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PALM
SPRINGS GREEN SCENE
information
for the transition to a green, sustainable, post-carbon future
Featured in this newsletter :
- Grace
and the weight of water
- The
Governor and the Prince
- I
killed a Penguin
- The
CREEC Network
- Reuse,
Recycle, Rethink
- The
PSGS bulletin board - a green house for sale!
Dear
friends, as you can see, there's plenty of content in this
end-of-the-year newsletter, and I hope it will provide some good
reading in your moments of holiday leisure and carry
you over to the next PSGS January 2nd, 2010 newsletter :
the one year anniversary edition
!
My very best wishes for you and your families during these year end
holidays. May your celebrations be low-carbon, simple,
stressless, local, loving, and green.
Check
out the "events"
page, with a great selection of things to do and participate in
locally, and the Green
Scene "news"
page
with recent, informative, thought provoking articles,
chosen from world wide news feeds on subjects that are close to the
PSGS values - updated weekly.
And,
don't
forget
you can always view previous newsletters on our archives
on the News page.
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Grace and the weight of
water
With
the press abuzz with Tiger Woods and COP15, a meeting of the
American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, where scientists from NASA
and the University of California, Irvine, presented pivotal research
concerning California's groundwater situation, has seemingly been swept
under the proverbial carpet.
The twin Grace satellites have the ability to monitor the changes of
water "weight" and thereby make observations concerning groundwater
levels and soil moisture. The information presented about the
depletion of California's groundwater due to overpumping should give us
more than a pause for thought about our future.
The two original articles :
Satellites weigh California water
The Prince and the Governor
Of
the numerous articles streaming through the world press, and speeches
given in Copenhagen these past weeks, there are two that stood out in
my mind, and for different reasons : the speech delivered by
Prince Charles is an impassioned and heartfelt plea for action, and the
Governor, well he's our governor. What is interesting is that
both said that we cannot count on governments to do it all :
"I
am convinced it is these kinds of global partnerships -- between
government, business, NGOs, civil society and even individuals - that
willprovide the global solutions needed to secure our future " says the Prince, "The
world’s governments alone cannot make the kind of progress needed on
global climate change, they need everyone working. They need the
cities, the states, the, the provinces and the regions. They need the
corporations, the scientists, the individuals to create the
determination and action for movement " says the
Governor.
PRINCE CHARLES COPENHAGEN SPEECH:
'THE EYES OF THE WORLD
ARE UPON YOU'
The Guardian (transcript)
December 15, 2009
Prime minister, secretary-general, ministers, ladies and gentlemen:
I am most grateful for your kind invitation to address this crucially
important international gathering.
We live in times of great consequence and, therefore, of great
opportunity. With issues of such magnitude, it is easy to focus solely
on the challenges, the worst-case scenarios, the what-ifs of failure.
But take a moment to consider the opportunities if we succeed. Imagine
a healthier, safer and more sustainable, economically robust world.
Because if we share in that vision, we can share the will to action
that is now required.
Over more than three decades, I have been privileged to talk with some
of the world's most eminent experts on climate change and environmental
issues and to listen to the wisdom of some of the world's indigenous
people.
The conclusion I draw is that the future of mankind can be assured only
if we rediscover ways in which to live as a part of nature, not apart
from her.
For the grim reality is that our planet has reached a point of crisis
and we have only seven years before we lose the levers of control.
As the President of Gabon said at a meeting I hosted last month: 'The
door to our future is closing...'
This, I fear, is not an overstatement. For climate change is a
risk-multiplier. It has the potential to take all the other critical
issues we face as a global community and transform their severity into
a cataclysm. Read
more
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COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CONFERENCE
Arnold Schwarzenegger calls for
‘planetary transformation’
By Louise Gray, The Telegraph
December 15, 2009
The Governor of California said an international agreement at
Copenhagen will usher in a new era of renewable energy and economic
growth through
manufacturing green technology.
Even if a deal cannot be done between nation states, he said cities and
regions such as California are moving forward in transforming their
industries and individual lifestyles.
And he offered to host a summit for "sub-national governments" such as
California and London to make sure climate change is tackled on a
regional
level.
Speaking in the Danish capital, Mr Schwarzenegger said the world could
take
inspiration from the both the city's carbon conscious lifestyle and its
heritage as the home of story teller Hans Christian Andersen.
"There is a statue of the Little Mermaid in the harbour based on the
Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, but when I was a boy in Austria my
favourite tale was the Ugly Duckling because it was a tale of
transformation that spoke to me inside. I have always believed in
personal transformation," he said.
"The desire and hope and desperate need for planetary transformation is
what brought me here. Is it a dream, a fairly tale, a false hope? If
not how can we make it real?"
But even if national governments fail to agree, he said the rest of the
world must take action at a "sub-national level".
Read
more
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I Killed
a Penguin
Our
friend, Fritzie von Jessen, author of "Tough Plants in a Fragile Land",
master gardener, and long time resident of Palm Springs is sharing the
news that her new book "I killed a Penguin" will be released to
stores on February 2, 2010. She says "It has
been a time consuming but exciting project and I hope the readers will
enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it."
Growing up in Denmark, Fritzie von Jessen
came to the U.S. in the early
1960s at the time of the “green revolution.” In her book I Killed a Penguin,
she poignantly compares how we were just 50 years ago, to the
developments that have led to present-day threats of global warming and
climate change. She suggests ways each individual can assume personal
responsibility without changing our comfortable lifestyle, small
changes
that lead to significant impact on our environment.
Showing the
importance of nature for our physical, financial, and emotional health,
I Killed a
Penguin, is a serious book with
an important message, written in an easy-to-read, lighthearted style.
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The
CREEC Network
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I've
known Jennifer for several years in her capacity of yoga teacher
extraordinaire at the Urban Yoga Center in Palm Springs. However,
her
involvement and local leadership in promoting environmental education
is news to me, and that I'd like to share with you.
It is so vital that the younger generation be supported by the
community as they, in turn, nuture and develop environmental awareness
among the upcoming generation.
I will let her
introduce the project and herself in her own words, lifted off of her Autumn
'09 online newsletter :
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Welcome to the CREEC Network. The BEST source for EE News in
California!!!
The California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC)
Network is an
educational project supported by the California Department of Education
in collaboration
with state, regional, and local partners. This newsletter highlights
Environmental
Education opportunities, news and events for Eastern Riverside &
San Bernardino County
educators, businesses, community groups, and government agencies
dedicated to
environmental education. Visit online at www.creec.org/region10 for
more resources
including a searchable resource directory and local and statewide
calendar of events.
As the Coachella Valley & Morongo Basin CREEC Coordinator, I am
dedicated to
helping make connections to strengthen environmental literacy in
schools and throughout
our desert communities.
~Jennifer Eve Futterman
Your local CREEC Coordinator
Reuse, Recycle, Rethink : PS Art Show
The City of Palm Springs announces (and this could be fun ! ) :
In an effort to support Mayor Steve Pougnet’s community-wide call for
sustainability, the City of Palm Springs Public Arts Commission’s 12th
annual Juried Art show, slated for Jan. 22–Feb. 14 -- will feature a
green theme called “Reuse, Recycle,
Rethink.”
Coachella Valley artists are invited to drop off
their work for the innovative show on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. at the show’s new location, a recycled storefront located at 123
N. Palm Canyon Drive. A 5 p.m. opening reception and awards ceremony is
slated for Jan. 19. The Show Gallery will be open Thursdays through
Sundays during the following hours:
Thursdays and Fridays: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturdays: 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sundays: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Each year the show, designed to highlight the best creative work of
Coachella Valley residents, attracts hundreds of onlookers. Pieces
include original oils, watercolour, acrylic, mixed media, ink or
charcoal, pastels, photography, collage, works on paper, prints, as
well as digital and computer generated images.
“The Palm Springs Juried Art Show is a way for the City to showcase the
thriving local art community and its many participants,” according to
Jennifer Henning, the City’s public arts coordinator. “Thanks to the
support of the Public Arts Commission, City Council and our local
artists this show continues to grow in popularity and participation.
It’s an event for the citizens of Palm Springs and the Coachella
Valley.”
For more information, contact Henning at (760) 778-8408 or by email at
Jennifer.Henning@palmspringsca.gov.
The
PSGS bulletin board
A
GREEN GEM FOR A SMALL PRICE !
A
compact, low-carbon, eco-friendly, energy saving, beautifully renovated
home - with great green features and the very best quality materials,
is awaiting the savy person who has been looking for a unique
opportunity at a very reasonable price.
This is a healthy, toxin-free home, in a
quiet neighborhood, on a
large lot with plenty of room to create a
sustainable garden, build a tennis court, add another bungalow, many
possibilities
Visit the two sites below for all the details and pictures :
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