CATALYST Magazine March 2020

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CCATTALYST CA R E S O U R C E S F O R C R E AT I V E L I V I N G

• Preview: Clean Air Solutions Fair 2020! • Garden like a boss • Cleaning up your indoor air • Chakra Series: The second chakra • Citizens get involved with air quality monitoring • Hunter Lovins: Creating an economy in service to life

Moth Boy by Marcee Blackerby 1 4 0 S M c c l e l l a n d s t. Salt Lake Cit y, UT 84102

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CATALYST RESOURCES FOR CREATIVE LIVING

COMMON GOOD PRESS, 501C3 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMON GOOD PRESS Pax Rasmussen PUBLISHER & EDITOR Greta Belanger deJong ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John deJong ART DIRECTOR Polly P. Mottonen ASSISTANT EDITOR Katherine Pioli COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Sophie Silverstone PRODUCTION Polly P. Mottonen, John deJong, Rocky Lindgren PHOTOGRAPHY & ART Polly Mottonen, John deJong, Sophie Silverstone, Emma Ryder

ONTHHE COVER

ATALY LYSTMAGAZINE.NET 5 March 2020 CAT

Moth Boy Boy, by Marcee Blackerbyy (1944-2019)

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arcee liked working with found objects, thriving g in he chaos of mixed meedia rt. She felt there is a kin nd of netic energy that develops when combining like with w nlike, creating mysteryy by detaching ob bjjects from their original purp pose. A found obj bject carries with it a history and characterr,r, both light and dark. It was her intent to break open o the secrets the object gaathered on its journey both h cultural and spiritual. An item will oft ften take an unexpected direction, as if having intelligence and creative expression of its’ own. It is precisely this unexpected result, when the common thing becomes art that intrigued her. She liked the idea of reserecting the obsolete, bringing it to center stage again. Her love of story-telling and fascination with lan-

guage led her to take a narrative approach to her work. Her choice of materials, as much as subj bject, often create a surprise fo for viewers. N As a focal point of Salt Lake’s art scene for many years Marcee’s works have been loved by many. Now over 100 pieces are available to admirers and collecors hrough rect ale from er adorinng nd bereftt husband Ric. A large culpture “A “American Pulp” is lookg for an appropriate home and my be offeered on loan to the right ublic spaace (library, theatre?) Call ic for dettails any day after 11am. 1-467-44465. CATTA ALLYYST mourns Marcee as a bbold, artful force of nature. We miss her.r

BOOKKEEPING Carolynn Bottino

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CONTRIBUTORS Charlotte Bell, Amy Brunvand, Nicole DeVaney, Jim French,Dennis Hinkamp, Valerie Litchfield, James Loomis, Mary McIntyre, Ashley Miller, Grace Olscamp, Diane Olson, Jerry Rapier, Emily Spacek, Alice Toler, Suzanne Wagner

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6 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

UTAH ENVIRONEWS BY AMY BRUNVAND

UNEWS UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

To be alive in this beautiful, self-organizing universe—to participate in the dance of life with senses to perceive it, lungs that breathe it, organs that draw nourishment from it–is a wonder beyond words. Gratitude for the gift of life is the primary wellspring of all religions, the hallmark of the mystic, the source of all true art. Furthermore, it is a privilege to be alive in this time when we can choose to take part in the self-healing of our world. —Joanna Macy, Personal Guidelines

Utah legislative session bill trackers The 2020 General Session of the Utah Legislature ends March 12, 2020. The Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club and HEAL Utah track priority environmental bills that they support or oppose to help you know what’s happening on the hill. (See “At the Capitol,” this issue.) 2020 Utah Legislative Tracker: UTAH.SIERRACLUB.ORG/PRIORITY-BILLS. HEAL Utah 2020 Bill Tracker: HEALUTAH.ORG/BILLTRACKER/

Fact-checking the Inland Port Since the State of Utah has so far failed to analyze environmental impacts of building an inland port northwest of Salt Lake City, a coalition of citizen groups has released a fact sheet to address environmental and quality-oflife concerns. The Coalition to Stop the Polluting Port looked at the experience of other cities where inland ports are massive sources of pollution and environmental degradation and mainly provide low-paying warehouse jobs that are threatened by obsolescence due to automation. Here are some of their findings. The port would become a significant new

source of air pollution in the Salt Lake Valley, with Westside neighborhoods most heavily affected. The proposed construction area is in wetland habitat, directly in the flight path of 10 million migratory birds. Since wetlands breed midges, gnats and mosquitoes, human use of the area will require heavy use of pesticides, exposing birds and humans to toxic chemicals. The planned port would generate up to 25,600 additional truck and car trips each day, exceeding the capacity of existing roads. A proposed system of satellite ports is being developed in secret with no public input, including one in Tooele that would increase traffic on I-80 even more. The fossil fuel-dependent port would also be a source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The report concludes, “There needs to be a balance of profit, planet and people in order to preserve our society and natural world. We need to understand how economic decisions can affect the environments. Our current economic system based on unlimited fossil fuel consumption is not sustainable. The Utah inland Port looks backward— we must look forward.“ Common Sense vs. the Utah Inland Port: It’s Time for Answers to Obvious Questions: BIT.LY/37GW3QK

Oil & gas leases on Slickrock Trail? The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is set to offer oil and gas leases on 5,000 acres in the Sand Flats Recreation Area, home

to Moab’s famous Slickrock Trail, adjacent to both the Mill Creek and Negro Bill (a.k.a. Grandstaff Canyon) Wilderness Study Areas and overlying the Glen Canyon Aquifer that supplies water to Moab and Spanish Valley. The parcels were nominated for sale anonymously as part of President Trump’s “Energy Dominance” agenda that deregulates oil and gas extraction on public lands. The Sand Flats Recreation Area gets approximately 125,000 visitors per year and has been managed by a partnership between Grand County and BLM since 1995. Both the Grand County Council and Moab City Council oppose the leases.

Stop the Uinta Basin Railway The federal Surface Transportation Board recently began work on an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed Uinta Basin Railway intended to send Utah crude oil to out-of-state markets. The railway is a pet project of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition which is misusing $27.89 million in public money that is supposed to be used to mitigate impacts from fossil fuel extraction, not promote more extraction. Boosters see this as a way to jump-start a moribund fossil fuel industry. At the end of 2019 there were only four rigs drilling for oil in the Uinta Basin. If the railway is ever built it is ex-

pected to start a drilling frenzy and prop up a fossil fuel-dependent economy in the Uinta Basin for years to come. Stop the Uinta Basin Railway: STOPUINTABASINRAILWAY.COM

Can Dominion Energy meet a net-zero goal? Dominion Energy, which supplies natural gas to Utah consumers, has announced a “netzero” goal to offset greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Unfortunately, the details are a bit sketchy. The net-zero goal depends on an offset program using “renewable natural gas” or “biogas” which is methane captured from food waste, landfills, animal manure and sewage treatment. The American Gas Association says burning captured methane releases greenhouse gasses that are about 21 times less potent than releasing methane directly into the atmosphere. It also avoids releasing sequestered carbon as happens with gas from fracking wells. Based on this, Dominion asserts that substituting 1% biogas for fracked methane would reduce carbon dioxide by 25%. That’s not quite accurate. Renewable natural gas comes from factory farms and trash heaps which are sources of air and water pollution, and it still releases carbon dioxide when it’s burned. Renewable natural gas is hard to scale, but current technology can supply about 4% of the natural gas supply, coincidentally exactly the amount that Dominion claims will result in netzero emissions. Dominion Energy also plans to extend licenses for its “zero-carbon nuclear generation fleet” which is worrisome for Utah since the uranium industry was a major lobbyist pressuring President Trump to downsize Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument.

Development plans issued for land cut from monuments The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved development plans for public lands cut from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments even though lawsuits to restore the original boundaries of the two Utah national monuments have not yet been heard in court. These plans are just as dreadful as you might expect, emphasizing drilling, mining, grazing, “vegetation removal” (chaining) in pinyon-juniper forests, and opening new routes to offroad vehicles. New names make the plans confusing. For instance, a new “Paria River District” has been formed under the BLM Kanab Field Office to

manage 86,000 acres stripped from Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument as well as what remains in the monument. A small bright spot is that BLM pulled back from a threat to restore cattle grazing along 40 miles of the Escalante River. As for the Bears Ears plan, Shaun Chapoose, a Ute co-chair of the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition, called it “just another in a series of unlawful actions reducing and revoking the Bears Ears National Monument.“ Regarding both plans, Stephen Bloch, Legal Director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, commented, “Our members and the public should rest assured that these management plans will not be the final chapter for the management of these remarkable public lands. We are confident that the lawsuits challenging President Trump’s unlawful attack of the monuments will succeed and these plans, which are the fruit of Trump’s poisonous actions, will be undone.”

Rubber Dodo goes to Secretary Bernhardt The Center for Biological Diversity has given Interior Secretary David Bernhardt the 2019 Rubber Dodo award for a person or group who has most aggressively sought to destroy America’s natural heritage or drive endangered species extinct. Bernhardt won the dis-honor for “gutting key provisions of the Endangered Species Act, suppressing data showing that pesticides harm species, opening vast tracts of public land to oil and gas drilling, and fueling the wildlife extinction crisis by delaying protections for imperiled animals and plants across the country.” Bernhardt beat out Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso and Homeland Security Director Kirstjen Nielsen for recognition as top ecovillain. Previous Rubber Dodo Awards went to President Donald Trump (2018), Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (2017) and Utah Rep. Rob Bishop (2016).

University of Utah shifts to clean energy As of January the University of Utah is ranked #8 in the Environmental Protection Agency list of the largest green power users in higher education, with 49% of total electricity use generated by geothermal and solar power. The University has contracted for 20 megawatts of geothermal energy from a Cyrq Energy plant in Fallon, Nevada; an additional 10 megawatts of solar energy are supplied by Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables. The green power purchase together with solar projects on campus means that 53.7% of the U’s energy comes from renewable sources reducing carbon emissions by 23%. Green Power Partnership: BIT.LY/2UCC3YC

SITLA renewable energy Even the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) is getting into the green energy business. SITLA, notorious for oil sands leasing and support for various other environmentally unsound projects, reports that annual revenue from wind, solar and geothermal leases has doubled from $311,257 in 2012 to $604,815 in 2017. SITLA manages state-owned lands in order to raise revenues for public schools. The first SITLA lease for renewable energy was issued in 2012. SITLA Renewable Energy Report: BIT.LY/2HDJVWE

Environment and quality of life Despite a strong economy, environmental degradation has negative impacts on Utah’s quality of life, according to the 2018 Quality of Life Survey conducted by the Utah Foundation and Intermountain Healthcare. When people were asked, “what could most improve your area as a place to live?” the most frequent answers were: reduce traffic, improve affordability of housing, improve air quality, improve roads and sidewalks, and improve public transportation. Utah Foundation 2018 Quality of Life Index: U TA H F O U N D AT I O N . O R G / U P LOADS/RR756.PDF

8 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

AT THE CAPITOL

Utah’s 2020 legislative session, the primary time where state legislators gather to create laws, ends on March 12. The final days are the busiest. BY GRACE OLSCAMP

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t this point in Utah’s 45-day legislative session, most bills have been introduced. Some have been moving positively through the lawmaking process; others haven’t made any movement yet. Then in the first two weeks of March, as the session nears closing, things move so fast you can get whiplash. The final day of the session often goes until midnight, with legislators passing laws up until the last seconds of 11:59pm.

A good year for energy Bills focused on incentivizing clean energy are so far doing well. Senator Lincoln Fillmore’s Energy Storage Innovation, Research, and Grant Program (SB0078), which creates a grant program for things like the deployment of and innovation

fresh on their minds. This bill hasn’t made any progress yet and environmental advocates at the Capitol are hoping it stays this way.

Vehicle emissions This year, legislators are going pedal to the metal on bills to address emissions that come from vehicles. As the largest source of emissions along the Wasatch Front, addressing the pollution caused by cars and trucks is vital to cleaning the air. For example, Representative Suzanne Harrison has introduced a bill to create an income tax credit for certain alternative fuel vehicles (HB0281 Tax Credit for Alternative Fuel Vehicles), Representative Jeffrey Stenquist is sponsoring a bill to help Utahns replace vehicles that fail emissions tests with cleaner ones (HB0176 Vehicle Emissions Reduction Pro-

Depleted uranium starts off as low-level waste, which can be stored in Utah, but it becomes increasingly radioactive, eventually exceeding ligal limits. in energy storage technology, passed out of the Senate and is making its way through the House. While this bill did well when Senator Fillmore ran it in 2019, it did not receive any of the $5 million in funding the bill requests in order to make the grant program a reality. Allocating money to bills, a process known as appropriations, typically doesn’t happen until the end of the session so there’s no telling right now whether it will get funded this year. A similar bill, Senator Derek Kitchen’s Electric Energy Storage Tax Credit (SB0077), which creates an income tax rebate for energy storage systems, is on its final steps in the Senate and will hopefully make its way to the House soon. Senator Ronald Winterton’s Sales and Use Tax Modifications (SB0041) would exempt the oil and gas industry from sales and use taxes but legislators seem to have the state’s audit of the oil and gas industry, which found that the industry has barley paid any fines for exceeding emissions standards over the last 20 years,

gram), and Representative Cory Maloy’s emissions test fee exemption for electric vehicles (HB0180 Emission Inspection Revisions) has already passed out of the House. And that’s just to name a few of the great cleaner vehicle bills running this session! Like last year, everyone is closely watching air quality appropriations. Governor Gary Herbert proposed $100 million for air quality programs and legislators heard him loud and clear, with Representative Robert Spendlove’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure appropriation request asking for $66 million to fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure and another appropriation request for $34 million to fund improvements for transit.

Hello EnergySolutions, my old friend If you are from the state or follow groups like HEAL Utah or the Utah Sierra Club, you might

be familiar with the company called EnergySolutions (formerly known as EnviroCare). This company is one of the biggest processors and handlers of radioactive waste in the world. They are also one of the largest campaign contributors to Utah legislators and they have a habit of getting their way when it comes to bills related to radioactive waste. This year, their scent is all over Representative Casey Snider’s HB233 Natural Resources Legacy Funding Amendments. This bill would create a new board, even though similar boards already exist, that would focus on habitat, open spaces and species. However, this bill looks to fund the board by creating a tax on depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is a highly contested form of radioactive waste not currently allowed in the state. For the last decade, EnergySolutions has fought to dump this waste in the west desert while the Department of Environmental Quality has sought clarity into this waste and advocates have worked to stop it from ever coming in. The reason this waste is controversial is that it starts off as low-level waste, which can be stored in Utah, but it becomes increasingly radioactive and eventually exceeds the limits of what can be legally brought into the state. Much like the name EnergySolutions, this bill is greenwashing a bad actor and laying the foundation for Utah to accept depleted uranium even before regulators and scientists at the Department of Environmental Quality make a decision on this waste.

Now what? If any of these bills make you happy and hopeful for our state, call your legislators and thank them. If any of these bills make you mad and worried for our future, call your legislators and urge them to oppose that bill. You can find your legislator and their contact information at le.utah.gov. By calling, texting, or emailing your lawmaker, you can influence the outcome of this legislative session. And by getting your friends and family to reach out too, your voice can be amplified even more. As a reminder, every bill that gets passed by the legislature ends up on the Governor’s desk, where the Governor must sign the bill into law, veto it, or do nothing and allow it to automatically become law 60 days after the session ends. This means that you shouldn’t just reach out to your representative and senator, you should reach out to the Governor and encourage them to take certain actions too. u Grace Olscamp works at the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah). She is also a dog lover, a very amateur baker and an avid reader.

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10 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

CHAKRA SERIES

March 2020

Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra

Innate inner wildness BY TODD MANGUM MD Editor’s note: The Chakra Series, by Todd Mangum, MD, first appeared in CATALYST in 1995 and was repeated in 2009. These stories remain among the most read in our online library. In 2020 we are bringing you an updated version, which began with January’s Introduction to the Chakras.

CHAKRA TWO Location: In the pelvis. Governs: Sexuality and Desires. Main issue: Involves ability to experience pleasure and sensation especially as these relate to our sexuality. Externalizes: As the ovaries in women and the testicles in men. Element: Water. When balanced: One feels sensuous. Color: A harmonic of ORANGE. Key words: Fluidity, change, polarity, movement, sensation and emotion. Influences: The sacrum, pelvis, lower abdomen, genitals, gonads, prostate, uterus, kidneys and bladder. Deficiencies: Manifest as an inability to derive pleasure through the senses, a fear of sexual intimacy, or a belief that earthly sensual pleasure is somehow evil and should be denied. Excesses: Lead one to seek pleasure in addictive ways. Imbalances: Manifest physically as impotence, frigidity, any gynecological problem, PMS, prostatitis, lower back pain especially

at lumbosacral joint, urinary tract infections and cancers of any associated structures.

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hakra two, the sacral chakra, is the source of our passionate emotions and embodies our innate inner wildness. When this wildness has been repressed we will often seek to destroy its external counterpart, wilderness; it is too painful to have mirrored back to us from nature the freedom and beauty that we’ve denied within ourselves. Where this wilderness once was we have constructed strip malls, amusement parks and zoos, so someone else can sell back to us inferior imitations of our intended birthright. Emotions are the source of our indomitable power. Emotions, like rivers, are literally energy in motion. When dammed, with no outlet, they stagnate and build up pressure, eventually exploding and damaging everything within their thwarted paths. When the second chakra is balanced, one has a healthy relationship to pleasure, neither denying nor overindulging in it. The body will be supple, with fluid, smooth movements. Emotions will flow like those of a small child, seamlessly moving from anger to joy to fear to sadness without judgment, restriction or depression.

Menopause and andropause The endocrine glands governed by the second chakra are the testicles and the ovaries, both of which produce androgens, estrogens and progesterone. Both men and women suffer from imbalances and insufficiencies of these hormones. A monthly menstrual cycle and the bells and whistles of menopause make the hormone-related problems experienced by women much more obvious than those experienced by men. The equivalent of menopause in men is called andropause. Andropause is the result of declining levels of a class of steroid hormones called androgens. Like the estrogens, which are an ensemble of feminizing hormones, androgens are a medley of masculinizing hormones. Of the androgens, testosterone is unquestionably the most notorious. Testosterone is also an anabolic steroid hormone which means it promotes the building of bone and muscle. It also positively impacts one’s mood, energy level and sense of well being. It is most renowned for its powerful effects upon libido and virility. DHEA and androstenedione are also androgens but are less potent ones. Testosterone begins to decline in men usually in their forties or fifties. Compared to the hormonal roller coaster ride of menopause, an-

dropause is often an uneventful and slow but steady hormonal downward slide. Because of this it is often missed. Symptoms of testosterone deficiency are numerous and include fatigue, depression, apathy, diminished mental acuity, loss of sexual function and desire, decreasing muscle mass and increasing fat. Low testosterone also results in a loss of one’s resilience, flexibility and endurance. As testosterone declines, joint aches, muscle pains, stiffness and risk of injury increase. Both men and women of any age may experience problems related to imbalanced levels of not only testosterone but of estrogens and progesterone as well.

Estrogens and progesterone Estrogens refer to an entire class of hormones, some of which occur naturally and many of which do not. This critical distinction is often blurry to both modern medicine and the media. Estrogens promote secondary sexual development in women. Estrogens are more dominant in the first two weeks of a woman's menstrual cycle and prepare her body to get pregnant. The prominent estrogens in women are estradiol, estrone and estriol. Estradiol is the most potent of these hormones and the one most likely to be prescribed to menopausal women. Even estradiol has proven to be problematic because it has been prescribed in isolation or with Provera. Neither of these regimens provides the proper hormonal balance.

Luckily, many options are available for both men and women today besides choosing between inappropriate hormones or none at all. Progesterone is not the name of a class of steroid hormones like estrogen is, but is a single specific hormone. Progesterone promotes gestation; in other words it maintains a healthy pregnancy, and thus its name: pro-gest-erone. Progesterone’s other beneficial effects include protecting against fibrocystic breasts, acting as a natural diuretic, helping burn fat for energy, protecting against endometrial and breast cancer and protecting against and even reversing osteoporosis. Progesterone acts to both balance and enhance the effects of estrogen. Labeling estrogens bad and progesterone

good would be as ridiculous as labeling the brake in your car good and the gas peddle bad. One without the other would be either a disaster or a standstill. The balance between these two hormone classes is as important as their actual levels. This applies to both hormones generated internally and those acquired through replacement therapy. Too much estrogen relative to progesterone creates a host of problems which includes weight gain, PMS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, breast tenderness, headaches, leg cramps, gallstones, high blood pressure, blood clots, nausea, fluid retention, and an increased risk of endometrial and breast cancer. Too much progesterone relative to estrogen causes its own set of problems, which include depression, fatigue, somnolence and breast tenderness as well.

mans. Premarin, on the other hand, is all natural, coming from pregnant mares’ urine, but is far from bioidentical for women. A few carefully selected bioidentical hormones can potentially treat numerous diseases as well as provide a variety of side benefits instead of side effects. Treating the plentiful branches of a few fundamental imbalances with numerous pharmaceuticals clearly benefits someone else besides the patient. Working with an educated practitioner who knows what tests to order and how to interpret them will increase your chances of receiving an effective treatment.

A few carefully selected bioidentical hormones can potentially treat numerous diseases as well as provide a variety of side benefits instead of side effects.

Modern myths Decades of using synthetic versions of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone in a variety of inappropriate ways combined with some very faulty reasoning has generated a plethora of modern myths which do not apply to balanced and biologically appropriate hormone treatments. One such myth is that testosterone is hard on the liver and quite dangerous. If this were true, our hospitals would be full of virile young men in their teens and early twenties as their testosterone peaks. Conventional medical doctors have known for decades that progesterone counters the negative effects that excessive estrogens can cause throughout a woman's system. With consistent use of inappropriate hormones like Provera, however, this knowledge dwindled to the myth that progesterone only protects the uterus and is therefore unnecessary if a woman has had a hysterectomy. Luckily, many options are available for both men and women today besides choosing between inappropriate hormones or none at all. Bioidentical estrogens, progesterone and testosterone are now available from both compounding pharmacies and conventional ones. Bioidentical is the word that most accurately describes these hormones. Since they are synthesized in a lab from wild yam or soy they are not, technically, all natural. Unlike conjugated estrogens and Provera, however, which are also derived from soy or wild yam, bioidentical hormones are exact replicas of those found in hu-

Suzanne Wagner

PSYCHIC, AUTHOR, SPEAKER, TEACHER

Maintaining a healthy hormonal flow To keep a healthy hormonal balance, eat organic food whenever it’s available. Many pesticides are xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens— manmade chemicals with potent estrogenic properties—are endocrine disrupters which negatively impact both the levels and the functions of numerous hormones. They are deleterious to almost every creature on Earth. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, disturbed or deficient sleep and obesity also negatively impact hormonal levels. For women, foods containing phytoestrogens such as soy can counter some of estrogen’s stimulatory effects. Many herbal preparations have hormonal stimulating and balancing properties. For men, saw palmetto berries prevent the conversion of testosterone into a hormone known to promote prostate problems and male pattern baldness. Other ways to maintain a healthy hormonal flow include exercises and activities to maintain a vibrant second chakra. Focus on yoga postures and exercises that free up the pelvis such as pelvic rocks and hip circles. Spend time in and around water. Drink a lot of it. Sit by a river watching its grace and power. Go to the ocean and let the waves baptize you. Take a bath by candlelight. Go dancing alone or with someone you love. Visit some of the millions of acres of wilderness in Utah. Maintaining a balanced second chakra is a recipe for a happy, healthy life. u NEXT MONTH: Chakra Three, the Solar Plexus Chakra. Todd Mangum, M.D., of the Web of Life Wellness Center is a holistically oriented physician practicing in Salt Lake City.

30 YEARS PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE Author of “Integral Tarot” and “Integral Numerology”

COLUMNIST FOR Catalyst magazine since 1990

25 YEARS TEACHING: Tarot, Numerology, Palmistry & Channeling

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12 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

GARDEN LIKE A BOSS

Gardeners, it’s time to quit your tillers! We are here for an intervention BY JAMES LOOMIS

D

ark, luscious, fertile soil; weed-free, loose, loamy and teeming with life: This is the foundation every gardener dreams of starting each season with. Well-structured, full of nutrients, and wriggling with worms, an epic harvest with a minimum of effort awaits. It’s remarkable how easy and how little effort it takes to get to this type of healthy soil, and the only t h i n g standing between you, the g a rd e n e r, and this paradisiacal plot is your toxic relationship with a petroleum-guzzling, oil-dripping, pollution-belching machine: the rototiller. Fortunately for you, my friend, this column and I are here to have an intervention. An intervention is the correct term, because most gardeners’ reliance on their tiller is a similar reliance that drug fiends have with their substance of choice. Each time you use it, it gives you a short-term boost and perceived benefit, but comes crashing down inevitably. Each time you till, it appears you are making the soil fluffy and weed-free, but this is purely cosmetic and temporary. Tillers give you Barbie doll soil: cute to glance at, but offensive once you know what you are looking for.

Why not to till Why till? To aerate the soil, many answer. As soil guru Elaine Ingham states, “When a tornado hits your house, it aerates [the shit out of] it. But now

your going to need to spend the next couple of years rebuilding your structure.” In soil, the life is what builds and preserves the structure of the soil, and the tiller decimates both that life and the structure it builds. In addition, the action of the tiller releases both carbon and nitrogen into the air, diminishing the amount of nutrient reserves available for the plants that follow. So if not to aerate, we surely must till to control and eradicate weeds, right? The exact opposite is true. Tilling churns up weed seeds from deep in the soil and

brings them to the surface, the ideal location they need to germinate. So tillage is literally planting weeds in your garden. Take a look at your existing garden beds as they emerge from their winter slumber. A surprising amount of microbial action takes place under a blanket of snow in our region, in fact more than perhaps any other time of the year. The microbes work hard to transform last year’s plant wastes into this year’s nutrients, and in doing their work they loft and aerate the soil and preserve that structure with bacterial glues and fungal mycelium. At my farm, our permanent beds have literally risen two to three inches over the course of the winter! They do this each year because we have never once tilled.

Smother love (with organics) Are you ready to become adept at this no-till sorcery? Are you ready to have a healthier, more productive garden while also doing something great for the planet, all while working less? The key to all this magic is smothering your soil with love; love and organic matter. If you have an existing garden, the easiest way to prepare for your spring planting is to smother your garden with leaves, straw or other organic matter. (Decaying leaves

from last fall are the best choice; worms and fungi love them, and they’re free and seasonally appropriate.) In the spring, rake back this layer of leaves to allow the sun to warm the soil. After resting under this blanket of organic goodness, you’ll find the worms, microbes and fungi have completely devoured any crop residues, added fertility, and provided you with a beautiful seed bed ready to plant. It couldn’t be easier! If you planted a fall cover crop or left last year’s plants in place rather than opted for the smothering method, you’ll need another strategy. While “turning in” is the traditional method, this can often result in a frustrating amount of re-growth from the cover crop we are trying to incorporate, or chunky bits of plants that haven’t broken down. I prefer to very shallowly turn my previous crops in, just barely cutting the roots under the soil surface and flipping, so as not to disturb my soil’s structure or expose dormant weed seeds. I then utilize the art of “occultation,” a word which means “to keep in the dark.” After turning in, I use a sheet of black plastic to cover the bed which prevents these freshly turned cover crops from accessing light. Making sure the soil stays moist underneath, a biological blitzkrieg similar to what occurs under the layer of leaves in the first method takes place. After a few weeks I remove the plastic and am greeted by a perfectly groomed seed bed, peppered with worm castings over the entire surface. Boss move. If you are looking at creating a new garden bed from an existing lawn or weedy patch of ground, then smothering again is the answer, with an added dose of patience. This method takes six to 12 months, but once built is mainte-

nance-free and results in an initial garden soil that many only dream of. This method involves smothering with cardboard and organic matter, and is a technique often referred to as a “sheet mulch.” One common mistake when using this method is that many simply lay down dry cardboard and cover with six to 12 inches of wood chips. While this technique is often effective at suppressing weeds, it is also quite good at providing a home to rodents and breaks down quite slowly.

Time for a dance party The key to building soil with a successful sheet mulch is to lay a thin layer of manure or compost on the ground first. Then, wet the

Life in the soil builds and preserves structure, and the tiller decimates both that life and the structure it builds. In addition, the action of the tiller releases carbon and nitrogen into the air, diminishing the amount of nutrient reserves available for the plants that follow. cardboard thoroughly, mix a drink, crank the tunes, and have a dance party on top of it. This ensures the cardboard conforms to the ground below, eliminating habitat for rodents. Then, rather than topping with wood chips alone, more manure, grass clippings, leaves, compost and other materials that break down quickly are piled in alternating layers, each one thoroughly hydrated. If you have enough material, add another layer of cardboard and repeat. Top with a generous layer of wood chips to keep the rest of the materials contained, and to provide a pleasant surface to walk on. Keep this sheet mulch hydrated and within a year, all vegetation below will be completely smothered and digested. The sheet mulch itself will compost into soil and next season, you can plant directly into it. u James is a full time farmer, permaculture weirdo, and president of the OchO Society, a nonprofit dedicated to ecological education and adventure.

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14 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

LOVE YOUR LUNGS

March 2020

Citizen scientists take to the air PurpleAir, AirU and the future of air quality monitoring BY EMILY SPACK

I

t’s the tail end of Utah’s inversion season— a time when one might assume winter’s passionate concern regarding air quality would simmer down. But this year, things are different. More people seem to be paying attention to the government-provided air quality apps, which relay data from strategically placed monitors throughout the Valley. And curiosity is growing in regard to the newfangled affordable monitors and the University of Utah’s air quality “maps.” Exposure to both indoor and outdoor pollution sources is responsible for the premature death of 5.5 million people worldwide annually, according to The Global Burden of Disease Study. (See“Smaller, Deeper, Deadlier,” by John deJong, February 2020 CATALYST.) Among the most dangerous commonly monitored pollution particles, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has the greatest adverse health effects. In

northern Utah, elevated PM2.5 levels have exceeded national ambient air quality standards ranging from 24-hour periods to weeks. As of 2015, fewer than a third of all counties in the United States had ozone or particle pollution monitors. In this regard, Utah is making

in pollutant levels increase the incidence and severity of asthma and cardiac events. DAQ uses high-quality, costly instruments that meet federal monitoring requirements. But they are not focused on hyperlocal air quality. The need for a new way to track local air

A screenshot of PurpleAir's interactive map shows air quality conditions in the Salt Lake area network on the morning of Feb. 3, 2020. Real time measures are shown on the left, one-week averages on the right. PHOTO SUPPLIED/PURPLEAIR.ORG

PurpleAir now has over 600 sensors in place at schools, businesses and on resident properties in Utah as well as thousands more across the country and worldwide.

significant headway. Several local innovative projects, including programs from the University of Utah, the Utah Division of Air Quality and the community-based air quality network PurpleAir, have widely expanded the spatial coverage of air quality measurements across the Wasatch Front. But how useful is all of this data for local residents? The Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) relies on air quality measures from sparsely distributed monitoring stations that may not accurately represent the pollutant gradients both in spatial and temporal distribution across our cities. Within the Salt Lake valley, for example, differences in elevation, emissions, atmospheric chemistry and daily wind patterns can result in varying PM concentrations at the neighborhood level that the nearest state monitoring station does not pick up on. Furthermore, the stations only provide hourly updates on PM levels. According to University of Utah research, this gap in temporal resolution is concerning because even short-term spikes

quality has led to a recent movement: community-based, citizen science.

PurpleAir: DIY monitoring Back in 2013, Adrian Dybwad became concerned about the PM2.5-laced dust produced at Draper’s Geneva Rock Products pit near where he spent a lot of time outdoors hang gliding. At the time, the closest DAQ monitoring station was in Herriman, 12 miles away. Recognizing the problem of sparsely distributed state monitors, Dybwad became focused on resolving gaps in the air quality information grid. From there, he purchased his own small, inexpensive particle sensor and began working out how to connect it to the internet. His theory: A network of low-cost air quality sensors could help create a higher resolution and locally representative air quality image to help average citizens make informed choices on when and where to expose themselves to outdoor air. Partnering with others interested in air mon-

A screenshot of the AQ&U interactive map, with data from AirU sensors, PurpleAir sensors, Mesowest and the DAQ. PHOTO SUPPLIED/AQANDU.ORG/#R

itoring, Dybwad created successful protocols, began distributing sensors and, finally, in 2015 founded his company, PurpleAir. Now the company has over 600 sensors in place at schools, businesses and on resident properties in Utah as well as thousands more across the country and worldwide. At $180 for the indoor model and $229 for the outdoor, now those with access to a power source and Wifi connection can install their own sensors to monitor, in real time, measurements of PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 in and around their home. “Everyone understands that air quality can change quickly. If you’ve ever stood around a campfire, you’ll know firsthand because when the wind is blowing toward you and you’re in the smoke, you have to move pretty quickly to get out of it. So, the big deal with this is that it’s data in real time. Plus, you can take part in the collection for an important air quality database,” Dybwad explained to me over the phone last month. For individuals, knowing when our home air is most polluted or when to avoid going outside because the air around us is spiking is important for our own safety. But this idea of participating in a larger, basically community-run database is also key. Every 120 seconds, your personal sensor’s data will report to the PurpleAir Map, a free interactive online source that anyone in the community can access (the map can be found on the homepage of PURPLEAIR.COM).

Maybe the air quality in your neighborhood spikes every Saturday night in the wintertime. Maybe you know that a neighbor hosts a weekly bonfire out in their yard. While the levels reported by the DAQ might not instigate a halt to citywide wood burning, you can now see the effect that burning is having on your hyperlocal air. Community engagement at this level can contribute to informed, mindful decision making for the benefit of the collective. Sometimes access to real time data can even be lifesaving. Dybwad says PurpleAir’s largest customer base is actually in California. During some of the wildfire events, the PurpleAir website experienced a 100-fold increase in their viewership. The company is currently working on adding sensors to measure ozone and volatile organic compounds, which will provide additional important pollution information.

AirU: expanding the network Early on in PurpleAir’s development, the University of Utah became interested in its sensors and their potential to give better estimates of air quality at the neighborhood scale. Kerry Kelly,

assistant professor of Chemical Engineering and the associate director of the Program for Air Quality, Health and Society, became involved with an air quality project working with schools to teach educational modules on air quality and even teach young students how to build their own air quality sensors. Kelly was also working with students at the University to develop a comprehensive communitybased air quality monitoring network. The team, known as AQ&U, began to integrate data from their sensors (which they called AirU) with data from the network of their partner, PurpleAir, and data from DAQ state monitoring stations and from the University’s Atmospheric Science Department monitors. Their goal: to create a real-time air quality map. With funding from the National Science Foundation to expand their personal sensor network, AQ&U began seeking residential hosts throughout the valley. According to Kelly, the program had nearly 500 community members sign up to host sensors, though the team only had around 130 to give out. Still, with their integration of data from their own sensors and all of the valley’s other community-based sensors, the team felt they had an accurate scan of the valley. The project’s funding cycle ends after this summer, but the team hopes to find new ways to continue. Just within the past year, they have made significant strides, particularly with the addition of ozone sensors. “If we can get both PM and ozone monitors here in Utah, it will give us a significant map of our two biggest air quality problems,” Kelly says. Additionally, the team has already completed a number of studies using AirU data and is in

Aside from knowledge about your personal home and neighborhood air, as the two networks grow along the Wasatch Front there is plenty to noticed about the region’s air quality as a whole that even state monitors do not visualize well. the midst of additional health-related research. “Our map has proved to be a pretty amazing resource for health researchers. We have a group studying asthma and trying to relate asthma exacerbation to particulate matter concentration. We’ve been talking to people who study diabetes. We even have some environmental justice students working with our teams and air quality sensors to test if sound walls along I-80 would decrease freeway air pollution in the Glendale area,” Kelly says.

How do the low-cost sensors work and compare to state monitors? When PurpleAir first launched and sensors were distributed around the valley, people were experiencing data that was double what the state monitors showed. They complained to both the state and PurpleAir. Where did that difference come from and has the issue since been resolved? The initial difference between the sensors occurred because of differences in how the sensors

Continued on next page

16 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

Continued:

March 2020

work. The state’s $30,000 monitoring stations measure the particle pollution by their mass in the air. The inexpensive sensors use light scattering to measure particle pollution. Here’s how Kelly from AirU described light scattering: When we have a poor air quality day, we can’t see clearly across the valley because of particles in the air that are scattering light. With so many particles in the air, so much light is scattered that you can’t make out the mountains. Low-cost sensors use the same principle and shine a laser on particles that flow past to measure scattered light and then converts that to particulate mass, based on averages. The challenge, Kelly explains, is that measuring scattered light is not always consistent with particle mass because it changes with different particle properties and sizes. In the wintertime, particles tend to be small and highly scattering. If you were to take the raw measurements from either the AirU sensors or the PurpleAir sensors, they would overestimate particle pollution by a factor of about one and a half to two in most wintertime conditions. In a dust storm, when particle properties change completely, the sensors actually underestimate particle pollution. Is this over- or under-estimation significant? If the raw, uncorrected data says 35 microns of PM2.5, which puts you in the EPA’s red zone, the numbers might actually be 18 which is considered reasonably acceptable. That is quite a difference. “If you don’t use the correct data, you get a relative. That means that if it shows PM levels are going up, then PM levels are probably increasing. If you see them going down, they’re likely decreasing. This, you can know. But to be aware of the exact levels of pollutants, you have to have a correction.�

LOVE YOUR LUNGS

The University of Utah set out to develop a conversion factor to correct the mass concentration data measured by PurpleAir sensors to best fit the PM composition of wintertime air in Salt Lake City. Now, on the PurpleAir website, users have the option to apply the AQ&U conversion to PM2.5 data on the PurpleAir map to ensure the accuracy of the data. Dybwad (PurpleAir) accepts the University’s

The initial difference between the sensors occurred because of differences in how they work. The U of U has since developed a conversion factor. conversion and is working on additional conversion factors for other environments. From nearly the beginning, though, he was confident in the accuracy of his sensors after sending them off to South Coast Air Quality Management District, one of the big air quality regulatory authorities in Southern California. The agency performed several tests on the PurpleAir devices and found that the sensors produced accurate detections of small particulate matter even when compared to federally approved sensors. The bottom line seems to be that yes, the data from these low-cost sensors, especially after applying correction factors, is reliable and even serves as a check on the measurements of official state sensors. Aside from knowledge about your personal

home and neighborhood air, as the two networks grow along the Wasatch Front there is plenty to be noticed about the region’s air quality as a whole that even state monitors do not visualize well. In fall of 2018, the Pole Creek wildfire in Juab, Sanpete and Utah counties sent smoke north. The maps showed that particulate matter levels were very high, from Provo to the Salt Lake Valley’s southern end. In the northern end of the valley, though, the air quality was fine. On the fourth of July, the maps display huge differences in particle pollution associated with fireworks in the base of Salt Lake City versus in the Avenues and east of Ninth East where fireworks are prohibited. And most recently, the moderate to mild inversion that occurred on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was confirmed through the sensor networks that showed air quality was worse lower in the valley and much better higher up. Curiosity and enthusiasm for learning aside, the hoped-for outcome from this communitybased air quality network is that people will begin to govern their behavior according to the data. You bring your umbrella if it’s raining. Orange or red alert? You put on your good climate citizen cap and take mass transit, consolidate your trips, skip the jog—do all the things you know will help prevent smog soup or protect your heart and lungs. And if your indoor air monitor gives you a scary score, we have some thoughts on that on, too. (See page 20-21, this issue.) u Emily Spacek is a staff writer at CATALYST.

PurpleAir: PURPLEAIR.COM AQ&U: AQANDU.ORG AirU: AIRU.COE.UTAH.EDU/

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BREATHE

It bears repeating: The dirty truth about burning wood Utahns are getting the message! BY ASHLEY MILLER

W

ood smoke contains over 200 chemicals and compounds, including carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Woodsmoke is strikingly similar to cigarette smoke. The EPA estimates that a single fireplace operating for one hour burning just a few logs, or roughly 10 pounds of wood, will generate 4,300 times more PAHs than 30 cigarettes. The EPA further estimates that the lifetime cancer risk from wood smoke is 12 times greater than that from an equal volume of second-hand tobacco smoke. Wood smoke is particularly unhealthy due to the fine particles contained within. These particles are too small to be filtered out of our bodies by our natural defense mechanisms, like coughing and sneezing, so they travel deep inside our lungs and possibly even into our bloodstream. This can cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and other health conditions.

What about EPA-certified woodstoves? Under the 2015 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), stoves are tested by an accredited laboratory, in a laboratory setting, to meet a particulate pollution limit of no more than 4.5 grams of smoke per hour. In May 2020, the NSPS limit for new stoves will be lowered to 2.5 grams of smoke per hour. The actual amount of smoke coming from even an EPA-certified stove depends on several factors including the type of wood being burned, how wet or dry the wood is when burned, how much airflow is present, and how hot the fire gets. It’s also important to know that much more smoke is released at startup and shut down. Remember, the certification process happens in a laboratory setting under a very controlled environment. Once a stove leaves the lab and makes its way to a home, those laboratory settings remain…in the lab. Regular maintenance is required to keep EPA-certified woodstoves operating as efficiently intended. The dirty truth? Even a well-functioning EPAcertified woodstove emits roughly 97 pounds of fine particle pollution annually, according to the

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. So even EPA-certified stoves must abide by the noburn laws.

Are pellet stoves a clean alternative? The short answer, no. Pellet stoves are a considerably cleaner alternative to even an EPA-certified woodstove, but a pellet stove still burns solid fuel, which results in significantly more pollution than a natural gas alternative or electric heat. Pellets burned in these stoves are typically made from compressed wood, and the process still results in incomplete combustion. The dirty truth? Pellet stoves emit roughly 27 pounds of fine particle pollution annually. The bottom line: For a troubled air shed such as our, using electric appliances, or burning natural gas for heat is a much cleaner choice. Burning natural gas for heat results in less than a sixth of a pound of pollution, annually.

The good news A newly released study shows that the state’s efforts to address burning wood and solid fuel during periods of bad air is working. The collaborative study led by the University of Utah, Utah Division of Air Quality and the EPA looked at wood smoke pollution on Salt Lake City, Bountiful and Lindon air monitors from 2007 through 2017 and found a significant decrease in the chemicals leading to the formation of PM2.5 found specifically in wood smoke. Data from 2015 showed roughly 16% of the pollution on the air monitors was from wood smoke. Data from 2017 shows that the pollution coming from woodsmoke had decreased to about 7%. This decrease is attributed to enforcement of the area’s wood-burning restrictions along with educational campaigns. Over the last two years the Division of Air Quality has also implemented wood-stove and fireplace conversion programs that will likely lead to an even further decrease in wood smoke pollution. Vouchers are still available through

both programs. Anyone who has a woodburning stove, fireplace or insert, and lives in the PM2.5 nonattainment areas, is eligible to apply for the vouchers under the programs.

What about barbeques and smokers? Charcoal barbeques and various types of smokers that are wood- or pellet-fueled can really wreak havoc during the winter and summer months when PM2.5 and ozone pollution builds. Although solid fuel burning restrictions don’t apply if the primary purpose of the burning is for cooking food, choosing another method of cooking is the best idea. Smokers have become fashionable in the last few years, but the effects of this exemption is unknown because the data from 2018 and 2019 has yet to be quantified. There’s evidence that burning is still happening on no-burn days. If you just really enjoy the sound and comfort of a crackling fire, or the taste of smoked and barbequed meats, it’s important to adhere to the burn restrictions. The Division of Air Quality sets these days when the inversion begins to build. If you choose to burn wood or other solid fuel during this time, you are adding a lot of pollution into the air during times when the air shed can’t afford any unnecessary emissions. And even though the cooking exemption exists, it’s not a good idea to run your smoker on a yellow or red air day. Wait until the air is better. If you’re really concerned about great air quality in our valley, don’t do it at all. u Ashley Miller, J.D., is the vice-chair of Breathe Utah. She is the vice-chair of Utah's Air Quality Policy Advisory Board and a member of the Salt Lake County Environmental Quality Advisory Commission.

*For more information, or to apply for the wood stove and fireplace conversion assistance program, visit DEQ.UTAH.GOV/AIR-QUALITY/WOODSTOVE-CONVERSION-ASSISTANCE-PROGRAM#HB357 Check out the Utah Air App or Division of Air Quality website to track burn restriction days.

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

18 March 2020

Local food advocates on the hill: Symbria and Sarah Patterson

duce cream and butter made from raw milk.

BY GRETA DEJONG

I

n early February, we headed south to Cedar City for three days of the Fourth Annual Utah Farm and Food conference, produced by Red Acre Center. We took notes and met lots of interesting people. We’ll share their stories in the months to come. But the most timely focus is on the nonprofit Red Acre Center itself—specifically the efforts of Red Acre founders and mother/daughter team Symbria and Sarah Patterson as they lobby at the State Capitol on behalf of Utah’s small farms. Here’s their report on what’s happening with food and farm-related bills the first half of the session. Their work on behalf of Utah’s small farmers is important to all of us who aim to choose food that is local, seasonal and sustainably grown as much as possible. Here is their report:

MEGAN METCALF

The famous bill from last year, HB 134 —Raw Milk Products Amendments (Rep. Kim Coleman) was presented again without opposition this year. It passed the House, was presented in the Senate Natural Resource Committee on February 24 and at presstime is on the second reading calendar in the Senate. This bill adds to the products that may be made from raw milk and offered for sale. It will allow producers who are licensed to produce raw milk to also pro-

Symbria Patterson, center, with KRCL’s Punk Rock Farmer, Aldine (L) and farmer/author Bob Quinn (R) at the 2020 Farm and Food Conference.

HB 232 Food Revisions (Rep. Roberts) We worked on a version of this bill last year and during the interim. This is a restricted agri-tourism food establishment permit bill that will allow farms and ranches to have events that include food. The food will not need to be prepared in a commercial kitchen. They must apply to the Health Department for a permit to use their private h o m e kitchen. The p e r m i t would be issued on an annual basis to alleviate additional work for our already busy ranchers and farmers. The Health Department will not be allowed to place commercial kitchen requirements on these types of establishments. The Farm Bureau has worked with us on this and is supportive. There is opposition from the Health Department. But on February 24 it unanimously passed the House Natural Resource Committee. It will now go to the House floor for a vote. A companion bill (introduced by Rep. Christine Watkins) with the same provisions as HB 232 is being worked on that allows home kitchens to be licensed as micro-enterprise food establishments. This would allow many immigrants, single parents, low-income individuals and others to make and serve food using their private home kitchens. There’s a shortage of drafting attorneys this session and it is possible this will not get very far. HB 358 ( Rep. Marc Roberts) Poultry Amendments would remove licensing requirements that were added by rule in the state of Utah and roll the requirements back to those that are listed under the federal poultry exemption portion of the Code of Federal Regulations. This would allow poultry producers who have qual-

ified for the federal exemption to produce their product without additional licensing, inspection or further requirements. The federal government has already placed faith in these producer growers in the form of limiting the federal requirements. We believe Utah should do the same. It has not yet been assigned to a committee. Bill in process (Rep.Marc Roberts) Shell Eggs Amendments: Last year an egg bill was run and inadvertently the ability for producers having under 3,000 laying hens selling to stores was omitted from the bill. This bill would merely remedy that oversight. You can also track the status of any bill here: LE . UTAH . GOV / TR ACK ING/TRACKINGLOGIN

*. *. * Recently we had the fun of attending an estate sale consisting of old movie and TV props. It was like visiting a museum of things to marvel at but which you really don’t want to bring home—with the exception of the poster pictured on this page. It was accompanied by other clearly 1940s World War Two-era kitchen kitsch, when Americans were encouraged to live the lifestyle that more and more people aspire to now: raising some of their own food, buying from local farms, making broth from bones and scraps, composting the leftovers. Reducing food waste is rated #3 as a strategy for reversing global warming by Project Drawdown, spearheaded by Paul Hawkins. It’s always been a good idea, but now we know it’s wise advice. The work of the Red Acre team at the Capitol is part of the revival as well. Thank you, Symbria and Sarah, for your good work! Learn more about their efforts at REDACRECENTER.ORG/ u Greta deJong is CATALYST’s editor and founder.

20 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

JOIN US! CATALYST presents

Utah’s 7th Annual Clean Air Solutions Fair Saturday, March 7, 11am-4pm at The Gateway (in the former Urban Outfitters space)

Come with questions,

O

n one hand, the longterm prospect for the Salt Lake Valley’s air quality looks bleak: An “If you build it, they will come” attitude is motivating unbridled expansion, including plans for an “inland port.” On the other hand, efforts to improve the quality of the Salt Lake Valley’s air are working., thanks to organizations and individuals like those supporting CATALYST’s Clean Air Solutions Fair. And one thing that’s for sure: We need to work together, and play together, if we’re going to continue to make progress! Come to the fair on March 7 to meet educators, activists, scientists and crafters with useful and interesting ideas and information. This year’s exhibitors include solar companies, ebike retailers, recycling organizations, air filter masks, home improvement specialists, gardeners, healthcare practitioners and more. Exhibitors will offer interactive activities for kids and for adults, too: Learn how to find the smog rating on your vehicle; why and how to report a “smoking” car (and receive repair assistance); bone up on the latest air-related legislation; have a cup of lung-soothing tea! Additional attractions include: • A plastics-free KidZone, this year run by WonderBloom Nature School.

leave with solutions! • Skill Sharing: Learn how to insulate your hot water pipes, caulk to reduce heat loss, darn a sock, repair clothes, culture vegetables, sharpen tools, make beeswax candles and more. • A UTA travel trainer who will help you download the right app for you, show you how to use it, and help you plan your daily route using bus, TRAX and train. • Discussions and workshops: HEAL Utah wil show you how to become a citizen lobbyist for clean air. Roz Newmark from Mindful Yoga Collective will share yogic breathing exercises for lung health. Visit the Conversation Corner and see who’s there. Bring your questions to the Ask A Scientist table. • And for your right brain: Join in a delicious sound bath experience offered by Chad Davis, with singing bowls, gongs and more. Watch CATALYST staffer Sophie Silverstone switch hats and share her skills as an accomplished aerial artist. Enjoy the tunes of composer/musician Michael Cundick (who’s also the Green Party’s candidate for Salt Lake County mayor). You might consider riding your bike; you can use the Bike Collective’s valet service. Or take public transit; two TRAX stations are nearby.

Parking for your car, of course, is also easily available. You might want to stick around for the Queens of Music: a festival celebrating International Women’s Day, sponsored by KRCL: live music from 2-7pm. followed by a screening and discussion of RBG. We are grateful to our sponsors: CATALYST’s Clean Air Solutions Fair is supported by a grant from UCAIR (Utah Clean Air Partnership), with additional support from Marathon, The Gateway, KRCL and the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office. We are also grateful for contributions from PurpleAir, O2 Today, Underfoot Floors and members of CATALYST/Common Good Press, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. u — Greta Belanger deJong For updates and schedule, visit the Utah Clean Air Solutions Fair Facebook page and CatalystMagazine.net/CASF/ Common Good Press aka CATALYST explores and promotes ideas, events and resources that support conscious, empowered living for people and the planet, with a focus on health, environment, the mind/body connection and the arts. The 38-year-old publication became a 501(c)3 in 2016.

Participants Confirmed as of press time— more to come! AeroBarrier West Auric Solar Bags to Beds Cameron Wellness Center Center for Biological Diversity Central Wasatch Commission Citizens' Climate Lobby Clark Planetarium Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center Energy Doctors, Inc. Green Party Utah HEAL Utah Mariyurveda Michael Cundick for Salt Lake Co. Mayor Millcreek Gardens Mindful Yoga Collective Mobile Moon Co-op Momentum Recycling Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance (MESA)

Natural Law Apothecary Salt Lake Co. Health Department/Air Quality Bureau Salt Lake eBikes SLC Air Protectors SLCgreen (Salt Lake City Sustainability Dept.) TreeUtah Utah Clean Cities Utah Clean Energy Utah League of Women Voters (ULWV) Utah Permaculture Collective Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment Utah Transit Authority / Travel Trainers Wasatch Community Gardens Wasatch Cooperative Market Wasatch Resource Recovery Waste Less Solutions Wonderbloom Nature School

And presenters.... Ask a Scientist SLC Bicycle Collective Chad Davis Sound Bath experiencer Emily Nicolosi, invited artist (exhibit) Mindful Yoga Collective Skill Sharers (Char Nelson, Sue Click, Leah

Epelz, Kelly Hanks, Rachel Gallachr, Carrie Black, Jim French, Randy Gordon, Cassandra Perry, Steve Wood and Kelli Case)

Thanks to our sponsors: UCAIR (Utah Clean Air Partnership), Marathon The Gateway KRCL 90.9fm Salt Lake City Mayor’s Offic We are also grateful for contributions from PurpleAir, O2 Today, Underfoot Floors and members of CATALYST/Common Good Press, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

And to our gold star volunteer: Jim French has been a part of the Clean Air Fair since it was conceived in an “idea silo” among a group of activists led by David Brooks who called themselves Revolution United. Jim walks (and bikes) his talk. He’s the poster man for the lifestyle many of us aspire to. If there’s an award for good ecological citizenship, Jim should receive it. Thank you, Jim, for your ongoing support!

22 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

DON’T GET ME STARTED

Indoor air quality You can’t see it, but you may smell it BY JOHN DEJONG

T

he cloud of smog lurking under the latest inversion isn't the only pollution cloud on the horizon. Every house, office and classroom has its own personalized toxic cloud. Last month we explored ultrafine particulate matter from the perspective of outdoor air. This month we'll look at that indoor cloud and see what you can do about it. Most indoor air pollution is ultrafine particulate matter, gaseous contaminants in particular, from a wide array of sources. We spend upwards of 90% of our day indoors. Good indoor air quality is even more important than outdoor air quality. Indoor air may be four to as much as 10 times as bad for our health as outdoor air, depending upon whether you are listening to pessimists or the really pessimistic pessimists. Indoor air is a complex brew of off-gassing building adhesives, aerosol health, beauty and cleaning products, cooking fumes, radon, plus whatever is in the outdoor air we ventilate our houses with. You could think of it

as taking bad air and making it worse. More than 80,000 chemicals have been introduced in the last 50 years. The majority of them have not been studied f o r

More than 80,000 chemicals have been introduced in the last 50 years. The majority of them have not been studied for their health hazards.

their health hazards. That hasn’t stopped manufacturers from incorporating these chemicals into their production processes and products. It seems like the only qualification for using a chemical in consumer products is that it enhance the user experience. Regulatory protections are weak and generally have been coopted by the industries which produce these products. Grudging acknowledgement of their poisonous nature emerges gradually in the face of consumer re-

sistance to poisonous products. Many products are as safe as RoundUp, safe if you follow the fine print; and who reads, much less follows, the fine print? Maybe you should. If you c a n

ers, their chemical cousins and overtones of marketing and sales techniques. If it's strong enough to make you wrinkle your nose, it's probably wrinkling your lungs also, as well as anything that comes in contact with the VOC-infused blood. Our noses evolved to satisfy three different functions. First, to attract us to food; second, to warn us away from dangerous things; and third, to help us procreate. Which brings us to perfumes, colognes and scented candles and the most ironic aspect of indoor pollution. Again, if you can smell it, it's probably a gaseous contaminant and therefore a danger (which does not mean if you can't smell it, it's okay). Gaseous contaminants, even if they smell good, are molecules that want to react with something. It may be your skin, lungs, blood and anything that your blood comes in contact with.

Prioritizing threats

smell it, it probably isn't good for you. That said, some things that smell good have enormous psychological benefits. With obvious exceptions, most of nature's strong scents are warning signals. It turns out that most of the scents of modern chemistry are also warning signals, too. Isn't that clever of chemists? That said, it is possible with psychological conditioning to convince people that a particular smell is good. The “new car” smell, for instance, consists of plasticiz-

Continuous sources of indoor air pollution pose the most serious threat to our health. Radon, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents from paint and new carpeting and formaldehyde from new furniture, challenge our health 24/7. An estimated 22,000 Americans die each year from radon-induced cancers. Radon tests are readily available and mitigation can often be done for a couple thousand dollars. Cooking-related emissions and aerosol products are intermittant activities. Gas stoves pose a double-barrel threat, releasing CO2 and some oxides of nitrogen and sulfur from combustion as well all

those great smells that accompany wellcooked food. Then there are the pollutants we are only occasionally exposed to, such as hobby glues and spray paints, but where we can very quickly receive a large dose. One study of healthy nonsmokers without allergies showed significantly reduced lung function within 55 minutes of exposure to formaldehyde. Another way to prioritize your cleanup is by the severity of the threat. Acute threats are a major worry for those with pre-existing conditions. A single exposure to very high levels of pollution for only fractions of an hour can trigger heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and inflammation. The strategies used to lessen these threats depend upon the type of exposure. Continuous threats are best dealt with by making wiser decisions when we shop. Tests for formaldehyde, radon and VOCs should be a necessary precaution when buying your next house. New carpeting is a particular threat because of the large quantity of material involved. Natural flooring is a sensible alternative. Underfoot Floors, among SLC’s first B Corps, carries bamboo, cork, hardwood and marmoleum, as well as natural fabric carpet. Owner Eric Cole has been in the business for 18 years and while he carries some vinyl, he states clearly that it’s usually not a good environmental choice. Then there are chemical air fresheners (if that's not an oxymoron), indoor storage of pesticides, household cleaners and all those things you can smell under your sink or in cleaning supply closet. Periodic threats (daily or hourly) include any indoor combustion. Cooking is a particular issue, particularly for those who stir-fry frequently. Exhaust fans and proper ventilation help. Every indoor environment would benefit from an exhaust hood the operates whenever the stove is being used. Occasional exposures to the solvents found in paints and glues can be alleviated by using VOC-filtering masks. The U.S. got rid of CFCs, ozone-depleting propellants in aerosols, in the 1960s. But aerosol products are still probably the worst indoor air threats. The chemicals needed to turn your spray paint or hair spray from a liquid into a rust-proof protective coating for your graffiti, or a hurricane-proof hairdo, are mostly solvents which are designed to evaporate. Anyone breathing these fumes is effectively mainlining solvents. Painters have a name for it, chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy, but they can't remember it.

Not only is source reduction very important with indoor air pollution, it is also much more in your control. The cost of remediation Another way to look at indoor air pollutants is the cost of remediation. Replacing aerosol personal care products (hairspray, deoderant, sunscreen) will reduce levels of indoor air pollution. Opt for pump-spray or cream. You can get an air cleaner for a couple hundred dollars. An exhaust system for your kitchen stove can be done for under a thousand dollars. Things that take major modifications of your house, like remediating off-gassing insulation foam or venting radon from your basement and granite counter tops, can cost thousands of dollars. Common sense may lead you to try to improve your indoor air quality by bringing in outdoor air, but that can be a two-edged sword without timely and location-specific readings on air quality in your neighborhood (see “Citizen Scientists Take to the Air,”page 14). Eliminating all sources of indoor air pollution is easier said than done. Gaseous pollutants like ozone, radon, cigarette smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents, aerosols and the like are particularly difficult to remove. They can't be mechanically trapped; they must be chemically captured with some sort of active media. Activated charcoal is the most common example, but the filter media must be changed frequently. Regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum will remove particulate matter that has settled out of the air. Not only is source reduction very important with indoor air pollution, it is also much more in your control. Many of the same roadblocks to the reduction of outdoor air pollution hinder the reduction of indoor air pollution. Special interests will lobby, obstruct and cheat to protect their “right” to pollute, while seducing us with the convenience of their products. Whether it’s dad spray-painting his latest project in the attached garage, mom getting her hair just right and keeping it that way, or junior degreasing, cleaning and lubricating his bicycle in the basement, it will take some convincing them to change their aerosol ways. Your indoor air will be cleaner for your efforts. u John deJong is associate publisher of CATALYST, and has a long history with many aerosols from before he got wise.

CENSUS 2020 2 BEGINS ON NLINE MARCH 12, 2020 The U.S. Census helps fund our schools, health care, roads, and other importan nt parts of our commun nity. It’s quick, easy to o fill out and d confidential. fid i l

WA ATCH TCH FOR A CENSUS BUREAU LETTER WITH INSTRUCTIONS ARRIVING IN MAILBOXES SOON

VISIT SLCO.ORG/CENSUS FOR MORE I N F O R M AT I O N

P U E D E V I S I TA R SLCO.ORG/CENSUS PA R A O B T E N E R MÁS INFORMACIÓN

those great smells that accompany wellcooked food. Then there are the pollutants we are only occasionally exposed to, such as hobby glues and spray paints, but where we can very quickly receive a large dose. One study of healthy nonsmokers without allergies showed significantly reduced lung function within 55 minutes of exposure to formaldehyde. Another way to prioritize your cleanup is by the severity of the threat. Acute threats are a major worry for those with pre-existing conditions. A single exposure to very high levels of pollution for only fractions of an hour can trigger heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and inflammation. The strategies used to lessen these threats depend upon the type of exposure. Continuous threats are best dealt with by making wiser decisions when we shop. Tests for formaldehyde, radon and VOCs should be a necessary precaution when buying your next house. New carpeting is a particular threat because of the large quantity of material involved. Natural flooring is a sensible alternative. Underfoot Floors, among SLC’s first B Corps, carries bamboo, cork, hardwood and marmoleum, as well as natural fabric carpet. Owner Eric Cole has been in the business for 18 years and while he carries some vinyl, he states clearly that it’s usually not a good environmental choice. Then there are chemical air fresheners (if that's not an oxymoron), indoor storage of pesticides, household cleaners and all those things you can smell under your sink or in cleaning supply closet. Periodic threats (daily or hourly) include any indoor combustion. Cooking is a particular issue, particularly for those who stir-fry frequently. Exhaust fans and proper ventilation help. Every indoor environment would benefit from an exhaust hood the operates whenever the stove is being used. Occasional exposures to the solvents found in paints and glues can be alleviated by using VOC-filtering masks. The U.S. got rid of CFCs, ozone-depleting propellants in aerosols, in the 1960s. But aerosol products are still probably the worst indoor air threats. The chemicals needed to turn your spray paint or hair spray from a liquid into a rust-proof protective coating for your graffiti, or a hurricane-proof hairdo, are mostly solvents which are designed to evaporate. Anyone breathing these fumes is effectively mainlining solvents. Painters have a name for it, chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy, but they can't remember it.

Not only is source reduction very important with indoor air pollution, it is also much more in your control. The cost of remediation Another way to look at indoor air pollutants is the cost of remediation. Replacing aerosol personal care products (hairspray, deoderant, sunscreen) will reduce levels of indoor air pollution. Opt for pump-spray or cream. You can get an air cleaner for a couple hundred dollars. An exhaust system for your kitchen stove can be done for under a thousand dollars. Things that take major modifications of your house, like remediating off-gassing insulation foam or venting radon from your basement and granite counter tops, can cost thousands of dollars. Common sense may lead you to try to improve your indoor air quality by bringing in outdoor air, but that can be a two-edged sword without timely and location-specific readings on air quality in your neighborhood (see “Citizen Scientists Take to the Air,”page 14). Eliminating all sources of indoor air pollution is easier said than done. Gaseous pollutants like ozone, radon, cigarette smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents, aerosols and the like are particularly difficult to remove. They can't be mechanically trapped; they must be chemically captured with some sort of active media. Activated charcoal is the most common example, but the filter media must be changed frequently. Regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum will remove particulate matter that has settled out of the air. Not only is source reduction very important with indoor air pollution, it is also much more in your control. Many of the same roadblocks to the reduction of outdoor air pollution hinder the reduction of indoor air pollution. Special interests will lobby, obstruct and cheat to protect their “right” to pollute, while seducing us with the convenience of their products. Whether it’s dad spray-painting his latest project in the attached garage, mom getting her hair just right and keeping it that way, or junior degreasing, cleaning and lubricating his bicycl in the basement, it will take some convincing them to change their aerosol ways. Your indoor air will be cleaner for your efforts. u John deJong is associate publisher of CATALYST, and has a long history with many aerosols from before he got wise.

CENSUS 2020 2 BEGINS ON NLINE MARCH 12, 2020 The U.S. Census helps fund our schools, health care, roads, and other importan nt parts of our commun nity. It’s quick, easy to o fill out and d confidential. fid i l

WA ATCH TCH FOR A CENSUS BUREAU LETTER WITH INSTRUCTIONS ARRIVING IN MAILBOXES SOON

VISIT SLCO.ORG/CENSUS FOR MORE I N F O R M AT I O N

P U E D E V I S I TA R SLCO.ORG/CENSUS PA R A O B T E N E R MÁS INFORMACIÓN

24 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

March 2020

DRAWDOWN

Creating an economy in service to life A shift to 100% renewable energy as we transition to a regenerative agricultural system can avert climate disaster, says global thought leader and Intermountain Sustainability Summit keynote speaker Hunter Lovins BY EMILY SPACEK

T

his past January was the hottest January ever recorded in human history. The magnitude of Earth’s climate catastrophe is growing ever more serious as we approach a future with natural disasters, animal extinctions and other environmental destructions becoming commonplace. Already humans are fleeing their homes by the hundreds of thousands to avoid climate-induced instability and our planet-warming practices are depleting the soil and driving water scarcity. To avoid this future, the United Nations says that it is essential for the world to decarbonize by 2050, and most scientists argue much

catastrophe, but we are already on our way to doing so. L. Hunter Lovins is the co-founder of Rocky Mountain Institute and President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a nonprofit that helps businesses, communities and countries implement more regenerative practices profitably. The author of 16 books and countless journal articles has taught at universities across the globe on business and sustainability. In her March 19 keynote presentation, Lovins will draw from her 2019 Nautilus Award-winning book, A Finer Future: Creating an Economy in Service to Life, to give us a playbook of solutions and inspire the hope and action neces-

“As we solve these problems, this transition is going to unleash the greatest prosperity we’ve ever known. It will create millions of good paying jobs in our communities, clean our air and our water and enable us to live lives of greater belonging in communities that work well for everyone.” sooner (think, in the next 10 years). Of the greenhouse gases released which are causing the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, carbon dioxide is the most significant; CO2 comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. With such a short timeframe, many of us are thinking the same thing: Is it possible? Or are we doomed to a seemingly apocalyptic future like the one described above?

Envisioning “a finer future” The keynote speaker of next month’s Intermountain Sustainability Summit, the annual benchmark event at Weber State University, envisions a finer future and believes with a conviction grounded in actual developments that we not only know how to solve this looming

sary for a prosperous future for our planet. The book covers multiple challenges facing humanity, including rising inequality and our unsustainable system of agriculture, but makes the assertion that if we do not deal with our climate crisis, we are indeed facing civilizational collapse. The way out? A shift to 100% renewable energy as we transition to a regenerative agricultural system. Lovins is here to report that we in fact already know how to do this, and, in a very real way, it is already happening.

Conscious transition “For fundamental economic reasons, solar plus storage will provide at least half of electric power generation globally by 2030,” Lovins explained in a recent phone interview with CAT-

ALYST. “We’re already seeing this play out. Exon is borrowing to pay dividends and the coal industry is collapsing all around us. Peabody coal is about to go bankrupt. Again. The financial industry in the form of Goldman Sachs, Blackrock and Bank of International Settlements all say it’s time to get out of coal and decarbonize.” For Lovins, the evidence could not be clearer. “India recently cancelled 14 new proposed plants because they can’t compete with solar. This summer, General Electric walked away from a perfectly good natural gas plant in California that had a projected 20 years life on it because it can’t compete with solar.” According to Lovins, Portugal recently achieved 1.6 cents a kilowatt hour for utility scale solar affordable payouts, a price incomparable to coal. “When the Kentucky Coal Museum has just put solar on its roof because it’s cheaper than hooking up to the coal-fired electric grid at its doorstep, the fossil era is over.” This is the good news. The flip side of the coin, though, says that if not handled well, communities, countries and economies will face an incredible threat during this transition. Within the next 10 to 15 years, Lovins estimates we will see the dissolution in value of the oil, gas, coal, uranium, nuclear, utility and auto industries, the banks that hold paper in them, the insurance companies and the pension funds that are invested in them. According to Lovins, this could be “the mother of all economic dislocations.” What we can’t do, Lovins says, is ignore that this is happening. “If we all recognize that fossil fuel is no longer a viable economic proposition but agree that we owe it to the coal miners who have spent their lives in this dirty and dangerous profession to ensure that they have a decent retirement or have alternative jobs— if we ensure decent notice and support programs to enable companies that are involved in the second tier or third tier of these industries to find other activities that they can productively be engaged in— then the transition will be one of creating wealth and prosperity

in our communities. If, instead, we say, ‘Well that’s the free market, your loss: deal with it!’ then we’re going to have a lot of angry people, a lot of people out of work; we’re going to have a mess.” At this point, it is clear that politics are involved. Lovins says that proposals like the Green New Deal, legislation introduced by House and Senate Democrats and endorsed by all eight of the re-

If Greta Thunberg studied economics, maybe she could find a way to make capitalism compassionate. maining Democratic presidential candidates, offer a ramp of transition. Other politicians, including the current president, continue to support fossil fuel industry subsidies that Lovins says are costly and detrimental. Current fossil subsidies top $5.2 trillion every year.

Transforming agriculture The second part of Lovins’ plan focuses on how to transform agriculture from a degenerative to a regenerative system. This approach not only minimizes the use of fossil fuels, but effectively takes carbon from the air and returns it to the soil. “Regenerative agriculture means profitably rolling climate change backwards to the level it was before the Industrial Revolution and we can do it in about a 30-year period. Many farmers and ranchers are doing this today, increasing profits and the carbon in their soil.” In her Ogden presentation, Lovins will dive deeper into the practice and relay stories of various farmers and ranchers who are practicing regenerative agriculture. While the solar transition is cer-

tainly well underway, Lovins says that we need to put much more urgency on regenerative agriculture. A lot of this will come in the form of helping farmers and ranchers transition, but there are also things that each one of us can do.

Call to action “We all eat every day. As Wendell Berry says, ‘Eating is an agricultural act.’ Are we eating locally produced grass-fed beef or are we eating industrial meat that’s produced in massive feedlots and confined feeding operations? Are we supporting farmers markets or are we buying raspberries flown in from Chile?” The call to action in Lovins’ overall message is firm and straightforward. The market context will help drive these changes but as individuals, community members and businesses alike, we have a responsibility to work together to ensure that we take these technologies and use them in a way that benefits us all, building and creating a finer future. “When rabbits are threatened, they freeze. When humans are threatened, they entrepreneur. As we solve these problems, this transition is going to unleash the greatest prosperity we’ve ever known. It will create millions and millions of good paying jobs in our communities, clean our air and our water and enable us to live lives of greater belonging in communities that work well for everyone. You can call that hope. Or you can call it just better business.” u Emily Spacek is a staff writer at CATALYST Magazine.

L. Hunter Lovins’ keynote presentation at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit When: March 19, 2:30pm Where: Weber State University, Shepherd Union Building, 3910 W Campus Drive, Ogden Tickets: WWW.WEBER.EDU/ISSUMMIT

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Revisiting The Zen Classics with Genpo Roshi The 10 Ox Herding Pictures: April 13-17 The Three Treasures: April 18-19* Four Noble Truths: May 23-25 Eightfold Path: May 27-31

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Registration at 801-328-8414 | BigMind.org

26 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET March, 2020

CATALYST COMMUNITY

CALENDAR Get the full calendar online: CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/COMMUNITY-CALENDAR/ Or sign up for the CATALYST Weekly Reader – updates every Thursday: HTTP://WWW.CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/SUBSCRIBE-WEEKLY-READER/ Mar. 1: First Sunday Mindful Meditation @ Mindful Yoga Collective. 7-8:30p. Listen to a talk by a selected dharma teacher, sit for a short period and then join in on an insightful group discussion. Free. MINDFULYOGACOLLECTIVE.COM Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Dance Church @ Ririe Woodbury Dance Company. 10-11:30a. All-abilities movement class designed for people of all shapes and sizes, backgrounds and identities. $15. RIRIEWOODBURY.COM Mar. 2: Indigenous Women Activism @ Hinckley Institute of Politics. 12-1:30p. Panel will bring together local Indigenous leaders and experts on Indigenous women’s activism. Free. DIVERSITY.UTAH.EDU Mar. 3: Utah Rare Plant Meeting 2020 @ NHMU. 9a-4p. Annual meeting open to anyone interested in the native flora of the Intermountain West. $25. NHMU.UTAH.EDU

Mar. 5: Beaver Believers (Film) @ Swaner Preserve. 6:30-8p. Award-winning documentary about a group of activists working towards restoring North American Beaver populations. $7. SWANERECOCENTER.ORG

Shop for local meat, produce and specialty products. Free. SLCFARMERSMARKET.ORG Mar. 8: Creative Reuse and Upcycling @ NHMU. 10a-12p. Children and their chaperones will work together and create junk bots and sculptures from miscellaneous parts, weave wall hangings and create distinctive fabric animals. $10-20. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Mar. 7: Utah’s 7th Annual Clean Air Solutions Fair presented by CATALYST Magazine. @ The Gateway, 11am-4pm. Exhibitors, vendors, workshops, entertainment. Fresh ideas for cleaner air. Come with questions, leave with solutions! CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/CASF Mar. 3: Young Women Leading Change Panel @ Gore School of Business Auditorium. 7-8:30p. Jamie Margolin (zero hour), Saida Dahir (poet) and Karina Popovich (entrepreneur) discuss how to raise awareness of important social justice issues. Free. UTAHDIPLOMACY.ORG

Mar. 7: Utah’s 7th Annual Clean Air Solutions Fair presented by CATALYST Magazine. @ The Gateway, 11am-4pm. Exhibitors, vendors, workshops, entertainment. Fresh ideas for cleaner air. Come with questions, leave with solutions! CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/CASF

Mar. 3, 10: Memoir Writing Workshop @ SLCC Community Writing Center. 6-8p. Learn how to translate your experiences to the page in this 2-part workshop. Registration required. $20. SLCC.EDU/CWC/WORKSHOPS

Mar. 7: Artists’ Books Lecture @ J. Willard Marriott Library. 1-3p. Join the library’s managing curator and head of Rare Books department, Luise Poulton, for a presentation on war stories. Free. LIB.UTAH.EDU

Mar. 4: Open Studio: Spiral Jetty’s Birthday @ UMFA. 6-8p. Make art exploring the various ideas and techniques embodied by the iconic Spiral Jetty land art. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Mar. 6-8: Tumbleweeds Film Festival @ The City Library. Various screenings and prices. International film festival presents new, culturally enriching, curated cinema for ages 4 and up. UTAHFILMCENTER.ORG

P

Mar. 7: Fruit Tree Pruning with Liz Hamilton @ Grateful Tomato Garden. 10a-12p. Workshop on how to choose the most effective pruning tools and how to properly prune fruit trees to maximize their health and productivity. Free with registration. WASATCHGARDENS.ORG Mar. 7, 14, 21, 28: Weekly Rio Grande Winter Market @ Rio Grande Depot. 10a-2p.

Mar. 9: International Women’s Day @ The Garden Place. 7-9p. A celebration of women’s right to vote with keynote speaker Leesa Price (SHEROES director) and annual One Billion Rising Dance. Free. SHEROESUNITED.ORG

Mar. 12: Flamenco - Tablado Dance Company @ The Eccles Theater. 7:30-9:30p. An exploration of Spanish culture through dance, music and art. Pre-concert art exhibit and reception. 21+. $20. PILARPOBILLEGACYFOUNDATION.ORG

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CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET 27

Mar. 10: Museum Advocacy Day @ Utah State Capitol. 8a-5p. Museum staff and volunteers from around the state come to Capitol Hill to advocate for museums while giving visitors a peek at their collections, programs and missions. Free. UTAHMUSEUMS.ORG Mar. 10: John Marzluff @ NHMU. 7p. Reading and signing of Marzluff’s fifth book, “Welcome to Subirdia.� Free. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Mar. 11: Women of the World 10th Annual Fashion Show @ Jaden Event Center. 5:30-9:30p. Fashion show placing the ethnic fashions of displaced women on display at this educational and celebrational gala event for International Women's Day. $50. WOMENOFWORLD.ORG Mar. 13: PechaKucha Night @ The State Room. 7p. Spontaneous, fun and informal presentation celebrating women in architecture. Four NCARB exam fees will be given out. $20. THESTATEROOMPRESENTS.COM Mar. 14: St. Patrick's Day Parade @ 500 E 200 S. 10a-12p. Parade showcasing Irish cultural traditions and history followed by a siamsa at the Gallivan Center. Free. IRISHINUTAH.ORG

Mar. 14: How to Attract Native Bees @ Turn Community Services. 10a-12p. Workshop hosted by the founder of the Wild Bee Project, Laura Horn. Registration required. $20. WASATCHGARDENS.ORG Mar. 14: Noruz Celebration - Persian New Year with Eastern Arts @ Rose Wagner. 2-9p. Headlining performance by musician and activist, Anwar Yusuf Turani at 7p along with performances by BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble, U of U Character Dance Ensemble, Eastern Arts and SLC Ballet Company. 2pm film screening and post film discussion: Song of God. Activities for all ages, dance and music workshops, light refreshments from 3:30-6:30p. Free. EASTERNARTISTS.COM Mar. 15: 12 Minutes Max @ The City Library. 2-3:30p. Experimental performance series featuring short works by local artists in many disciplines. Free. SLCPL.ORG Mar. 15: Local & National News Trivia Fundraiser @ Fisher Brewing Company. 7p. Test your knowledge on the 2020 legislative session as well as national news. All proceeds go to benefit the nonprofit Utah Investigative Journalism Project. 21+. Free entry. UTAHINVESTIGATIVE.ORG Mar. 16: When the Ice Melts (Lecture) @ Westminster College. 6:30-8:30p. Dr. M. Jackson explores how melting Icelandic glaciers impact both local communities and people across the globe. Free. WESTMINSTERCOLLEGE.EDU

Mar. 12: The Bee // Mistakes Were Made @ Metro Music Hall. 6-9:30p. 10 storytellers picked at random from a hat have 5 minutes each to tell a true story on the theme of the night. 21+. $15. THEBEESLC.ORG

Mar. 17: St. Patrick's Day with Swagger, Pennyland & RedHeaded Step Twin @ Piper Down. 12-11p. All-day St. Patrick’s Day party. Free entry. PIPERDOWNPUB.COM Mar. 18: Build Bikes for Kids @ Squatters Craft Beer. 6-8p. Build bikes for SLC elementary school students. All tools and supplies are provided. Free. FACEBOOK.COM/CAN’DAID/ Mar. 19: Mindfulness @ UMFA. 1-2p. Practice traditional guided meditation while slowly and mindfully looking at artwork. $16. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Mar. 20: Women to The Front Artist Reception @ Rio Gallery. 6-9p. Exhibition of emerging artists in Utah showcasing contemporary female artists and their role in art and culture. Free. ARTSANDMUSEUMS.UTAH.GOV Mar. 21: Growing Great Tomatoes @ Wasatch Community Gardens. 10a-12p. Workshop on soils, planting dates, prun-

ing, fertilizing and troubleshooting some common tomato pests and diseases. $20. WASATCHGARDENS.ORG Mar. 21: Diego Rivera (Lecture) @ UMFA. 11a-12p. Special presentation by Dr. Anna Indych-LĂłpez, Latin American art professor and expert on the art of Diego Rivera. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Mar. 21: Third Saturday Highlights Tour and Japanese Screens @ UMFA. 11:30a4p. Explore the exhibition Beyond the Divide: Merchant, Artist, Samurai in Edo Japan. Afterwards, make a miniature Japanese screen of your own. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Mar. 22: Spiritual Topics Open Discussion @ ECK Temple of Utah. 10:30a-12p.

Mar. 17: Art Therapy for Survivors of Sexual Violence @ Art Access. 5:30-8p. Provides survivors with a safe space to express themselves and heal through art. Free with registration. ACCESSART.ORG Mar. 18: Alice Friman @ The City Library. 7-8:30p. Poet and founder of the Indiana Writing Center. Free. UTAHHUMANITIES.ORG

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WWW.TWOARROWSZEN.ORG 230 South 500 West • Salt Lake City • Artspace Building Suite 155

Visit us at the Clean Air Solutions Fair on March 7 at The Gateway! Specialists in the Installation of Earth Friendly Floors 1900 S. 300 W. www.underfootfloors.net 801.467.6636

28 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET March, 2020 MARCH 7 | RO OSE WAGNER

fundraiser & choreograph pher competition A PER RFORMANCE, A PROCESS S & A PARTY! S, Y You o decide which choreographer a should an RDT com mmission for next season. Plus enjoy drinks, s appetize ers, and a dance party on stage!

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All are welcome to discuss this month’s topic: spiritual wisdom on conquering fear. Free. ECKANKAR-UTAH.ORG Mar. 23: Orgone @ The State Room. 8p. Gritty funk/soul and rhythmic guitar with an analog sound. 21+. $25. THESTATEROOMPRESENTS.COM Mar. 24: Intro to Organic Vegetable Gardening @ Whitmore Library. 6:30-8p. Workshop led by Wasatch Community Gardens. Free with registration. WASATCHGARDENS.ORG Mar. 24: Dark Money (Film) @ Marriott Library. 12-2p. Documentary examining the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials. Free. LIB.UTAH.EDU Mar. 25: Nalini Nadkarni: The Dynamic Nature of Nature @ The City Library. 7-9p. Nadkarni explores the inherent dynamics of nature through an interdisciplinary lens as part of the NHMU 2020 Lecture Series. Free with registration. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Mar. 26: Sites & Sightlines Reading and Conversation @ University Union. 3:30-5p. Join Environmental Humanities graduate students for a presentation, reading and discussion of their latest chapbook, Sites & Sightlines. Free. ENVIRONMENTAL-HUMANITIES.UTAH.EDU Mar. 27: Art Market @ The Urban Indian Center. 9a-4p. Jewelry, handmade crafts and food from local artisans. Free. UICSL.ORG

STORYTELLLINNG FORR GRROWNN-UPPS A PARTICIIPATORY WORKSSHOP FOR EXPERRIENCED AND ASPIRING STORYTELLEERS WITH GIULIAANA SERENA & NAN SEYMOUR OFF THE BEE

Mar. 27-29: Gem Faire @ Mountain America Expo Center. 10a-6p. Jewelry, precious gemstones, beads, crystals, gold & silver, and minerals at manufacturer’s prices. $7. GEMFAIRE.COM

Mar. 30: Mask Movement Workshop @ Puppets in The City. 6-8p. Make a papier mache mask from scratch, and work with others to create story and emotion. $35. PUPPETSINTHECITY.ORG Mar. 28: Expo Holistica @ Valley Fair Mall. 9a-6p. Learn how to integrate health and joy into your life with yoga, meditation, reflexology, holistic medicine and more. $510. FACEBOOK.COM/EXPOHOLISTICA Mar. 28-29: Holi Festival of Colors @ Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple Spanish Fork. 10a-5p. Interactive dance, live mantra bands, yoga and food. $6.50+. FESTIVALOFCOLORSUSA.COM Mar. 28-29: Chocolate and Cheese Festival @ NHMU. 10a-5p. The museum hosts the best local producers and purveyors of chocolate and cheese for this two-day extravaganza. Museum admission required. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Mar. 29: Ross Mathews “Name Drop” Tour @ The State Room. 8p. Ross shares tales from his book Name Drop that range from horrifying to hilarious. For fans of comedy & the Tonight Show. 21+. $42-$115. THESTATEROOMPRESENTS.COM

Mar. 28: How to Grow Unusual Fruits & Vegetables in Utah @ Turn Community Services. 10a-12p. Learn how to grow unique produce that thrives in Utah. $20. WASATCHGARDENS.ORG

Mar. 30- April 4: Wasatch Mountain Film Festival @ Clubhouse on South Temple. 4-11:30p. Annual mountain film festival that highlights the best outdoor films of the year. Screenings $10, Festival passes $75-100. WASATCHFILMFESTIVAL.ORG

Mar. 28: Herstory: Planned Parenthood of Utah's 50th Anniversary Gala @ Venue 6Six9. 6-9p. Join Planned Parenthood Association of Utah for a night of celebration. $175 for general admission, $25 for afterparty only. UTAHHERSTORY.ORG

Mar. 31: American Zion @ Weller Book Works. 6:30-8p. Betsy Quammen examines the historical feud between the Bundys, the government, and the public. Book discussion and signing, light refreshments. Free. WELLERBOOKWORKS.COM

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30 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

PLAYWRIGHT

March 2020

Nevertheless, they persisted:

Finding The Audacity BY JENIFER NII

I

am not known as audacious. People who know me will tell you I’m a pretty reserved, relatively hermetic person who communicates more and most effectively with my pack of pet dogs than with people. So when the folks at Plan-B Theatre asked whether I’d be interested in telling the stories of some of Utah’s most audacious, raucous pioneer women, my inner hermit whispered, “You are not qualified.” But I know that I am beyond fortunate to have such support and encouragement, and I’ve also lived long enough to know that noth-

ing that’s really meaningful is easy. So I said yes and waded in and met Josie, Ann & Elizabeth Bassett—three Utah women who ran their own ranches, raised families, and rustled cattle; who lived hard at a time when women were expected foremost to be soft. I met Josie first. She was arguably the most notorious, having wooed Butch Cassidy and a few other “outlaws” before marrying (and divorcing) an astounding five times, being investigated for rustling cattle and bootlegging liquor and the suspicious death of one of her husbands, only to retreat farther and further

from the modernization of the 20th century. Her life inspired books and a film, and earned her a profile in Life Magazine. I was gob smacked, and also baffled: How did she do it? At that time, in that place, how did a little girl grow into such a fierce woman? Which led me to her mother, Elizabeth, and her sister, Ann. Elizabeth the pioneer who, barely in her 20s and the mother of two young children and expecting a third, ventured West from Arkansas with her husband in search of a drier climate for his sickly lungs. Who gave Brown’s Park, Utah, its name and led a scrappy rebellion against encroaching big-business cattlemen. And Ann, the middle child who refused to be overshadowed—bedding her own outlaws and waging her own vendetta against corporate ranchers— but who did so with a practiced East Coast accent, proudly and meticulously coiffed, adorned in flawless gowns and hats, riding sidesaddle. I still don’t know if I know the “how” of how these women carved out and crafted their extraordinary lives—precisely how are true trailblazers created? But as I worked on The Audacity I realized why their stories are so resonant and relevant. Now more than ever, women are challenging and defining their place and their role—our daily experiences evidence that we still must. The battles they fought to decide, determine and manifest their passions are our battles still, and we are reminded daily how pernicious the opposing forces remain. For this reason, I so appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to work on The Audacity, and it’s why I’ve built it the way I have, bringing the present on stage with the past. The Bassett women taught me about courage, independence, and strength of will. With The Audacity, I hope to pay tribute to them and, if possible, highlight how we might draw strength and inspiration from their example. The Bassetts were uncompromising in their refusal to bow before any who doubted their rights or worth. Working on this play has dared me to face many of my own doubts and fears, creatively and personally. It has made me question and commit to developing my own audaciousness, and for that I am so grateful. I feel like I’ve found a bit of the Bassett in me, and my biggest hope is that The Audacity can do the same for you. u Playwright Jenifer Nii has premiered seven plays with Plan-B: THE WEIRD PLAY, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (with composer and co-lyricist David Evanoff); RUFF!, SUFFRAGE, THE SCARLET LETTER and SUFFRAGE, WALLACE (co-written with Debora Threedy) and (IN)DIVISIBLE (a collaboration with 11 other local playwrights). Jenifer’s latest play, THE AUDACITY, receives its world premiere March 26-April 5 at Plan-B Theatre. Details at PLANBTHEATRE.ORG.

March 2020

CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

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COMMUNIT Y Resource Directory Psychotherapy and Personal Growth Abode • Bodywork • Movement Sport Intuitive Sciences • Health Spiritual Practice • Psychic Arts ABODE AUTOMOTIVE Schneider Auto Karosserie 8/20 801.484.9400, f 801.484.6623, 1180 S 400 W, SLC. Utah’s first green body shop. Making customers happy since 1984! We are a friendly, full-service collision repair shop in SLC. Your satisfaction is our goal. We’ll act as your advocate with your insurance company to ensure proper repairs and give you a lifetime warranty. WWW.SCHNEIDER AUTO.NET

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, ORGANIZATION Ann Larsen Residential Design DA 10/20 801.604.3721. Specializing in historically sensitive design solutions and adding charm to the ordinary. HOUSEWORKS4@YAHOO.COM

GREEN PRODUCTS Underfoot Floors DA 11/20 801.467.6636, 1900 S 300 W, SLC. We offer innovative & earth friendly floors including bamboo, cork, marmoleum, hardwoods, natural fiber carpets as well as sand and finishing hardwood. Free in-home estimates. Please visit our showroom. KE@UNDERFOOTFLOORS.COM WWW.UNDERFOOTFLOORS.NET

HOUSING Urban Utah Homes & Estates DA 9/20 801.595.8824, 380 W 200 S, #101, SLC. Founded in 2001 by Babs De Lay. WWW.URBANUTAH.COM

DINING Coffee Garden DA 801.355.3425, 900 E 900 S and 254 S. Main, SLC. High-end espresso, delectable pastries & desserts. Great places to people watch. M-Thur 6a-11p; Fri 6a-12p, Sat 7a-12p, Sun 7a-11p. Wifi.

Oasis Cafe DA 11/20 801.322.0404,151 S 500 E, SLC. A refreshing retreat in the heart of the city, Oasis Cafe provides a true sanctuary of spectacular spaces: the beautiful flower-laden patio, the private covered breezeway or the casual style dining room. Authentic American cafe-style cuisine plus full bar, craft beers, wine list and more. WWW.OASISC AFESLC.COM

HEALTH & BODYWORK ACUPUNCTURE Alethea Healing Acupuncture5/20 801.988.5898, 2180 E 4500 S, Ste 210L, Holladay. Relief from acute and chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Balance digestive, respiratory, hormonal and reproductive systems. Enhance focus, energy and concentration. Offering acupuncture,

cupping, moxibustion and nutrition guidance. Standard Process Provider. Enhance your winter performance! Winter hours include weekends. www.ALETHEAHEALINGACUPUNCTURE.COM

Keith Stevens Acupuncture 3/20 801.255.7016, 209.617.7379 (c). Dr. Keith Stevens, OMD, now located at 870 E 9400 S, Ste. 110 (South Park Medical Complex). Specializing in chronic pain treatment, stress-related insomnia, fatigue, headaches, sports medicine, traumatic injury and postoperative recovery. Board-certified for hep-c treatment. National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA)-certified for treatment of addiction. Women’s health, menopausal syndromes. www.STEVENSACUCLINIC.COM

SLC Qi Community Acupuncture 12/20 801.521.3337, 242 S 400 E Suite B, SLC. Affordable Acupuncture! Sliding scale rates ($20-40). Open weekends. Grab a recliner and relax in a safe, comfortable, and healing space. We help with pain, fertility, digestion, allergies, arthritis, sleep and stress disorders, cardiac/respiratory conditions, metabolism & more. WWW.SLCQ I .COM

cializing in custom, small batch tinctures, salves, green drink and teas. Also features a knowledge center with books, classes & consultation on herbs, bees, massage/bodywork wellness and more! www.NATURALLAWAPOTHECARY.COM

AYURVEDA Maria Radloff, AWC, E-RYT5006/20 480.600.3765. SLC. Ayurveda is the art of longevity and health. Maria specializes in ayurvedic healing using food choices, lifestyle & routines, herbs and yoga practices. She offers personal ayurvedic consults for preventive health and healing, corporate wellness packages, public workshops and educational events. WWW.MARIYURVEDA.COM

ENERGY HEALING Abi J. Bateman, Reiki Master/Teacher 801.859.2513. Body-mind-spirit-connection. Abi has over seven years experience helping her clients achieve deep relaxation, which taps into the body’s natural healing process. Trained in traditional Usui and Holy Fire Reiki, and the healing use of crystals and minerals. Reiki - good for life!

ABIJBATEMAN@GMAIL.COM8/20

APOTHECARY Natural Law Apothecary 12/20

Cynthia Boshard, Reiki Master12/20

801.613.2128. 619 S 600 W Salt Lake's premier herbal medicine shop featuring 100+ organic/wild-harvested herbs available in any amount. Spe-

801.554.3053. Center for Enhanced Wellness, 2627 E Parleys Way. Calm, balance, relieve stress, and support your body’s natural abilities to heal.

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COMMUNITY

Cynthia has 12 years experience in Usui System of Natural Healing. Intuitive aura readings also offered—all to support improved health and wellbeing. ReIkISLC.Com

INSTRUCTION “Energy Codes” Certified Master Trainer, Kathleen A. Bratcher, LMT6/20 801.879.6924. 1555 e Stratford Ave, STe 400, SLC. embodiment exercises, meditations and principles from Dr. Sue morter’s book, The energy Codes, #1 L.A. Times Bestseller. Awaken health potential—grounded in energy medicine, neurobiology, and quantum physics—through eC teachings & exercises. Classes & private sessions available. Community on Facebook at energy Codes Utah. AFkB @ mSN . Com

MASSAGE

Agua Alma Aquatic Bodywork 5/20 801.891.5695. mary Cain, LmT, YA 500, mS Psychology. Relax in a warm pool supported by floats, explore the transformative balancing potential of water massage, likened to Watsu. enjoy table massage using Transformational Neuromuscular technique, hot stones, Reiki and Yoga. We will find the right bodywork blend to meet your specific needs. Wellness coaching, excellent references. www.FRomSoURCe ToSoURCe.Com

Healing Mountain Massage School 12/ 801.355.6300, 363 S 500 e, Ste. 210, SLC. www.HeALINgmoUNTAINSPA.Com

M.D. PHYSICIANS Todd Mangum, MD, Web of Life Wellness Center 801.531.8340, 34 S 500 e, #103, SLC. Integrative Family Practitioner utilizing functional medicine for treatment of conditions such as: fatigue, fibromyalgia, digestion, adrenals, hormones, and more. Dr. mangum recommends diet, supplementation, HRT and other natural remedies in promoting a health-conscious lifestyle. WWW.WeBoFLIFeWC.Com, THePeoPLe@WeBoFLIFeWC.Com 2/20

NUTRITION Teri Underwood RD, MS, CD, IFMCP 8/20 801-831-6967. Registered Dietitian/Certified Functional medicine Practitioner. Food-based, individualized diet plans, high-quality nutrition supplements, and counsel-

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

ing. Digestion, Diabetes, Vegans, Cardio-metabolic, Autoimmune, Cancer, Cognitive Decline, Food Intolerance, Fatigue, Weight Loss, Thyroid, Chronic Health Problems, Preventive Health. TeRI@SUSTAINABLeDIeTS.Com

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION Open Hand Bodywork DA 801.694.4086, Dan Schmidt, gCFP, LmT. 244 W 700 S, SLC. WWW.oPeNHANDSLC.Com

YOGA THERAPY Dana Levy, C-IAYT, M.A. 4/20 419.309.1190. A Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Dana works through the body, supporting clients with a variety of issues to develop greater awareness of patterns, more effective coping skills, and improved health using not only tools of yoga and meditation, but also modern somatic and embodiment practices. DANA@DANALeVYYogA.Com www.DANALeVYYogA.Com

MISCELLANEOUS ENTERTAINMENT 12/19 Utah Film Center 801.746.7000, 122 main St, SLC.WWW.UTAHFILmCeNTeR.oRg

LEGAL ASSISTANCE Schumann Law, Penniann J. Schumann, J.D., LL.M 3/20 DA 801.631.7811. Whether you are planning for your own future protection and management, or you are planning for your family, friends, or charitable causes, Penniann Schumann can assist you with creating and implementing a plan to meet those goals. WWW.eSTATePLANNINgFoRUTAH.Com

MEDIA KRCL 90.9FM DA 801.363.1818, 1971 N Temple, SLC. WWW.kRCL.oRgDA

SPACE FOR RENT Space available at Center for Transpersonal Therapy 3/20 801.596.0147 x41, 5801 S Fashion Blvd., Ste. 250, murray. Two large plush spaces available for rent by the hour, day or for weekend use. Pillows, yoga chairs, regular chairs and kichenette area included. Size: 395 sq. ft./530 sq. ft. WWW.CTTSLC.Com, THeCeNTeR@CTTSLC.Com

MOVEMENT & PSYCHOTHERAPY & MEDITATION, PERSONAL GROWTH MARTIAL ARTS Red Lotus School of Movement 12/19 801.355.6375, 40 N 800 W, SLC. established in 1994, Red Lotus School offers traditional-style training in the classical martial arts of T'ai Chi and Wing Chun kung-fu. Located with Urgyen Samten Ling Tibetan Buddhist Temple. INFo@ReDLoTUSSCHooL.Com, WWW.ReDLoTUSSCHooL.Com

YOGA INSTRUCTORS Mindful Yoga: Charlotte Bell DA 1/20 801.355.2617. e-RYT-500 & Iyengar certified. Cultivate strength, vitality, serenity, wisdom and grace. Combining clear, well-informed instruction with ample quiet time, these classes encourage students to discover their own yoga. Classes include meditation, pranayama (breath awareness) and yoga nidra (yogic sleep) as well as physical practice of asana. Public & private classes, workshops in a supportive, non-competitive environment since 1986. WWW.CHARLoTTeBeLLYogA.Com

PSYCHIC ARTS & INTUITIVE SCIENCES ASTROLOGY Transformational Astrology FOG 212.222.3232. Ralfee Finn. Catalyst’s astrology columnist for 20 years! Visit her website, WWW.AqUARIUmAge.Com, RALFee@AqUARIUmAge.Com

CHANNELING Carol Ann Christensen 3/20 c: 801.558.0824 or h: 801.281.9648. Clairvoyant, aura reading, psychometry, astrology, numerology, psychic healing, past lives medium, crystal reading. Practicing since 1975.

PSYCHIC/TAROT READINGS Suzanne Wagner DA 707.354.1019. An inspirational speaker and healer, she also teaches Numerology, Palmistry, Tarot and Channeling. WWW.S Uz WAgNeR . Com

HYPNOSIS Rise Up Hypnosis 4/20 808.755.5224. SLC. Jennifer Van gorp, qHHT. Past life hypnosis that is truly empowering. Allows the client to realize that they hold the key to every lock they've carried with them - and provides the clarity to unlock it. one-on-one and group sessions available. RISeUPHYPNoSIS@gmAIL.Com WWW.RISeUPHYPNoSIS.Com

THERAPY/COUNSELING Big Heart Healing, Dr. Paul Thielking 801.413.8978. SLC. Helping people on the path of personal growth, healing, and self-discovery. Through workshops and retreats, Dr. Thielking utilizes what he has learned as a psychiatrist, zen student, and Big mind facilitator to help others to experience a deeper sense of meaning, fulfillment, and joy in life. PAUL@BIgHeARTHeALINg.Com BIgHeARTHeALINg.Com5/20

Cynthia Kimberlin-Flanders, LPC 10/20 801.231.5916. 1399 S. 700 e., Ste. 15, SLC. Feeling out of sorts? Tell your story in a safe, non-judgmental environment. over 21 years specializing in recovery from covert narcissistic abuse, depression, anxiety, life-transitions, anger management, relationships and "middle-aged crazy." most insurances, sliding scale and medication management referrals. If you've been waiting to talk to someone, wait no more.

Healing Pathways Therapy Center 2/20 435.248.2089. 4465 S. 900 e. Ste 150, millcreek & 1810 W. 700 N. Ste 100, Lindon. Integrated counseling and neurofeedback services for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship, life adjustment issues. Focusing on clients’ innate capacity to heal and resolve past and current obstacles rather than just cope. modalities include emDR, Neurofeedback, eFT, mindfulness, and Feminist/multicultural. Info@PathwaysUtah.Com WWW.HeALINgPATHWAYSTHeRAPY.Com

C ATA LY S T M A G A Z I N E . N E T

Mountain Lotus Counseling4/20 801.524.0560. Theresa Holleran, LCSW & Sean Patrick McPeak, CSW. Learn yourself. Transform. Depth psychotherapy and transformational services for individuals, relation-ships, groups and communities. WWW.MOUNTAINLOTUSCOUNSELING.COM

Natalie Herndon, PhD, CMHC 7/20 801.657.3330. 9071 S 1300 W, Suite 100, West Jordan. 15+ years experience specializing in Jungian, Analytical, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Are you seeking to more deeply understand yourself, your relationships, and why you struggle with certain thoughts and feelings? Call today for an appointment and let's begin. WWW.HOPECANHELP.NET NATALIEHERNDON@HOPECANHELP.NET

P. Soni, MD 2/20 801-558-4511. Jungian-based therapy using active imagination and dreams to facilitate personal understanding and growth. This is a small practice. I do not take insurance. Salt Lake area.

Stephen Proskauer, MD, Integrative Psychiatry 4/20 801.631.8426. 76 S. Main St., #6, Moab. Seasoned psychiatrist, Zen priest and shamanic healer. Sees kids, teens, adults, couples and families, integrating psychotherapy and meditation with judicious use of medication to relieve emotional pain and problem behavior. Specializes in treating identity crises, and bipolar disorders. Sees patients in person in Provo and Moab. Taking phone appointments. SPROSKAUER@COMCAST.NET

SHAMANIC PRACTICE Sarah Sifers, Ph.D., LCSW 3/ 20 801.531.8051. SSIFERS514@AOL.COM. Shamanic Counseling. Shamanic Healing, Minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth. Mentoring for people called to the Shaman’s Path. Explore health or mental health issues using the ways of the shaman. Sarah’s extensive training includes shamanic extraction healing, soul retrieval healing, psychopomp work for death and dying, shamanic counseling and shamanic divination. Sarah has studied with Celtic, Brazilian, Tuvan, Mongolian, Tibetan and Nepali Shamans.

RETAIL line goes here APPAREL, GIFTS & TREASURES Blue Boutique 10/20DA 801.487.1807, 1383 S. 2100 E., SLC. Shopping Made Sexy since 1987. WWW.B LUEBOUTIQUE.COM

Dancing Cranes Imports DA8/20 801.486.1129, 673 E. Simpson Ave., SLC. Jewelry, clothing, incense, ethnic art, pottery, candles, chimes and much more! WWW.DANCING C RANES I M PORTS . COM

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COMMUNITY

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

you create your sanctuary.

Golden Braid Books DA 11/20

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801.322.1162, 151 S. 500 E., SLC. A true sanctuary for conscious living in the city. Offerings include gifts and books to feed mind, body, spirit, soul and heart; luscious health care products to refresh and revive; and a Lifestyles department to lift the spirit. www.G OLDEN B RAID B OOKS . COM

iconoCLAD—We Sell Your Previously Rocked Stuff & You Keep 50% 801.833.2272. 414 E 300 S, SLC. New and previously rocked (aka, consigned) men’s and women’s fashion, summer festival gear and locally made jewelry, clothing, crafts and decor. M-Sat 11a-9p, Sun 1p-6p. Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @iconoCLAD to see new inventory before someone beats you to it! WWW.I CONO CLAD. COM 3/20

Turiya’s Gifts8/20 DA 801.531.7823, 1569 S. 1100 E., SLC. M-F 11a-7p, Sat 11a-6p, Sun 12-5p. Turiya’s is a metaphysical gift and crystal store. We have an exquisite array of crystals and minerals, jewelry, drums, sage and sweet grass, angels, fairies, greeting cards and meditation tools. Come in and let us help

HEALTH & WELLNESS Dave’s Health & Nutrition 7/20 SLC: 801.268.3000, 880 E 3900 S & W Jordan: 801.446.0499, 1817 W 9000 S. We focus on health & holistic living through education, empowerment and high-quality products. With supplements, homeopathics, herbs, stones, books and beauty care products, we provide you with the options you need to reach your optimum health. Certified professionals also offer private consultations. WWW.D AVES H EALTH . COM

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE line goes here ORGANIZATIONS Inner Light Center Spiritual Community 801.919.4742, 4408 S 500 E, SLC. Interspiritual sanctuary. Sunday Celebration: 10am. WWW.T HE I NNER L IGHT C ENTER . ORG 4

to be more aware of your own natural relationship with the Divine Spirit. Many have had spiritual experiences and want to learn more about them and how they can help us in our daily lives. All are welcome. WWW. ECKANKAR - UTAH . ORG

INSTRUCTION Two Arrows Zen Center 3/20DA 801.532.4975, ArtSpace, 230 S. 500 W., #155, SLC. Two Arrows Zen is a center for Zen study and practice in Utah with two location: SLC & Torrey. The ArtSpace Zendo in SLC offers daily morning meditation and a morning service and evening sit on Thursday. TAZ also offers regular daylong intensives—Day of Zen—and telecourses. WWW.T WO A RROWS Z EN . ORG

The Source Within 6/20 Questing (solitary introspection in nature) has been used by cultures, traditions, and mystics around the world for countless generations as a tool to “know thyself”. We facilitate questing programs for people seeking Self-discovery, a purposeful path, and transformation. Information online at: S OURCE W ITHIN Q UEST. NET

Utah Eckankar 9/20 801.542.8070. 8105 S 700 E, Sandy. Eckankar teaches you

2020 is the year to promote your work in CATALYST Community Resource Directory SALES@CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

C ATA LY S T M A G A Z I N E . N E T

SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER

Pleasures out of place

Saturdays 10am–2pm

BY DENNIS HINKAMP

I

’m experiencing mixed joy this week, but there is some twisted irony in knowing that the person who stole my credit card number used it to buy a home security system. I’m not complaining too much. Excessive credit card interest rates will pay for my losses and perhaps the security minded perp will end up in a maximum-security facility. Life is good-ish. On the bright side, we welcomed a new dog into our home which, after a brief trial period, quickly became her home. Dogs always remind me that there is a

Polly with her new dogie Azlan

more laissez-faire way to live. The most important things atop the Maslow pyramid of needs should be naps, snacks and walks. Once you have food, shelter and a modest 401K retirement account, selfactualization seems superfluous. Keynesian economics cannot explain the marginal utility of naps, snacks and walks. Naps far exceed normalized sleep in all metrics. In a sane world all offices would have nap rooms or at least keyboards that quickly converted to pillows. Lights would automatically dim at 2:37pm and your Alexa thing would offer a selection of white noise, adult lullabies or your favorite celebrity reading you a bedtime story. The world and Human Resources mediators would be better for it. Even postal workers would not go postal. In sleep we trust. Implement this. Lives will be saved; you’re welcome.

No meal, no matter how gourmet, can compare to the joy of a spontaneous snack. Yelp reviews could not handle the number of five-star ratings of a snack. Of course, who would take the time to get out their smart phone to take a picture and write a review of a snack? A snack by definition must not take more than 30 seconds to consume. A snack doesn’t have to be elaborate; just a few stolen potato chips or a vending machine-extruded chocolate covered graham cracker can change my whole day and make me a better person. I would conjecture that if we eschewed meals altogether and just snacked intermittently there would be less crime, fewer wars and the divorce rate would plummet by 63%. Why have a business lunch when you could meet over a bowl of Chex Mix? I guarantee more honesty and less litigation would ensue. Walkies are not just for doggies. One of the best things about dogs is that they get us out of the house. Their pure daily repetitive joy over simply traversing the block should give you pause. You should examine that pause and take yourself for more walkies when you are having a bad day. Walking is meditative. Walking burns calories. Walking is why we built sidewalks and trails. Do not talk on or look at your phone while walking. Don’t forget to bring a poop bag. Some of the lesser out-of-place pleasures are slouching, shuffling, dawdling and meandering. You don’t always have to have great posture or travel in a straight line. One of my greatest pleasures is taking three hours to drive from Logan to Salt Lake City even though you can do it in 70 minutes. There are so many unexpected places to stop for a snack, walk or a nap. u Dennis Hinkamp still somehow finds a way to meet deadlines.

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THROUGH APRIL 18

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URBAN ALMANAC

March 2020

March 2020 Kestral

Mar 1 Average temps today: high 49º, low 32º. Sunrise: 7:00am. Sunset: 6:19pm. Mar 2 The National Pest Management Association predicts that our wetter winter will be followed by a warmer and drier summer, with increased cockroach, ant and fly populations. Mar 3 Protect migrating songbirds—turn off unnecessary outdoor electric lights 11pm-6am during March, April and May. Two thirds of all songbird species migrate at night because of calmer weather, cooler temperatures and the fact that predators like hawks and falcons are less active. Light pollution disorients birds. If it is not an option to turn off lights, use warm yellow or red-colored light bulbs, shield your bulbs to direct light downward or install motion sensors. At night, close the curtains to keep birds away from windows. TRACYAVIARYCONSERVATION.ORG/LIGHTSOUT-

COMPILED BY GRETA DEJONG

spring bulbs and hardy perennials. Mar 6 “Enter each day with the expectation that the happenings of the day may contain a clandestine message addressed to you personally. Expect omens, epiphanies, casual blessings, and teachers who unknowingly speak to your condition.“ —Sam Keen Mar 7 Daylight saving time in Utah begins at 2am on Sunday, March 8. Turn your clock one hour forward tonight. Mar 8 Food is biodegradable. But if you toss it, it likely won’t biodegrade in the landfill. Tightly packed landfills create an oxygen-free environment. And even if your leftovers do biodegrade in a landfill, they’ll release methane, which is a way more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 100 year timeframe. One easy answer? A compost bin. Many types are available for purchase or to build.

Mar 4 Want to encourage native pollinators in your garden? Make a “bee block “ nest site out of scrap wood. Instructions: “Gardening With Native Bees, “ April 2012 CATALYST.

Mar 9 FULL MOON @ 11:48am. This is the second of four supermoons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

Mar 5 Loosen, but don’t remove, mulch around

Mar 10 Plant and transplant shade and fruit

SALTLAKE

trees, shrubs, grape vines, strawberries, raspberries and roses. Mar 11 Plant seeds of cool season vegetables as soon as garden soil is workable. Consider planting peas in the garden every 2-3 weeks (until early May) to extend the harvest. Mar 12 It seems like an ecological action. But don’t reuse single-use water bottles. Even those labeled “BPA free “ will leach BPA, an endocrine disruptor, into the water after a few reuses. A better choice is to carry your own refillable water bottle made of #2, 4 or 5 plastic, or glass or stainless steel. Mar 13 Want to learn more about American kestrals, the smallest of falcons? Hawkwatch international offers a talk, tonight, on American Kestrel ecology in various Northern Utah landscapes. 6-7:30pm (and again tomorrow, 10:30-12) at their headquarters, 2240 S 900 E. Mar 14 Go for a walk in your yard looking for microclimates—the places that are hotter, cooler, wetter or drier than others, perhaps because of their proximity to heat-absorbing materials such as concrete or brick, or because of shade or a pond. You may even have different USDA winter hardiness zones. Keep this in mind when planting! Mar 15 Give some unused grassy areas to natives: Chokecherry, elderberry, serviceberry and currant require little water, once estab-

lished. You don’t have to mow them. And...fruit! Mar 16 Fly maggots can transform lean meat into fat and essential amino acids. They are considered, in some traditions, a superfood, which “predigests “ (vs. “spoils “) its host food. Mar 17 Prune berries and fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums and apricots Mar 18 Window washing solution: 2 cups cold water, 1/4 cup each white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Mix in a spray bottle. Use on an overcast day so you can see the streaks better. Mar 19 “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.“ —Margaret Atwood. Spring Equinox is tonight at 9:50pm. Mar 20 International Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1911. This year’s theme: “I am Generation Equality. “ Mar 21 Thinking of a spring detox? You can find arugula, kale, mustard and other bitter leafy greens at the downtown Winter Market behind the Rio Grande station. Mar 22 America’s 83 million pet dogs produce an estimated 10.6 million tons of poop every year. The jury is still out on the best way to dispose of it. Mar 23 Itching to plant something that looks good soon and tastes good later? Pot up a piece of organic ginger from the store. Choose a piece with at least two cone-shaped bumps (eyes). Soak overnight, then plant two inches deep in a wide, shallow container. Place in bright indirect light; water often. You’ll see sprouts in two weeks and can begin harvesting in four months. Mar 24 NEW MOON @ 3:29am. What do you choose to begin today?

Mar 25 In 1919, Utah’s Zion National Park received 1,814 visitors. When I first visited, in March 1978, I was one of 1,193,212 who came to gape at the beauty. In 2019, the park was visited by 4,320,000 million human beings—more than the combined population of Utah and Montana. Mar 26 Think cat fights sound bad? Wait till you hear raccoons mating—it’s a sound fit for a horror movie. Listen carefully at night (any place in town where you’ve spotted one) and you just might hear it. Count to nine weeks and expect to see two to six kits soon following mama through your yard or along a broad fence.

New Arrivals HAND SELECTED AT THE TUCSON GEM SHOW

Mar 27 Spider venom has been used in medical research and has helped in creating painkillers, cancer treatments and even male contraceptives. Mar 28 Around the world tonight, 8:30-9:30pm local time, lights will be dimmed for the 14th Annual Earth Hour. Even the Eiffel tower goes dark. More: EARTHHOUR.ORG/ Mar 29 Weed Appreciation Day. Dandelions attract beneficial ladybugs. Milkweed is food for the caterpillars of the monarch butterfly. Mourning doves enjoy lamb’s quarter seeds, finches delight in shepherd’s purse seeds. Bees make great honey from clover. And dandelion greens are good for us! Mar 30 My love for plants and flowers began as a little girl when the Easter bunny brought me (along with the usual goodies) a flowering potted plant—an azalea, tiny rose or (my favorite) a cyclamen. Might you start a similar tradition this year with a child you know? Mar 31 Average temps today: high 58º, low 38º. Sunrise: 7:11am. Sunset: 7:51pm. u

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March 2020

METAPHORS FOR THE MONTH

March 2020

Illusions break down SUZANNE WAGNER

Osho ZenTarot: The Fool, Beyond Illusions Medicine Cards: Coyote, Badger Mayan Oracle:Cimi, Maluc, Unity Ancient EgyptianTarot: Four of Cups, Seven of Wands, Princess of Swords Aleister Crowley Deck: Aleister Crowley Deck: Princess of Wands, Prince of Swords, Four of Swords Healing Earth Tarot:Four of Feathers, Five of Feathers, Strength Words ofTruth: Fear, Difference, Psychological Assessment, Sexuality

S

ometimes death is a metaphor for something that the ego is holding onto and refusing to let go. Often, that thing has already outgrown its usefulness but the process of letting it go can feel like a death to an old identity. This month is about embracing the many faces of death. Sometimes ego deaths are more painful than expected. And if you get caught up in denying that process, you can incur greater suffering. Clinging causes depression and despair. Hope arises and new life begins when you allow something to be released and move into its next level of expression and experience. A beautiful old redwood tree may die and fall over but it becomes fertile ground for moss to grow and it softens the ground beneath it. Deaths are not bad. They are just change.

Burdens can be lifted when you allow the process of death to bring surrender into your manner and being. You recognize where you desire control but perhaps no longer have it. Forgiveness is another position of the metaphorical death that’s happening this month. Perhaps you have outgrown a part of yourself that served you well, just like the chrysalis that you grew to protect yourself while you transformed into a butterfly. But that chrysalis needs to be abandoned in the joyous expansion that you are becoming. Such a moment is not mourned but celebrated. Muluc is the image of an eclipse. In this card, it appears that the Sun is swallowing the Moon. Such energy can make you feel lost, forgetful, confused and alarmed. Where in your world are elements of power (the Sun) ignoring your deeper feelings (the Moon)? Do you hear the cries of humanity? Do you notice what is happening in this world? Do you care about the world’s children? I wish awareness would awaken without suffering. But our personal routine, mental beliefs and habits blind us from the truth. It often takes huge events to awaken us to the troubles that eat away at the tenuous stability that is our world. In the many forms that death can take, unity emerges as a force of unconditional love, reminding

us that we are all human beings. We all live and feel on this planet. We all have that spark of divinity that ignites this body. We are all a part of the mystery that seeks to

This month you will have to fight for what you want.

explain the infinite. In all our expressions, we are light seeking to understand life. But when the mind is allowed to make up stories that divide and separate, then conflicts arise, and all conflicts distort into more suffering. There are moments when that suffering cannot be ignored. You cannot drink suffering away. You cannot escape into some mental illusion. You must resist the forces that tear at the critical balances in life. We are in a moment when the only path is forward. And that direction holds no guarantees. But we do have the awareness that the past holds only forms of death. The world seeks a new balance. And that balance will take great strength to manifest in a climate of chaos and hate. Watch for those tricksters in life. Notice where you fall into your own traps. Foolishness creates folly. Notice those who stink but try to

make you believe they are a rose. This month it becomes clear that certain things are a real “pain” in your side. Some things are no longer funny. Be prepared for many deceptions coming your way. Make sure that the joke is not on you! There will be those who attempt to make you feel old fears, pushing you into places where you become lost and confused. In those moments, it will be time to push back. You will have to fight for what you want. This month you will have to use unconventional means as you persist in curing what is ailing you and your world. Complaining and whining will get you nowhere. Expect some to ignite in anger as their false reality comes crumbling down. Expect people to be fuming at feeling helpless and misdirected. Regardless, this month will show aggressive actions of some kind. Healing sometimes needs aggressive actions to save the life of the organism. Raging infections need the heat of fire to burn away the infection threatening the life it is attached to. But to begin that journey towards healing requires courage and bravery. You are being asked to be willing to do what is necessary to heal, not just yourself, but this world. u See more from Suzanne Wagner at WWW.SUZANNEWAGNER.COM/BLOG/

7TTH ANNUAL

CLEAN

A AIR SOLUTIONS

FAIR AR presented by

March 7, 202 20 at TThe Gateway y 11am - 4pm p

Fresh h Ideas for Fresh Airr. Leave w with Pollution Solutiions.

Also supported by: Under foot Floors, O2 Today o & PurpleAir

www w.catalys ystmagazin g ne.net/ca / asff

Happy p New Year!

Intern national

N z Celebrattion Noruz o Saturdaay, March 14 1 th 2:00 ČĽ 9:00 PM Rose Wagner Performing Arts Ce C nter 138 8 West 300 South, Salt Laake

Persian New Year customs and cultural traditions from across the w 2:00 PM Film screening: Son S g of God by Aref Mohamm a adi, with discussion following

3:30 6:30 PM Activities for all age a s throughout the lobby Dance and music workshops Light refreshments available

7:00 PM Performance feat a uring Speciall Guest Anwar Yusuf Turani BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble U of U Character Dance Ensemble Eastern Arts SLC Ballet Compa p ny

Free events and all are welcome! P esented by Pr b Eastern Arts, with support from:

EasternArtists.com ~ 801.485.5824

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