My new favorite website

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/

I think you all should check this out, if you have not done so already.
It gives some really great ideas on how to become more environmentally friendly, and how you can change your life.
I think we should give some feedback on what we think of these new changes in his life.

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Deuce Gardens

Everyone,

As most of you already know, I'm starting a garden. We're calling it "Deuce Gardens", and if you don't know why, ask me sometime. We've got about a 22'x22' area, and should have plenty of vegetables for everyone who is willing to help out.

We will be working on fertilizing and fencing this weekend, probably on Sunday. If you're interested, post a reply so that I can know how many people will be helping.

thanks,

Sir Knabe
cell: 317-5007

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Buy Local Day

What if on just one day every year millions of American consumers voted with our dollars in favor of locally owned and operated businesses, instead of big-box, chain stores?

Saturday, November 18, 2006 BUY LOCAL DAYwww.buylocalday.org
Why Buy Local?• Local businesses produce more income, jobs, and tax receipts for local communities than big box stores do. • Local businesses are more likely to utilize local ads, banks and other services. • Local businesses donate more money to nonprofits and are more accountable to their local communities. • Supporting local businesses preserves the economic diversity of our communities and the unique character of our neighborhoods. • Supporting local businesses is good for the environment, because it cuts down on fuel consumption. Buying locally produced goods reduces the need to ship goods from thousands of miles away and also cuts down on the distances shoppers travel.* And don’t forget to also buy Fair Trade, organic and green! ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, LET’S BUY LOCAL!Let’s send a message on November 18th, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, that we support our hometown businesses and oppose the negative impacts of chain stores and big box stores on our communities. Many communities have already organized citywide “buy local days,” but this year, we will bring together cities throughout the country to make this a national effort. We hope you’ll join us!

November 25: Buy Nothing Day For years now, people around the world who want to make a statement against consumerism and over-consumption have been organizing Buy Nothing Day events in their cities. These events are coordinated by the Canadian group AdBusters.

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SEA Perspective

So this is the first time I have ever actually written on a blog and I am not entirely sure what I think about it yet. As many of the people reading this know I was and sort of still are a member of SEA for four years or so. I am reading this business strategy book for fun right now and it made me reevaluate some of the different things that I did in college with SEA. Here is a list of all the things that I did with SEA for the four years or so I was in it.

1. Protested Secretary of Interior Gail Norton and had Charles Benjamin give a rebuttal speech.
2. Dorm Carpet Recycling (messy)
3. Craft work (still going strong)
4. 04 political tabling (Boyda lost but not a bad time)
5. KSU Coalition for Peace (yeah that was my bad)
6. Dorm Recycling (i had this my freshman year)
7. Local Buyers Guide
8. The time we gave out hemp ribbons in exchange for people not driving to school.
9. Speakers: Svaty, Benjamin, Buffalo, Wind People, Global Exchange Bloke,
10. Camping & Canoeing
11. Sherow Campaigning (that was really good up until the end)
12. Greek House recycling (not really sure what happened)
13. Aggieville Recycling
14. In-Stadium Recycling
15. TailGate Recycling
16. Candidate Forum in '04 (same night as Dylan, bad turnout)
17. Countless Voter Registration
18. Tuttle Creek Clean Up
19. Sunset Zoo Clean Up (my dad is still mad at me for making him do that)
20. Curbside Recycling
21. Anti-Parking Garage
22. Manhattan/K-state Public Transportation

This is by no means a complete list but just what I came off the top of my head in 5 min. Some of them worked some of them never got off the ground. One thing that bothered me about them is that we kept on coming back to the same issues and it seems like we never learned from our mistakes. Each semester or year someone would mention dorm recycling and we would treat it like no one had ever tried this before. I don't really think that this is anyone persons fault, things just fall through the cracks. I'm not sure the best way to solve this; maybe take notes on the individual committee activities. Each week or month creating a time line with all of the different things that they did and all of the different people that they talked to. Imagine me advocating more structure. I love SEA and all of my friends that I met there but it would nice to see some things get all the way done. Hindsight is 20/20 right? Back to work for me.

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watershed/ environmental festival

hi all. i just wanted to float this out there to see what your thoughts on this might be. several years ago, i helped organize a watershed festival out at konza and at the ashland bottoms community center (on the way to konza). we had several speakers (dan wildcat, jim and bonnie lynn sherow, rex buchanon, walter dodds, keith gido, etc.) talk about the river...from various perspectives...historical, cultural, ethical, scientific, etc. we had a prairie, wildflower and watershed hikes, exhibits, etc. we also had a few folk musicians play, and did a tour of the watershed and foodshed by bike. it was all a lot of fun, and a great experience. it was also a great deal of work and planning too. i would say we had a small to moderate turnout.

i really think there is a great opportunity with a group like SEA to put together a local festival that celebrates all of the diverse beauty we believe in or dream about for our world. i don't think there is any better place to start than building some support and understanding for such ideas in your local community...and what better way to celebrate than with a local festival. i think such a festival could take on many forms, but it would require a strong committment too...and i know many of you have very busy schedules...with all of the wonderful things you are trying to do. if a festival was to do something celebrating the watershed where we live, i am sure that i could get two years of grant $$ to get things rolling (probably 3-5 K). this could be combined with local foods, recycling, composting, music, speakers, history, alternative energy...the list goes on and on...

anyway, here is a website of the event that i helped plan several years ago.... www.surfmanhattan.net/larf. this is just a small example of what can be accomplished. with a group full of fanatastic minds like those in SEA, who knows what is possible??

thanks for pondering this possibility. i'll be curious about your thoughts~ jeff

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