Green Dinners
Eat, Talk, and Solve Together
Green Dinners allow people in our local community to come together, not only to enjoy each others company, but also to bring up relevant issues occuring in our neighborhood that we'd like to change. It's a great opportunity to meet people, strengthen friendships, eat nourishing food, and to get in touch with your community. Green Dinners first initiated with ...learn more
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Oct 18, 2007
Updated: Aug 15, 2009
Membership: Open
Semi-Private
Brooking Gatewood
brookingg
User Info
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| My Groups: | Consciousness Shift | Stop the Spray |
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About
I manage communications and partnership for Global Footprint Network, an Oakland-based international non-profit whose aim is to end ecological overshoot by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a resource accounting tool that tells us how much nature we have, how much we use, and who uses what. We work with government, business, and citizen groups to help us move towards living well and within the means of one planet.
-- www.footprintnetwork.orgBefore Footprint took over my working life, I used to do research for WiserEarth database at Natural Capital Institute!!! So its particularly fun to participate in this expanding and exciting community resource.
Outside of work my interests include food and farming issues, women's education and population, network theory, ecological economics, psychology and consciousness, ultimate frisbee, hiking, vegetables and deserts, dancing and singing.
Do you know that the Bay Area is scheduled to be aerial sprayed with poisonous chemicals by this summer, more precisely August 1st 2008? For a period of three years.
I just came back from a hearing at the Oakland City Hall about the spraying and here is what I have to share with you.
- First of all, the decision of the spraying has already being made, not by you or me, but by the government or CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture), corporations and lobbyists.
- The Environmental Impact Report will only be released after the spraying has taken place.
- At the meeting there were several residents from Santa Cruz and Monterey, places that had already being sprayed. One woman had a photo of her 3 year old daughter, whose face was covered by blisters.
Also heard from people with Asthma and other respiratory problems who end up in the emergency room.
- Interestingly enough I've learned that the Black Moth or Light Moth, has being living in the Bay Area for decades and there are no reports that it causes any damage to agriculture, here or in any other country.
- Spraying can kill bees and other beneficial insects.
- The chemical which is enveloped on a plastic capsule which is not guaranteed to break on the air and could land at our kids playground, vegetable gardens or on the wood that you will burn at your fire place.
Well I could go on and on but I know how we get bored by long emails, so please let's take action. Let's regain our democratic right of choice!
Oh, last but no least you might be wondering what is the motivation behind the spraying. How does US$74.5 millions sounds to you? And the best part of all is that this money will be coming from your pocket and mine.
Yes, tax money. Not for schools or for health care, but to keep the corporations rich and the ties with government strong.
Here are some websites for more information:
http://www.pacificariptide.com/pacifica_riptide/2008/02/stop-the-sprayi.html
http://forum.stopthespray.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=395
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/ci_8344918
http://www.dontspraycalifornia.org/
http://www.panna.org/resources/lbam#pheromones
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/02/18476684.php
See you on the streets.
Andrea