SEEDS

March 2012, Seeds Newsletter

March 9, 2012

Hi SEEDS Folk,

SEEDS is beginning work on a 10 year plan, that is, what we’d like to see happen here Northeastern PA by 2022. Here is the draft from our preamble:In the coming decade, SEEDS of NEPA commits to achieving measurable progress towards carbon neutrality in our community, which we believe will contribute to our economic, environmental, social, and spiritual sustainability. To this end, we target the following areas and guidelines for our work:

Carbon Neutrality
Green Building and Renovation
Business Energy Conservation (Wayne Businesses Conserve)
Residential Energy & Conservation (including TEAAM and 350 Saved)
Transportation
Community Renewable Energy Project
Regional Waste Processing Plant
Sustainable Energy Clearinghouse
Energy & Sustainability Fest

Clearly this is a big job, and we, like many others, are still exploring what what “carbon neutrality” means. We just know we want to work toward measurable conservation while increasing the use of renewable energy in our community. Our emphasis for the time being, mainly because we have people interested in working in these areas, are the first 4 items above. You can make a difference in what happens in our community in the next 10 years, by joining us in some capacity. Become a SEEDS member with a donation of $10 or more. Volunteer your time or come to one of our circle meetings. We will list the meeting times on our website, www.seedsgroup.net. But don’t wait for that. If you have a passion for any of the above orjust know in your heart that it’s time to step up and make your contribution, please reply to this email, and we’ll get back to you. Another round of SEEDS forums are starting again:

Tuesday, March 20 will be “Tools and TEAAM Stories for EnergyConservation”, from 7 to 9 at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, 32 Commerce Street in Honesdale. (Note the change of address so that we will have wireless connection to connect you to your home energy usage via PPL’s online Energy Analyzer.) Hear how families in the area benefited from SEEDS’ free energy assessment program, The Energy Action Awareness Movement (TEAAM), and how to use PPL’s online energy monitoring tools. One TEAAM homeowner commented, “I hired a guy for a day, and had him do everything on the list your team suggested fixing.” She added, “My home was a lot more comfortable this winter, no drafts.” Another said, “We did a lot of joint caulking and covered up parts under the old part of the house. In all we used 2 tanks less of oil this winter.”

“We’ll be demonstrating PPL’s online Energy Analyzer and showing you how you can learn lots about your own energy use, and how it compares to other homes in the community,” said Kayleigh Cornell, Energy Corps member for SEEDS this year. Computers will be available to get hands on practice, but bring your own if possible. Also bring your latest PPL bill to get started.

Tuesday, April 17 Solar PV #3– think solar power in your hands

Tuesday, May 15 Round Buildings: Living Outside the Box,

Our forums are generally held the third Tuesday of each month at the Wayne County Conservation District, 648 Park Street, Honesdale at 7 pm Coffee and refreshments will be provided. Extra points to those who bring their own mug. We hope you can join us for some learning and fun! Keep posted for specific schedule at our web site.

Time Banking warranted a nice piece in the February AARP magazine. For those of you not yet of the over 50 persuasion, the article discusses—besides benefits to the elderly who have talents to share and small tasks they can no longer perform–how to form a time bank and its community building advantages. The article also points out differences with bartering: since no dollar amount is exchanged in time banking, just time–voila no tax! If you want to dig even deeper into the money issue, Sepp Hasslberger has come up with Fuzzies: not Euros, not dollars, but Fuzzies. When you realize our currency, whether paper or plastic, has little hard value anyway, his approach is not so weird. He goes into the history of money, the basis of credit, the logical basis of Greece, Italy and Portugal’s debt, and ends with a call to “experiment”—at a local level and over the web! 1 Million Women, Australia’s wonderful conservation movement, is focusing on food waste currently. One link will help you be aware of your own food waste habits , another some ideas on using/reusing food by a master chef, and another delightfully “Aussie” video of cooking locally, seasonally and with leftovers.

Prepare for Spring. Order your seedlings for fir and fruit trees from the Wayne County Conservation Office before March 23^rd. Call the conservation office at 253-0930 to have them email you an order sheet.

Yogurt Making Workshop Thursday, March 8, 2012. 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Nature’s Grace, 647 Main Street. Honesdale. Taught by Jamie Stunkard, you will learn how to make yogurt in the comfort of your own home. This workshop is sponsored by Nature’s Grace and supported by the Transition Honesdale SkillShare Project. Space is limited and pre-registration required 570.253.3469. Donations are appreciated.

Be sure to check out the full SkillShare calendar to find out about learning opportunities offered by regional organizations. And there are a lot of great events coming up! Like a 5-part series on whole food cooking offered by the Upper-Delaware Chapter of Slow Food USA, NOFA-NY and the Upper Delaware Chapter of the Weston A Price Foundation.

If you haven’t seen Dirt! The Movie yet (several showings last year were snowed out) the Master Gardeners is presenting it with discussion on Tuesday, March 13, from 6 to 8 at the Park Street Complex, 648 Park Street in Honesdale. Contribution $5, children free. And BTW you can order you seedlings while you’re there!

No Impact Man, will be screened at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Wyoming Valley on Friday, March 23, at 7:00pm. The award winning film follows a family that is determined to abandon their consumptive lifestyle by trying to live a year while making no net environmental impact. With humor and pathos, the film raises questions about the way we live and consume and challenges us to become more responsible environmental citizens. The church is at 20 Church Rd, Wyoming PA 18644; call or email for more info: 570-696-3949, office@uucwv.org

Earth Hour is March 31, between 8:30 & 9:30 pm. In honor of our Mother, turn out your lights—and your TV, computer, anything that uses electricity. (Even if you powered up your laptop in anticipation, it still uses internet servers, so no cheating.) InterFaith Power and Light suggests you have friends over to play board games by candle light, or read by solar powered lamps, and pop corn on the wood stove.Look for the SEEDS article in the March Connections Magazine, page 17. Psst, it’s about money and the value of your home—oh, and sustainability, too.