Imagine if we could just EAT our enemies! I mean we’d end war AND famine. Not into cannibalism? No problem. For one very unassuming enemy, you don’t have to be. Check out what John Rosser, founder of Sustainatopia, and his gang are cooking up for the planet, and if you’re in the south Florida area April 19 – 25th, check out this Sustainatopia Super Event!
[Excerpt Below]
Lion Eyes: Eat the Enemy (w/REEF Foundation)
Native to the Indo-Pacific, lionfish are voracious eaters with no known natural predators in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Spreading rapidly throughout the region, lionfish are consuming both fish and shrimp at unsustainable rates and unmitigated impacts are predicted to be severe.
The good news is that local control can be effective and that lionfish are great to eat: as they say in the Bahamas “eat ‘em to beat ‘em”.
Come enjoy delicious lionfish appetizers and an informational presentation about the lionfish invasion and what control programs are being implemented throughout the region- led by Lad Akins, Director of Reef Environmental Education Foundation, and Alexa Elliott, Producer of the WPBT (PBS) television show ‘Changing Seas’, which won an Emmy Award for their coverage of the issue.
This unique event is being co-sponsored by and held at 15th Street Fisheries, Fort Lauderdale- which was voted South Florida’s best waterfront restaurant in a poll by readers of the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. (http://www.15streetfisheries.
Net proceeds go to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (http://www.reef.org).
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Ready to start fixing the food system, but don’t know where to start? ME TOO!
Here’s a great article from Grist with five fast food actions YOU can take NOW!
Why not kick things off with this list of easy, meaningful actions you can take right now — some without even leaving your computer screen.
Make yourself useful: Five food actions in five minutes
via Make yourself useful: Five food actions in five minutes | Grist.
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Look at this awesome article I found!
Last week, scientists found evidence of a 300-million-year old forest below a coal mine in China. Now, remnants of an even older collection of trees and plants have been uncovered right here in New York. Researchers discovered the floor of a 385 million year old forest — believed to be the world’s oldest — while excavating a quarry upstate near the Gilboa Dam. The fossils and forest floor are so well preserved, scientists can see and study what looks to have been a complex ecosystem of plants, which could shed new light on the role of today’s forests and their impact on climate change.
Click here to read the full article. Floor of the World’s Oldest Forest Discovered in Upstate New York | Inhabitat New York City
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Believe it or not, you can actually grow vegetables in your own urban garden – even if you don’t have a yard.
If you’re a city gal like me, the only place you ever see vegetables is in the grocery store. When I first moved to Florida I was actually shocked that you could pull an avocado off a tree and eat it.
I’m not sure where I thought fruits and vegetables came from. I mean I knew they came from a farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere, but the idea of growing them in your backyard and actually eating what you grew was totally foreign to me.
Ten years later I’ve come to accept the idea that we can actually grow our own vegetables. I say “we” collectively of course. Not me personally.
Not only do I live in a townhome with no yard and sand for what little “yard” area there is, but I also am notorious for having a “black” thumb. Seriously, when I wanted to get all Feng Shui with my first office, I Googled “plants I can’t kill.”
True story.
Growing anything, let alone vegetables, just wasn’t in the cards for me. Until I found this!
Urban Organic Gardner Grows a Lush Vegetable Garden on His NYC Fire Escape
If this guy, Mike Lieberman, can grow real vegetables right in the middle of the city with no experience, zero space and limited resources, well there may just be hope for all of us.
And by that I do mean me personally.
I’m going to grow my own vegetables! NO MORE EXCUSES! As Spring approaches, I’ve decided that I am going to try my hand at growing my own urban vegetable garden.
After doing just a little research, I found the coolest website called Mary’s Heirloom Seeds where you can buy high-quality seeds for growing all kinds of vegetables and herbs. They even come in handy little kits like “Healing Herbs,” “Family Garden,” and my personal favorite, “Salsa.”
Of course, with my track record, I need more than just seeds to grow a garden. Luckily, Mr. Lieberman, my new urban gardener idol, has an awesome blog with solid gardening tips and tricks that anyone can follow, even a hapless plant-killer like myself.
Stay tuned for updates on A Plant-Killer’s Adventures in Urban Gardening.
Do you grow your own vegetables? Tell us about it. Share your own infinite gardening wisdom in our “Make Your Mark” area below!
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The fast-growing Walmart Neighborhood Stores, just another one of Walmart’s attempts at world domination, are sprouting up in communities across the country, claiming to be food system saviors, while they’re nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing.
A recent report from Food & Water Watch shows just how unrealistic these claims are.
With the massive consolidation of our food system devastating our soil, polluting our water, destroying family-owned farms and single-handedly disintegrating our physical and fiscal sustainability, who does Walmart think they’re kidding?
That’s why we have to occupy our food supply according a Huffington Post blog by Willie Nelson, founder and president of Farm Aid and fellow activist Anna Lappé.
And don’t even get me started on their sugar-coated claims of bringing in more jobs. Seriously? You mean the kinds of jobs that make nearly 20 percent less per hour than grocery store union workers? At least that’s the comparison according to this LA Times article.
And how is putting mom and pop operations out of business a boon to communities? Isn’t it strong small business sectors that have the passion and motive to address local issues? Walmart is no savior to our health or our communities. Check out what Grist has to say about it here.
Slapping the word “neighborhood” on the foot soldier’s of Walmart’s behemoth army does not make them honorary members of the “we’ve lived here for years and give a rat’s ass about our community” club.
What do you think about Walmart coming to your neighborhood?
We want to hear from you! Facebook us, retweet us, tell us what you think below in our “Make Your Mark” box and above all be sure to share this article and get the word out!
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In Portland, Oregon, locals are taking it upon themselves to steal parking lots in order to plant trees.
Okay, it’s not stealing. It’s “de-paving.”
For years we’ve been paving paradise to put up parking lots, but according to these local tree-huggers, oversized driveways and abandoned parking lots need to kick rocks.
Depave, a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon is committed to promoting the removal of unnecessary paved areas to create more green spaces. Since 2007, the Depave crew and volunteer army have reverted more than 94,000 square feet of paved parking back to tree-filled parks, public green spaces, urban gardens, playgrounds and more.
See the problem is pavement. Paved surfaces keep the rain from the soil, diverting it to other waterways, picking up and carrying pollutants from antifreeze to pesticides along the way. Think about all the junk you see on streets and in parking lots – yeah now think about drinking it.
In addition to poisoning our water supply, in the summertime, paved urban areas are at least ten degrees hotter than their rural neighbors. Not only does this contribute to excessive use of electricity to power fans and A/C units, but it also promotes the formation of ground-level ozone (the main culprit of smog). Who knew parking lots were such troublemakers?
As if toxic water, sweltering summers and suffocating smog aren’t enough, here are some more reasons to steal parking lots and plant trees.
- More trees mean more shade for natural cooling
- Trees also protect structures by blocking harsh winds
- More oxygen is produced while less pollution is created
- Vegetation can be aesthetically pleasing and provide privacy
- More nature means more land for habitat restoration and wildlife
- More urban farming provides food for local residents and supports sustainability
If you’re in the Portland area you can check out Depave’s upcoming projects to get involved. If you’re not, they have an entire page online dedicated to teaching people how to depave in their own communities.
At the end of the day, there really isn’t a good reason NOT to Depave paradise. Heck even if you just want to get out some aggression, taking a sledgehammer to an unsuspecting parking lot could almost be therapeutic.
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The local food movement has taken the nation by storm and on February 24-25, 2012, it’s taking a bite out of the Big Apple at the annual Eat Work Grow the Movement conference hosted by Just Food, a non-profit organization that connects communities and local farms with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers.
In support of the fast-growing local food movement, this event is dedicated to all things related to local food in New York City. Top chefs, local foodies, urban gardeners, rural farmers, food professionals and entrepreneurs will come together to speak, teach and discuss the latest dirt on the local food movement.
Friday’s schedule of workshops and discussions will focus on the industrial side of sustainable food trends, working environments, entrepreneurship and potential careers. They’re even holding a Good Food Jobs Fair at the end of the day with more than 40 local businesses.
Saturday is dedicated to featuring the local doers with a celebratory EXPO. Attendees can eat, drink and mingle with New York’s finest food artisans, sustainable business owners and other local food organizations.
Tickets to Friday’s event are already sold out, but there are Saturday tickets available. At just $30 bucks apiece you get a light breakfast, lunch and full access to the evening EXPO.
If you can’t make it to the event, there are still many ways to support the cause through donating, volunteering or just becoming a member of Just Food.
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…did you come from all of a sudden? Feels like science fiction.
It’s already almost February can you believe it? 2011 was a whirlwind year for INDIE PEACE, and we’re thrilled with not just our own growth, but with the growing awareness of green trends and environmentally responsible achievements.
We’ve been so busy (a good thing) that we haven’t had time to update our blog (a not-so-good thing). That’s why we’ve taken on a new Editor-in-Chief, Katrina Turner to move things along and to keep them moving. We also realize that there are tons of awesome resources and stories out there, and we will be inviting guest bloggers to expand our reach and theirs.
There are more of us out there than most people think and as we come together to share information, tools and ideas, I know we will make an even bigger impact in 2012. Thank you for being a part of this enormous cause. Now, let’s all get back to making our mark (without leaving one of course).
Lawton Ursrey
CEO, INDIE PEACE
Hello INDIE PEACE readers!
I know this should be a bio, but I refuse to refer to myself in the third person. Not my style. What IS my style, however, is to support causes and organizations that make a REAL difference.
My background is journalism with a marketing flair, and I’ve been writing professionally for more than 12 years. I met Lawton Ursrey at a creative workshop in California and his vision and purpose simply blew me away. I knew I just had to be a part of it in some capacity, so I threatened him with a swizzle stick and here I am. Hey, desperate measures right?
Speaking of desperate measures, I am a firm believer in being socially and environmentally responsible. That being said, I am no eco-expert. Hey I recycle with the best of them, but how can I not? The city gives us the bins for free.
But I know I can do more.
I also know there are a zillion people out there just like me. They believe in the concept, but don’t know what to do or where to start. Not to mention the guilt that comes from doing nothing. That’s where I come in.
My mission is to create a place where eco-experts can share their wisdom and people like me can find simple but actionable steps that are easy to implement and even easier to share.
It’s the passion and dedication of people like you that create the spark, but it will take the zillion people like me to make the fundamental lifestyle shift needed for true change. At the end of the day, everyone wants to be a part of something important. Even if they don’t know it yet.
My job is to spread the word. So if you would like to be a guest blogger, have your company featured or just have something to say doggone-it, then talk to me at katrina@indiepeace.com.
Katrina Turner
Editor in Chief
INDIE PEACE
P.S. I’m also a rock star, dog-lover and challenger of authority…
Undeniably, water is an essential part of living. But what if you had to fight for a single glass? This has been a two-decade battle for Georgia, Alabama and Florida. They are fighting for the right to water from Lake Lanier. Lake Lanier was constructed in Georgia in the 1940s. A dam was built along the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta. The river flows around Atlanta, along the Alabama and Georgia border as it crosses with the Flint River near Florida and eventually pours out into the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and Alabama have been Atlanta’s major critics in its tapping of Lake Lanier. They are questioning Atlanta’s right to use its resources as well as its water consumption habits. It has been a tug of war between the federal courts and it seems to be a long battle ahead.
When the construction of the dam was proposed, The Army Corps of Engineers cited that the dam is to be built to control flood waters, provide power supply and to guarantee a sufficient flow downstream and increase Atlanta’s water supply. As years went by and populations increased, the needs of water supply also grew in Atlanta. The surrounding states, mainly Alabama and Florida, despite their abundant resources of water, are contesting that Atlanta has been illegally tapping into this water source, and its consumption habits have been impacting the surrounding environment more than it appears. And since neither one will surrender, the residents of Atlanta and the biodiversity in each of these states are considered the collateral damage.
While the battle continues on, Georgia’s water rates are continually increasing thus affecting all. Would there be a solution in the offing? Cross your fingers for, if not, we not only would lose a water resource but the surrounding nature as well.
Photo credit: http://professoratch.files.wordpress.com