2. Grand Jury Report - Can the Central Subway survive?
3. Momentous press conference on the Parkmerced Project, Monday July 11
4. Help gussy up Pacifica this weekend to prepare for its Best of the Road designation
5. E.B. White, born 11 July 1899 - some thoughts from him
6. July 16 - bee counters hosting "backyard bee parties" for Bee-a-thon. You can join them
7. SBMWatch Pancake Breakfast Sunday July 31
8. Or Raccoon on a Stick? Questions for the State Fair
9. Clarkia or farewell to spring. You can have them in any color, providing it's pink
10. A plug for Sonic.net
11. Brian Malow's newest video: Time is about Space
12. Notes & Queries: Importance of stupidity
1. SIERRA NEVADA ALLIANCE SEEKS REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE DIRECTOR
The Sierra Nevada Alliance, the leading Sierra regional conservation organization and one of PCL’s many partners, is seeking to hire an experienced Program/Campaign Director to lead its Regional Climate Change Program. The Director will provide strategic leadership to support grassroots efforts shaping smart growth and developing model sustainable resource plans in the Sierra. The position also advocates for state policies, raises funds, and represents the Alliance in a variety of forums. Currently the program has a budget of $250,000 a year and the Director supervises two staff. For the full job description and how to apply, visit www.sierranevadaalliance.org, email Joan@sierranevadaalliance.org, or click here.
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2. Grand Jury report - Beginning of the end for the Central Subway?
THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: http://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/index.aspx?page=212
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3. A MOMENTOUS PRESS CONFERENCE
Join San Francisco residents, San Francisco Tomorrow, Parkmerced Action Coalition, their attorney Stuart Flashman and Members of the Board of Supervisors
DATE: MONDAY, JULY 11, 2011, 11:00 AM
LOCATION: CITY HALL STEPS (Polk Street)
STOP THE DESTRUCTION!
Learning from history, social fabric and neighborhoods can evolve organically for the betterment of San Francisco, rather than calling for wholesale demolition for short-sighted economic benefits---particularly when true infill development alternatives would be both feasible and profitable.
In order to stop the destruction of one of San Francisco's few multi-ethnic, multi-generational and family neighborhoods, San Francisco Tomorrow (SFT) and Parkmerced Action Coalition (PMAC) are filing a lawsuit against the City for its June 9th approval of the Parkmerced Development Project.
The Final Environment Impact Report (FEIR) for the Parkmerced Project is inaccurate and inadequate. If allowed to continue as approved, the project will destroy 1,538 units of affordable, rent-controlled housing, adversely affect the environment and well being of those living, working and recreating in the region. In addition, the suit points to the Project’s inconsistency with priority policies enacted by San Francisco voters in Proposition M as well as other inconsistencies with the City’s general plan and violation of the City’s Sunshine Ordinance.
The lawsuit calls for the court to set aside the project approvals until the Parkmerced Project complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the City’s general plan policies.
VIOLATIONS INCLUDE:
· Demolition of 1,538 seismically sound rent-controlled townhouses and their surrounding gardens.
· Not addressing livability issues associated with the 20- 30 year demolition and construction project, including: noise, air quality, and loss of open space. The Project's findings DO NOT MEET legal air quality standards.
· Failing to assess the seismic impact of the existing towers, nor providing for their retrofits and upgrades. Additionally, no provisions exist for loss of open space and other unavoidable adverse impacts for tower residents.
· Slaughter of migrating birds by the Project’s shoreline windmills, and a general refusal to look at alternatives that could avoid the Project’s many impacts.
· The faulty reference to development as a “transit village”, since no third party assurances or funding sources are identified for transit and related work. The addition of 6,342 parking places also contradicts the concept of a transit village.
CONTACT:
Ms. Cathy Lentz
Phone: (415)-333-6407
Email: parkmercedac@gmail.com
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4. For most Beautiful City in Pacifica (Population under 50,000)
A reminder that the Rand McNally Best of the Road team will be in Pacifica on Monday and Tuesday - July 11 and 12. You can help in any of a number of ways.
Saturday - 9-11am - Sharp Park Beach cleanup - meet at the start of the levee
Any time - Go to any beach or street and pick up litter -
Anytime - Find the spot in Pacifica you want to remove weeds and JUST DO IT!
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5. Some thoughts from E.B. White, born 11 July 1899
"Yet people are beginning to suspect that the greatest freedom is not achieved by sheer irresponsibility. The earth is common ground and we are its overlords, whether we hold title or not. Gradually the idea is taking form that the land must be held in safe keeping, that one generation is to some extent responsible to the next; and that it is contrary to the public good to allow an individual…to destroy almost beyond repair any part of the soil or the water or even the view! "
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."
"Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there by car."
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6. On July 16th, bee counters across the nation are hosting “backyard bee parties” and other garden events as they celebrate Bee-a-thon 2011, the first-ever online “town hall” event dedicated to our pollinators and broadcasting live to worldwide audiences from 9 am to 9 pm US-Pacific Time.
I am writing today to ask you to help spread the word, through your network, friends and family, about this free online grassroots event to help raise awareness around the plight of our disappearing bees. Bee-a-thon 2011 is a fun, interactive event featuring top experts in science, horticulture, conservation and education, as well as other environmental players from the arts and sciences. People can tune-in to Bee-a-thon anytime throughout the day from living rooms, gardens, mobile devices and “backyard bee parties” all over the world, to listen in and ask questions in real time. Get inspired to take action - your voice would be a valuable addition to this important conversation!
Bee-a-thon 2011 is hosted and produced by YourGardenShow.com, the free social network for gardeners, in partnership with The Great Sunflower Project. We are counting bees across North America to help shape bee conservation efforts as part of the larger global mission to support pollinator culture, biodiversity and food security. And we are getting lots of support as Bee-a-thon 2011 is being promoted by fellow stewards of the planet such as Mother Earth News (1 million-plus online audience).
Bee curious, bee aware, bee a good neighbor
Here are four ways you can spread the buzz and help the bees:
1 – Endorse the Bee-a-thon by placing a bee-counting widget on your blog. The "bee-o-meter" tracks the populations of bees across the country. You can click on it to find the number of bees in your zip code. Our goal for 2011 is to have one bee counter in each of the 43,000 U.S. zip codes. Supporting blogs and organizations will have their logo, name and a link back to their site placed on the YourGardenShow.com website. To get your "bee-o-meter," visit: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/news51.
2 – Build a “swarm of influence” by forwarding this email to your network of readers, friends and family. Invite them to RSVP for the Bee-a-thon here: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/bee-a-thon.
3 - Host a "backyard bee party" or other "rooftop" event on July 16th. Rally your friends and join Bee-a-thon for a day of engagement and celebration. Downloads and other resources are available here: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/bee-a-thon.
4 - Sign up to The Great Sunflower Project to start counting bees today: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/citizen-science/great-sunflower-project.
NOTE: As a supporter of the event, your organization’s logo and link will be featured on the Supporters page of the YourGardenShow website.
We are counting down to the launch, about a week to go: Saturday, July 16th - see you there!
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A study, published in the April 2006 issue of BioScience...demonstrates that insects provide services worth more than $57 billion to the United States economy every year:
Nutrition for wildlife. Amount spent annually on observing or hunting wildlife that depends directly on insects for food: $50 billion
Pest control. Amount of damage done by--and the resulting loss from--pest insects, if their insect predators were to disappear: $4.5 billion.
Pollination. Value of crops that are pollinated by native insects (not including crops that are pollinated by domesticated honeybees): $3 billion
Dung burial. Monetary impact if dung beetles disappeared from grazing land, thus decreasing the return of nutrients to the soil while increasing the number of flies and parasites attracted to the decomposing manure, which farmers would have to control: $380 million.
The study did not consider the increase in value to consumers for produce or meat that is turned into products such as jams, ketchup, or hamburgers; or, similarly, when alfalfa grown from insect-pollinated seeds is fed to cattle raised for milk or beef production. Such added value may increase the economic contribution of insects significantly.
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7.
San Bruno Mountain Watch Pancake Breakfast
Sunday, July 31, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Mission Blue Native Plant Greenhouse
3435 Bayshore Boulevard
Brisbane, California
(Behind the Brisbane Fire Station)
$10 Adult/$5 Child
Information: 415-467-6631
www.mountainwatch.org
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8. (Don't like pancakes? Ever tried Raccoon on a Stick or Maggot Melt?)
From Eric Mills:
Hey, Jake - Don't know if this is exactly your cup of tea, but we could use some publicity, if you've the inclination and space
Just learned that CalEXPO will be offering "Raccoon on a Stick," "Maggott Mash," and emu burgers for the adventurous. I called CalEXPO and two health depts. to see who approved this nonsense. I'm esp. iterested in the source of the raccoon meat: road kill? pest exterminators? fur trappers? I don't know of anyone who raises raccoons for meat. And they're notorious carriers of rabies and roundworms, of course. Yum.
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WHAT: Peaceful demonstration at the California State Fair, to protest the inhumane "birthing" exhibits (cows & hogs). A distraught and errant pregnant cow was gunned down at last year's fair. Both cow and unborn calf died an inhumane and unnecessary death. The attending UC vet referred to the cow as a "nutjob." There may well have been "nutjobs" present, but the cow was not one of them.
WHERE: At the California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Main Entrance, 1600 Exposition Blvd
WHEN: Opening Day, Thursday, July 14, 4:00 p.m. We hope to catch the commute crowd as well as fair-goers.
People are encouraged to bring their own signs and costumes. Leaflets for distribution will be provided. If there's interest, we hope to leaflet the fair for its entire run, July 14-31.
As added incentive, we've just learned that the Fair's vendors will be selling "Raccoon on a Stick," "Maggot Melt," and emu burgers.
INFO:
In Defense of Animals - tel. Hope, 415/448-0058; email - hope@idausa.org
Action for Animals, tel. 510/652-5603 (Eric Mills); email - afa@mcn.org
In Sacramento, call 916/971-3594
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9. In response to Doug Allhouse's note in last newsletter about show of clarkia or farewell to spring on Crocker Avenue - Margo Bors hied out there with her camera and came back with
several knock-'em-dead pictures, two of which are pasted here:
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10. Peter Schumacher:
Hi, Jake, As a long time reader and one who appreciates your newsletter, I had a tangental thought after reading about AT&T's attempt to litter our sidewalks with their monolith transmission boxes. I use Sonic.net as my internet service provider, and chose them after much research. They are local (Santa Rosa), and unlike the big corporate providers, Sonic.net does not cap usage, they have very fair prices, reasonable usage policies, and they are committed to developing very fast fiber optic to home network. They are a very people-friendly company.
They were just reviewed in the Chronicle's Dot.Commentary column. (Omitted here, JS) This company deserves all the support they can get. I'm letting you know if you want to spread the good word to your readers.
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11. Hey Jake, My newest video for Time is about Space. It's a very personal one, too. Hope you like it!...
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1041054441001_2081723,00.html
Brian
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B R I A N M A L O W See my videos on Time.com
ScienceComedian.com
(JS: I didn't much care for it, but mostly because man in space bores me. I get much more excited about instrumented exploration of the solar system.)
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12. Notes & Queries, Guardian Weekly
Importance of stupidity
Has science shown that a sense of humour is vital for human survival?
Not that I know of, but progress has been made on another front: stupidity. In 1984, J F Welles published an article in the journal Speculations in Science and Technology entitled "The survival advantage of stupidity". The underlying idea is that according to Darwinian principles, only characteristics that help survival are retained. And stupidity is so universal that it must therefore aid survival in some way.
KC Prince, Trieste, Italy
• I don't know about that, but in my experience the need for candidates to "possess a well-developed sense of humour" as expressed in job adverts tends to indicate that it is going to be a crap place to work. While "supportive management structure" suggests that it will be hopelessly disorganised as well.
Mark Hosking, New Town, Tasmania, Australia
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