2. Alas, Cassandra, no one will listen to you
3. Planned Parenthood voter registration drive Saturday 21st. Urgent issue in Nov election
4. Call for energy democracy: SolarDoneRight
5. Every beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother
6. Bernal Heights trail restoration Jan 25 and other dates
7. Workshop for best utilization of salvaged urban wood from street trees Jan 25 Albany
8. Join Golden Gate Park volunteers in planning meeting
9. Native plant tours: gardens wanted in San Francisco/register for East Bay tour in May
10. How consumer actions can radically change business landscape - Jan 24 Palo Alto
11. Dr Seuss: Oh, The Places You'll Go!
12. Two Bay Area science writers have good items for you
13. SciAm: Jet Lag: What's Causing One of the Driest, Warmest Winters in History?
14. President Nixon on Population and the American Future
15. The commonest ivory tower is that of the average man
16. LTEs on population
17. The mind always wants more than it has
18. Closing of US post offices and downsizing of postal service
19. Notes & Queries: Is it actually helpful to rub salt in wounds?/Tony Blair sighted?
1. Birder Dominik Mosur will be leading a monthly Corona Heights walk this Friday (1/20)
Meet in front of the Randall Museum @ 8 a.m. Heavy rain cancels, light drizzle does not.
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2.
Cassandra [1948]
The mad girl with the staring eyes and long white fingers
Hooked in the stones of the wall,
The storm-wrack hair and the screeching mouth: does it matter, Cassandra,
Whether the people believe
Your bitter fountain? Truly men hate the truth; they’d liefer
Meet a tiger on the road,
Therefore, the poets honey their truth with lying; but religion--
Vendors and political men
Pour from the barrel, new lies on the old, and are praised for kind
Wisdom. Poor bitch, be wise.
No: you’ll still mumble in a corner a crust of truth, to men
And gods disgusting. — you and I, Cassandra.
Robinson Jeffers
______________________
Wildness is a fragile thing. Man can break it, but not make it.
And we are quite capable, in our own time, of using up all the choices America will ever have between saving and spending what is left of its unmarred natural heritage..." David Brower 1912-2000
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3. Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific Public Affairs is hosting a Voter Registration Drive on Saturday, January 21 at various locations throughout San Francisco.
January 22, 2012 is the 39th Anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. PPSP wants to commemorate Roe by making a positive impact! Unfortunately, there are people who still do not trust women to make their own health care decisions. In 2011, you showed your support for the essential health care services that Planned Parenthood provides by making over 40,000 phone calls to Congress, over 2,100 e-mails to Governor Brown, and writing 91 Letters to the Editor. We must continue to build on this momentum as we enter 2012, and there’s no better way than giving our supporters the chance to express themselves through the voting process.
To sign-up to register voters during one of the following shifts please contact:
Marsha Donat at mdonat@pp-sp.org.
SF Ferry Building Farmers Market
8:00am-10:00am
10:00am-12:00pm
16th Street BART Station
8:00am-10:00am
10:00am-12:00pm
Union Square Shopping Center
12:00pm-2:00pm
2:00pm-4:00pm
DeYoung Museum
12:00pm-2:00pm
2:00pm-4:00pm
All volunteers will receive a brief 30-minute training prior to their shift. Call-in information will be provided when you RSVP to Marsha Donat at mdonat@pp-sp.org. If you cannot attend one of the following teleconferences, we ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to your shift for on-site training.
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4. I'm forwarding a renewable energy-related email alert generated by the Solar Done Right group, to demand that local, state, and federal governments change course from the current industrialization of public lands, to the increased deployment of distributed energy generation and the development of policies to facilitate the latter.
Increased development of distributed ("rooftop" etc.) energy generation and increased energy-efficiency measures can reduce our reliance on having to build large-scale wind and solar facilities on intact habitats to meet our renewable energy goals, AND reduce the need for additional transmission lines necessary for these remote, large facilities. Therefore, more distributed energy generation and energy use efficiency measures can equate to fewer impacts to intact biological communities - in the desert and elsewhere throughout California.
SolarDoneRight
Join in our Call to Action for Energy Democracy. This initiative will bring citizens together to demand a more cost-effective, faster, less damaging, and more democratic path to renewable energy. Our goal is to move renewable energy development away from our ecologically rich public lands and onto rooftops and already-developed areas.
Organizations and individuals can act, and pass this along to other groups you know—civic, social, municipal, charity, religious--any!
Once we have a groundswell it will go to top energy policymakers in our government: White House, Interior, Energy.
If you would like to learn more about why our current renewable energy policy is on the wrong wrong path and how we can do solar right, please visit solardoneright.org, where you will find briefings on many aspects of this issue. Below are links to three of the papers you will find there:
http://solardoneright.org/index.php/briefings/post/industrial-scale_solar_on_our_public_lands/
http://solardoneright.org/index.php/briefings/post/federal_government_betting_on_the_wrong_solar_horse/
http://solardoneright.org/index.php/briefings/post/government_subsidies_for_industrial-scale_solar/
“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his father but borrowed from his children.”
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5.
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6. Hello Bernal Heights Park Neighbors & Trail enthusiasts,
The Recreation & Park Dept will be hosting a series of community meetings to discuss the future trail restoration improvements to the Bernal Heights Trail. The meetings will be held from 6:00pm-7:30 pm at the Bernal Heights Library community meeting room as follows:
January 25 Community Meeting #1 - Project Kick-off & Information Gathering
February 22 Community Meeting #2 - Design Options
April 4 Community Meeting #3 – Final Trail Plans
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7.
Event: From Saw to Table
Date: Wednesday January 25th, 2012
Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: 548 Cleveland Avenue, Albany, Ca. 94710
The Bay Area Urban Forest Council is proud to present From Saw to Table, a workshop that will highlight the best utilization of salvaged urban wood from street trees and other sources in the Bay Area. We have a vast resource of wood available to us if we can only coordinate end-users with those who cut and possess the wood at the start. Your typical example is a tree service company that removes/trims trees and a variety of people who utilize parts of trees. This includes but is not limited to: woodturners, carpenters, sculptors, natural dye people, wood researchers, origami or flower arrangement, hardwood floor installers, construction companies, pallet makers, sawmills. Of course wood can go to the fireplace or be chipped into great mulch, or be dumped into green waste and ultimately composted. However, the best use of our wood is in the higher end usage where we re-cycled material is highly prized. It also frees us from plastics and oil based products that are inferior substitutes for the real thing - wood. The objective of the conference is to educate people, companies, public agencies on how best to 'harvest' wood so that the product is usable. We also want to connect various organizations so that desired wood is not wasted.
Highlights: There will be displays of unbelievable finished wood pieces. The morning will include updates on California Urban Wood salvage, plus speakers talking about cutting wood, how wood is used, and their own skills in working with wood. Wood pieces will be available for purchase by the public in the afternoon.
Presenters Include: Elizabeth Lundgren from E- Arts Studio in Benecia that makes exquisite wood pieces and Bill Tarlton, a former machinist who will be presenting on quartersawing techniques. Both presenters handle a chainsaw well.
Cost: $40, includes local organic healthy lunch imported from Berkeley and CEU's, as well as helping to fund future council programs.
Contacts
Tony Wolcott -twolcott@albanyca.org
Jeremy Tibbits - jeremy@arborplus.com
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8. To all supporters of Golden Gate Park
Volunteer meeting - January 22nd –
Come to our meeting on:
Date: Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: 1243 42nd Avenue, between Lincoln and Irving.
Who: New and experienced volunteers – anyone interested in protecting Golden Gate Park
Talk about: Outreach plans; update on EIR status; learn more about the project if you are new to our group
Bring: Yourself! And a snack to share (optional).
Wear: Warm socks – we ask folks to remove their shoes..
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9. The local chapter of the California Native Plant Society is seeking appropriate gardens to include on the April 15, 2012 tour.
The goal is to show the public how native plants can enrich a garden by their attractiveness, the fauna they support and their suitability for our climate. Such gardens should feature native plants, which may be in concert with other garden plants whether they are already existing mature plants, food plants or other plant collections. Professionally designed gardens are gratefully encouraged; home gardens are also welcomed. We feature gardens throughout San Francisco (and perhaps) Pacifica.
Our tour is free and web-based. This year's tour is on Sunday, April 15, 2012 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. You can check out last year's tour on the local C.N.P.S. chapter's website: http://www.cnps-yerbabuena.org. Click on the Garden Tour tab.
If you would like to suggest a garden or have any questions please contact Susan Floore (415) 285-4692 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (if leaving a message speak slowly and clearly) or sflooreatatt.net (be sure to include "garden tour" or "native garden" in the subject line; emails from persons unknown to me are deleted). Sooner would be better than later as this tour is organized and run by volunteers most of whom have "day jobs."
If you are interested in going on the tour, mark your calendars for the April 15, 2012 tour and stay tuned to our website for further information.
- Susan Floore
_____________________
Eighth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour:
Registration for the Eighth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will take place on Sunday, May 6, 2012 from 10 to 5, is now open. This free, award-winning tour features 45 Alameda and Contra Costa county gardens that are pesticide-free, conserve water, provide habitat for wildlife, and contain 60% or more native plants. This self-drive tour showcases a variety of gardens, from large parcels in the hills to small lots in the flats. Native plant sales and talks are offered at select gardens. Space is limited and registration is required. This tour will fill; register early to ensure a place. Volunteers are needed. Please register or volunteer at http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/
A companion event, the Native Plant Sale Extravaganza, will take place throughout the weekend of April 30 and May 1.
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10. Monthly EcoTuesday Series Moves to Acterra!
This Month: Small Actions Make a Difference
Tuesday, January 24, 6:30 p.m.
Acterra Conference Room
Peninsula Conservation Center Building
3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto [map]
Join Tom Larsen of Green Smart for a discussion about how consumer actions can radically change the business landscape. He will cover examples of how conditions in California have been changed by consumers, whether or not they are conscious of their effect.
This should be a empowering discussion exemplifying the strength of individual actions in the marketplace.
As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Tom Larsen grew up during an era of awareness of the increasing smog, pollution and landfill encroachment of San Francisco Bay. He has studied architecture and eventually received a B.S. in Conservation of Natural Resources at U.C. Berkeley.
Tom is currently President and co-founder of GreenSmart, a laptop sleeve and bag company with products designed to be green from concept, through materials development, to execution.
He has worked in the energy management industry and served on the Board of the Association of Professional Energy Managers. This was during a time when utilities in California introduced cutting edge demand management incentives for commercial, industrial and residential customers. It was striking to him that these changes are largely responsible for the energy consumption in California to be 40% below the national average. This experience set the foundation for the philosophy of GreenSmart that the cumulative effect of small efforts can have a significant effect on the planet.
For more information and to register, please visit the EcoTuesday Meetup website. Cost: $5
EcoTuesday, a unique, structured monthly networking event for sustainable business leaders held concurrently in six cities across the country.
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11.
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy
who'll decide where to go.
~ Dr. Seuss ~
(Oh, the Places You'll Go!)
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12.
Hi, Jake, I have a story out this morning you might like. I know you'll love the gorgeous photos taken on the Kenai and outside Anchorage at Potter Marsh by bird lover Jim Lawson. All the best to you, and thanks for your wonderful letter. Jane Kay
Here's the link: http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2012/01/trumpeter-swans-rebound
JS: It was also in Scientific American, w/o all the good pictures:
NEWS: Trumpeter Swans Rebound, with an Assist from Global Warming
Hunted to near extinction, the swan is taking advantage of warmer, longer summers to expand its range and numbers
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=25&ms=Mzg3MjgzNTES1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI3NTg5NTQxS0&mt=1&rt=0
________________________
Dear Mr. Sigg,
I'm a science writer specializing in California natural history, and used to be an editor at California Wild, the former magazine of the California Academy of Sciences. You've mentioned my articles a couple of times in your Nature News blog, which I've been a fan of for a long while now.
I write because I thought you and your readers might be interested in a book of mine that was just published in October by the University of California Press. It's called Natural History of San Francisco Bay, and it's part of the press's venerable California Natural History Guides series.
True to the title, it is a primer to the currents, fishes, birds, and plants that live in and around the state's largest estuary. But it is also a comprehensive, eminently readable account of how the health of the bay has been intertwined with the interests of its human population for the past 150 years. My coauthor, fellow science writer Ariel Rubissow Okamoto, and I discuss the draining and diking of wetlands, the damming of rivers, the effects of industrialization, and attempts to fill the bay--a story played out in many areas of the nation. What's been unique to the Bay Area has been the grassroots movement to repair the living fabric of the bay. Early efforts to return tides to salt marshes and daylight creeks have produced multimillion-dollar projects to swap salt ponds for wetlands as well as intensive public oversight of bayside development. We end with a look to the future and how restoration efforts will mitigate the effects of global warming and rising tides on bay communities.
We've received a fair amount of laudatory local press coverage, including articles in Estuary News, the SF Bay Guardian (scroll to the bottom), Bay Nature, and the San Jose Mercury News.
Kathleen Wong
(Hello, Kathleen. I'm pleased to get your email--it settles the long-standing question of whether you're the same Kathleen Wong that wrote all those wonderful articles for California Wild. I see another Kathleen Wong in Scientific American. I guess that's you, too? I wondered about that, also.
I'm glad to post your blurb about this exciting book. That's what I'm in business for. Thank you.)
Dear Jake,
Thanks so much for your help spreading the word about our bay book. It was a labor of love, as most books are, so we're eager to show off the fruits of our toil.
I am indeed the same Kathleen who wrote for California Wild. I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading those articles, as I loved writing and reporting them. But I must confess I am not the Kathleen Wong at Scientific American, who used to go by Kate Wong. Alas, there are so many of us. Guess that's what middle initials are for.
Take care, and exult in the the rain!
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13.
NEWS: Jet Lag: What's Causing One of the Driest, Warmest Winters in History?
The jet stream controls winter weather, but strange forces are controlling the jet stream this season
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=46&ms=Mzg3MjgzNTES1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTI3NTg5NTQxS0&mt=1&rt=0
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14. Population and the American Future
The Report of The Commission on Population Growth and the American Future
One of the most serious challenges to human destiny in the last third of this century will be the growth of the population. Whether man’s response to that challenge will be a cause for pride or for despair in the year 2000 will depend very much on what we do today. If we now begin our work in an appropriate manner, and if we continue to devote a considerable amount of attention and energy to this problem, then mankind will be able to surmount this challenge as it has surmounted so many during the long march of civilization.
Richard Nixon
July 18, 1969
No substantial benefits will result from further growth of the nation's population . . . we have not found any convincing economic argument for continued population growth . .. the health of our country does not depend upon it . . . nor does the vitality of business nor the welfare of the average person . . . and that the gradual stabilization of our population would contribute significantly to the nation's ability to solve its problems.
- Report from the Commission on Population and the American Future issued by its chairman, John D. Rockefeller III.
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15.
"The commonest ivory tower is that of the average man, the state of passivity towards experience. W.H. Auden
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16.
LTEs, The Economist
SIR – I arrived in America with a suitcase and a dream 45 years ago. At that time one needed a sponsor or firm employment in order not to become a public burden. The dream was to become a responsible and successful individual who adhered to the laws and customs of the adoptive country. I would never have thought of imposing customs from the society I left behind.
Unfortunately, this notion seems to have become a thing of the past.
Ilona Duncan
Heathsville, Virginia
SIR – The age of jet travel, transcontinental commuting and internet connectivity has no doubt enabled the spread of mass migration without migrants incurring the isolation and demoralising home sickness of the past. The almost instantaneous opportunity to interact with family and business partners in distant countries confers mutual support. But I wonder whether this ease of access to the country of origin also reduces the incentive to socialise and mix with local communities in the countries that migrants have relocated to.
Efficient transport and real-time communications with the folks back home could unintentionally make migrant communities more insular.
Joseph Ting
Brisbane, Australia
SIR – Your account of the politics of illegal immigration in the United States was woefully naive. You described illegal immigration as a “disappearing problem” that Republicans needlessly worry about. As a Hispanic-American who leans Democratic, I agree that most illegal immigrants have something to contribute. And yes, illegal immigration has, overall, been in decline. But you went further and seemed to be wholly against any attempt even to patrol or guard our borders.
Additionally, you completely ignored the surging problem of the drug wars that have already scarred Mexico and are slowly seeping into the American south-west. Every day, drugs and weapons are smuggled into the country through vehicles, tunnels, or blatantly in plain sight.
Joseph Cariz
St Petersburg, Florida
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The Hispanicisation of America
The law of large numbers
The role of Latinos in American society is growing inexorably, with big political implications for the future
Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the (very Hispanic) United Farm Workers union and son-in-law of Cesar Chavez, the founder of that union and the equivalent of Martin Luther King to Chicanos, recognises that Latinos are probably changing America more visibly than the Italians, Irish, Chinese or Germans did. This, he said, will cause some Anglos anxiety..."In the long run we'll win," he says. "Why? Because we have the numbers."
Excerpted from The Economist 11 Sept 2010
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17.
Mind Wanting More
Only a beige slat of sun
above the horizon, like a shade pulled
not quite down. Otherwise,
clouds. Sea rippled here and
there. Birds reluctant to fly.
The mind wants a shaft of sun to
stir the grey porridge of clouds,
an osprey to stitch sea to sky
with its barred wings, some dramatic
music: a symphony, perhaps
a Chinese gong.
But the mind always
wants more than it has --
one more bright day of sun,
one more clear night in bed
with the moon; one more hour
to get the words right; one
more chance for the heart in hiding
to emerge from its thicket
in dried grasses -- as if this quiet day
with its tentative light weren't enough,
as if joy weren't strewn all around.
~ Holly Hughes ~
(American Zen A Gathering of Poets)
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18.
National New Deal Preservation Association wants to draw your attention to an Important Issue
Closing of U.S. post offices and the general downsizing of the postal service have been in the news recently. The shrinking of the public sector and privatization of so many sectors of our society reflects the larger context of the closures.
Gray Brechin's Op-Ed in the U.K.'s The Guardian provides some of that context, and perspective on the post office's profound influence in American society. Click below to read the complete article.
The Full Article
_________________________________________
Because so many post offices were built by the New Deal and beautified by its arts programs, the National New Deal Preservation Association hopes to alert you to broader implications of the postal service consolidation and motivate you to action in your community.
This website provides a wealth of information about all the closures around the country.
www.savethepostoffice.com
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NNDPA President Harvey Smith speaking at Rally at historic Venice, CA New Deal Post Office on 11/5/11
Photo by: Paule Cruz Takash
Many communities are not taking USPS actions lightly and are standing up to preserve their beloved local post offices. An example of this is the recent rally in Venice, CA., which was covered by the L.A. Times.
The Complete Article
__________________________________________
NNDPA is most concerned about the pending closure of many post offices. Beyond that, many have murals in them that depict the history of the area or some scene that focuses on the major economy of that geographic area. We are hopeful that the Retail Department of the Post Office will find other ways to utilize the building's space and keep the buildings open, thereby eliminating the negative impact on some of the small communities where the post office is the hub of the community.
Where the murals are concerned, it is our understanding that if a post office building with a mural in it is sold, the Real Estate Department will negotiate with the new owner to properly care for the existing mural. If, for whatever reason, the new owners are unable to take on that responsibility, then efforts are mandated to find a suitable location in the community to house the mural, provided it can be done so without great damage.
We have observed that a great majority of folks out there do not fully understand that while the Post Office is a "quasi-governmental operation," it is for the most part a private entity, and is not taxpayer-funded. However, unlike other such entities, some aspects of the Post Office - especially the financial ones - are controlled by Congress, and as such, it presents unique challenges to the future of this great American institution.
We encourage the citizenry to contact their Congressional Representatives and let them know of their concerns about potential closings in their community - particularly if it is the only post office IN that community.
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19. Notes & Queries, Guardian Weekly
The rubber or the rubbee?
Isn't it actually helpful to rub salt in wounds?
It is very helpful as a wake-up remedy after a relaxing day of water boarding or stretching on the rack.
James Carroll, Geneva, Switzerland
• Yes, if you have masochistic tendencies.
Robert Locke, Fondi, Italy
• Rubbing salt on to the skin surface is helpful if you happen to be a piece of pork waiting to be married to navy beans in a concoction of brown sugar or molasses, or one's body happens to be covered in leeches.
Otherwise, the outcome is often less than satisfactory.
Y Y Chow, Toronto, Canada
• It depends on whether you're the rubber or the rubbee.
Donna Samoyloff, Toronto, Canada
• A gutted cod would say, "Yes".
Doreen Forney, Pownal, Vermont, US
• Only for a salary cut.
Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia
Here's some more, Tony
What ever happened to Tony Blair? Is he still alive?
He is working as a document shredder in the George W Bush Presidential Library.
Andrew Scott, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
Any answers?
Apart from making animals out of folded Woodbine packets, what other skills have been lost in the last 60 years?
E Slack, L'Isle Jourdain, France
Why don't I ever see baby pigeons?
Donna Samoyloff, Toronto, Canada
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