procedure.
He had a very honest view about the reality of regulation saying “The only thing environmental regulations regulate are environmentalists” because it makes the environmentalists predictable. He went on to say that any freedoms that we perceive to have in this so called democracy are wholly contained within the box of rules written by corporations. Laws are written to support business and not the people in the communities. Read the rest of this entry »
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