Great Lakes Bioneers

It’s been a while since we’ve given you all a shout out…honestly the skiing has been so great this year we haven’t held still long enough until now.

We have, however, had some good local events such as a December fundraiser and screening of Black Gold, a documentary that tells the story of coffee. Though it is the 2nd most valuable traded commodity in the world next to oil, many farmers struggle to be paid enough to keep their coffee fields. The event raised funds (over $12,000) for the educational fund for the Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union, which were delivered in person by event co-sponsor, Higher Grounds Trading Co.

We also were honored with the presence of Bioneers speaker, Thomas Linzey, at Michigan’s first Democracy School. Perhaps nowhere needs a paradigm shift more than our legal system when it comes to corporate person-hood!

On to the future!

First of all, greetings, salutations, and congratulations to Cleveland, this year joining forces with Detroit and TC as the newest Great Lakes Bioneers satellite location!!

We’d also like to share with you a sneak-peak into the weekend of October 19-21 and this year’s annual conference. Plans are in the works to create more time. Mad alchemy? Mere illusion? We’ll start by extending the lunch period, offering repeated viewings of the beamed plenary talks, and more workshop-like ways to engage throughout the day.

Speaking of workshops: All prospective and interested presenters, please visit http://glbconference.org/2007-forms/eval-form_1.html
…and submit your workshop proposal or idea. Our presenters are not paid, however we do offer complimentary registration, lodging, meals, and travel reimbursement for those selected.

As you can see…it’s happening! Can’t wait to see you soon.

We lost much of the previous material posted on this BLOG and we are currently recovering as best we can. We have begun the rebuilding process. Please come back for news, events, announcements and other useful information.

The Michigan Public Service Commission recently released their report based on Governor Granholm’s directive to create a comprehensive 21st Century Energy Plan. Her directive called for a “reliable, safe, clean, and affordable supply of energy for Michigan’s future”. The report calls for ten percent of our electricity to come renewable energy sources by 2015, as well as the creation of a small energy efficiency program that would provide education and incentives for buying more efficient products. Additionally, the plan calls for a new coal-fired power plant that will cost ratepayers around $1.6 billion.

While having ten percent of our electricity come from renewable sources is a start, it will hardly make us an alternative energy leader since 24 other states, including several in the Midwest, already have standards at least that high. Even more alarming is the fact that energy efficiency programs are only funded for one year, and the funding is less than half of the minimum amount that experts have been advocating for.

Because of these weak policies, the report recommends that Michigan will need a new power plant. However, if we properly fund energy efficiency and call for thirteen percent of our electricity to come from renewable sources, then we won’t need a new plant at all. Energy efficiency saves energy at less than half the cost of building a new power plant, yet this is the resource that received the least attention because utility companies want to sell more, not less energy regardless of cost and pollution.

Bioneers luminary Bill McKibben is starting a movement and we are working together to invite your support and participation. Bill wrote early and often about the perils posed by climate change and we both feel it is the single greatest threat to civilization. So far, save for one march last year, there have been no mass protests, no large-scale gatherings of humanity to signal this dilemma and call for its prevention.On April 14, a new organization called Step It Up 2007 is inviting organizations to hold rallies and events across the country. So far, over 300 events are planned in 39 states. Please go to Step It Up 2007 and join one or create an event in your community. It can be as humble as a sign, as entertaining as theater, or as bold as a mass demonstration.

For More information visit: Step It Up 2007

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Another Bioneers Luminary, David Orr, is helping organize Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America (www.focusthenation.org).

Focus the Nation is coordinating teams of faculty, students, and at over a thousand colleges, universities and K-12 schools in the United States, to collaboratively engage in a nationwide, interdisciplinary discussion about “Global Warming Solutions for America”. View a video about the project on YouTube.

Focus the Nation is calling for educators and students to join them at the University of Las Vegas in Nevada this April, to help build an educated and engaged citizenry at a Free conference. For more information and to register, visit: April Conference

Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature Radio Series VI

Wins Two International Communicators Awards

The winning Programs may be purcashed at the Bioneers Store

Subscribe to Bioneers Podcasts at Bioneers Feeder

The Communicator Awards is an international awards\nprogram founded by communications professionals to recognize excellence\nin the communications field. Two shows from the 2006 Bioneers 13-part\nradio series won an Award of Distinction designated “for projects that\nexceed industry standards in quality and excellence.” The series also\nwon both the Crystal Award of Excellence and Award of Distinction in\n2005 and the Crystal Award of Distinction in 2004.

The first award-winning program, Time is Not Money: Waking from the Workaholic American Dream,: What are the most precious resources on Earth? Oil? Gold? Water? Is time our real gold? Author Vicki Robin faced a life-threatening illness and awakened to the true value of time. John De Graaf, producer of the film and book “Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic,” charts how U.S. residents spend time very differently from Europeans. Together, they examine what the alternative to overwork and the workaholic American dream would look like.”

The winning Programs may be purcashed at the Bioneers Store

Subscribe to Bioneers Podcasts at Bioneers Feeder

The planning committee has held our annual January retreat and we are gearing up for the 6th annual Great Lakes Bioneers Conference in Traverse City.

We can’t do it with out participation from conference goers though, and we’re asking for your ideas about how to improve the already successful event. We plan on tweaking the schedule, adding open space workshops and creating more community space/time.

Do you have any suggestions? Let us know.