Corn Ethanol: A Lump of Coal in Your Christmas Stocking

Of course the diehards will keep thinking that there's some mythical nondestructive biofuel out there because, well, . . . Because!

Nature doesn't provide something for nothing -- if you think you can have low inputs but high outputs, you're deceiving yourself. Biofuels are the false promise of industrial intensity and rapid consumption outputs based on organic/solar intensity and slow production inputs -- which of course reveals that there's a huge amount of hidden fossil fuel use going on ...

And that is all biofuels really are: systems for "laundering" massive rivers of subsidies and hidden fossil fuels used into liquid fuels in ways that tend to fool wishful thinkers into believing that the laws against something for nothing have been repealed.

The fact is simply that there is no such thing as a biological system capable of powering an industrial economy such as was created through fossil fuels. We would need several extra planets devoted to nothing but biofuel production (and eradication of all wildlife) just to power the "American Way" -- to say nothing of the billions of formerly ignored peoples elsewhere.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/12/18/corn-ethanol-lump-coal-your-christmas-stocking

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

The Exponential Benefits of Eating Less - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/portion-size-the-exponential-benefits-of-eating-less-food-weight-health-94849/

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Gluttony and Global Warming: We’re Eating Ourselves to a Warmer Planet [feedly]

Gluttony and Global Warming: We're Eating Ourselves to a Warmer Planet
// Miller-McCune Online

To deny the impact of dairy and livestock production on climate change is to deny climate change. The facts, as summarized in a recent study from The Royal Institute's Chatham House, are as clear (and depressing) as they've ever been. For consumers concerned with anthropocentric global warming, they force us to face a difficult reality, one that neither food writers nor leading environmentalists, perhaps fearing backlash, will fully reveal: We must radically alter our diets—by eliminating conventional animal products, ideally—to mitigate the Earth's destruction. If we fail to do so, our legacy will be as a species that destroyed itself with its gluttonous palate.

An estimated 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions currently derive from animal products—that's more than the greenhouse gas emissions linked to all forms of transportation. Livestock is the world's single largest source of global methane and nitrous oxide emissions—emissions that are far more potent and enduring than carbon dioxide. Beef and dairy products deserve the lion's share of the blame, accounting for 65 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions deriving from livestock—the emissions per unit of protein of beef are 150 times higher than that for soy. In addition, the production of meat and dairy is a leading cause of deforestation, with dense nodes of biodiversity being bulldozed for grazing and feed production. And about 75 percent of the world's arable land is used to raise animals we eat. None of this even wades into the issue of water.

We seem to value a right to eat whatever we want to eat. That attitude has contributed to habits of consumption that are stunningly destructive to our health, the welfare of animals, and the planet.

As if these figures aren't alarming enough on their own, it's the projections that should really stop us in our tracks. Global demand for meat and dairy is poised to grow exponentially. China, of course, leads the way. But estimates for places such as Indonesia, Russia, Argentina, and India also project unexpectedly sharp rates of increase (in some cases by a factor of six) between 2011 and 2021. The authors of the Chatham House study estimate that, by 2050, the global consumption of meat and dairy will rise by 76 percent and 65 percent, respectively (compared to a 2005-07 baseline). In other words, if Western countries continue to eat the way we now eat—lots of meat and dairy—and developing countries order what we're having, methane and nitrous oxide emissions would more than double by 2055. And if this happens, you can pretty much wipe every other climate change initiative off the table.

International leaders are doing virtually nothing to address this situation. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has "overlooked livestock" while the freshly-minted Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (launched in September 2014 at the U.N. Climate Summit) mentions reducing agricultural emissions but says nothing specific about livestock or dairy per se.

Livestock and dairy are marginal concerns at best for nations articulating climate change reduction strategies. Among the 40 developed countries participating in UNFCCC, only two (France and Bulgaria) have a target set for livestock-related emissions. Developing countries are even worse, with only Brazil (out of 55 nations) stating mitigation standards for livestock specifically. Mocking even the lip service that's paid to the problem, governments are actually encouraging meat and dairy consumption through generous livestock subsidies. OECD nations doled out $53 billion in such support in 2013.

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Related Stories

• Converting the Climate Change Non-Believers

• The Exponential Benefits of Eating Less

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Environmental organizations and food writers have also done little to address the connection between climate and the consumption of animal products. Nobody, of course, likes to be told how to eat. But we don't mind having our outrage stoked from time to time. Thus donor organizations are far more comfortable confronting whalers on the high seas or getting arrested protesting pipeline projects than they are serving up the bad dietary news to their carnivorously inclined memberships.

Food writers likewise swap reality for fantasy by advising concerned consumers to eat local, or organic, or pasture-raised non-industrial alternatives. The irony, as this report reiterates, is that, "Intensive rearing of cattle on feedlots is less emissions-intensive than pasture-based grazing systems because grass-fed cows tend to produce more methane and take longer to reach slaughter weight." Others simply toss around red herrings through article after article after article about such peripheral matters as the water required to grow almonds. Almonds are not going to ruin the planet.

Agricultural economists like to highlight the ameliorative impacts of technology, but supply-side solutions hold little promise for tempering the looming threat posed by meat and dairy consumption. There's no doubt that technologically driven efficiencies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of production. However, the authors of the Chatham House report warn of a "rebound effect"—that is, an effect whereby increasing efficiency of production drives down costs and increases demand, thereby offsetting whatever greenhouse gas reduction technology is created in the first place. They elaborate:

Estimates indicate that shifting all livestock farming to the least emissions-intensive production practices available within a particular region or agro-ecological zone could offer emissions reductions of 32 per cent at current output levels. This would be a remarkable achievement, but not enough to offset rising demand for meat and dairy products: livestock emissions would continue on an upward trajectory.

Despite being savvy consumers of information, we have a notable ability to hear what we want to hear, exclude what we want to exclude, and eat what we want to eat. Just as we perceive ourselves to have a "right to know our food" we also seem to value a right to eat whatever we want to eat. That attitude has contributed to habits of consumption that are stunningly destructive to our health, the welfare of animals, and the planet. The danger of our culinary libertarianism—one that's for more entrenched in the developed world and in the United States the most—has fostered a gluttony that harms ourselves and the planet at once.

Every year individual Americans eat about 600 pounds of milk, yogurt, and ice cream; 30 pounds of cheese; and around 240 pounds of meat.

It's unlikely that the United States will be leading the way toward dietary reform. The fact is, we may be too far gone. Every year individual Americans eat about 600 pounds of milk, yogurt, and ice cream; 30 pounds of cheese; and around 240 pounds of meat. Only beef consumption shows signs of decreasing. All other meat and dairy items are on a sharp upward trajectory—for example, we only ate seven pounds of cheese a year in 1970. Given that the primary drivers of food choice are taste and price—not ecological impact—these trends seem unlikely to change anytime soon.

But the Chatham House report ends on a note of optimism. The study uncovered a large "awareness gap" on the impact of meat and dairy on climate change. Interestingly, it found that Americans were significantly less likely than Brazilians or the Chinese to accept a connection between human behavior and climate change. It also found that those who recognized the connection were more willing to alter their diets to mitigate its effects.

The surveys that reached these conclusions were the first of their kind. They stress that consumer-driven amelioration is possible. But they also stress that the more addicted we become to meat and dairy, the less likely we are to see them as a problem. And the more likely we are to eat in a way that either denies or ignores climate change.

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"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Tell DC: No federal ban on honest food labels requiring GMOs to be listed

http://action.progressivesecretary.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=10730

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Insanity - cutting the real learning time for the pretend kind

This is educational malpractice bordering on criminal. There is no evidence whatsoever that this makes any sense except for adults desperate to be seen as "doing something" -- it doesn't matter what. We've given control of the schools over to know-nothings and corporations selling testing and products designed to chase test scores, and to hell with the idea of raising people.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/education/2014/12/14/recess-cut-short-salem-keizer-kindergartners/20367333/

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Dec. 11, 7 pm, Salem Progressive Film Series- another must see

Please join us tomorrow  Thursday, December 11th at 7 PM for the screening of the documentary "Just Eat It".    In America, we throw away 165 billion dollars worth of food per year. That's more than the budgets for America's national parks, public libraries, federal prisons, veteran's health care, the FBI, and the FDA combined.    Just Eat It  looks at our systemic obsession with expiry dates, perfect produce and portion sizes, and reveals the core of this seemingly insignificant issue that is having devastating consequences around the globe. Just Eat It brings farmers, retailers, inspiring organizations, and consumers to the table in a cinematic story that is equal parts education and delicious entertainment.     Check out this amazing article in the San Diego Free Press, titled "The Food Waste Fiasco", by Rob Greenfield.   http://sandiegofreepress.org/2014/11/the-food-waste-fiasco-you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it/    See below for more information about the film and guest speakers.

Upcoming Film

December 11, 2014 * 7 PM   "Just Eat It"   We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash? Filmmakers and food lovers Jen and Grant dive into the issue of waste from farm, through retail, all the way to the back of their own fridge. After catching a glimpse of the billions of dollars of good food that is tossed each year in North America, they pledge to quit grocery shopping cold turkey and survive only on foods that would otherwise be thrown away. In a nation where one in 10 people is food insecure, the images they capture of squandered groceries are both shocking and strangely compelling. But as Grant's addictive personality turns full tilt towards food rescue, the 'thrill of the find' has unexpected consequences.                                                  Films website and trailer:  http://www.foodwastemovie.com/about/      Guest Speakers:    Jen Rustemeyer, Films Producer, (via Skype)   Alan Pennington,  Waste Reduction Coordinator, Marion Co. Environmental Services   Michelle Suess Sustainability Director,  LifeSource Natural Foods

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Nice - dealing with too much stuff

http://docsnap.ontraport.com/c/s/Ug5/6JRY/e/vH/md/62mohZ/sPh1MCOi3P

Salem Creative Network -- Pop Up Shop

Five days of Holiday Cheer are coming your way at Pop Up in Salem Center, December 10-14 next to Ross Dress for Less on Center St NE. Our favorite Mid-Valley Makers will be serving up local art, music, food and drink from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. Plenty of holiday gift ideas and libations will be on tap to make your shopping easier and more fun. Santiam Brewing, Salem Ale Works, Vivacity Spirits, 2 Towns Cider House, Lewman Vineyards and surprise guests are pouring. A Salem Creative Network creation.

Matching Grant Opportunity for Salem Harvest

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

From: Salem Harvest <info@salemharvest.org>
Date: December 9, 2014 at 12:59:41 PST
Subject: Matching Grant Opportunity for Salem Harvest

Hello,

We have Great News! Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and crop donors, we harvested FOUR TIMES as much food this year as we did last year — an amazing 293,754 pounds! And we are still just scratching the surface. However, to harvest this much we had to stretch our resources far beyond anything we had expected.

Then this week, as we began figuring out how we could possibly harvest more produce in 2015, we got a timely telephone call. A private foundation was so excited by what we had accomplished that they called to make an unsolicited proposal: They are challenging Salem Harvest and its supporters to match up to $10,000 in donations by December 31, 2014. That is, for every dollar we raise to harvest more unused food next year, they will contribute one additional dollar.

If you make a tax-deductible contribution, it will help us reduce hunger in our community at an even higher level. And remember, a $25 contribution becomes $50 and $100 becomes $200, so dig deep and let's harvest all $10,000 that they are willing to match! But the deadline is just a few weeks away so please donate now.

Click here to use a credit card via PayPal or to use a PayPal account -OR- send a check, postmarked by December 31st, to:

Salem Harvest
P.O. Box 483
Salem, OR 97308

Thank you in advance,
Salem Harvest Board of Directors
www.salemharvest.org

P.S. Let's use social media to maximize this opportunity! Please share the message from Salem Harvest's Facebook page on your timeline. Or, post a note of your own on your page telling friends how successful your season with Salem Harvest was and how they can donate to support a cause you're so passionate about.

This is just another illustration of that great truth -- that there's at least a Billion Better Ways to Blow a Billion Bucks than on a Bridgasaurus Boondogglus.

Imagine if we had instead invested in community wealth building the $7 million squandered -- so far -- on trying to con Salem residents into building an expressway from West Salem to Chuck Sides's real estate Waterloo at Keizer Station. . . And what $46.4M a year (the 20 year price tag for the liar's budget price for the Boondoggle) NOT so squandered could be used to do.

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-12-08/what-is-community-wealth-building-and-why-is-it-important

What is Community Wealth Building and Why is it Important?

Crossposted from Veris Wealth Partners

More than a decade ago, my colleagues and I at The Democracy Collaborative began using a term for a new kind of economic development – Community Wealth Building. For years, the term was so uncommon that it almost invariably appeared within quotation marks when used.

Today, a Google search identifies 124,000 entries and is growing daily.

In Richmond, VA, the Mayor recently established the first City-government Office of Community Wealth Building. Community wealth initiatives have been launched in cities as different as Cleveland, OH, Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA and Amarillo, TX. Regional Federal Reserve Banks are hosting video webinars and meetings. Even the extractive fracking industry — yes, you read that right — is now working to co-opt the term to improve its image.

Why Now?

So let us pause for a moment to ask: What is community wealth building and why is it important?

My colleague Marjorie Kelly, author of Owning Our Future: The Emerging Ownership Revolution, writes that:

When families possess assets — valuable skills, social networks, a home, some savings, an ownership stake in a business — they enjoy greater resilience, and are better able to withstand occasional shocks like unemployment or illness. They can plan for their future, send a child to college, feel secure in retirement. A job may start or stop. It is assets, of various kinds, that yield greater stability and security. As this is true of families, it is also true of communities. Jobs may be drawn into a community, but then leave without warning. And if attracting jobs means degrading community assets — through pollution, low-wage jobs, or the loss of tax income through excessive tax breaks — a seeming gain can in fact represent a net loss.

If traditional economic development tends to be about attracting industry to a community, building wealth is instead about using under-utilized local assets to make a community more vibrant. It's about developing assets in such a way that the wealth stays local. And the aim is helping families and communities control their own economic destiny.

Strengthening Communities

This is community wealth building: a fast-growing economic development movement that strengthens our communities through broader democratic ownership and control of business and jobs. It builds on local talents, capacities and institutions, rebuilding capital to strengthen and create locally-owned family and community owned businesses that are anchored in place, that aren't moving.

The community wealth building field includes a broad range of models and innovations that have been steadily growing power over the past 30 years or more: cooperatives, employee-owned companies, social enterprise, land trusts, family businesses, community development financial institutions and banks, and more. One powerful team of local partners are anchor institutions, like hospitals and universities. They are often the largest economic drivers in their communities. Increasingly they see the synergy between restoring local health and wealth with their success.

These strategies reverse the focus on "chasing companies to relocate to my city." All too often this includes greater tax breaks and lower wages for companies that may well relocate again for a better offer in another community. Community wealth, on the other hand, is tied to place. The people who own and control the businesses live there.

These structures and models are part of a growing system that aims at improving the ability of communities and individuals to:

1. increase asset ownership;
2. create anchor jobs locally by broadening ownership over capital;
3. help achieve key environmental goals (including decreasing carbon emissions);
4. expand the provision of public services by strengthening the municipal tax base; and
5. ensure local economic stability.

Investing Locally

Significantly strengthening and growing local capital is critical.

Strategies include:

1. building new, and strengthening existing, community-based financial institutions;
2. preventing local financial resources from "leaking out" away;
3. leveraging the use of procurement and investment from existing local anchor institutions such as hospitals, universities, foundations, cultural institutions, and city government; and
4. finally, working aligned impact investors and financial institutions to grow affordable capital committed to building local wealth.

Veris and other advisors play a critical role in furthering community-based impact investing.

The overall economic impact of place-based, community wealth building strategies is evident. More than 10 million employees own all or part of 10,900 companies through employee stock ownership plans (ESOPS) — firms that employees finance and increasingly own through pension contributions. These ESOPs have generated equity benefits of $870 billion for their employee-owners. Cooperatives, according to a 2009 University of Wisconsin study, now operate 73,000 places of business throughout the United States, own $3 trillion in assets, employ 857,000 people, and generate over $500 billion in revenue for their member-owners. The new "go local/sustainable" business and food movement is exploding.

Political economist and historian Gar Alperovitz, a co-founder of The Democracy Collaborative, often asks audiences this question when he lectures: "If you don't like state socialism and you don't like corporate capitalism, what kind of system do you want?" Community wealth building begins to point to some of the essential elements of a more just, equitable and sustainable system.

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."