green fire times july 2012 edition

Vol. 4, No. 7July 2012 New Mexico’s FiFth Largest circuLatioN Newspaper

Farm Bill • EnErgy EFFiciEncy • SoStEnga

News & Views FroM the sustaiNabLe southwest

thE EdEn gardEnS ProjEct LocaL Food & eNergy security

World rEnEWaBlE EnErgy Forum 2012it’S in thE WatEr: risk iN perspectiVe

thriVe: what oN earth wiLL it take?aN iNterView with Foster aNd kiMberLy gaMbLe

Green Fire Times • July 20122 www.GreenFireTimes.com

July 2012 • GreenFireTimes 3www.GreenFireTimes.com

From the editor

As regular readers of Green Fire Times may know, this publication often covers topics having to do with the interre-lationship of community, culture, the environment and the regional economy. Some editions are developed around

particular themes, such as Renewable Energy, Sustainable Tourism, Healthy Living, or next month’s Native American Green: Indigenous Solutions. Occasionally, however, as article submissions come in, a theme we had not intended pres-ents itself. Such is the case this month as a number of articles, in different ways, address concepts of Societal Change and Activism.

The interview with Foster and Kimberly Gamble, producers of the film THRIVE, is a case in point. THRIVE examines how our current systemic societal illness op-erates. The film discusses existing networks that enable a remarkably few people to shape the world’s economy, and, according to author John Robbins, determine what is known and what is not, which views are accepted and which are not, what priori-ties and values prevail, whether we will live in war or peace, and how our treasures will be spent. “Their worldview is riddled with fear and ignorance of the abun-dance of nature and the love and interconnectedness that is our essence,” says Foster Gamble. The solutions the Gambles and THRIVE’s “solution groups” propose to transition from “corporate personhood” to a sustainable economy are grounded in things that we all can do that don’t take a lot of time and money.

The Eden Gardens Project article presents a practical approach to self-reliance. It is an off-grid integrated local food and energy production system that is not dependent on a potentially vulnerable supply chain. On a related note, you will also find a group of articles related to our region’s water supply, and what dedicated individuals and groups have been doing to address potential significant threats of contamination.

As these individuals and groups working for change around the world take the skills and passions they have been using so effectively locally, and get aligned philosophically and electronically, it’s what author Paul Hawken describes as the greatest emerging social movement in history. One of the key ways to support this movement is to support independent media, such as this publication, because it fosters these types of conversations.

Vol. 4, No. 7 • July 2012Issue No. 39Publisher

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Green Fire Times provides useful informa-tion for anyone: community members, business people, students, visitors—interested in discov-ering the wealth of opportunities and resources available in our region. Knowledgeable writers provide articles on subjects ranging from green businesses, products, services, entrepreneurship, jobs, design, building, energy and investing—to sustainable agriculture, arts & culture, ecotour-ism, education, regional food, water, the healing arts, local heroes, native perspectives, natural re-sources, recycling, transportation and more. Sun Companies publications seek to provide our readers with informative articles that support a more sustainable planet. To our publisher this means maximizing personal as well as environ-mental health by minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol.

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ContentsWorld reneWable energy Forum 2012 . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 5

The eden gardens ProjecT: Food and energy securiTy .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 9

The urban sTore in albuquerque . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..11

The local Voice: groWing green, groWing local .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..13

ThriVe: an inTerVieW WiTh FosTer and Kimberly gamble . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..15

Faren dancer’s unicoPia green: The eVoluTion oF consciousness . .. . .. . .. . ..17

susTainable enTerPrises: neTrooTs naTion . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..19

sosTenga! iT’s in The WaTer: risK in PersPecTiVe . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..20

Toxic chemicals dumPed inTo neW mexico’s WaTerWays .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..20

commemoraTion oF hisToric clean WaTer acT seTTlemenT . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..21

culTural enTrePreneurshiP: sanTa Fe WalKabouTs .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..25

eVeryday green: The green connecTion in TraVel .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..27

reTire your Way: aFTer WorKing, WhaT?.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..33

neWsbiTes . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..35

WhaT’s going on.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..38

COVER: CosmiC Kernel • Photo © Elliott McDowell www.ElliottMcDowell.com • Represented by Andrew Smith Gallery – Santa Fe, New MexicoGreen Fire Times is not to be confused with the Green Fire Report, an in-house quarterly publication of the New Mexico environmental Law Center. the NMeLC can be accessed online at: www.nmelc.org.

tHRIVe Solutions Model, page 15


Sustainable Business Summit

July 26, 2012 Hyatt Regency, Downtown Albuquerque, NM

Better Your Bottom LineLearn about setting up “Green Teams” moving to solar,

reducing waste, supplying locally, smart water and energy conservation, and reaching the green consumer.

Recognize New Mexico’s Sustainable business leaders with awards for:

Sustainable Business Leader Sustainable Product Sustainable Builder Sustainable Business Sustainable WorkplaceFor more information, visit: www.nmgreenchamber.com


Renewable eneRgy

CoNtINueD oN PAGe 6

In mid-May, downtown Denver became the renewable energy hot

spot of the world. The American So-lar Energy Society’s (ASES) annual conference was combined, for the first time, with the World Renewable En-ergy Forum and the International Solar Energy Society. Solar energy was fea-tured, along with hydroelectric, wind energy, biofuels, bio char, wave power and more. Experts in all fields pre-sented technical papers, new goals and achievements. The Denver Convention Center showed off its 300-kw photo-voltaic system, installed by Namasté Solar, a Colorado company. The system provides 14-25 percent of the facility’s electricity.

We were presented with a worldwide view of renewable energies happen-ing now and for what looks to be a very bright near future. But it’s not an easy path. There are choices that need to be made and hurdles to be jumped. Many of the main prob-lems are political rather than tech-nical. Many speakers pointed this

out to us many times in many ways. Each morning began with a plenary session. The speakers included US Energy Secretary Chu, Bruce Oreck, US Ambassador to Finland, Dan Ar-vizu, director of the National Renew-able Energy Laboratory and Ed Maz-ria of Architecture 2030. All of these talks were positive, pointed out the directions we must go and the chal-lenges we face. By 10:25 am we were broken-up into technical tracks deal-ing with many issues simultaneously. There were also forums, fast tracks, poster sessions, training workshops and a World Trade Fair showcasing the latest technologies.

My focus was climatically designed buildings. I was presented with a va-riety of options on that track alone. There are buildings in various parts of the world that have been artfully de-signed and built to meet or exceed the Architecture 2030 Challenge. These integrated designs are already working as planned. Their inspiring architecture blends with nature. I saw west-side fa-çades covered with shades that moved in the wind and became kinetic pieces of art. Daylighting technology, utiliz-ing the advantages of natural light, has also become an art form proven to ben-efit occupants’ health and productivity. Landscaping has come a long way in its ability to modify climate around a building, collect and process water, promote wildlife, provide usable out-door spaces, save water, energy and the client’s money.

It was nice to see a strong presence of New Mexico solar businesses and in-dustry. NM Solar Energy Association members came from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Gallup, Silver City and Las Cruces and proudly repre-sented our state at caucuses, technical sessions and general discussions. New Mexico companies such as Schott and Affordable Solar were part of the trade fair. Among NM’s VIP diplo-mats were Ed Mazria, Doug Balcomb and Marlene Brown. At the awards banquet, I was honored with a lifetime achievement award. I shared the Pas-sive Solar Pioneer Award with Edna Shaviv, an architect and professor from the Israeli Institute of Technol-ogy. We were fortunate to have time to get to know each other and prom-ised to continue communicating and sharing technical information. I was able to spend time with people from various parts of the world where there are many unbelievable projects.

Several projects particularly impressed me. The largest was the Desertec Industry Initiative, a multinational group working to generate electricity from concentrated solar in the Sa-hara Desert. The energy is intended not only to take care of northern Af-rica; it will also provide 15 percent of Europe’s needs via high-efficiency

transmission lines under the Mediterranean Sea. This multibillion-dollar project, funded by the World Bank and other conglomerates, includes countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Mo-rocco and Tunisia. Thermal energy storage will guarantee power 24 hours a day. When advantageous, wind genera-tors along the western coast of Africa will be integrated into the system. Much of the work and research for this project was done at San-dia Labs in Albuquerque, financed by the US govern-ment. Countries such as Germany, Spain and Sweden are also to be part of the project. Desertec now has 56 partners in 15 countries.

The impact of the federal government on RE was clearly stated by Energy Sec. Chu and Undersecretary Doro-thy Robyn of the Dept. of Defense. The DOD uses the most money on the largest amount of land, owns the most buildings and uses more energy than any other department in our gov-ernment. The need for national secu-rity and energy independence is a key justification for their pursuit of energy conservation in buildings and utiliza-tion of renewable energies. The scale at which the DOD utilizes these two

technologies makes a major impact on manufacturing costs and implementa-tion on a national scale. They plan to have 3-gw of RE by 2025 and $1.1 bil-lion in energy retrofits alone in 2013. The US Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in the Mojave Desert re-gion of California has a 270-mw geo-thermal plant that has been operating since 1987. Careful post-evaluation of the DOD’s RE initiatives has led to better programs and more efficient technologies. The money spent by the DOD alone creates many jobs and third-party businesses, as well as major savings to the government.

Colorado had its chance to shine in the sun at the conference. Former Gov.

World reneWable energy Forum 2012Mark Chalom

uS energy Secretary Steven Chu was one of the plenary speakers.

Namasté Solar installed this 300 KW solar electric system for the Denver Convention Center.

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Denver’s big blue bear looking in on the forum


Energy Forumcontinued from page 5

CoNtINueD oN PAGe 30

Ritter spoke at the awards banquet. He is a strong believer in renewable ener-gy, especially for economic growth and creation of clean jobs. Colorado has more RE jobs per capita than any other state and now has more than 1500 RE companies, including three wind tur-bine factories and three photovoltaic module factories. Gov. Ritter worked with Colorado’s Excel Energy to de-velop RE. Many Colorado RE projects have received national awards.

The National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL), a co-host of the con-ference, had bragging rights to one of the most impressive buildings built to date. The Research Support Facility, a LEED-Platinum, zero-energy build-ing with carbon neutral operations, is a 360,000-sq. ft. building housing 1,300 employees. It incorporates pho-to-chromatic and thermal-chromatic windows, east and west. Passive solar and daylighting is very well designed,

with highly reflec-tive solar louvers on the south, maximiz-ing daylight while minimizing glare. With open interior workspaces, no one is more than 30 feet from a day-lit win-dow. The building generates 1.6 mw of photovoltaic power through a Power Purchase Agree-ment; NREL does not own the sys-tem and pays a third party for its pow-er. The walls are well insulated and incorporate a sandwich of concrete thermal mass. Aside from looking at every energy and material issue pos-sible, they closely reviewed operations and human interactions. Occupants are notified on their computer when it’s a nice day outside, suggesting that they open up their windows for natu-ral ventilation and comfort. The day-lighting works so well, rarely is task lighting turned on. Even the janitors work during the day to minimize use of lights at night.

In 2006 Ed Mazria was a keynote speaker at ASES. At that time he was studying the impact buildings have on global energy usage. Energy that went into building and maintaining build-ings had not even really been evalu-ated, compared to transportation and industry usage. It was shocking to dis-cover that buildings were responsible for 40 percent of US energy usage. At that time Architecture 2030 was in its infancy, and Ed was starting to under-stand what was technically achievable to reduce a building’s carbon impact. He began to figure out the progression

and stepped goals necessary to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

This year Ed was proud to announce how many architecture schools, archi-tecture companies, the US Council of Mayors, most cities, states, the federal government and many countries have taken on Architecture 2030’s goals. He said that many architectural firms have already achieved carbon neutrality. This was a very uplifting presentation.

The Emerging Architecture Session was also very inspiring. The buildings presented use much less energy (well beyond LEED’s standards), push per-formance, provide social and com-munity benefits and are catalysts for great change. We are now starting to address campus and citywide scales with regenerative ecology and build-ings that learn and change. The Liv-ing Building Challenge is being met by many architectural firms. Here are some fine examples:

The Kensington High School for Cre-ative and Performing Arts (Philadel-phia, PA) – This net-zero building is so inspiring, the graduation rate went from 30 to 70 percent.

Chandler City Hall (AZ) – This is an infill Brownfield site and the anchor for a downtown revitalization district. It incorporates stainless steel plates hinged so that they become an art piece as well as a western shade screen. This is a building that truly inspires.

The Vancouver Convention Center incorporates a 6-acre green roof – the largest in Canada. It is a living ma-chine; a regenerative ecology that pro-cesses all on-site wastewater as well as wastewater from visiting cruise ships. The building’s foundation was designed to provide fish habitat. The roof incorporates four beehives.

The Arizona State University Poly-technic Campus Building (Phoenix, AZ) celebrates the value of water, engaging all of the site’s storm water, developing a wonderful landscape en-vironment. This encourages students to interact with the building and the community.

The Empire State Building (NYC) and its energy retrofit, which includes new windows, radiant barriers, con-trols for air handling and air-condi-

the new zero-energy, LeeD Platinum Research Support Facility on the NReL Campus in Golden, Colorado is already achieving carbon neutrality.

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ed Mazria of the Santa Fe-based Architecture 2030


Chimney Cleaning, Woodstove RepaiR and installation, insuRanCe inspeCtions, peaCe of mind


local Self-Reliance

continued on page 10

If trucking were curtailed or some natural or political event stopped

the flow of food shipments to your city, how many days could you sur-vive? Please consider this carefully, because this question has multilayered answers and almost innumerable so-cial implications. How many days?

One fact to consider is that if trucking were curtailed or our interstate high-way system made ineffective, ship-ments of petroleum products would cease as well. This would affect rail and other shipping. Without shipments of fuel—oil, gas, diesel, coal—the utility system would suffer the same shortfall as your pantry. You would not have fuel for travel or electricity for cook-ing, air conditioning, hot water, com-munications or lighting. How many days could your firewood, charcoal or candles provide for you?

If transportation and shipping were disrupted, and the food, water and public utility systems failed, and there was no refrigeration, TV or radio, what would your life be like? How would you feed your family? How would you make money? How would you get food and medicine? How would you stay warm, dry or cool? How would you care for and protect those you love?

agriCulture and Food seCtor Vulnerability? The eden Gardens ProjecT has an answer.Ben B. Boothe, Sr.

We are dependent upon a supply chain that could collapse. Food pro-duction, distributed energy and inde-pendent sources of essential elements are a matter of critical national se-curity. The ancient Egyptians, Zoro-astrians, Greeks, and on to modern scholars and scientists, reaffirm the essential elements of survival: Fire (energy), Water, Air, Land and Food Production.

In the Los Angeles area, 400,000 peo-ple experience “food insecurity” on a daily basis, according to the LA Dept. of Public Health. This is in “ordinary” times! How many more would be im-pacted if there were no food, water, electricity, communications or trans-portation available?

A recent meeting of environmental and social experts concluded that Los Angeles has a food stockpile of two days, after which the grocery shelves would be bare. New York City has three days of food stockpiles; Chi-cago—three days, Dallas—two days, Phoenix—two days, St. Louis—three days, Indianapolis—three days, and Oklahoma City—two days. The aver-age household would run out of fresh meat, milk, dairy and vegetables in two

days. Canned goods might last four days; rice, dry beans, wheat, cornmeal and oats a little longer. Alternative fu-els for cooking would become scarce if the electrical system had no fuel to operate. A typical American house-hold would be thrust backwards 130 years or more and forced to “camp,” forage and improvise in a daily effort for survival.

“Three days is our average food supply around the modernized world; i.e., for cities and their supermarkets. Long-term food stocks have plummeted: Cereal stocks are at their lowest level in 30 years,” reported Worldwatch Institute in its Vital Signs report ear-lier this year. “This is exacerbated by increasingly weirder weather, com-pounded by the oil price/supply pres-sure on food. What can interfere with the three-day situation are truckers on strike (as in Europe), extended/repeated power outages, and the in-ability of the workforce to commute to work.” – Jan Lundberg in Culture Change (1-12)

Part of the problem is that the world demand for food stocks, water and energy has, in a growing number of places, exceeded the supply. Note the following excerpt from a Worldwatch report:

grain Harvest sets record but supplies still tight “Following several years of declining harvests, the world’s farmers reaped a record 2.316 billion tons of grain. Despite this jump of 95 million tons, or about 4 percent over the previ-ous year, commodity analysts esti-mate that voracious global demand will consume all of this increase and prevent governments from replen-ishing cereal stocks that are at their lowest level in 30 years.” (1-10-12, Article # VST101)

Helen Peck, in her 2006 report on business reliance on the food sector, identified a big gap in the prepared-ness for business continuity man-agement, as very few companies had adopted a proactive or preventative stance to crisis management and op-erated mostly in the reactive mode. One of her conclusions is that the drive for efficiency and the “just-in-

We are dependent upon a supply chain that

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time” philosophy used by the food industry has progressively reduced stock levels throughout the supply chain—with resulting damage to its resilience when an emergency occurs. Unfortunately, this lack of preparation is widespread in States, municipalities and families.

In 2008 the President of the United States ordered:

“The Secretary of Homeland Security will report and enhance detection and characterization of an attack. The Secretary of Homeland Security in coordination with other govern-ment agencies shall develop a coor-dinated agriculture and food specific response plan that will be integrated into the National Response Plan to insure roles of Federal, State, local and private sector partners, to sta-bilize food production and the food supply.” – Directive of President George W.

Bush to Homeland Security (9-9-08)

“…An agrarian society shows the simplistic form of existence where agriculture forms the core of the so-ciety and is the prime means of sup-port and sustenance. That, however, no longer remains the foundation of most of today’s developed economies where food chains are increasingly becoming complex and multi-tiered. The chain starts with agriculture and ends ultimately, with household consumption. However, the num-bers of entities between these ends encompass geographical, economic, political and social extremes. This compounded over uncertainty occur-ring from natural disasters, climate changes, epidemics and terrorist threats place the food supply chain in a particularly vulnerable position.” – A. Deep, Business School, Lough-

borough University, UK (5-4-09)

A disruption in the food chain does not have to be some natural disaster such as a tsunami or earthquake. It can be something as simple as a price increase at the fuel pump. Ralph Vigil, chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission, said: “If truckers face a diesel price increase to $5.85 per gal-lon, this could effectively create a sce-nario where food cannot be shipped by truck because of cost.”

Water is also becoming one of the

most urgent issues for this nation and around the world. Water depletion, pollution and mineralization, like de-forestation, leads to desertification. A number of towns and cities, such as Las Vegas, NM are in the midst of a climate change-induced crisis. Ninety-eight percent of the water in the USA is non-potable and largely brackish. In Texas and New Mexico, only 2 percent of the total available water is potable; the rest is mineralized.

Learning From Japan’s CrisisConsider the disaster that occurred in Japan after last year’s ocean floor earthquake. Power was lost. Food quickly disappeared. Water supplies either were polluted or had major line ruptures. Transportation of food and supplies literally stopped overnight, and the people there were thrust into primitive survival mode—in Japan, arguably the world’s most organized and systematic cultural system.

With the hundreds of billions of dol-lars Japan has spent trying to deal with this tragic disaster, or the billions it spent to develop central nuclear util-ity systems, Japan could have put solar panels, neighborhood wind turbines and solar water heating systems on every home, every commercial build-ing, every hospital, every prison and every retail building in the country. A distributed, disbursed power system would have “saved” Japan the losses of this disaster. In addition, thousands of food production campuses near ur-ban centers would have provided food locally without the need for “food chain transportation systems—and, of course, without the nuclear radiation pollution which occurred.

eden proJeCt continued from page 9

A disruption in the food chain can be some-

thing as simple as a price increase at the

fuel pump.


local buSineSS

sara FriederiCh calls herself one of “a huge group” of gardeners and small-animal raisers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe who are doing their part to resist

the corporatization of the American food supply and eat fresher, healthier food. “When I think about the genetically modified plants being developed and the cost of transporting vegetables and fruit in our world, it just burns me up,” she says. “And, besides, there’s nothing like going out and picking the chard for your dinner from your own garden.”

The problem, she admits, is that she and her husband, Ron, live in a nice three-bedroom home “right smack in the heart” of Albuquerque’s Nob Hill neighbor-hood, with a spacious front yard, but a not-so-big backyard. There’s just no space for the kind of permaculture operation she wishes she could have.

That’s where the Urban Store comes in. At 3209 Silver Ave. SE, the Ur-ban Store is a mecca of supplies and advice for many area residents who want to live a more sustainable life-style. Owners Chuck Alex and Kathy Isaacson sell “urban gardens” ‘self-contained, raised-bed, well-drained soil containers with hinged covers that shield plants from sun and bugs in the summer and snow and ice in the winter. The gardens retain enough heat that, by rotating their crops, cus-

tomers can grow vegetables year ’round. Plus, they come in sizes that range from two feet by two feet to 16 feet by four feet—giving hope to would-be gardeners living everywhere from Tanoan mansions to rented apartments.

Alex and his staff have put their gardens in backyards, on patios and even on flat roofs. One local apartment complex maintains an urban garden for each of its units. Twenty schools have them to teach students where food actually comes from.

Using three of the Urban Store’s raised gardens placed between the back of her garage and her property line, Friederich

who also mixes food plants in with her xeriscaping—is able to grow peas, toma-toes, herbs, eggplants, peppers, lettuce, arugula and edible flowers, as well as beets, radishes and all kinds of greens seasonally.

But urban gardens aren’t the store’s only products. Alex and Isaacson also offer seed, organic fertilizer, enclosed compost tumblers, rain barrels, beekeeping equip-ment, coops for chickens and rabbits, all manner of gardening supplies and even hydroponic units. The rain barrels and resin bases for the gardens are locally manu-factured by Desert Plastics, and much, if not all of the plastic equipment is biode-gradable.

Friederich, who got her worms from the Urban Store, keeps a worm composter in

tHe urban store in albuquerqueJack King

SpoNSorS Sought for 2012 Albuquerque CANStruCtioN® build CompetitioN This year marks the fourth anniversary of the albuquerque Canstruction® com-petition, to be held october 19 at sandia resort and Casino. There are over 200 cities participating worldwide in Canstruction events. CH2m Hill is the or-ganizer of the one in albuquerque. Partners and sponsors include Construction reporter, girl scouts of nm trails, us Forest service, Prnewswire, bohannan Huston inc., ameC, Hdr, CobbFendley, the asK academy, aui inc. and the cities of albuquerque and río rancho.

The theme for this year’s competition is the new mexico Centennial. There are 18 design/build teams. each team, comprised of several local businesses, will compete in the design and construction of unique creations with cans of food. The public is invited to view the completed structures from 5-7 pm.

roadrunner Food bank of nm will receive all food and funds donated, and the event will mark the kickoff of their fall food drive. available sponsorships range from $200 to $2,500, which includes a mention in all event advertising. The dead-line for sponsorship is august 3. Canstruction offers albuquerque businesses an opportunity to give back to the community, while promoting the fields of science, technology, math, architecture and engineering, and increasing public awareness of local issues of hunger and food insecurity.

as a competition, the Canstruction exhibits show imagination, humor, engi-neering and creativity at work while demonstrating concern for less fortunate members of the community.

For questions and information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jenni-fer House of CH2m Hill at [email protected] or 505.855.5257.

her pantry. She feeds scraps to the worms, which generate rich castings she can then transfer to a compost tumbler outside. “It’s enclosed and no one would ever know it’s there,” she says.

Alex and Isaacson also offer a variety of workshops on sustainable living and, if Sara Friederich’s experience is typical, they provide outstanding service after a sale. The store’s staff is friendly and helpful. By all indications, it’s a wonderful resource for beginners or experts. i

The Urban Store is located at 3209 Silver Ave. SE. 505.508.2674, www.urbanstoreonline.comChuck Alex working with children to set up a garden at a

Mescalero Apache school

An urban garden with a warm weather cover in place

Seed sprouter with seeds and instruc-tional book from the urban Store


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eden proJeCt continued from page 10

The questions posed above illuminate the fact that our modern society has sep-arated the vast majority of people, espe-cially city dwellers, from the production of their potable water, energy and food.

soLutionsExperts from around the world have made suggestions, most of which have been ignored. I am among those who advocate the creation of local food and energy production systems. This ap-proach is the best and most effective homeland security system for defense and survival that has been proposed. We need these food production units near every urban center in the USA.

Some of the most relevant solutions involve a broad, national effort to ex-pand and implement the following:

• Near-urban food production us-ing networks of greenhouses and cold frames (enclosed plant beds). A greenhouse can produce two to three crops per year on one-half to one-third the land area of “tradi-tional” farming. Drip irrigation uses one-tenth of the water.

• Food production not dependent upon public utilities

• Food production not dependent upon mass agribusiness farming production and giant food distribu-tion systems

• Food production that can continue through hot and cold seasons

• Alternative, disbursed, local/urban water production, including the use of desalination, where appropriate, powered by renewable energy

• Alternative and widely disbursed re-newable energy, including solar pan-els, wind turbines and solar water heating to provide energy for food production

the eden gardens proJeCtThese and other features have been incorporated into the “Eden Gar-dens Project,” an integrated system designed for generating sustainable food, water and energy supplies that can be adapted to meet the needs of many locales. The overall concept was developed by Saneh Boothe, owner of the Cornucopia Project, which wholly owns the Eden Gardens Project. Al-fonz Viszolay, a Santa Fe-based engi-neer from Hungary, generously shared his expertise and enthusiasm for his Eco-Farm, a similar concept that

stresses algae and recycling.

The Eden Gardens campus is de-signed to produce high-nutrition organic foods and farm products. A typical 50x500-ft. “high tunnel” can produce $175,000-$250,000 of fresh organic food per year. A 100x100-ft. algae pond can produce over $200,000 per year in fish or shrimp products. An algae pond with tanks and proper engineering can produce $189,000 per year in food by-products, oil and organic fertilizer.

Distributed power generation at the 15-50 acre campuses will utilize wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) solar systems. There is solar water heating for subsoil heating and underground waterlines. Desalination is viable because the average city in the US spends about $4.70 per 1,000 gallons to pump, filter, treat and sell water from lakes or wells. Existing desalina-tion plants are now producing fresh water from brackish wells for $2.50 per 1,000 gallons.

The cost of a “campus” depends upon its configuration. In a high-wind area there may be more wind turbines and fewer solar panels. If it is situated near a salt or brackish water supply, substantial funds will be spent on a desalination plant. If a profession-al canning operation is feasible for county growers, that will be added. If a community has substantial garbage to deal with, more will be spent on composting equipment. If the needs


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Walking into the warehouse at The Way We Grow, I was

struck by the overwhelming tasks at hand for start-up entrepreneurs. Perhaps it was this comment from owner Sattva Ananda that got me: “We could be hiring 30 people in the next two years.” His face lit up and his smile curled into a Proud Papa mo-ment. I guess when your business is about growing things successfully you don’t worry about growing the actual business that fast.

The Way We Grow is owned by partners Sattva Ananda, John Cross. Ananda and Cross are a couple of former construction guys who are do-ers. That much is clear when you walk into the showroom and tour the ware-house. Plants are thriving, sewing ta-bles are clean and ready for orders, pal-lets are stacked with material to be cut and product ready to ship. The phone was ringing off the hook. These guys are busy doing—everything. Cross is the back-end guy—sewing, doing the books, shipping orders. Ananda is the out-front guy – prepping to pitch potential investors, tweaking the busi-ness plan, taking phone orders.

groWing a little ideaWhen things slowed down in con-struction for both Ananda and Cross a few years ago, Cross was growing garden starts on a small plot of urban land, and came up with a design for small fabric bags to grow the starts that would retain more moisture and avoid root balls that shock plants and stunt growth when transplanted. That idea turned into The Awesome Pot (patent pending), and a growing green busi-ness that’s committed to sourcing its materials as American-made as pos-sible, hiring local employees to manu-facture and ship product, and achieving a goal to be 99 percent waste-free. The Awesome Pot itself uses 80 percent less plastic than conventional pots.

With the “back-to-the-land” move-ment for urban gardening, the local food movement and indoor growing industries booming and growing big-

ger every day, these guys are positioned to explode with a product that could put Santa Fe on the map in a new way. Markets for their products in-clude home garden centers, nurseries, tree farms, indoor and outdoor grow-ing, urban gardening, parking lots and anywhere else you might want to put an herb garden or grow your own to-matoes. The Awesome Pot is designed with an adjustable drawstring top and keeps things insulated. Its self-mulching feature enables root growth to the top of the bag, maximizing root volume by 20%. The breathabil-ity of the Awesome Pot self-prunes roots and prevents shock. The roots reach the edge of the bag; self prune and then send out new roots, growing to maximum potential, and then can be successfully transplanted. You can even hang the bags inside in a sunny window.

groWing loCal, groWing regionalThe Awesome Pot is cut and sewn to order by the thousands (up to 4,000 a month currently), then shipped out of the Early Street warehouse. As we toured the property, Ananda and Cross led me through their vision for the company. “It’s a place where we can grow our headquarters, grow a nursery that could provide food for the local food nonprofits to feed the com-munity, employ a lot of people, cre-ate new spin-off businesses and keep the money right here in Santa Fe,” according to Ananda. That’s a grand vision for a small two-year-old start-up that is experiencing such rapid growth. Flash forward five years, and these guys expect to be in six major markets, producing all their products locally, hosting an online store, own-ing their own property, and of course, making money. Because there is noth-ing wrong with being a green business that makes serious green. And these guys are serious.

“We’re saving all our remnants from the bags because they are recyclable into plastic, and it’s possible that we could start our own injection molding

plant to produce the cord locks our-selves,” Cross explains. The only mate-rial for the Awesome Pot they cannot source in the US is the plastic cord lock that keeps the bag closed tight to produce its own mulch. “If we make it ourselves and create a new business, creating more local jobs is even better for the community, right?” Right.

This model of creating a busi-ness to serve your own business’

needs isn’t a new one. It’s becom-ing the Re-New American way. More and more manufacturing is com-ing home to towns all over America to bring back lost jobs. The Way We Grow plans to automate their cutting and sewing manufacturing down the road, too. “The jobs wouldn’t go away; they would just change the way they

The LocAL Voice groWing green, groWing loCalThe Way We Grow a winner of Santa Fe BizMix ChallengeVicki Pozzebon

top: Awesome Pots with plants; the Way We Grow production warehouse; Awesome Pots in the showroom

Ananda and Cross in the early Street showroom


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the LoCaL VoiCe continued from page 13

do it,” Cross says, with a look of entre-preneurial relief in his eye.

Ananda rattles off more business ideas. “We also save all our cardboard rolls from the material. We could get into worm farms too, since the cardboard could be used as compost. It’s sort of endless. And as more orders become regionalized in other states where the markets are growing, like Cali-fornia and Colorado, we could open manufacturing plants in those areas to reduce shipping costs and our car-bon footprint. We could be creating jobs for other communities by serving those communities and growing food in those communities.” This appeals to me. It’s local growing regional.

The idea behind it all, says Ananda, is to support the community through entrepreneurial ideas. As the market grows, their business grows, and other businesses become necessary to serve its growing needs. With negotiations already happening at over 100 stores all over the country, they are well on their way.

groWing CaPital, groWing suCCessAfter winning a grand prize of $5,000 last month in the MIX Santa Fe Biz-Mix Challenge, they are now working

with a mentor to prepare a detailed business plan and planning to meet with other potential investors. There is a lot to be done when you are an entrepreneur looking to scale-up and attract capital. Writing a business plan wasn’t among the things Ananda originally wanted to do. “I thought I’d just look online for someone to write a plan for us, but it doesn’t work that way. Only you know your business from the inside out and what your vi-sion is for the future, so you are the best person to write it. I just dug in and learned,” he says.

“It’s a miracle we’ve made it this far on the funds we have, but we know it will work. Failure is not an option,” Ananda and Cross both say, nearly in unison. They both talk about the busi-ness and the future of owning a local green enterprise in Santa Fe with such conviction, I believe them. i

Go to www.thewaywegrow.com to learn more.

Vicki Pozzebon p r a c t i c e s b o l d loca l i sm in her i n d e p e n d e n t consulting business, Prospera Partners, LLC

CoNgrAtulAtioNS to the WAy We groW SANtA fe bizmiX’S grANd prizeWiNNerover seventy applicants submitted their innovative business ideas, from which bizmiX selected eleven finalists to receive business-consulting services. Four of these – The Way We grow, soapbox Kids, Pants off and betamapper—were selected as grand finalists and cash prizewinners. to determine the winner, bizmiX looked for a business plan that was original, market viable and would diversify the economy. if you have a great idea for how to help create a sustain-able economy in santa Fe, check out the bizmiX competition next year.


Societal change

THRIVE was released in November 2011. Over 3 million people around the world had seen the film

as of May 2012, according to the filmmakers. It is an unconventional, controversial documentary produced by Foster and Kimberly Gamble after nearly a decade of following the money upstream. THRIVE uncovers the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives, and provides a perspective on what is keeping humanity from “thriving” and what can be done about it. The film weaves together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism. THRIVE and its website (Thrivemovement.com) propose potential solutions and a framework for individuals and communities to de-velop their own strategies for positively impacting the future.

Despite considerable criticism of some of the film’s con-clusions, including from a number of the notable people interviewed in the film, many “self-creating solution groups” inspired by THRIVE have been forming. About 4,000 screenings at different locations were held during the first five months of this year. The film is available free at the website, and DVDs in many languages can be purchased there as well.

One critic, who attended a screening and appearance by the Gambles in Santa Cruz, CA in April, subsequently had an article published in the Santa Fe Reporter (“The New Age of Paranoia”) just prior to a screening and public appearance by the Gambles in Santa Fe. The article, basically a reprint of a story he wrote for a Santa Cruz publication, alleged that the film has a hidden right-libertarian agenda, and attacked the Gambles for “playing the conspiracy card…where they

should go political.” The writer also said that the Gambles have a home in Santa Fe (untrue), that Foster Gamble’s grandfather was a founding partner of Procter & Gamble (It was his great-great-grandfather), that the film says that the con-spiracy it mentions was a Jewish agenda (it specifically says it wasn’t), and that the conspiracy is New Age paranoia.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion,” says Foster Gamble. “But with what’s go-ing on in the world these days, if someone is going to stop their critical thinking…

tHriVe: WHat on eartH Will it taKe? an InTervIew wITh FosTer and KImberly GambleAlan Hutner and Seth Roffman

Thought-Provoking Film Stirs Up consciousness and controversy while

Generating “Solution Groups”

I hope they have the humility to get out of the way of people who are actually taking a stand, telling the truth and doing something to turn around this very dangerous global situation. A lot of people on the left naturally assumed we were making a political film. And if we didn’t seem to be on their side, then they as-sumed we were on the other side; whereas, we were actually making a film about facts and principles. We didn’t care what political affiliation, if any, the people we interviewed had. We were interested in what they knew about a particular area.” A statement is made in the film that the people interviewed do not necessarily share the film’s conclusions, nor do the filmmakers agree with everything the in-terviewees stand for.

THRIVE lays out a kind of business plan for a societal transition. The core prin-ciple is “non-violation” by mandatory taxes, coercion or violence of any sort. It then seeks to inspire people’s creativity to figure out how to get there. “In the

first stage,” says Gamble, “we need to ac-knowledge that the body of humanity is deeply wounded, and there are so many people who have been so disadvantaged by the current system that they need to be taken care of; the same way, if you were healing your body and had a wound in your knee, for the rest of the body it would be smart to help heal that knee. So in Stage 1 it’s really about bringing integrity, as much as possible, to our cur-rent system, but doing this caretaking, not with new taxes, but through cutting the

military budget in half, stopping foreign wars of aggression, and then getting rid of the Federal Reserve. That would free up, literally, a couple of trillion dollars a year that would more than take care of the transition in terms of health, hunger, environmental restoration, and so forth, worldwide.” The Gambles worked with a number of economists to come to that conclusion.

“Stage 1 is more commonly associated with the progressive agenda,” says Gamble. “Taking care of people in a very compassionate way with tax money. The progres-


Foster and Kimberly Carter Gamble

Follow the Money Pyramid

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sives who have disassociated from the film don’t seem to understand that we’re suggesting that we optimize their skills in this stage, but not stop with a vast state in place that ultimately always leads to tyranny. They are really more like tracks. Stage 2 starts right away. It is the shrinking of government down to the protection of human rights and the stewarding of the commons. Stage Two really accesses a lot of the core skills of the traditional conservative movement: sound money, no foreign wars of aggression... It’s all leading toward what I think will be an obvious Stage 3, which is an actual society of voluntary association where there is no state that can come with a gun and take your money and then go off and use it to take other people’s oil and kill millions of innocent people, and on and on. In Stage 3 we will have already seen the vast prosperity that has been restored by the integrity; by making free energy devices available, by having an honest money system, so that people will be able to take care of one another with the prosperity that they have, rather than depending on an incompetent and coercive government to do it.”

THRIVE’s co-creator, Foster’s wife, Kimberly, a former Newsweek International journalist, has been a lifelong activist for social justice. “One of the things we found in making THRIVE,” she said, “is that people are actually more expert at naming the problem than they are at fully articulating the vision of what could be. We spent a whole lot of time in THRIVE helping create and articulate the vision that’s out there of what’s possible because we have to know where we want to go if we’re going to get there.” For Kimberly Gamble that means, among other things, un-derstanding the value of campaign finance reform, undoing corporate personhood, and getting ballots that actually count votes. “Those three things become essential in Stage 1,” she says. “If you’re going to get rid of the Federal Reserve and reduce the Pentagon budget, then you’re going to have to have people who are actually accountable. That requires campaign reform.

“Generally our compassion is measured by our willingness to pay taxes,” Gamble said. “Support the schools, support people in need. That’s how I always related to them. And so, one of our challenges is in being wealthy Gambles and talking about the limits of coercive taxation, getting an honest economic system, and stopping all these wars of aggression so that people actually have the prosperity to take care of themselves and each other, and there’s a chance for everybody to actually partici-pate and thrive.”

One of THRIVE’s major assertions is that “Free Energy” is viable, and that it has been repeatedly suppressed over the past 100 years by the powers that be. The THRIVE organization is bringing together scientists, inventors, business people and funders to help researchers and inventors complete work in this area, have a legal defense fund to fight off frivolous lawsuits, and then come up with multiple

thriVe continued from page 15


earth’s electromagnetic Field

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City of SANtA fe Art eXhibit ANd prizeThe santa Fe arts Commission has announced an exhibit and art competition that will showcase the talents of local artists at the Community gallery. Participation is open to professional and amateur artists, ages 18 years or older, who reside in santa Fe County.

Framed two-dimensional works and three-dimensional sculptures are eligible for entry. all entries will be judged by a committee of arts Commissioners, artists and arts professionals. The top three entries will receive cash prizes, with the best of show receiving a $1,000, and 1st and 2nd place receiving $500 and $250 respectively. The best of show will also be reproduced on a note card and the artist will be given the op-portunity to show his/her original entry in City Hall for a year.

Common Ground: City of Santa Fe Art Exhibit and Prize will open at the arts Com-mission Community gallery inside the santa Fe Community Convention Cen-ter, 201 W. marcy street, on august 24, and run through september 27. interested artists are required to submit one entry form by august 13th and deliver the work of art on august 20th. Complete information and entry forms are available on at www.santaFeartsCommission.org, under the City of Santa Fe Art Exhibit and Prize.

For more information visit the arts Commission’s website at www. santaFeartsCommission.org or call 505.955.6707.s


peRSpectiveS

As we peruse the current world landscape, it is evident that there

are several noticeable trends occurring that pose considerable concern in rela-tion to a necessary long-range view of sustainability. Exploding population growth is placing an ever-increasing strain on world resources and regional quality of life. This leads to humankind’s ever-expanding intrusion into nature and the impact placed on the delicate interconnectedness of all the diverse life forms. Coupled with this expansion of humanity’s noticeable presence is the Third World thrust toward market cap-italism, fueled by the idealized promise of a better life, to include all the modern conveniences associated with material prosperity and comfort, such as indi-vidualized transportation, readily avail-able energy, the constant flow of a com-

mercial food supply and the numerous technological advances that have placed an affordable cell phone in the hands of even those who lack most everything else material. Of course, ultimately this consumer-based model isn’t something to be envied, but the goodies offered motivate the have-nots across the globe.

The good news is that much of human-ity, as a result of technological advances, now has the capacity to access informa-tion instantly, along with the rather un-believable ability to connect with other humans around the planet wherever cell towers or Internet service exists. These locations are growing rapidly, with the potential to cover the globe and link all of humanity with the touch of a but-ton. In essence, humankind, having moved out of the phone booth, is now equipped with previously unimagined power to access communication and information from almost anywhere. Though there remain extreme differ-ences among the various cultures, reli-gions and languages, the technological potential for instant translation and

An Elixir for Our Changing Times…The Evolution of Consciousness

bridging cultural gaps through the im-mediate exchange of information poses a potential for unity consciousness like never before.

The problem with technology as the means of expanding human awareness, however, is that it still can’t install the necessary thought forms that broaden our personal and collective conscious-ness. This evolves from our capacity to control our thoughts and flow the ap-propriate vibration into the unified field that is the energetic connector of all life. The inner knowingness of our common source, and how, through our thoughts, we create the reality we live, is a far cry from the currently held concept that life is completely random, some people are lucky and some are not, and that life is essentially happening to us. This perspective leaves most persons with a sense of powerlessness and the subse-quent willingness to accept limitation as a fundamental basis of existence. On top of this is the age-old fear factor. Fear continues to sit at the foundation of most people’s mental outlook—the fear of being without or not having enough, fear of disease, fear for one’s personal safety, fear of the IRS, fear of unseen enemies, and many more. Finally, this turbulent journey of perils and predica-ments ends with the ultimate fear of the unknown…death.

Fear exists as a basic motivating factor in our human genetics. The classic fight-or-flight mechanism built into our chemical makeup expresses constantly even when there isn’t a real threat. And, to this end, the powers that be utilize this knowledge to activate an inher-ent sense of discomfort, lack of trust and a fundamental acceptance of dan-ger as the underlying premise of what physical life entails. We are constantly bombarded with images and thought forms that reinforce this ongoing sense of discomfort. It’s largely accepted that secret enemies are perpetually plotting to destroy us; whether they be terror-ists or aliens, it hardly matters. Humans who lack faith in positive outcomes are easily manipulated and kept powerless by their constant focus on what could go wrong.

The elitist group that oversees the world’s financial systems holds the reins toward their own mission of accumu-lating more of the planet’s wealth and resources, and it serves them to supply fear as humanity’s main course. Through state-controlled media, most of the world’s population is spoon-fed news of doom and gloom, inherent danger and a never-ending download of human suffering. Why is good news not sexy enough for prime time? It’s well known that there are countless good deeds for every disaster or injustice. The answer they’ll often tell you is that “feel good” doesn’t sell. There may be a little truth to this, as persons who’ve become addicted to fear and negativity aren’t typically in-terested in much more than quenching an insatiable thirst for more negativ-ity. This, interestingly, becomes physi-ological as our neural networks become hooked on these base emotions, and the result is the craving for more fear-based, depressing reality. Thus, we see ever-growing numbers of news junkies who luxuriate in a constant feast of human-ity’s peril, inadequacy and suffering.

So here’s a concept that provides the antidote toward breaking out of the negative spin… something I like to re-fer to as “Sustainable Thought.” We’ve seen repeatedly in recent years that the grandest gains in the realms of com-munity, sustainability, environmental justice and human evolution have come from the grassroots. Persons finding their voice, while identifying the issues, focus their attention on the positive,

remembering to find the perspective that fosters gratitude, appreciation and cooperation—because you know what? There are so many blessings and mar-velous aspects of this life that are often denied by those floating in the pool of what’s wrong. We may not find instant cures for overpopulation and the envi-ronmental/human exploitation, but by staying positively proactive, solutions will, ultimately, become known. Many prolific teachers throughout the cen-turies concur that it is a “thought uni-verse,” meaning that the place where we put our attention determines the ulti-mate reality we experience.

So, the evolution of consciousness starts with each person becoming aware of where his or her attention is from moment to moment, and mak-ing a conscious effort toward staying positive, optimistic and consciously flowing the thought forms toward the future we wish to create, individu-ally and collectively. Breathe in the day, tune in to a child’s laughter, pet your devoted dog, listen to the rustle of the wind in the leaves, and attempt to remember that we are all extensions of a grander oneness and have each been given the godlike ability to cre-ate reality in alignment with our heart’s desire. i

Faren Dancer is an award-winning designer, builder, educator and activist. His UNICOPIA GREEN RADIO show, each Saturday at 4 pm on KTRC (1260AM), is simulcast at santafe.com. The archived shows are available at www.unicopia.org. Email: [email protected]

in recent years the grandest gains in human

evolution have come from the grassroots.


strategies to bring these technologies out all over the world in a way that’s not so easy to suppress. “It’s a paradigm shift when you realize that we actually have abun-dant infinite energy everywhere that could completely transform the geo-political dynamic on the planet right off the bat,” says Kimberly Gamble. “That’s not just access to technology; it’s access to a whole new paradigm that stops scarcity. And so, one of the things when you get into voluntary associations and the ways people will choose to do things— they’ll be doing it from a state of abundance instead of ‘not enough.’ And that’s a big part of the role of the vision that we offer.”

Foster Gamble added, “Part of our dependence on big government is based on the assumption that human beings won’t take care of one another. That’s not my

experience of people. If they’ve had the opportunity to thrive, they will naturally turn around, most of them, and give you the shirt off their back. You see these things in Katrina and all these various disasters. I think one of the most danger-ous assumptions also is that there is not enough to go around; so a few people end up deciding what’s fair, and go take from this person and give to that person, and once again you’re back in the world of coercion. In my research, there is plenty of food, plenty of energy, plenty of clean water (if we take care of it), to go around, and population naturally levels off based on prosperity and on education. “

The Gambles advocate a “truly” free market system. “Capitalism has been in-sulted in this country and around the world because it’s state intervention, it’s crony capitalism, it’s subsidies and bailouts and all that kind of thing,” says Foster. “It’s not true voluntary association. If it were voluntary association with rules and regulations based on integrity and the protection of individual rights; that’s, for me, the portal to a really thriving world.”

tHriVing in tHe soutHWestIn May the Gambles spent several days visiting northern New Mexico. “Its pos-sible to access the indigenous wisdom of the area that goes back for thousands of years of sustainability,” Foster Gamble says. “We spent some time with Mi-chael Reynolds at the Earthship sites in Taos. It’s tremendously inspiring to see the knowledge and wisdom that has been built into those self-sufficient houses, where they maintain temperature, use very little water and so forth, without de-pending on the grid at all. It’s a good example of how people have looked to the resources and the climate in this area, and learned from the indigenous peoples, the Pueblo architecture and so forth. One of the impressions I will leave from this trip with is remarkable self-sufficiency; people are really oriented toward fig-



tHRIVe Solutions Model

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The seventh annual Netroots Nation conference was held last month in Providence, RI. If you do not know what Netroots Na-

tion is, you are not alone. As a term, Netroots (from Internet + grass-roots) refers to populist campaigns and movements ignited, promoted and conducted over the Internet. Most people in America who desire a better world, a better future for all, and who enjoy their computer and smart phone, can relate to this term. It is used every day by a commu-nity of people who work to find the facts, tell the truth and weave the common threads that connect us all. This very diverse group does not necessarily agree on the same public policy, but they do agree on the basics—for example, that every person deserves a good job with fair wages and equal opportunity: “liberty and justice for all.”

Netroots Nation (www.netrootsnation.org) is the annual conference of these political bloggers, activist organizations, politicians and indi-viduals, including many influential progressive leaders, elected repre-sentatives and citizen journalists. The focus is to raise their collective voice, proactively influence their government, advocate for progressive change and influence public debate.

Each year, thousands of bloggers, newsmakers, social justice advocates, labor and organizational leaders, grassroots organizers and online ac-tivists come together to make new connections, hone their organizing skills, share best practices and build stronger relationships with others working on the issues they care most about. And each year, some of the brightest minds in progressive politics come to Netroots Nation to speak with—and hear from—our community. – NetrootsNation.org

The lineup at this year’s conference included Rebuild the Dream co-founder Van Jones, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, Congressman David Cicilline (RI), Nobel Prize-winner Paul Krugman, Carol Shea-Porter, AFL-CIO’s Rich Trum-ka, the Agenda Project’s Erica Payne, Ai-jen Poo —National Domestic Workers Alliance director, Rhode Island State Representatives Teresa Tanzi and Chuck Rocha, founder of Democracy for America, Howard Dean and, via video, Presi-dent Barack Obama. There were many more speakers and panelists. Video high-lights are available at http://www.netrootsnation.org/nn12-highlights-archive/.

I found the closing keynote by Van Jones to be incredibly inspiring. I would also suggest you see Austerity No More: An Economy for the 99%, and Criminal Justice in America. Together these three presentations will give you the flavor of those working hard to bring progressive voices into the conversation in America.

I write “progressive” because it is the best word to describe those who want to solve the problems we face as a collective group of citizens, and one usually thinks of those who participate in Netroots Nation as politically progressive. Attending for the first time, I found people to all be incredibly smart, thoughtful, well edu-cated (they research what they are interested in, find the facts, and discuss every topic with clarity and care; some have advanced degrees), caring and passionate. To me, this is progressive.

Name any issue or cause we face as Americans and you can find a group of people working to solve those issues utilizing the Internet, connected to Netroots Na-tion. There are groups concerned with people of color, immigration, the impact of super PACs, fairness in elections, education, unions, fracking, the economy and marriage equality. You will find the best minds and practitioners in social media. You can find an individual blogger with 500,000 followers. Bottom line: every-one involved is truly educating the grassroots and is passionate about what makes our country great. People are demonstrating that change can happen instantly.

Our youth, ages 15-25, have a smart phone in their pocket and access to the

Internet. Social media is now and the future. Don’t be fooled thinking that our youth can be fooled. I met young people who are writing books, doing in-depth research, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people to action, running organi-zations, affecting local and federal policy and inspiring hundreds of thousands of people. These people can track their impact on public policy. So let’s get on board. Use that mobile device!

While in RI, I participated in Netroots for the Troops, an organization that sends care packages to our troops around the world. A couple hundred people stood in line to pack a box. Many present had heartwarming and tear-filled stories about our men and women in uniform.

Here in NM, sister websites to check out are: Democracy for NM http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/, Progressive New Mexico Radio http://www.progressivenewmexico.com/ ProgressNow NM http://www.progressnownm.org/ New Mexico Progressive http://newmexicoprogressive.blogspot.com/ Conservation Voters New Mexico http://cvnm.org/ Nationally, also check out TalkingPoints Memo, The Raw Story and Truthout.

Finally the best part of attending the Netroots Nation conference with its 3,300 registered participants and hundreds more who just showed up is that it is a re-flection of the America I believe in. It is an America that is a mix of ages, colors, political points of view, experiences and knowledge, honoring each other, chal-lenging each other and finding solutions to the collective problems we face. Yes, the roots of America’s ability to care about our country, to care about each other and to actively demonstrate how hard it is to truly work together, is what Netroot

Nation is all about. Explore for yourself. These roots go deep. i

Erin Sanborn provides Executive Coaching and consulting services through Collaborative Green, based in Taos, NM. 575.770.2991, [email protected].

netroots nation: Our rOOts fOr a Better america GO Deep Erin Sanborn

top (l-r) uS Senate candidate elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Rashas Robinson, executive director of Color of Change.org, Van Jones, executive director of Rebuild the Dream

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¡sostenga! it’s in tHe Water: risK in PersPeCtiVe

Camilla Bustamante

The identification of disease as a re-sult of poor water quality is con-

ducted through the science and tool of epidemiology. Epidemiology is the study of the incidence and prevalence of disease with some indication of poten-tial causal factors. Epidemiology seeks to identify potential causal relationships for disease onset based on time and ex-posure to risk factors. The effects of poor water quality adversely impact quality of life. Dysentery from microbials and im-paired cognition from elemental contami-nants can affect a child’s ability to learn.

In 1855, John Snow conducted what is considered to be the first recognized epi-demiologic study. His work identified cas-es of cholera and their association to the Broad Street Pump, (London, England) where other local pumps did not com-paritively reveal associated disease. In this case the risk factors were cholera and the contaminated pump at Broad Street. Sub-sequently the pump was locked off, elimi-nating the ability for the contaminated water to be used for human consumption, and the cholera was controlled.

“A fundamental promise we must make to our people is that the food they eat and the water they drink are safe.” – president BiLL CLinton, saFe drinking Water aCt reauthorization, august 6, 1996

Water, air, soil and plant biota are com-mon pathways for exposure to water quality risk factors. Risk factors asso-ciated with drinking water quality are usually related to the microbiology and chemistry of water that is consumed, and the effect of the exposure to either. As an example, for many people the basic understanding of microbiology and water quality is the onset of diar-rhea after drinking water on a camping trip, or from a contaminated well, or a trip to a foreign country. While heavy metal elements such as arsenic, cad-muim, chromium and others are nec-essary at certain levels for good health, large amounts and/or chronic expo-sures may result in toxicity, which can be associated with reduced mental and central nervous system function, and blood and vital organ damage. Dose (amount or quantity) and time are cru-cial in understanding potential health effects from expsoure to man-made or naturally occuring water-quality risk factors. Also, exposure requires that there is contact between the body and the harmful agent.

NeArly 50,000 pouNdS of toXiC ChemiCAlS dumped iNto NeW meXiCo’S WAterWAySindustrial facilities dumped 49,786 pounds of toxic chemicals into nm’s lakes, rivers and streams in 2010, according to a recent report from environment new mexico: Wasting our Waterways: industrial toxic Pollution and the unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water act.

“new mexico’s waterways are a polluter’s paradise right now,” said maxine Paul, preservation associate with environment new mexico. “We must turn the tide of toxic pollution by restoring Clean Water act protections.”

Joe moody, who runs squash blossom Farm at the end of the santa Fe river, said of the farming business, “Weak regulations and enforcement have already done harm. Farm-ing in an arid region is difficult enough without the worry of toxins in our water supply.” Francois-marie Patorni of the santa Fe Watershed association said, “to speak the obvi-ous, not one drop of water can be taken for granted. ever. The Watershed association supports a living santa Fe river and a green watershed through various programs. a lot has been accomplished here, including the passing of an ordinance guaranteeing water in the river each year. but the santa Fe river is just one river. all stewards of the environ-ment should work together in securing clean water for all rivers in nm.”

environment new mexico’s report documents and analyzes the levels of pollutants discharged by compiling toxic chemical releases reported to the ePa’s toxics re-lease inventory for 2010, the most recent data available. The report’s major findings include:• The biggest polluter in the state was the Department of Defense, releasing over 46,000

lbs. of toxics at the Holloman air Force base near alamogordo within one year.

• Over 1,000 lbs. of toxics were discharged into a creek in the Apache National Forest and morgan lake, near Farmington

• Industrial facilities discharged approximately 181 lbs. of chemicals linked to cancer, and 140 lbs. of chemicals linked to developmental and reproductive harm into nm waterways.

The report summarizes discharges of chemicals that persist in the environment, and those with the potential to cause reproductive problems ranging from birth defects to reduced fertility. toxic chemicals discharged by facilities include arsenic, mer-cury and benzene. exposure to these chemicals has been linked to cancer, develop-mental and reproductive disorders.

Paul says that there are commonsense steps that can be taken to turn the tide against this pollution, which is threatening 88 percent of the state’s waterways. environ-ment new mexico recommends the following: Pollution Prevention: industrial facilities should reduce their toxic discharges by

switching from hazardous chemicals to safer alternatives. Protect all Waters: The obama administration should finalize guidelines and

conduct a rulemaking to clarify that the Clean Water act applies to all water-ways—the 95,611 miles of streams in nm, as well as the state’s drinking water, for which jurisdiction under the Clean Water act has been called into question as a result of two supreme Court decisions in the last decade.

tough Permitting and enforcement: The ePa and state agencies should issue permits with tough, numeric limits for each type of toxic pollution discharged, ratchet down those limits over time, and enforce those limits with credible penal-ties, not just warning letters.

maxine Paul’s conclusion: “We need clean water now, and are counting on the fed-eral government to act to protect our health and our environment.”

Surveillance for waterborne disease is the responsibility of states, territo-ries and local public health agencies, which voluntarily report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The New Mexico Tumor Reg-istry serves as a population-based can-cer registry for the State of New Mexico and provides cancer surveillance data that is used in epidemiologic research as well as cancer control activities. Protec-tion of drinking water quality has been a priority in NM as recently as the 2002 State of Health in New Mexico report, which lists access to good quality drink-ing water and includes the issues of af-fordability and access.

In a 1996 article, Gerba et al, substan-tiates that all water contains impuri-ties that occur naturally and as a result of human activity. Gerba provides that populations at greatest risk for morbid-ity or mortality due to waterborne dis-ease are children, the elderly, pregnant women and the immuno-compromised, and that they are at the greatest risk for serious illness and mortality from wa-terborne disease.

Issues such as climate change, infrastruc-ture, land use, waterborne disease and surface water management are the lead-ing strains on drinking water quality and

availability in the United States in the 21st century. In 2002, Levin et al, iden-tified that approximately $36 billion are spent annually for public drinking water. Levin cites that the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require the US Environmental Protec-tion Agency to routinely examine the infrastructure needs for public drinking water systems. Infrastructure includes water treatment capabilities, distribu-tions systems and protection of water-sheds and storage reservoirs. The SDWA defines a public water system as one that regularly services 25 people or has 15 service connections, which establishes the requirements for regular monitoring, specifically for maximum contamination of biologicals for total fecal coliform.

In New Mexico there is not one single factor alone that influences water qual-ity. Sound community practices and industrial monitoring provides compre-hensive safeguards to our most valuable resource for our most vulnerable popu-lations. Protection of water quality is protection of a child’s right to learn and mature healthily to old age. i

Camilla Bustamante, Ph.D., MPH, is Dean of Community Workforce and Career Technical Education at Northern New Mexico College. She has extensively researched water quality and health surveillance.


First year Commemoration oF HistoriC Clean Water aCt settlement With lanlBy: Communities for Clean Water, a network of community groups addressing water issues at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 2006

the Río Grande looking south from the White Rock overlook Park

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There have been many positive steps taken in the year since the

settlement of a historic Clean Water Act citizens’ lawsuit over storm water violations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). LANL has held two public meetings, established a dedicated website about storm wa-ter and organized several produc-tive technical meetings between the plaintiff representatives, the plaintiffs’ experts and the LANL storm water managers and staff.

The complaint was filed in 2008 in US District Court in New Mexico alleging violations of the storm wa-ter requirements to keep pollutants from migrating to the Río Grande. The parties settled on April 27, 2011. Before the settlement, the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) wrote a draft “individual” storm wa-ter permit specifically for LANL, the first draft of which was appealed by many of the plaintiff groups, along with Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE). After extensive negotiations between LANL, EPA and the non-governmental groups, a final permit was agreed upon and issued in No-vember 2010. Pete Maggiore, former Secretary of the NM Environment Department and now a Department of Energy official, called it “the most

aggressive permit” he has seen in his years of environmental and engineer-ing work. The watersheds covered by the Individual Permit are: Ancho/Chaquehui, Water/Cañon de Valle, Pajarito, Sandia/Mortandad and Los Alamos/Pueblo.

Storm water runoff is created when rain falls or snow melts, and the wa-ter does not percolate into the ground. At LANL, storm water flows from the mesas into the canyons and into the Río Grande, a major source of drinking water for Santa Fe and Al-buquerque. The Río Grande is also used for irrigation, livestock watering and recreation, and it creates habitat for wildlife.

The community groups were repre-sented by the Western Environmen-tal Law Center, based in Taos. The plaintiffs in the case were Gilbert and Kathy Sanchez and nine non-govern-mental organizations located from the South Valley of Albuquerque to Taos. The groups are: Tewa Women United, Southwest Organizing Proj-ect, Río Grande Restoration, Part-nership for Earth Spirituality, NM Acequia Association, Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group, Don Gabino Andrade Community Acequia Association (located in Al-

buquerque’s South Valley), Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, and Amigos Bravos.

The groups success-fully negotiated to add public participa-tion components to the settlement and the EPA storm wa-ter permit. LANL is required to hold two public meetings a year to describe their compliance with the permit. Two meet-ings have been held to date: in May 2011 and in January 2012 at the Cities of Gold Hotel in Pojoaque.

The next public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 12th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Cities of Gold Hotel in Pojoaque.

Marian Naranjo of HOPE said, “The additional public participation op-portunities are very important, as they provide a forum where we can express our concerns. We know we will be ac-knowledged.”

You can receive electronic notices of the meetings by signing up at the dedicated storm water website: www.lanl.gov/environment/h2o/ip.shtml?3 under “Updates.” The website con-tains the permit, maps and required quarterly reports. Annual documents include the Site Discharge Pollution Prevention Plans for the watersheds.

Erin English, PE LEED AP, one of the plaintiffs’ technical experts from the Santa Fe-based Biohabitats/Natu-ral Systems, International, presented at the January 2012 public meeting. She spoke about diversifying storm water management techniques from the top of the watershed to the Río Grande. During the technical meetings, Bio-habitats recommended green infra-structure and low-impact development. Key components of green infrastruc-ture storm water control include struc-tures for infiltrating and slowing down

runoff that would collect additional pollutants. For example, bio-retention gardens throughout the LANL per-mitted area would capture and treat storm water close to the source of pol-lution and would help reduce and slow down runoff further downstream.

Rachel Conn, projects director from Amigos Bravos and one of the plain-tiff representatives in the technical meetings, said, “LANL’s storm wa-ter permit is an incredible opportu-nity to push for green infrastructure solutions to some of the region’s most serious storm water issues. We are hopeful and encouraged by LANL’s receptiveness to our input. The permit requires LANL to address pollution from 450 contaminated sites, 63 of which have been labeled high priority because they contain polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The use of green infrastructure and low impact development would assist in keeping PCBs and other pollutants out of the Río Grande.

The LANL budget this year for per-mit compliance activities is around $10 million. At the January 26 public meeting, LANL presented sampling results that indicated that many of the sites are not meeting the target action levels. While this does not constitute a permit violation, as the permit al-lows LANL three years to meet these limits for the high priority sites and five years for the rest of the sites, these results indicate that the LANL storm water team has a serious challenge if they are to meet permit deadlines.

Plaintiff representative at the technical meetings, Joni Arends from CCNS, said, “The success-ful litigation and aggressive permit results in increased protection of the Río Grande and the communities that are drawing drinking water from it.” i

For more information, contact Amigos Bravos at [email protected] and CCNS at [email protected]

Joni Arends


uring out how that works, and in these times that’s really wise—and at the same time, really collaborative localization.

“What we’re doing with the Thrive solutions is teaching that model to com-munities that are self-creating these solutions groups all over the world. Then they meet as a community with an intention to have their community optimally thrive. They break up into sector groups where each person identifies which sec-tor each person is most skilled in or passionate about; things like media, educa-tion, environment, governance, health, spirituality, arts, etc. And then you ask yourself which is the level of engagement for your own activism that most draws you. Is it immediate needs? Feeding the hungry or caring for the sick? Or is it systemic change? Working on the political system, the money system, the media system and so forth? Or is it the consciousness shift? Or are you someone who is drawn to working with the philosophy, the worldview, which is at the root of the nature of the systems? Once you know your niche you can relax into being effec-tive in that specific area, while in communication with all of the other sectors and the critical issues that they identify. It’s a democratic communication process that helps resolve conflict and keep all of the issues on the table until they’re resolved.”

“That inquiry becomes the portal for effective activism because this model is set up where you actually do what you love,” Kimberly Gamble adds. “Everything needed to solve the problems with people just doing what they want based on who they are and their unique contribution—it’s all there. My experience is that when you get aligned, when you know your purpose and you get aligned with it, things flow.”

The Gambles see the current economic system as a world war that is being played out economically. “When you look at the pyramid of control and you see the people at the bottom,” Kimberly says, “one of the insights from that, ul-timately, is that it’s the people who have the power. Because with non-violence, non-par-ticipation, which Gandhi and Martin Luther King used, we have the power to de-fund, un-fund the problem. We can stop participating. The way these corporations get to do their projects is that they get great loans from the banks.

The way the banks have the money to give the corporations those loans is through their customers’ deposits. People have to understand that we have the power to stop funding the problem. We have the power to vote with our actions in ways that are a lot more significant than we may think. As Amy Goodman says in the movie, the one thing more powerful than organized money is organized people. One of our hopes is that the role for ThriveMovement.com is to be this hub where people can share best practices so that the little thing you’re doing in your community turns out to provide the template for what communities all over the world can do.

“People are waking up to their power, and that’s part of why everyone’s supposed to believe that they’re not capable and it’s really kind of hopeless and all of that, because if you think that way then you’re less inclined to do your little part. But in fact, when you realize that people are absolutely waking up all over this planet, you see that your part actually fits into something that is huge.”

THRIVE’s website is Thrivemovement.com. Foster and Kimberly Gamble will discuss THRIVE at the 2012 ExtraOrdinary Technology Conference at the Al-buquerque Pyramid North on July 26. Conference info: 520.463.1994, http://teslatech.info/ttevents/prgframe.htm i

Alan Hutner, founder of Transitions Radio Magazine (TRM), co-hosts and co-produces the show with Elizabeth Rose. TRM airs at 98.1 FM, Radio Free Santa Fe (KBAC FM), Sunday mornings 8-11 am, and streams live on the web, with all programs archived at www.transradio.com. The complete audio interview series with Foster and Kimberly Gamble is archived on-line and starts with TRM show number 1471, May 6, 2012.

Seth Roffman, Editor of Green Fire Times, is a writer and photojournalist. His work has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Native Peoples, Native Americas Magazine, Weekly Reader, New Mexico Magazine and many other publications.


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cultuRal entRepReneuRShip

In 2006 Georges Mally was bicy-cling across the country, follow-

ing historic Route 66 and his dream of seeing the great American South-west—until he got a broken spoke in Santa Fe. Delayed by mechanical is-sues, Georges spent a day exploring Santa Fe by foot, ending up at the Plaza, where he sat down next to a lovely woman named Sue. Two years later, Sue and Georges were married and had moved to Santa Fe.

Today Georges and Sue Mally are the owners of Santa Fe Walkabouts, widely regarded one of the finest tour operators in northern New Mexico. Consistently ranked TripAdvisor’s #1

Traveler Recommended Tour Compa-ny in Santa Fe, Sue and Georges offer custom tours for individuals and small groups. Intrigued by their website’s hi-larious video http://www.santafewalk-abouts.com/4x4-adventures/ of their off-road vehicle, the Pinzgauer, I called and asked to book a tour.

Over the phone Sue explained the various options suitable for the three generations of our family who would be on the tour. We decided on an ad-venture in “The Pinz” up to Aspen Vista. The next week we packed our picnic lunch, met Georges down-town, and piled into the loudest, most brawny looking vehicle I’ve ever trav-

eled in. Georges affection-ately stroked The Pinz as he told the story of acquiring the rare Swiss Army vehicle several years before.

As we left town by way of Bishop’s Lodge Road we could feel the air begin to cool as the smell of pines began to fill the air. Climb-ing above Tesuque, Georges pulled off at a turnout, high above the city, and began to name and describe the far-off peaks as landmarks along El Camino Real. The Spanish,

and later the Mexi-cans, used the Cami-no Real for hundreds of years before the Santa Fe Trail be-came the preferred route for transporting goods. Pointing out green patches where Pueblos reside, and urban centers resting on hillsides, Georges talked enthusiasti-cally about the cul-tures that have passed through the Río Grande Valley, and the ones that make up who we are today. I thought about the dynamic mix of cul-tures we have in our

region—and wondered what brought Sue and Georges to Santa Fe.

Georges explained it simply: “The deep blue sky, the outdoors; that’s the thing for me—for everybody.” Their passion for sharing our state’s unique cultural and natural wonders led them to start Santa Fe Walkabouts. Connecting visi-tors to places like Puye Cliffs, Ghost Ranch and Abiquiú Lake is what in-spires Sue and Georges. Their love for New Mexico is contagious.

Georges and Sue Mally are worldly people, having grown up in Europe and Asia. However, their love of cul-ture, history and place may stem from being displaced from their original homelands as chil-dren. Georges grew up in communist Bulgaria; his par-ents fled when he was three years old, leaving him with grandparents for his safety. After eight years, Georges was reunited with his parents in France, where he spent the rest of his child-hood.

Sue’s family escaped Burma (Myan-mar) with their two children, when Sue was seven. She spent her child-hood growing up in Kuala Lumpur and moved to the US at age 17, where she earned her college and later grad-uate degrees.

Since they founded the business in 2008, Sue and Georges have steadily built their roster of clients. Speaking six languages between them, they host visitors from all over the world, most of whom request adventures to places like Pedernal, Tent Rocks or Kitchen Mesa. In the begin-ning, local hotel concierges would refer people to Walkabouts. Today, however, Sue says most of their business comes through the Internet. “We are really ac-tive on Facebook, and our website gets a lot of hits. And, the TripAdvisor rec-ommendations have really boosted our business, too.

This trend mirrors what travel indus-try experts all agree on: peer-to-peer travel recommendations dominate the way today’s travelers make tourism decisions. With “social travel guides” being the new way of connecting cus-tomers to experiences, Santa Fe Walk-abouts is well-positioned to continue to grow their cultural enterprise and succeed as cultural entrepreneurs.

After reaching our destination of As-pen Vista and finding a small meadow to set our picnic out on, we walked into the forest to search for signs of

santa Fe WalKaboutsAlice Loy

Sue and Georges Mally

Abiquiú Lake, one of Santa Fe Walkabout’s destinations

the invincible “Pinz,” a Swiss Army vehicle

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award categories recognize sustainable buildings, businesses, leaders, products/services and workplaces. nominations were solicited from the public. over 100 nominations were received. nominees were asked to fill out an application and submit a letter of reference for the judging process. The nominees were evaluated by a panel of experts in the field on their commitment to sustainability and the impact of their efforts. Judges included Carrie Christopher of Concept green, mary Clark of the university of new mexico office of sus-tainability, dale r. deckker of dekker/Perich/saba-tini, Clifford Ho, Ph.d., of sandia national laborato-ries, Kim Hooker of studio southwest architects, inc., and david Hughes of affordable solar group.

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SuStainable touRiSm

Susan Guyette

eVeRYDA Y GReeN

tHe green ConneCtion in traVel

Along with Jeremy Sampson of the Oregon-based Sustainable Travel Inter-national (STI) and Beth Beloff of the Santa Fe-based Bridges to Sustain-

ability Institute, I was part of a team presentation on sustainable tourism at last month’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Taos. My aim in this article is to offer some observations on the benefits of green tourism.

sustainable tourism loCallyHow does sustainable tourism apply to New Mexico? The three sustainability variables—ecological, financial and socio-cultural—relate very closely to the support of traditional lifestyles.

Beth Beloff emphasized the importance of developing a strategic vision that con-nects the distinct activities taking place and engages local groups in the process. Members of cultural communities should have a chance to share their ideas about tourism and to benefit directly from the market expenditures there, she said. Fur-ther, Beloff discussed the importance of balancing growth with protection of our local quality of life. She said that this will become ever more important as natural resources become more stressed and concerns over carbon imprints grow.

Another opportunity for NM explored was that of utilizing statewide resources to benefit communities in building international markets and coordinating cul-tural exchanges with other countries.

New Mexico’s potential contributions nationally and internationally are huge. Sharing the successes and struggles of these models globally through tourism will become more and more important to worldwide sustainability. My involve-ment on the panel emphasized strengths northern NM brings to the interna-tional community as a model for sustainability through:

• Cultural diversity and biodiversity • Maintenance of traditional lifeways • Small-scale development • Preservation intertwined with traditions • Cultural arts tied to the land • Ways of preserving authenticity

Culture is the cornerstone of sustainability, since all actions are motivated by worldview. For this reason, preserving values, traditions, the arts, cultural land-scapes and ecosystems is central to sustainability and resilience for the future of our state.

A united effort is needed in New Mexico to: • Identify and gain input from organizations, entrepreneurs and local

governments • Link them together for regional referral systems • Assist them to grow, through resources, marketing and technical

assistance • Recognize the contributions of rural communities and Tribes • Create an itinerary builder at the state level, with easily accessible com-

munity input • Look at successes in other states, learn and exchange ideas

Besides being the second-largest industry in the state, tourism has the poten-tial, if small-scale inclusive, to support the entrepreneurs that sustain agrarian lifestyles and traditional cultures. Recognition that entrepreneurs supply 80 per-cent of tourism services (nationally) tells us that a shift in financial support and marketing efforts is needed to support the providers of the leading interests of visitors.

creating regional referral systems from urban to rural communities strengthens the tourism

network and benefits both.

beth beloff speaking at the Governor’s tourism Conference in taos, May 2012. Inset: Jeremy Samson of Sustainable travel International (StI)

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sustainable traVel international A global non-profit organization and a leader in sustainable tourism since 2002, Sustainable Travel Inter-national’s mission is to assist busi-nesses and destinations in develop-ing and implementing innovative solutions that protect the environ-ment, support adaptation to climate change and preserve cultural heritage while generating economic benefits. This mission is carried out through providing technical services that include sustainability diagnostics, standards and initia-tives such as cultural tourism development, traveler’s philanthropy and carbon management.

Through its Green Communities model, STI works with destinations to cus-tomize standards to local needs. Sustainable destination management is a shared responsibility. It requires participatory planning across sectors, stakeholder col-laboration and ongoing monitoring. Long-term stakeholder engagement helps catalyze the change necessary to keep tourism destinations healthy.

STI helps destination managers identify priority issues and develop practical so-lutions that address capacity and resource needs, while fostering a collective vision for the future. STI’s STEP (Sustainable Tourism Education Program), a set of globally recognized management tools, including a third-party certification rec-ognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, helps tourism businesses manage their impacts and lower costs through resource productivity and waste reduction, while contributing to environmental conservation and the well being of local people. More specifically, STI offers support to small and medium-sized busi-nesses through self-assessment sustainability tools, a carbon calculator and educational programs, including webinars. STI manages the Responsible Travel Report website (www.responsibletravelreport.com), which also serves as a blog and online newsletter.

STI also manages traveler’s philanthropy and carbon offset funds, attracting fi-nancial and in-kind support for sustainable development-oriented projects that help conserve the environment, support biodiversity and promote community self-reliance.

STI advocates engaging the entire industry (not just a company and its supply chain partners) and broad representation across all sectors including government, academia, non-governmental organizations and the private sector travel trade, in order to aggres-sively tackle sustainability challenges and benefit from opportunities.

Current sti serViCes inClude:Free monthly educational webinars covering sustainability topics (schedule post-ed on Facebook or sign up for email notification on STI’s website)

STEP (Sustainable Tourism Education Program), including a self-assessment and third-party eco-certification that can be licensed and customized

Travelers’ Philanthropy and Climate Management Programs

Cooperative marketing benefits, including promotion on Responsible Travel Re-port website, e-newsletter and social media outlets

More information is on the website: www.sustainabletravelinternational.org. If you are interested in participating now or in a future training in New Mexico, email Jeremy Sampson: [email protected] i

Susan Guyette, Ph.D. is Métis (Micmac Indian and Acadian French) and a planner specializing in cultural tourism, cultural centers, museums and native foods. She is the author of Sustainable Cultural Tourism (to be released August 2012), Planning for Balanced Development (www.santafeplanning.com) and co-author of Zen Birding: Connect in Nature.

eVeryday green continued from page 27

entrepreneurs supply 80% of tourism services,

indicating a need for support in training,

capital, and promotion.

sF WaLkaBouts continued from page 25

bears (my kids were hopeful) and wildflowers (my mother was hope-ful—and fulfilled). We were at 11,000 feet and the gathering clouds were hanging just above our heads. Wary of mountain thunderstorms we quickly ate our sandwiches and then climbed back into The Pinz, putting the can-vas top up, closing off the skyview and shutting out the impending shower.

As we wound our way back down the mountain along the rough, boulder-ridden dirt road, Georges asked if we wanted to see how the Pinzgau-er’s fully independent suspension worked. My father, a mechanical en-gineer, was delighted as we slowed to intentionally climb over an enormous gash in the road. Amazingly, at one point, one front and one back tire were simultaneously off the ground and still the enormous vehicle glided smoothly over the gash, shifting its weight gracefully until its whole had crossed the divide.

We had traversed the southwestern edge of the Sangre de Cristos and emerged above Canyon Road, drop-ping back into civilization. Brown adobe walls enveloped us, and the Pinzgauer was once again loud and out of place. I glanced back at the bright green aspens high above and felt lucky to live here, where culture and nature intersect, and where cultural entrepre-neurship is thriving. And, I felt glad that Georges had gotten that broken spoke. i

To c o n t a c t S F Wa l k a b o u t s , c a l l 5 0 5 . 2 1 6 . 9 1 6 1 o r v i s i t w w w . santafewalkabouts.com

A l i c e L oy i s c o -founder and director of programs at the Santa Fe-based Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship. 505.263.5180, [email protected], www.culturalentrepreneur.org


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tioning units, saved having to dig up city streets and replace the existing cooling towers. This project earned LEED-Gold certification and an es-timated savings of $2.4 million the first year and $4.4 million after tenant renovations. It will pay for itself in less than three years. Even the famous col-orful outside lighting display has been changed to Light Emitting Diodes.

eleCtriC VeHiClesThere was also much excitement at the conference about electric transporta-tion. Battery technology has come a long way, making all electric and hybrid vehicles much more afford-able, reliable and able to travel greater distances per charge. Electric charg-ing stations’ availability is expand-ing. There was an area set up outside with EVs, from simple bicycles and motorcycles to family cruisers. To my

delight, there was also a wonderful so-lar carport. Every public parking lot in Santa Fe and other cities should be full of these structures. It makes it possible to double-utilize land resources, bring distributed solar energy much closer to end-users in commercial spaces, mini-mize snow removal, harvest rainwater and maximize car shade. These struc-tures in public parking lots will sure-ly make community solar programs much more advantageous, financially affordable and able to take advantage of economy-of-scale.

Community solarOne of the keywords I picked up and really believe in is “Community Solar Programs.” This is where the “utility company” is really a utility company. They, or a third-party, own and install the equipment and rent your roof or fields. You use the power, pay a fixed rate for 20 years, and have no finan-cial investment. Infill sites, Brownfield sites, dumps and open fields are being taken over by large community-scale solar electric systems. This large system is then broken up amongst many own-ers buying in to any share they like. This makes solar electricity available to those who do not have good solar access or to families that rent or don’t have the financial ability to make a large invest-ment in their own system. This concept of Community Solar is now being uti-lized for solar thermal hot water, wind energy systems and other RE sources. It’s a very exciting program, and we need to demand more of this in NM. Colorado is well ahead in its Renew-able Energy Portfolio Standard (RES) requirements. PNM, sadly, is well be-hind. It’s not because we have less sun. As I drove through Colorado I was

amazed at how many large solar PV systems I saw in many communities.

A few months ago I drove through Flagstaff and saw the 500 kw (expandable to 700 kw) Doney Park com-munity solar project. This will also include eight kilo-watts of wind. It included many homes wired together for a total of another 1,000 kw and a 500-kw storage system with lithium ion battery storage technol-ogy. This project helps Arizona Public Service exceed its RES requirements by removing barriers for customers and by meeting the growing demand for solar energy. In the May issue of Green Fire Times there was a report about a com-munity solar project Kit Carson Elec-tric has built in the Taos area. So these systems are happening in NM. I truly believe we will be seeing a lot more when it becomes advantageous to the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) and PNM to make it happen.

I have attended ASES many times, so I had a good basis to compare this year to others. The general attitude of all at-tending was much more upbeat than in 2006 and 2010. We were shown where RE is making an impact and is grow-ing exponentially in many parts of the world. There were fewer global warm-ing fear mongers. We were reminded there are many other very positive rea-sons for RE: stewardship of the Earth, air quality, homeland security, and of course, good, clean jobs. The US, sadly, is well behind many other countries, including Denmark, Germany, China and Mexico. It is also very evident that

WorLd reneWaBLe energy Forum continued from page 6

NM has fallen well behind its neigh-boring states. Colorado, Arizona, Okla-homa, California and Nevada are well ahead of our energy policies and abil-ity to integrate RE technologies. Even New Jersey is well ahead of NM. Our state must really make some key deci-sions; work with the PRC, PNM and other utilities to make this happen. We as the general public must demand this.

I left the World Renewable Energy Forum and the American Solar Energy Society National Conference feeling very good about the world’s energy future and our ability to meet energy demands with a com-bination of strategies and energy sources. It is now up to the world leaders and leaders in our country to take on this commitment for our future. i

Mark Chalom is a Santa Fe-based architect (LEED 2 . 0 ) w h o h a s s p e c i a l i z e d i n E n v i r o n m e n ta l Climatic Design for the past forty years. He recently received a lifetime achievement award for his Passive Solar Architecture and research from the American Solar Energy Society. [email protected], www.markchalom.com

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tRanSitionS

In my previous three columns, I de-scribed what I mean by the “New

Retirement,” how to plan for your retirement, and travel opportunities afforded by voluntourism. While the Old Retirement was viewed as being put out to pasture in a sort of end-less vacation, the “New Retirement” is seen as a new beginning—an oppor-tunity to renew oneself by taking on activities from which one can derive meaning and satisfaction.

Work provides us with many benefits, which together provide us with an overall sense of satisfaction. Because we have become so used to these ben-efits, they have risen to the level of needs, which we cannot ignore with-out suffering the consequences. The five benefits of work are:

1. Financial Remuneration. All of us enjoy the benefit of a salary or other form of income related to our ef-forts at work. Many people believe that this is the only or primary ben-efit of work. While the financial re-wards of work are certainly impor-tant, there are four other benefits of work that, like financial remunera-tion, must be satisfied during retire-ment.

2. Time Management. The second benefit of work is time manage-ment. Our work gives structure to our life and helps us organize and manage our time. While work may at times place excessive demands on our time, it also lets us know what we’ll be doing from, say 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. This time management function of work keeps our life orderly and in sync with those around us.

3. Purpose. Another benefit of work is that it gives us a sense of utility or purpose. Having purpose injects a feeling of meaning into our life. We help others by somehow serv-ing their needs. This gives us a type of cause from which we derive a measure of satisfaction.

4. Status. The fourth benefit of work is status. Our work gives us a role in

society from which we derive sta-tus. Status is that combined sense of personal worth and identity we derive from knowing who and what we are.

5. Socialization. Finally, our work brings us into contact with many other people, providing socializa-tion. We interact with colleagues and customers and become con-nected to some of them. We form relationships and may develop deep friendships. Think about how many of your closest friends are people you worked with at one time.

These five benefits of work do not go away simply because we retire. They have become such an integral part of us that we cannot discard them with-out some emotional, psychological and even spiritual consequences.

Some retirees become depressed a few years into retirement. This is usually not due to lack of money or some type of catastrophe. More often, it is due to the slow wearing away of an indi-vidual—gradual losses in self-esteem that can escalate into despair if left unaddressed. A failure to address one or more of these five benefits of work may be at the heart of the problem.

In order to achieve a successful transi-tion from work to a New Retirement lifestyle, you must shift your view of yourself and redefine who you are, i.e., you must undergo a career/life reori-entation.

Throughout your work career, it is likely that you have been acknowl-edged for actively taking on life to the fullest. Retirement is no different. Yet this isn’t easy for those who have in-vested heavily in their work. In fact, some of you who have invested most heavily in your work have come to see

yourselves primarily as a worker/pro-fessional/manager/performer. Over time, you become what you think about all day. When you are asked at a party “What do you do?” do you an-swer by describing your work?

Such a self-definition, centered on your work identity, can hinder your growth into a New Retirement life-style. To make a healthy shift from your work identity into a New Retire-ment lifestyle, you will need to drop your old concept of your identity and take on an expanded view of yourself. This requires a significant reorienta-tion of self.

Such a reorientation is not a rejection of yourself or your career. Rather, it is testimony of a positive change un-folding within you. In earlier stages of your life, you have had to let go of your identity as a child or as a col-lege student or perhaps as a partner in a relationship. At retirement, you once again have a need to create a new identity.

Retirement may be seen as your per-sonal story of how you were able to give up the old notion of who you are and create a new self-definition. What you must give up is the internal im-age of yourself that has carried you for so long. This personal reorienta-tion requires you to look deeply into yourself and change the question that has dominated you in your career. You must change the question from “What am I?” to “Who am I?”

The “what” referred to your role in the labor force and the economy. The “who” addresses a deeper understand-ing of yourself beyond work and is more centered on your intrinsic value and values. This involves creating a new, more personal, genuine and in-timate definition of self. It requires appreciating your inherent worth as a unique person on this planet. You come to realize in a profound way that your personal worth extends far be-yond the work you perform.

Such an internal journey is not easy for many people. It takes time and

significant self-introspection before you can develop and become com-fortable with your new self-definition. Our dominant culture has bombarded us with the notion that we are what we do. This new self definition, while honoring that the doing part of you is still important, focuses more on the being part of you, bringing you into touch with not only the physical di-mensions of self, but also the social, psychological and spiritual compo-nents of who you are. I hope you enjoy the journey! i

Bruce Poster is a Certified Retirement Coach who has lived in Santa Fe for 34 years and previously o w n e d S o u t h w e s t Planning & Marketing. He can be reached at 505.690.8921 or [email protected]; or you can visit his website: www.RetireYourWay.biz

aFter WorKing, WHat?Bruce Poster

in order to achieve a successful transition, you must shift your

view of yourself and redefine who you are.


N E W S B I T E s in the spring, the sun Valley Water and sanitation district in alto, nm, installed an 11-kilowatt grid-interconnected single-axis pole-mounted solar system with $75,000 in state funding from the american recovery and reinvestment act. The PV system, the first installed by a rural water cooperative in new mexico (if not the nation), was designed to power the community water system in hilly territory in the lincoln national Forest, five miles north of ruidoso.

fiVe Nm proJeCtS fuNded to booSt reNeWAble eNergy produCtioN, reduCe eNergy CoNSumptioNThe usda has selected five new mexico projects for funding through the rural energy for america Program (reaP), which is authorized by the 2008 Farm bill. The funding is intended to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy consumption and costs; use renewable energy (re) technologies in their operation; and/or conduct feasibility studies for re projects.

“stable energy costs create an environment for sustainable job growth in rural america,” said agriculture secretary tom Vilsack. rural development state di-rector terry brunner said, “These reaP grants are vital to help these businesses improve their bottom line by saving money by using less energy.”

The five projects selected for funding are:• Cornucopia Enterprises, LLC of Fort Worth, TX will receive $10,000 to assess the

feasibility of using solar photovoltaic and wind turbines in conjunction with pas-sive solar, algae, etc. for greenhouses and a fish pond at its manufacturing facility in rociada, nm.

• Custom Steelworks, LLC, of Silver City, NM. $9,633 will fund the purchase and installation of an 8.82 kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic system to defray electricity use from the grid for a metalwork facility.

• Ritter Investments, LLC in Roswell, NM is receiving $20,000 to provide new and more efficient HVaC units for an office building.

• Sitterly, Inc. of Clovis, NM is receiving $20,000 to provide more efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems and insulation for an office building.

• TRU, LLC of Belen, NM is receiving $4,055 to replace lighting and make im-provements to refrigeration units for a restaurant/gas station/convenience store.

CAliforNiA VoterS to deCide oN gmo lAbeliNgPolls shoW oVerWhelming suPPorT For hisToric labeling iniTiaTiVeThe right to Know initiative to label genetically engineered foods will be on Cali-fornia’s november ballot. The initiative would be the first law in the united states requiring labeling of a wide range of genetically engineered foods. “This initiative is pretty simple,” said stacy malkan, a spokesperson for the California campaign. “it’s about our fundamental right to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families.”

The initiative requires labeling of genetically modified organisms (gmos) – plants or meats that have had their dna artificially altered by genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria. This type of genetic alteration occurs in a laboratory and is not found in nature.

Polls have shown nearly unanimous support across the political spectrum in the us for labeling of genetically engineered foods. The California right to Know initia-tive is backed by a broad array of consumer, health and environmental groups, busi-nesses and farmers.

grant lundberg, Ceo of lundberg Family Farms in the sacramento Valley, noted that the us is one of the few developed nations that does not provide consumers with simple labels to inform them if their food has been genetically engineered. “more than 40 other countries – including all of europe, Japan and even China – already label genetically engineered food,” lundberg said.

The California initiative is widely regarded as the best chance to achieve gmo la-beling in the us. The campaign has generated significant national interest in the growing movement for transparency in our food system, as reported in a recent front-page New York Times story.

in march, more than one million people submitted comments to the us Food and drug administration on a petition for mandatory labeling of genetically engi-neered foods, more than any other petition in Fda history. twenty states have tried to legislate gmo labeling, but none have succeeded due to intense opposition from corporate special interests.

For more information on California’s right to Know campaign, visit www.CarighttoKnow.org.

Net meteriNg SolAr Credit SyStem uNder debAte iN CAliforNiAin a number of states, to varying degrees, the local utility is required to buy excess power generated by solar panels on homes and businesses. The system, known as net metering, is a good deal for those with renewable energy systems, but it costs utilities customers, and, the utilities say, to help support the costs of maintaining the power grid; as solar customers pay the utilities less, the utilities need to in-crease rates for those left on the traditional system.

net metering is available to customers with re systems in more than 40 states. it is so popular that several states are approaching regulatory limits on how many systems are eligible. The growing solar industry, of course, wants to raise those limits; the utilities are often opposed.

utilities and re advocates and developers across the country are also debating how much financial incentive to provide to solar, and to a lesser extent, other technolo-gies. regulators in California recently decided to double the amount of solar power capacity eligible for net metering. massachusetts has created separate caps for the public and private sectors. other states are currently reviewing their programs, and some have begun to impose fees as customers generate and sell more power.

ColorAdo tighteNS rooftop SolAr iNCeNtiVeS The Colorado Public utilities Commission has approved a new program for Xcel en-ergy that eliminates upfront cash incentives for solar panels that provide thousands of dollars to homeowners. The commissioners also capped the number of solar installa-tions that would be eligible for subsidies. The action was taken, in part, to address a $32 million deficit in the fund that finances the solar rewards program.

The plan will provide total financial subsidies for up to 36 megawatts a year for commer-cial and residential installations for 2012 and 2013. six of the megawatts will be dedi-cated to “solar gardens,” community-based installations that serve multiple homes.

in the present plan, the upfront subsidy is $1 a watt and payment of 9 cents for each kilowatt that a solar installation generates. in 2011, 38 megawatts were added. For a Colorado home, about 5.5 kilowatts is the average solar installation and about $5,500 is the average upfront incentive.

The new plan, which went into effect last month, provides a subsidy on a sliding scale for kilowatts generated, without the upfront payment. The first residential units approved this year will receive a 15-cent per kilowatt payment. The payment for new systems will decline to 11 cents by the end of 2013. it remains to be seen if the new plan will dissuade customers from buying solar systems without upfront subsidies.

SolAr poWer ANd eNergy effiCieNCy optioNS for SANtA fe CouNty buSiNeSSeS, homeoWNerSThe santa Fe County office of renewable energy and energy efficiency has an-nounced a speakers bureau with staff who will come to businesses, homeowner as-sociation meetings or other gatherings to present options on cost-effective solar and energy efficiency. The free service is available to businesses or residents within city limits or people who live in santa Fe County.

topics include available tax credits, rebates, incentives and financing. many peo-ple are unaware that solar electric systems are half the cost they were just four to five years ago, and available financing can make the reduction to one’s monthly electric bill greater than the loan payment. simple energy-efficiency measures can also dramatically reduce the electric and natural gas bill.

one-on-one clean energy advice and technical assistance is also available directly from the County. For more information, call Craig o’Hare, energy Programs specialist at 505.992.3044; email [email protected]; or visit the office of renewable energy and energy efficiency website: www.santafecountynm.gov/public_works/energy

SolAr pump CritiCAl iN ruidoSo firefightiNg effort a solar photovoltaic system kept water pumping for volunteer firefighters in ru-idoso as they attacked the little bear Fire last month, after all other electrical power in the area was lost, state officials report.

“This is a great demonstration of how solar energy can benefit rural communities in an emergency,” said louise martinez, division director for the state’s energy Conservation and management division. “solar energy also provides great en-ergy electric utility savings,” she said.


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HAS BEEN POSTED AT WWW.JAINSTUDY.ORG.

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for the area are more for food than energy, the matrix will shift to more greenhouses and less renewable ener-gy generation. The smallest (15-acre) campus’ budget, without desalination and composting facilities, is about $2.5 million. The same 15 acres with desalination and composting will run about $3.8 million.

Eden Gardens is able to provide the labor, contracting and equipment. In association with www.wind-inc.com, www.environment-solutions.com and www.cornucopia-enterprise.com, Eden Gardens has franchise or distribution agreements in place with experienced suppliers of each compo-nent. Last month Eden Gardens built an aquaponics facility in Texas, com-plete with a solar- and wind-powered greenhouse, fish tanks, and hydropon-ic, drip-irrigated growing beds.

If an Eden Gardens Project facility is to be owned by a city, municipality,

county or prison, those entities, their taxpayers and communities will reap the financial benefits, and Eden Gar-dens will receive a fee for contracting and using their expertise to make the facility work. In those cases it will be a non-profit public enterprise. There are also investors who want to do this as a for-profit private enterprise.

Agreements to build several Eden Garden Projects in this country and abroad are currently being finalized. For more information, call 800.379.8048, ext. 103, or email [email protected]. i

Ben B. Boothe, Sr. is an international economic and environmental author, speaker and consultant. He publi shes Global Perspect ives (http://bootheglobalperspectives.com/) . His company website is www.benboothe.com.

eden proJeCt continued from page 12 AppeAlS Court bACkS epA oN emiSSioNS ruleSlast month a federal appeals court for the district of Columbia dismissed argu-ments from industry that the science of global warming was not well supported, and upheld an environmental Protection agency finding that greenhouse gasses from industry and vehicles endanger public health.

The judicial panel declared that the agency was “unambiguously correct” that the Clean air act requires the federal government to impose limits once it has de-termined that emissions are causing harm. The court also upheld related rules setting limits on emissions from cars and from stationary sources.

Fourteen states, including texas and Virginia, joined with the coal, gas and oil industries to try to block the rules and deny the ePa’s authority to limit carbon pollution. Fifteen states, including California and new york, have supported the ePa in related court cases. one of presumptive republican presidential nominee mitt romney’s goals, according to his website, is to amend the Clean air act to exclude carbon dioxide from the ePa’s purview.

SChott SolAr to CloSe Albuquerque plANtschott solar will cease manufacturing operations in albuquerque by the end of the summer. more than 200 jobs were terminated at the end of June. The company will continue operating in the us, but not in new mexico.

The state of new mexico invested millions of dollars of local economic de-velopment act funds in schott as an incentive for the company to locate in new mexico. The state will not be able to recoup any of those funds, but the city of albuquerque and bernalillo County will get money back.

schott poured $125 million of its own money into albuquerque facilities and equipment. last month, the company proudly announced its involvement of the successful installa-tion of 1,750 of its solar panels at the albuquerque international sunport. The project is projected to save the city of albuquerque about $30,000 in energy costs annually.

The company opened its 200,000-square-foot factory in 2009 at the mesa del sol planned community, where it made photovoltaic and concentrating solar power modules. schott shut down one of its two concentrating solar production lines two years ago because of depressed demand on the us market, plummeting prices and intense competition from Chinese manufacturers.


July 13, 12-8 pm; July 14, 11-7 pm; July 15, 11 Am-6 pmJohN leNNoN ArtWork eXhibitLa Fonda hoteL, 100 e. san FranCisCoa look into John lennon’s mind through his drawings, sketches and written words. a benefit for The Food depot, food bank for nine northern nm counties and 12 nonprof-it agencies. Presented by yoko ono.

July 13-15SANtA fe iNterNAtioNAl folk Art mArketmiLner pLaza9th annual. more than 170 master artists from every corner of the globe. Free admission for youth 16 & under saturday and sunday. info: 505.992.7600, www.folkartmarket.org. tickets: 505.886.1251, http://holdmyticket.com/buy/folk%20art%20market

July 14, 9 Am-4 pmWritiNg your life through the leNS of foodperFormanCe spaCe at La tienda, 7 CaLiente rd., eLdoradoWorkshop with deborah madison on the de-tails of food and recipe writing for family & friends. $150. discounts for eldorado residents. 505.795.1590, http://www.wordharvest.com

July 17, 6-9 pmAlterNAtiVe buildiNg methodSsF Community CoLLegeClass taught by daniel Clavio. 505.428.1676, 474.8388, www.sfcc.edu or www.sfcc.adcnetwork.org

July 20, 6 pmNm CeNteNNiAl SoNgSnm history museum auditoriummusic historians mark gardner and rex rideout with “music of the nm Frontier: From the santa Fe trail to statehood.” Free. 505.476.5200

July 20, 7:30 pm“Where there’S fire”JaVa Joe’s CoFFee shop, rodeo pLazatwo women! original music! laurianne Fiorentino and Karen marrolli. $10 at the door. www.lauriannefiorentino.com, www.karenmarrolli.bandcamp.com

July 21, 1-6 pmSANtA fe trAil JAmtierra traiLs (Behind unity ChurCh)8th annual dirt bike jumping jam. [email protected]

July 21, 5 pmgrouNd up: Culture ANd lANdSCApenm history museum, 113 LinCoLn aVe.Presentation by Walter Hood, renowned de-signer & uC berkeley professor will discuss the public spaces and cultural landscapes of santa Fe and other cities, and the best prac-tices for community involvement in urban design. reception afterward. Presented by Creative santa Fe. tickets: $10 at www.tick-etssantafe.org or by calling 505.988.1234. info: 505.989.9934, www.creativesantafe.org

July 24, 6-9 pmguide to SuCCeSSful buildiNgsFCC Continuing ed. dept.Class taught by daniel Clavio. 505.428.1676, 474.8388, www.sfcc.edu or www.sfcc.adcnetwork.org

Aug. 1, 11:30 Am-1 pmuSgbC-Nm luNCheoNindian pueBLo CuLturaL Center 2401 12th st. nW$25 members, $30 non-members, $18 emerg-ing green builders. open to the public.

Aug. 3, 7- 8:30 pmJoANNe SheNANdoAh - liVeindian pueBLo CuLturaL Center,2401 12th st. nWThe grammy award-winning singer/song-writer in an intimate live performance. $15. 1.866.877.7902, http://indianpueblo.org/

Aug. 9-11AdVANCed pV SyStem deSigN ANd iNStAllAtioNCnm WorkForCe training CenterThis course will provide 21 Ceu credits for electrical journeymen, and is eligible for nabCeP education credit for PV installers. The course is free to those who qualify for the solar Center of excellence grant. info: 505.224.5271, [email protected]

dAilydegreeS of ChANge: Nm’S ClimAte foreCAStnm museum oF naturaL history & sCienCe, 1801 mountain rd. nWWith a focus on nm and the sW, this exhibit re-veals current and predicted impacts on humans, landscapes and ecosystems. tickets: $7, $6, $4. info: 505.841.2800, www.nmnaturalhistory.org

XeriSCApe guide AVAilAblea comprehensive list of plants and trees best suited to the climate and soil of the middle río grande region including the east mountains. revised by landscape designer Judith Phillips. How-to info on garden planting, plant selection efficient irri-gation, rainwater harvesting, xeriscape basics, etc. available at local libraries, nurseries, home gar-den centers and community centers or by calling 505.245.3133. more info: 505.768.3655.

rAiN bArrelS AVAilAble BernaLiLLo Countybarrels are offered to property owners in unin-corporated areas who are not customers of the abq bernalillo Water authority. to qualify, residents must sign up for a home water con-servation survey. $40 for a 100-gallon barrel. 505.848.1500, www.bernco.gov/water

beNefiCiAl fArmS CSA Weekly distribution at la montañita Co-op Warehouse, 3361 Columbia dr. ne. This Csa works with up to 40 regional farms each year, and offers abundant, affordable shares of fresh fruit and vegetables and other local and region-ally produced foods year round. all produce is grown with sustainable chemical-free methods.

SANTA FEJuly 6-8, 9 Am-4 pmbiomASS eNergy CourSesF Community [email protected]

July 6, 7:30 pmShimShAi World fuSioN & SACred SoNg CoNCertraiLyard perFormanCe Center1611 paseo de peraLtamaster musician/singer from santa Cruz, Ca with local musicians. $20, children free.

no one turned away for lack of funds. “true Heart” Cd release. dance celebration, healthy food & beverages. 505.982.9950

July 11, 6 pmSfpS boArd of eduCAtioN CitizeN’S reVieW CommitteeeduCationaL serViCes Center, 610 aLta Vista505.467.3400, [email protected]

July 7, 10 Am- 2 pmheAliNg the eArth/heAliNg ourSelVeS208 ½ poLaCo streeta workshop guided by robert Francis “mud-man” Johnson using cob (wet adobe) to explore connecting to the earth and remembering the natural way we belong to all of creation. $33 or by donation. 505.954.4495, [email protected], http://earthprayers2.blogspot.com

July 10StArtiNg A SmAll buSiNeSSsF Community CoLLegenm small business development Center workshop. 505.428.1343, www.nmsbdc.org

July 10, 6-9 pmiNtroduCtioN to greeN buildiNgsF Community CoLLegeClass taught by daniel Clavio, recently awarded “green advantage” environmental certification for commercial and residential building practices. 505.428.1676, 474.8388, www.sfcc.edu or www.sfcc.adcnetwork.org

July 10, 6-9 pmleAdiNg by beiNg iNtro eVeNiNgaCademy For the LoVe oF Learning, seton ViLLagean intro to The academy’s Foundation Course in transformational learning with faculty and graduates. Free. rsVP required. 505.995.1860, [email protected], www.aloveoflearning.org

July 11, 17, 11:30 Am-1 pmiNSightS iNto rAtiNg SyStem updAteSpaLo santo designs, 2356 Fox rd., ste. 200usgbC monthly webinar. regionalization. earn 1.5 Ceu. member: $10, non-member: $15. 505.277.0474

July 11, 6 pmSfpS boArd of eduCAtioN CitizeN’S reVieW CommitteeeduCationaL serViCes Center,610 aLta Vista505.467.3400, [email protected]

July 12, 6 pmliSteNiNg SeSSioN With Sf CouNty Comm. miguel ChAVeznanCy rodriguez Community Center 1 prairie dog Loopunited Communities of sF County hosts the incoming dist. 2 County Commissioner. Come with questions. 505.690.8843, www.meetup.com/unitedCommunities/

July 12-15Art SANtA fe iNtl. Art fAirsF ConVention Center, 201 W. marCya mix of art from contemporary galleries all over the world. $10 admission. gala opening 7/12, 5-8 pm

What's Going On! Events / Announcements

ALBUQUERQUEJuly 5, 5:30-7:30 pmNm greeN driNkShoteL andaLuz, 125 2nd st. nWnetwork and mingle with people interested in local business, clean energy and other green issues. Presenters: Kristin gangwer and tif-fany terry of mrCog landlink Program. open to the public. www,greendrinks.org

July 7, 10 Am-5 pmbeekeepiNg SemiNArFirst presByterian ChurCh215 LoCust st., neregionally adapted bees and genetics, mite Prevention, a natural approach to small Cell beekeeping, presented by mi-chael bush, author of Practical beekeep-ing naturally. $15. [email protected], www.nmbeekeepers.org

July 14-15, 9 Am-2 pmgAiA guild food gArdeN toursee food gardens at homes and small farms. listings and a map at www.gaiaguild.webs.com the week of the tour. garden Contest: most food productive, best habitat for birds, butterflies and bees, most water-wise, best use of recycled materials, best gardening in containers. [email protected]

July 20-22Wildlife WeSt NAture pArk muSiC feStiVAledgeWood, nm (20 min. From aLBq.)native wildlife refuge for non-releasable animals on 122 acres. mexican wolves, mountain lions, elk, black bear, and 20 other rescued species. Habitats are on natural sub-strates and use up to 60 percent recycled ma-terials. Volunteer staff. Three-day acoustic music fest on 3 stages with covered seating supports the wildlife. Wildlifewest.org

July 26, 8 Am-4:30 pmSuStAiNAble buSiNeSS Summithyatt regenCy aLBuquerqueConference and award luncheon honoring organizations and leaders for whom green is not a buzzword, but is integral to the way they operate. sustainable businesses, build-ing, product/service, workplace. afternoon workshops. Presented by the nm green Chamber of Commerce in association with the nm business Weekly. Cost: beginning at $20. 505.916.1247, [email protected], http://nmgreenchamber.com

July 26-292012 eXtrAordiNAry teChNology CoNfereNCeaLBq. marriott pyramid north 5151 san FranCisCo rd. nespeakers, working devices demonstrated, tesla technology, magnetic motors, Ze-ro-point energy, energy saving devices, etc. Hosted by teslatech. registration $350/$250: 520.463.1994, http://teslatech.info/ttevents/prgframe.htm


July 24, 6:30-9 pmdrAWiNg from eXperieNCeaCademy For the LoVe oF Learning, seton ViLLageFree evening of exploration. accessing our creative impulses for change. Chrissie orr and Jessica lawless. interactive art making. rsVP to [email protected] or 505.955.1860, www.aloveoflearning.org

July 26th 8 Am to 1 pm CommuNity WAter forum: the buCkmAN proJeCtS & lANl” santa Fe Community ConVention Center, 201 marCy street the forum will address public concerns about the buckman wells and direct diversion Project. international and local experts will make presen-tations and answer questions. Contact: CCns at 505.986.1973 or [email protected]

July 31, eNtry deAdliNedeSigN SANtA feJuried exhibition to inspire new forms and design concepts today for the domestic en-vironments of tomorrow. move outside the ordinary to create innovative and sustainable designs for our future. exhibition open-ing and awards gala oct. 5. Zane bennett Contemporary art. entry fee: $50/$25 info: [email protected], entry form: http://santafeinteriordesignerspre-sents.com/designlab2012entryForm.pdf

Aug. 4, 25, 9 Am-NooNpermACulture Site tourpoJoaque (20 miLes n. oF sF)tour Permaculture institute site. sustain-able house, food forests, animal forage plant-ings, pollinator hedges, restored wetlands and wildlife habitat. $10/person. Child-friendly setting. rsVP required. 505.455.0514, http:// lotsoflifeinoneplace.blogspot.com

Aug. 10, 6-9 pm opeNiNg; Aug. 11-13, 17-19, 11 Am - 5 pmthe SANtA fe ShoWeL museo de CuLturaL555 Cam. de La FamiLiaobjects of art – contemporary to historic, antique to modern. Paintings, sculpture, furniture, books, fashion, jewelry, textiles, tribal, folk, american in-dian, african and asian art. benefits the delancey st. Foundation. opening Preview party 8/10: $50 at the door. daily tickets: $12-$16. 505.660.4701, www.thesantaFeshow.com

Aug. 11, 10 Am-2 pmerNeSt thompSoN SetoN ANNuAl CelebrAtioNaCademy For the LoVe oF Learning, seton ViLLageFree. rsVP requested. 505.995.1860, [email protected]

Aug. 24-26NAVigAtiNg your future 2012 CoNfereNCe & eXposCottish rite tempLe463 paseo de peraLtaConference featuring world-class line-up of leading authors and experts on health & wellness, finance, careers, personal develop-ment, civic engagement, etc. Jean Houston, ram das (from maui), Julia Cameron, mi-chael meade, Zalman schachter-shalomi, michael gelb, Kelly Howell, dr. Hyla Cass, angeles arrien, randal Hayes, Camille adair, many others. musical performers, film & video excerpts, book signings. re-freshments, prizes. benefits empower nm and Kitchen angels. lifestyle expo open to the public. tickets: ticketssantafe.org or 505.988.1234. details: www.agenation.com, www.navigatingyourfutureconferences.com

tueSdAy & SAturdAy, 7 Am-12 pmSANtA fe fArmerS’ mArket1607 paseo de peraLta (& guadaLupe)northern nm farmers & ranchers bring you fresh greenhouse tomatoes, greens, root veg-gies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, southwestern body care and much more.

SAturdAyS, ApproX. 2 pmmeet your fArmerJoe’s dining, rodeo & ziaa lunch experience. an opportunity to ask questions about farming, enjoy a local meal and meet farmers who grow nm foods. Ven-dors from the farmers’ market have an after-market lunch and meet the community. info: [email protected]

deSigNiNg your Well-liVed future WorkShopSthe Commons, 2300 W. aLamedaare you a single, working parents or retir-ing boomers looking for community and a simpler, walkable lifestyle? Join a series of planning/design sessions aimed at develop-ing floor plans, shared amenities and cluster possibilities where residents get more from sustainable designs. several architects and designers have been invited. tour the Com-mons cohousing community and develop ideas of alternatives to current suburban choices. bring your ideas and something for lunch to share. For more info, contact brian skeele: 505.310.1797, [email protected] or visit www.sustainablesantafe.com

SANtA fe CreAtiVe touriSm WorkShopS, ClASSeS ANd eXperieNCeShttp://santafecreativetourism.org/

biodyNAmiC CompoStMade from manure from alfalfa-fed cows, available for pick-up or delivery. 505.982.6879. For info, see Susan Waterman’s My Own Garden article in March 2011 GFT.

HERE & THEREWedNeSdAyS, 10 Am - 5 pmred WilloW fArmerS’ mArkettaos pueBLo, nmgreenhouse and field-grown produce and more. [email protected]

July 13-15tAoS pueblo poW WoWtaos, nmdance and drum performances and com-petitions, ceremonial activities, arts, crafts, food booths. www.taospueblopowwow.com

July 13-24, 10 Am-5 pmWood ShoW “turNiNg out”tome art gaLLery, 2930 hWy.47, Los Lunas, nm (BtWn. Los Lunas and BeLen)open House & demo, show and sale. Wood from the río grande bosque to the far reaches of africa used in making furniture, retablos, carvings, turnings, boxes, bowls, carvings, etc. 505.565.0556.

July 14-15, 9Am-July 15, 1 pmiNtro to queeN hoNeybee reAriNgzia queenBee Co. Farm, truChas, nmWorkshop for experienced beekeepers by melanie Kirby and mark spitzig. $200. 505.929.8080, http:queenbees.com/zia/2012

July 20-22fieStAS de tAoStaos pLaza

time-honored festival preserving four cen-turies of cultural diversity and tradition unique to taos. enjoy nm cuisine, indig-enous dances, arts & crafts, food, span-ish folk music, and the hospitality of local taoseños. Visit fiestasdetaos.com

July 21meSteño drAW VoluNteer WorkShopmesteño draW ranCh, north oF mountainair (1 hr. s. oF aLBq.)aaron Kauffman of sW urban Hydrology will lead participants in building rock baffles and weirs on a creek walk and see how previously in-stalled treatments are functioning. email Joan bybee at [email protected] for info. Free.

July 24 AppliCAtioN deAdliNeSoCiAlly diSAdVANtAged Agri-CulturAl produCer grANtSgrants to provide technical assistance to small agricultural producers in rural areas. maximum award: $175,000. matching funds not required. eligibility: Communities of less than 50,000 population, cooperatives, group of cooperatives, cooperative develop-ment centers. applications scored on ex-pected outcomes of assistance, experience of staff, commitment, local support. info/applications: 505.761.4953, www.rurdev.usda.gov/bCP_ssdPg.html

July 24, 6 pmAt the ArtiSt’S tAblemuseum hiLL CaFé, 710 Cam. LeJoCelebrate spanish traditions with santero artist arthur lopez and a specially designed meal by James Campbell Caruso, chef/owner of la boca restaurant. benefits Partners in education Foun-dation. tickets: $250/person 505.474.0240, http://attheartiststable.eventbrite.com

July 26-27ruNoff, riSk & CommuNity empoWermeNt – your role iN CleANup At lANl CoNfereNCesaLazar Center For Fine arts northern nm CoLLege, españoLaPresentations and discussions about los ala-mos natl. lab’s pollutants. Keynote speakers: dr. michael barcelona (7/26 on groundwa-ter), dr. Camilla bustamante (7/27). other speakers: dr. maureen merritt on worker and community health, representatives from Com-munities for Clean Water, las mujeres Hablan, the Pueblos, unm, the nm environment dept. and lanl. Presentation on new federal storm water permit for 405 sites on the Parjarito Plateau, 10-year nm hazardous waste permit for area g. Contact HoPe: 505.747.4652, [email protected] or visit www. amigosbravos.org/lanl.php

Aug. 6 deAdliNerurAl CooperAtiVe deVelopmeNt grANtSusda rural development grants up to $175,000 available to nonprofit corporations and institution of higher education. may be used to conduct feasibility studies, create and implement business plans, and help busi-nesses develop new markets for their prod-ucts and services. 505.761.4953, http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/bcp_rcdg.html

Aug. 10-12eCorANgerS SW eCofeStruidoso, nmlearn skills related to sustainable living, building and growing. Workshops, booths, live music. optional dinner hosted by sanc-tuary on the river. tickets start at $40, kids under 12 free. [email protected], www.ecoservants.org

Aug. 17-19tribAl ViSioN feStiVAlCsa organiC Farm, taos, nmWorkshops on sustainable living, art, music, theater, dance, ceremony. Paul stamets, Ken-neth Johnson, rev. yamoto, Flordemayo, many other speakers and performers. Camping, food. tickets: $110-$150. [email protected], www.tribalvisionfestival.com

Aug. 22-27homeSteAdiNg WorkShopLama Foundation, Lama, nmWorkshop featuring our food cycle: mulch to meals. Techniques and recipes for kitchen and garden; rural or urban. [email protected], http://liveherenow.wordpress.com/

Aug. 31-Sept. 2NAturAl buildiNg WorkShopoCaté, nmlearn to build light clay structures. Fundamen-tals of design, local material collection, con-struction and tours of completed homes. meals & camping at a beautiful retreat center. $100. 575.668.2005, [email protected]

Sept. 1SloW moNey roCky mtN. regioNAl gAtheriNgCarBondaLe, CoLoradoa day of regional organizing and a harvest dinner, music and festivities. Co-hosted by slow money and sustainable settings. 10 am-4 pm gathering; 4-9 pm harvest festi-val. Presentations by gary nabhan, michael brownlee, Kris Holstrom, Joel benson, Woody tasch and regional food entrepre-neurs and farmers. www.slowmoney.org/

green fire times july 2012 edition

Documents

sustainable economy

foster gamble

energy production system

eden gardens project

sustainable tourism

publisher green

solution groups

regional economy