A River Between

Now that gas prices here in the US have climbed to $3/gallon, one thing that isn’t being emphasized is the impact that WINTER will have on gas prices, the economy, and everyone’s budget. Experts anticipate that oil will go up to $100/barrel this winter as folks use more to heat their homes. This means even higher prices at the pump, AND higher fuel bills this winter. However, there are some things that everyone can do to reduce their heating bills.
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Cross posted at MotorGeekBlog.com

Looking for a way to beat the current gas prices? Do you wish you could just harness the power of the sun and have a great drive across the country? Well this year, teams of very innovative college students did just that!
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Wangari Maathai is the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner

I’ve decided to start a new category and photo set on my Flickr Photospace about people I consider “heroes.” Mind you, I may have different definitions of the word hero. These are people who have risen above major challenges in creative ways, to bring about unexpected and profound change. I hope you enjoy hearing about these wonderful people.

Wangari Maathai started a movement in Kenya called the Grain Belt Movement. Even under an oppressive regime, she motivated women to make changes in the environment which they live. Over a period of 30 years, women in Kenya joined her in planting some 30 million trees. While they were doing this, they were creating community and becoming a support structure for themselves in a place where women held few rights.

From these efforts, Wangari has also been an advocate for women, human rights, and environmental sustainability. She was the first black woman in Eastern and Central Africa to earn a Doctorate Degree. In 2002, she was elected to the Kenya Parliament and was appointed Assistant Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife.

All my life, I have been trying to show how the Earth is central to our lives, and I have tried to express this in many ways. Every time I see the soil laid bare, I feel the urge to cover it, to re-clothe the naked Earth in verdant green vegetation. This is the robe of Mother Earth, adorned with beautiful, lush shades of green abundance.

So my dream is for us to return to the Earth her cloak of green vegetation, to give her back what she once had. By doing this we will be working towards what some call sustainable development.

I like the sound of that dream!

Windmill Train
Originally uploaded by holisticgeek

On June 25, this “windmill train” passed through Mahnomed, MN on its way to Canada for parts to be assembled into an 85-turbine wind farm. On June 1st, Canadian Pacific RR issued a press release on future movements of wind power generators. There will be six more movements this summer over the rails from Houston TX to the Twin Cities (via BNSF), then
from the Twin Cities to the Canadian border (via Canadian Pacific).

For more information on the “Windmill Trains” coming through Minnesota, Click Here to read the press release.

The photo to the right was used by permission of the photographer, Christopher Muller. More Photos of the Windmill train are available at the RR Picture Archive.

One of my tasks as a board member and Co-chair of Northfield’s Center for Sustainable Living is to do their website and blog. Since I’ve been having so much fun with Wordpress, I found a great wordpress theme, and also gave the CSL a Flickr pro account! Oh, the picture above is of one of the composting units we have at the Northfield Village School.

Check out The Center for Sustainability’s new blog!