[sustainable_tompkins-l] A project bringing American buffalo to Siberia re: previous

2017-03-22 Thread NickVaczek 
just a quick read, chanced upon in last hour~

 
https://www.fastcompany.com/3068929/meet-the-father-son-duo-importing-american-buffalo-to-siberia-to-save-the-planet

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[sustainable_tompkins-l] The Meaning of Life (Part I): A new article with relevance to the food movement and the environment

2017-03-22 Thread Allison Wilson 
Dear Friends and Colleagues

The article linked to below is highly relevant to the food movement. We hope it 
will become (along with Genetics Is Giving Way to a New Science of Life) an 
essential text in the education of food producers, food activists, and 
environmentalists. The connections between food concerns and genetics are many: 
1) a gene-centric view of life is a vast diminishment of biological 
possibilities, including but not limited to minimising or denying the 
possibility that you or your customers may be harmed by poisons and pesticides, 
or that your farming can be improved by changes to the system and not just by 
the genes in the crop. 2) A gene-centric view of life is inherently 
reductionistic. 
3) Because a gene-centric view of life is reductionistic, like any reductionist 
concept, is easily twisted for commercial or political purposes because it 
removes the key elements of understanding from a form in which anyone can 
understand them (like overall health) into a formulation that can be 
misrepresented or mismeasured—this is the scientific basis of promoting 
"superfoods" and vitamin pills over natural foods, for example.

For reasons such as these I wrote in the article : "A genetically determinist 
society is therefore one not capable of understanding itself as directly at 
risk from irresponsible corporate activities and government indifference. It is 
fundamentally defenceless against polluters, junk food marketers, community 
dislocation, and other threats to human integrity.
In a wider political frame, the history of the 20th Century shows that a 
genetic determinist society is also vulnerable to fascists, racists, dictators, 
and warmongers. All this too is the product of a century and a half of the 
manipulation of biological science."

Happy reading and thanks for your attention!

Published today (Tuesday 21st March, 2017) by Independent Science News

The Meaning of Life (Part I)
by Jonathan Latham, PhD

https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/the-meaning-of-life-part-i/

Synopsis: In a previous article I showed that DNA does not deserve its 
reputation as a biological "master molecule" and that it has no special powers 
of organismal control. To prove it, in diverse disciplines of biology, 
compelling alternative explanations of biological phenomena—as properties of 
systems and not genes—are emerging that refute traditional thinking. This 
paradigm-shifting conclusion, outlined in Genetics Is Giving Way to a New 
Science of Life, nevertheless begs an obvious question. If the role of a master 
molecule was truly scientifically undeserved, how could DNA ever be considered 
to occupy it? 
The answer, it turns out, is that DNA has a fascinating but 
little-known scientific history. It was consciously fashioned into its role by 
wealthy institutions who were helped by influential scientists. This remarkable 
historical manipulation of the science of genetics is solidly documented and it 
explains how DNA emerged as a master molecule even in the absence of the 
necessary scientific evidence. This aspect of DNA has been largely ignored by 
historians of science who have assumed that this manipulation was tangential to 
the history of biology and merely sped up the inevitable discovery and 
understanding of DNA. The new developments in systems biology show, instead, 
that this manipulation subverted the whole course of scientific history and 
turned biology, in effect, on its head.

Please share this article if you like it.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan 

Jonathan Latham, PhD
Executive Director
The Bioscience Resource Project
Ithaca, NY 14850 USA

www.independentsciencenews.org
and
www.bioscienceresource.org

jrlat...@bioscienceresource.org
Skype: jonathanlatham2
Tel: 1-607-319-0279

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and 
opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who 
manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government 
which is the true ruling power of our country.”—Edward Bernays, Propaganda


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[sustainable_tompkins-l] 7,000 methane-filled bubbles ‘ready to explode’ in the Arctic

2017-03-22 Thread Maura Stephens 
More good news to add to the libraries full of hard scientific evidence that 
fossil fuels will be the death of us all. 
Not that more of such evidence will sway those who are calling the shots, any 
more than the previous mountains-full have done. Even with the simple elegant 
solutions outlined in the final paragraph below. (My bold throughout.)
We've got no option but to RIF* those who are calling the shots.
*Evocative corporate term coined in the '80s, meaning "reduction in force," a 
euphemism for "fire at will." "Have you been RIF'd lately?" has been a common 
refrain in journalism circles over the past few decades.


> http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/siberia-permafrost-over-7000-methane-filled-bubbles-ready-explode-discovered-arctic-1612581
> 
> Siberia permafrost: There are over 7,000 methane-filled bubbles ‘ready to 
> explode’ in the Arctic
> 
> Huge craters have been appearing in Arctic regions over recent years due to 
> thawing permafrost.
> 
> By Hannah Osborne
> Updated March 22, 2017
> See the videos
> 
> 
> 
> There are over 7,000 gas-filled bubbles in remote parts of Siberia that are 
> set to explode, scientists have discovered. Following extensive field 
> expeditions and satellite surveys, researchers in Russia have identified 
> thousands of bulging bumps in the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas — far more than 
> they had expected.
> 
> Alexey Titovsky, director of Yamal department for science and innovation, 
> told the Siberian Times that understanding the bubbles is of paramount 
> important to assessing the risk they pose.
> 
> In July last year, scientists released footage of the ground on Bely Island 
> wobbling underfoot. When they punctured them, methane and carbon dioxide was 
> released. It is thought an abnormally warm summer had caused the permafrost 
> to thaw, leading to the release of methane that had been locked up in the 
> ground. At present, it is thought this process is behind the emergence of the 
> numerous craters that have appeared over recent years — including the 
> ‘gateway to the underworld’ crater near Batagaiin.
> 
> Titovsky said the 7,000 bulging bumps identified could also collapse into 
> craters: “At first such a bump is a bubble, or ‘bulgunyakh’ in the local 
> Yakut language. With time the bubble explodes, releasing gas. This is how 
> gigantic funnels form.
> 
> “We need to know which bumps are dangerous and which are not. Scientists are 
> working on detecting and structuring signs of potential threat, like the 
> maximum height of a bump and pressure that the earth can withstand.”
> 
> The team plans to continue working throughout the year to chart and map all 
> of the underground bubbles in Yamal.
> 
> 
> 
> Thawing permafrost as a result of global warming is expected to lead to more 
> methane release in the future, a spokesman from the Ural branch of Russian 
> Academy of Science said. “An abnormally warm summer in 2016 on the Yamal 
> peninsula must have added to the process,” they added.
> 
> On Bely Island, scientists found methane was 1,000 times above normal, while 
> CO2 was around 25 times higher. “As we took off a layer of grass and soil, a 
> fountain of gas erupted,” one of the scientists working at the site explained.
> 
> The release of methane from the thawing permafrost is of huge concern to 
> climate scientists. Max Holmes, the deputy director and senior scientist at 
> the Woods Hole Research Centre, told IBTimes UK it could lead to the collapse 
> of human infrastructures, like roads and towns, as well as creating a 
> feedback cycle that results in even more warming.
> 
> “That is a self-reinforcing cycle with greenhouse gasses released as 
> permafrost thaws, which causes warming,” he said. “This results in more 
> permafrost thaw and causes more warming and on and on. That is something we 
> worry a lot about. Once this cycle gets going it is hard to stop.
> 
> “How do we stop it? We control what we can control. Permafrost thaw is driven 
> fundamentally by global warming, which is amplified in the Arctic. How do you 
> control global warming? You control the emissions that are directly under 
> your control — fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.”
> 



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[sustainable_tompkins-l] Message from PRI Director: March for Science

2017-03-22 Thread Marissa Zuckerman 
Letter from PRI Director Regarding the Upcoming March for Science

Dear Friends of the Paleontological Research Institution,

On Saturday, April 22nd, 2017, thousands of scientists and supporters of 
science are expected to attend the March for Science in Washington D.C. and 
more than 429 satellite marches across the world. Many scientific and 
educational societies have expressed their intent to participate to address a 
variety of concerns related to science.

Our Institution's mission is to increase scientific knowledge, educate society, 
and encourage wise stewardship of the Earth. We provide and support science 
education opportunities that encourage everyone to ask questions, think 
critically, and develop an understanding of the world around them. We believe 
that every person deserves an education that encourages scientific learning.

With this in mind, the Paleontological Research Institution is planning an 
active presence at the March for Science in Washington D.C., Ithaca, Buffalo, 
New York, and additional locations that are still to be determined. We believe 
our Institution's presence at the march is essential for promoting science 
education and for building greater ties with the community we serve. We intend 
to participate not only to support other scientists like ourselves, but to 
ensure that scientific knowledge is inclusive and accessible to all.

Additional information about the March for Science is available at 
www.marchforscience.com. Thank you for supporting our mission. We look forward 
to advancing science with your support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Warren D. Allmon
Executive Director


Additional questions regarding PRI's presence at the March of Science can be 
directed to our Communications Department at market...@priweb.org.


Marissa Zuckerman

Manager of Marketing and Communications
Paleontological Research Institution, and its two venues
Museum of the Earth and Cayuga Nature Center
zucker...@priweb.org
(607) 273-6623 x15

Follow PRI on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

[facebook][twitter][instagram]



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visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] 4/2: Fruit Tree Pruning workshop

2017-03-22 Thread Sandra J. Repp 
Fruit Tree Pruning
Sunday, April 2, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
@ Indian Creek Farm, 1408 Trumansburg Road (Rt. 96), Ithaca, NY 14850

If you grow fruit trees, it’s important to know how to prune them correctly to 
promote yearly fruiting and reduce disease problems. At this hands-on 
demonstration at Indian Creek orchard, orchardist Steve Cummins will 
demonstrate pruning and training techniques for both young and mature trees, 
including dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard trees. Species covered will include 
apple, peach and plum trees.

The pruning demonstration will take place in the orchard so please dress for 
the weather.

Cost: $5-$10/person self-determined sliding scale. Pre-registration is 
required. Call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County at (607) 
272-2292 to register by phone or go to our registration page at 
http://db.ccetompkins.org/programs/civicrm/event/info?id=626=1 to 
register online.

NOTE: Hands-on grafting will NOT be offered at the pruning workshop this year. 
Anyone interested in grafting can contact Greg at Cummins Nursery to schedule a 
custom grafting workshop: greg...@gmail.com


Chrys Gardener
Commercial/Community Horticulture Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension - Tompkins County
615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca NY 14850
(607)272-2292, extension 241
www.ccetompkins.org


For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] 3/25: Spring Worm Compost Class at CCE-Tompkins

2017-03-22 Thread Sandra J. Repp 

Spring Worm Compost Class

Saturday, March 25, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

@ CCE-Tompkins, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca NY

No backyard needed! Vermicomposting is an easy indoor system that produces rich 
compost for your plants. This hands-on workshop will teach you how to care for 
your very own bin. Each paying household will go home with a starter bin and 
worms.
Fee: $10/household includes your bin & worms! Register online or by calling 
Cooperative Extension 607-272-2292. Questions? Contact Adam at 
a...@cornell.edu.
http://ccetompkins.org/events/2017/03/25/spring-worm-composting-class



Adam Michaelides
Program Manager, Compost Education Program

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County

www.ccetompkins.org/compost / (607) 
272-2292 x 124




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visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Control Your/Our Climate with HeatSmart!

2017-03-22 Thread Gay Nicholson 
*HeatSmart Tompkins*
Looking for ways to make your home more comfortable while shrinking its
carbon footprint? Heat Smart

 community meetings can help you learn how air sealing, insulation, and
high-efficiency heat pumps can cut your heating bills and make your home
more comfortable in winter and summer.

The next meetings of the program are in Ulysses and Lansing:

*March 23rd (Thurs) — Ulysses*
Racker Center, 3226 Wilkins Road 14850 
6:30-8:30
Join and share our Facebook event.


*March 28th (Tues) — Lansing*
Lansing Town Hall, 29 Auburn Road 
6:30-8:30pm
Join and share our Facebook event.


You can also come to one of our home tours and talk to folks who are
enjoying their own heat pump systems:

*Sunday March 26th 2-4pm *
Name: *Charles & Kathleen Woodcock (click for facebook event)*

Heat Pump(s):
*Mitsubishi 3 ton ductless ASHP system   (combination
of single-zone and multi-zone units)*
Address: *167 Crescent Place, Ithaca, NY 14850*


--
Gay Nicholson, Ph.D.
President
Sustainable Tompkins
309 N. Aurora St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
www.sustainabletompkins.org
607-533-7312 <(607)%20533-7312> (home office)
607-220-8991 <(607)%20220-8991> (cell)
607-272-1720 <(607)%20272-1720> (ST office)

g...@sustainabletompkins.org

For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] 4/10: "Commercial Production of Chinese Medicinal Herbs" - RESCHEDULED!

2017-03-22 Thread Sandra J. Repp 
RESCHEDULED from 3/13!

Commercial Production of Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Monday, April 10, 6:00-8:00pm
@ Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca NY

Learn about the domestic production of Chinese medicinal herbs. Jean Giblette 
of High Falls Gardens will give a presentation on this exciting emerging market 
for farmers and growers. High Falls Foundation has received funding from the 
New York State Farm Viability Institute to form a farmers' cooperative in NYS 
to begin production of Chinese medicinal herbs on a commercial scale. There is 
increasing demand for domestically grown Chinese medicinal herbs, and a 
cooperative in Virginia formed several years ago and is now selling their 
products to U.S. practitioners. This presentation will provide information to 
farmers and growers that may want to explore this opportunity further.  Cost: 
$5-$10/person self-determined sliding scale.  Call Cornell Cooperative 
Extension of Tompkins County at (607) 272-2292 to register by phone, or 
register online 
here.
Chrys Gardener
Commercial/Community Horticulture Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension - Tompkins County
615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca NY 14850
(607) 272-2292, extension 241
www.ccetompkins.org


For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] please join us in support of solar in Dryden

2017-03-22 Thread Marie McRae 
You  may have heard of the proposed solar development in Dryden. Maybe you saw 
the opposition ads in the Shopper, or heard their voices at last Thursday's 
town board meeting. These proposed solar panels are a small part of the 
seriously necessary changes in our world -- away from fossil fuel burning and 
toward energy from the sun and wind. Please click on this 
linkhttps://goo.gl/forms/C13H5XWUhmmPJz9p1and add your name to our message to 
the Dryden Town Board members. Time is short and they need to know that lots of 
people stand behind this important decision. Without these changes we have no 
hope of achieving carbon emission reduction goals set by the town, county, and 
state. The decision is now scheduled to be made by the Board on March 30th. 
Please sign now whether or not you are a Dryden resident.  But if you are a 
Dryden resident and are willing to attend the board meeting at the town hall on 
March 30th, 7:00, we would welcome your presence. Marie McRae   I love this 
world, even in its hard placesSo, even if the effort may come to 
nothing,you have to do something.from "For Example" by Mary Oliver
For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] FW: Cornell to host carbon neutrality forum March 28

2017-03-22 Thread Get Your GreenBack Tompkins 
From: Cornell University Media Relations Office 
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 11:22 AM
To: Melissa Shaffmaster 
Subject: Cornell to host carbon neutrality forum March 28



CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA ADVISORY


Cornell to host carbon neutrality forum March 28


WHAT:  Public forum on “Options for Achieving a Carbon Neutral
Campus by 2035”

WHEN:  Tuesday, March 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

WHERE:Hotel Ithaca, 222 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY

MEDIA: The event is free and open to the public. Media members are
asked to RSVP to Lindsey Hadlock in Cornell’s Media Relations Office at
607-255-6121 or lmh...@cornell.edu.


ITHACA, N.Y. –  Cornell’s Senior Leaders Climate Action Group (SLCAG) will
host a public forum Tuesday, March 28, to discuss its report, “Options for
Achieving a Carbon Neutral Campus by 2035,” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the
Hotel Ithaca, 222 S. Cayuga St. The event is free and open to the public.

Released in the fall, the report builds off Cornell University’s existing
Climate Action Plan, further outlining solutions to reduce energy demands
and increase clean energy supply. Following the presentation, there will be
a question-and-answer session for community members.

The forum panelists will be:

  *   SLCAG Co-chair Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering;
  *   SLCAG Co-chair Bill Sitzabee, interim vice president for
infrastructure, properties and planning;
  *   Todd Cowen, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the
Kathy Dwyer Marble and Curt Marble Faculty Director for Energy, Atkinson
Center for a Sustainable Future;
  *   Robert Howarth, the David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology;
  *   Katie Keranen, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences;
  *   Joel Malina, vice president for university relations;
  *   Paul Streeter, vice president for budget and planning;
  *   Jefferson W. Tester, the Croll Professor of Sustainable Energy
Systems and director of the Cornell Energy Institute; and
  *   Sarah Zemanick, director of the Campus Sustainability Office.

A copy of the report can be found on the Sustainable Campus website<
http://Cornell.pr-optout.com/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%
3d80%3c%2f%3a9-%3eLCE59%2f35%3d%26SDG%3c90%3a.=MC=
4735486=False=25688=Follow+Link>.

For more information on this event, see this Cornell Chronicle story<
http://Cornell.pr-optout.com/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%
3d80%3c%2f%3a9-%3eLCE59%2f35%3d%26SDG%3c90%3a.=MC=
4735486=False=25687=Follow+Link>.


Lindsey Hadlock
office: 607-255-6121
cell: 607-269-6911
lmh...@cornell.edu


Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout
studios available for media interviews.





-- 

Karim Beers, Coordinator
*Get Your GreenBack Tompkins* 
*everyone taking a step to save energy and money*

   - Stay in touch via *Facebook
   * and our
monthly *Community
   Newsletter
   
*
   - Go Solar Tompkins  for low-cost quality
   solar
   - HeatSmart Tompkins  for heat pump and
   energy efficiency solutions
   - Get support saving energy & money with our Energy Advising
   
   - Ask questions in the online Community Forums
   

For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please 
visit:  http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom 
Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Fwd: Fw: CORRECTION: Second Meeting on Regulating Renewables

2017-03-22 Thread Irene Weiser 
Here it is again, with a Date that makes sense!

--
*From:* Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability

[sustainable_tompkins-l] Fwd: Fw: ANNOUNCEMENT: Second Meeting on Regulating Renewables

2017-03-22 Thread Irene Weiser 
--
*From:* Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability