Vol. 1, No. 12
August 2009
An Educational Guide
to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being
Invading crayďŹ sh can devastate environment INSIDE: 5 Green rooftops have many ecological beneďŹ ts 6 Stimulus money boosts green businesses
Page 16
12 The dream of two conservationists vanishes 30 The Verde River: A river worth saving
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Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
August 2009
Columns Vol. 1, No. 12
August 2009
News and Features
Cover Story: Invading crayfish can devastate diverse aquatic environment over time
16
By Christine Bollier
Page 11
program aims to make 4 Recovery endangered leopard frogs common in Arizona rooftops have many ecological 5 Green benefits
6 Stimulus money boosts green businesses Green Place asks: How green is your 9 home? to benefit Camp Soaring 21 Fundraiser Eagle in Sedona wisdom keepers share 23 Indigenous traditions
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By Mike Davis
Page 21
the Wild’ fundraiser set for 28 ‘Wander September in Prescott Verde River: A river worth 12 A dream vanishes 30 The saving The story of a magnificent Louisiana wetlands destroyed
Columns and Entertainment 10 Staying Healthy the Natural Way by Leilah Breitler 23 Pet CAM Q&A by Ken Crump, AAS, AHT 24 Puzzle Pages 26 Calendar of Events 28 What in the World is Happening? by John Hall 32 Yes! You Can Recycle That by Patricia Melchi
Page 29
Summit kicks 10 Jazz off Friday, Aug. 28
ON THE COVER: Summer Allen closely examines a crayfish while participating in a crayfish removal project at Dines Tank sponsored by the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council. See story on page 16. Photo by Pia Wyer August 2009
Page 22
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber
Page 29 Page 3
An educational guide to sustainability and spiritual well-being
Our Mission The mission of Earth Odyssey is to encourage individuals to develop sustainable lifestyles and healthier well-being by providing educational information needed to make wiser choices. We envision an extended community of individuals who care passionately about their environment and their own spiritual well-being and recognize the symbiotic relationship between the two.
Magazine Staff Publisher/Editor Ann Haver-Allen Photographer, Photo Editor, Web Master and PR Director Pia Wyer Advertising Art Director Distribution Manager Jason Allen Advertising Representatives Bill Allen Jo Ann Johnson Pia Wyer
Contributors Photo by Jim Rorabauch, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Chiricahua Leopard Frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis), were once common in Arizona, but populations declined due to habitat loss, competition from nonnative species and disease. In an effort to re-establish the frogs, The Arizona Game and Fish Department recently released 30 frogs into a protected pond in Show Low.
Chiricahua leopard frogs Recovery program aims to make endangered leopard frogs common in Arizona
I
t’s been a plan long in the making, but in late June, the first Chiricahua leopard frogs were released in northern Arizona waters as part of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s new program aimed at enlisting the help of nonfederal landowners to conserve this threatened species. More than 30 frogs, including adults and tadpoles, were released into a protected pond on private property near Show Low. The frogs for this inaugural release came from a breeding stock maintained by Game and Fish that originated from the Three Forks area of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Biologists hope the frogs from this site will breed successfully and become a source population for stocking future waters. This introduction of Chiricahua leopard frogs is the first to occur as part of a new Safe Harbor Agreement. The Safe Harbor program makes it possible for private and nonfederal landowners to participate in the conservation of multiple wildlife species, including endangered Gila topminnow, desert pupfish, Yaqui topminnow and Quitobaquito pupfish by providing refuge sites. “Chiricahua leopard frogs were once common in Arizona, but populations declined
Page 4
due to habitat loss, competition from nonnative species and disease,” said Valerie Boyarski, amphibians and reptiles conservation planner for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “The Safe Harbor program focuses on identifying ideal sites that will contribute the most to the recovery of the species. Finding suitable natural waters, sources of frogs and the resources required to provide oversight after a release are the biggest challenges for the program, and for the recovery of the species.” Since source populations for Chiricahua leopard frogs are limited, the department must be selective when choosing locations for enrollment in the Safe Harbor Agreement. Only those locations with the highest potential to help recover this threatened species are selected as release sites. Ideal establishment sites must contain a constant water source; be located within the historical range at the right elevations; be adjacent to federal lands that provide perennial waters; and, be free of nonnative species that could prey on the frogs. The reintroduction was carried out through a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Game and Fish and the landowners. Funding assistance to prepare the site was provided by the Land-
owner Incentive Program, a grant program administered by Game and Fish on behalf of the Department of the Interior. “It is rewarding to be an integral part of helping Game and Fish recover a species that was once prevalent in the state,” said George and Martha Gann, owners of the property where the frogs were released. “We had to go through a stringent process to determine if our property was suitable, but it will be worthwhile if we can help secure the future for these endangered frogs.” The Chiricahua leopard frog is a greenishbrown frog that grows to be about 4 inches long. Until the 1970s, Chiricahua leopard frogs lived in ponds and creeks across central and southeastern Arizona, but populations have declined significantly since then due to drought, disease, habitat loss and threats from nonnative species. Chiricahua leopard frogs were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2002. A recovery team was created to help bring the species back from the brink of extinction. The team developed a recovery plan with the goal of recovering the species to the point where it can be removed from the endangered species list. The plan includes releases of captive-bred frogs, habitat restoration and monitoring.
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
Maya Joy Angeles Stan Bindell Leilah Breitler Ken Crump Mike Davis John Hall Jo Ann Johnson Sarah McLean Patricia Melchi Jim Parks Judith Pennington Dominique Shilling Debra J. White Pia Wyer Earth Odyssey is published monthly by Pinon Pine Press LLC and is available online at earthodysseyonline.com. Send comments and suggestions to: editor@earthodysseyonline.com OR via U.S. mail to: Editor 1042 Willow Creek Road Ste A101-PMB 486 Prescott, AZ 86301 Phone: (928) 778-1782 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or advertisers. Copyright © 2009. Pinon Pine Press LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission. For photo reprints, contact Pia Wyer at pia@animistarts.com. Printed by Prescott Newspapers Inc. 8249 East State Rt. 69 Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
Earth Odyssey is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.
August 2009
Green rooftops have many ecological benefits By Debra J. White Earth Odyssey Contributor
G
oing green has hit the roof. Take a peak at what’s on top now and you may be surprised that it’s no longer tar and asphalt. Vegetative, green, or living roofs are another step to save the environment. And they’re nice to look at, too. What is a vegetative roof? Basically, it’s a roof full of plants that soak up rainfall, improve air quality and aid energy conservation. Modern vegetative roofs can be intensive or extensive. According to the Green Roof Research project at Michigan State University, an intensive green roof may use shrubs and trees, but these require deeper substrate layers and are usually limited to flat roofs. On the other hand, MSU said extensive roofing consists of herbs, grasses, mosses and drought-tolerant plants like sedums that can be maintained in a shallow substrate layer (1.5 inches), needs minimal upkeep and is usually off limits to the public. The Potter League for Animals in Middletown, R.I., opened a new eco friendly shelter in November 2008. They installed an extensive vegetative roof. All vegetative roofing, commercial or residential, has an extra layer of insulation on a high-quality waterproof membrane. The two most common types are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polymer modified bituminous membrane. Insulating material can be pumice, clay shale or crushed terracotta with minimal organic material. Scant organic material is used to prevent rapid plant growth. Typically, hearty plants must be drought and fire resistant. High winds batter them around. Rain can soak them at times. And they must withstand extreme cold and heat. Besides the commonly used sedums, other types are alliuns, delospermum, creeping thyme and phloxes. Green roofs are not new. For at least 30 years, vegetative roofing was common throughout Western Europe—not for aesthetic reasons but to control flooding. Vegetative roofs were found throughout the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia. “Vegetative roofing is much more common commercially in the United States,” said Ralph Velasquez, director of sustainable technology for Tremco Co. based in Cleveland, Ohio. “It’s very popular in the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast and in the Chicago area.” Velasquez sees vegetative roofing as a highgrowth field and expects that to continue. Although developed for flood control, vegetative roofing has other benefits: • Moderate the urban heat island effect • Reduce energy consumption • Improved storm water management • Water and air purification According to a fact sheet on green roofs issued by the state of Massachusetts in 2005, a green roof reduces air temperature around
August 2009
Courtesy photo The Potter League for Animals in Middletown, R.I., opened a new eco friendly shelter—including a rooftop garden—in November 2008.
Photo by Jason Allen The café at Prescott College in Prescott is topped with a living roof that was installed in 2004-2005.
a building, thus lowering the “heat island” effect. Vegetative roofing also lowers smog and ozone that forms in intense heat. That’s a plus as the Earth’s temperature slowly warms.
Vegetative roofing brings down energy costs. In the summer, the roof can cool a building and in the winter it keeps warm air inside. A roof full of plants can prevent dam-
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
age from the intense sun. The Center for Green Roof Research at Penn State University said that a 4-inch green roof can hold 50 percent of total rainfall over a period of storms. Researchers at Michigan State suggest they can hold at least 60 percent. As weather patterns shift, some parts of the world will experience increased rainfall. Vegetative roofing can play a major role in areas prone to flooding. Furthermore, rapid runoff that clogs drainage systems is lessened by vegetative roofing. A vegetative roof adds 15 points to green buildings on their LEED application (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to the U.S. Green Building Council. On June 24, 2008, the New York State legislature passed the Green Roof Tax Credit Incentive program also known as SWIM (Storm Water Infrastructure Matters) that gives tax rebates to New York City residents who install vegetative roofing. As environmentalists press lawmakers, it is possible there will be similar tax or other incentives to encourage vegetative roofing. The concept is proving so popular that several major conferences were held in the United States this year alone. Others convened in Europe. And vegetative roofing is gaining a foothold in India, Mexico and Egypt. There’s even a company called Green Roof Safari that offers vegetative roofing tours in Europe. Tourists visit sites in Germany and Switzerland. Along with tour operators, they talk to local experts and experience vegetative roofing. Are there limitations? Initial construction costs are higher than a traditional roof, but in the long run, the vegetative roof pays for itself in reduced energy costs. Experts suggest a vegetative roof can last up to 40 years, which is nearly twice as long as a traditional roof. Velasquez said it’s less of a burden for commercial projects to bear the up-front cost, but he expects the price to come down in the future to make vegetative roofing affordable for homeowners. Maintenance is minimal. Weeding and mulching are needed in the beginning, but taper off over time. Irrigation is rare after the two-year establishment period. If it’s needed, said Roof Meadow of Philadelphia, water should be delivered below the surface where the plant roots will absorb it. If you are thinking about a vegetative roof, make sure you hire a contractor with experience. Not all roofers know how to install vegetative roofs. For more information, Velasquez suggested that you contact Greenroofs.com, an Internet news media service that contains information about the latest trends in technology, companies that install green roofs, green roof conferences and other items of interest. Greenroofs.com also sells a directory of green roof manufacturers and a green roof calendar. Vegetative roofing took time to catch on, but American rooftops may never be the same. Our environment will be better off for what’s on the roof.
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Finding new sources of energy
Stimulus money boosts green businesses By Ann Haver-Allen Earth Odyssey Editor
T
he United States is a nation of consumers and our capitalistic economy functions, to a great degree, because of the driving desire to consume. Nowhere are we bigger consumers than in our insatiable appetite for energy. The Web site NationMaster.com reports that the United States consumes almost 4 trillion kWh of electricity annually, ranking it as the number one electricity consumer among 210 nations. The United States is the number one consumer of natural gas, nuclear energy and oil. Additionally, we hold the title of most energy usage per person in the world—and usage continues to increase. In May 2009, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Renewable Energy Annual, 2007, which reported that between 2006 and 2007, U.S. energy consumption increased 2 percent to almost 102 quadrillion BTUs (see pie chart titled Renewable Energy Consumption). Natural gas consumption was the fastest growing segment of the nonrenewable energy uses, and now accounts for 23 percent of the nation’s energy consumption. Petroleum claims the lion’s share of energy consumption at 39 percent, followed by coal at 22 percent. The United States is not the world’s number one consumer of coal, according to NationMaster.com—we come in second of 41 nations for that honor. The EIA reports that nuclear electric power accounts for 8 percent of the U.S. energy consumption and all renewable sources combined account for only 7 percent of the nation’s power usage. Of that 7 percent renewable energy slice, only 1 percent is produced by solar (see chart above). The potential for growth is phenomenal. Interestingly, in Arizona—the state with the most abundant sunshine in the United States—the production of solar energy is negligible. The state does, however, use a much greater percentage of coal. In fact, 36 percent of Arizona’s electricity is generated by coal. That’s down from almost 44 percent in 1997. But that decline does not mean the state turned to renewable energy sources. Rather, just like the national trend, Arizona turned to natural gas, which in 1997 accounted for only 3 percent of the state’s electricity. In 10 years, the natural gas percentage has jumped to almost 34 percent (See table 1 titled Electric Power Generation above, right). While natural gas may be a cleaner source than coal for generating electricity, it is still a nonrenewable source. Few people—other than Earth Odyssey readers—contemplate the idea of reducing their energy usage or entertain the prospect of switching to all renewable energy sources.
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Moving toward renewable energy, however, is one of the key initiatives of the current U.S. Administration. The transition from nonrenewable energy to renewable sources will likely rival the industrial revolution. Jobs, skills, industry and the economy will all have to shift to a new model and that process is likely to be painful and expensive, but smarter for our planet. The Obama Administration is pumping millions of dollars into the economy to bolster the creation and development of “green-collar� jobs in a new economy that will ultimately be significantly less dependent on nonrenewable energy sources. Almost daily, the news reports of millions of stimulus dollars being released: $10.5 million in solar energy education for local governments; $32 million to expand hydropower; $300 million to boost carbon capture, solar energy and high gas mileage cars and trucks; and $3 billion to develop renewable energy projects nationwide. Those efforts are not without critics and many of the harshest comments have come from Arizona’s representatives—a state that obtains 94 percent of its electric power from coal, natural gas and nuclear sources (see table titled Electric Power Generation above). In July, Republican Senator Jon Kyl called President Obama’s economic recovery plan ineffective, and wrote on his Senate Web site that the government should “cancel the rest of the stimulus spending.� The Obama Administration responded by “offering� Governor Jan Brewer the option of canceling the state’s share of stimulus funding. That offer resulted in accusations from Kyl, joined by Senator John McCain, that the administration was “threatening and bullying� the state.
“I strongly support the comments of Senator Kyl and call on the administration to retract its threat against the citizens of Arizona,� McCain said. Which horse do we really want to ride? That initial furor has quieted, but it provided a small dust-up of the unpleasantness that is always just below the surface when big powerful industries are faced with extinction.
Table 1
Electric Power Generation in Arizona as Percentages Source of electricity
1997
2007
Coal
43.7
36.4
Petroleum
0.1
NA
Natural Gas
3.2
33.9
Nuclear
37.2
23.6
Hydroelectric
15.3
5.8
All Other Renewables
0.1
NA
Pumped Storage
0.4
0.1
Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-923, “Power Plant Operations Report.�
It’s true that the United States does have an abundance of energy, but it needs to make more concerted efforts toward renewable sources and stop the raping and pillaging of Earth to extract nonrenewable materials. Which is a bigger eyesore: an open pit coal mine or windmills in a wheat field? Which is more harmful to the Earth and its inhabitants: an oil or natural gas field or an array of solar panels? Which pollutes our planet less: uranium mining to support a nuclear plant or individual rooftop solar collectors? The fact is that electricity generation from renewable energy sources has declined over the past 10 years, while reliance on nonrenewable sources has increased and that’s just the opposite of what should be happening.
Arizona Solar Power LLC Cottonwood, Prescott Valley/Dewey and Scottsdale, Arizona 877-496-0167, toll free www.sunpowerarizona.com Young Ho Kim, Jana Stock and Jack Stock, owners
A
rizona Solar Power provides quality products at competitive prices. Arizona Solar Power is the SunPower dealer in northern Arizona. SunPower panels are the most efficient panels in the world. Arizona Solar Power provides a 10-year warranty on all products, as well as on installation. Arizona Solar Power provides a power warranty for 25 years. The SunPower panels typically last 50 year or more. Young Ho Kim said the economy has not impacted their business at all. “This is a new, growing field,� he said. “The growth rate far exceeds that of any slowdown rate.� Arizona Solar Power is currently opening a new office in Scottsdale, and is opening one office each month. He said Arizona Solar Power has experienced some benefit from the economic stimulus package. “We have seen an increase in government
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
orders,� Young Ho said, and they are particularly excited about the increased Federal tax limit and the state tax credit for installation of solar systems. “The Federal tax credit limit has been increased and state tax credit limit of $2,000 has been changed to 10 percent of the system cost,� he said. “This greatly increased the amount of credit that can be used.� Young Ho said he is very optimistic about the future. “This field is just beginning,� he said. “With government promoting alternative energy, the future looks very bright.� Arizona Solar Power is the largest solar sales and installation company in Northern Arizona. Young Ho said they provide quality products and quality service locally. Arizona Solar Power services all its areas with local offices.
August 2009
Renewable energy
T
he Obama Administration talks of the “clean energy revolution” and making a “transition to a clean energy economy.” The change is about more than money. It’s implementing new energy conservation standards for commercial and residential buildings, as well as increasing the pace of energy conservation standards for appliances. “One of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to make our economy stronger and cleaner is to make our economy more energy efficient,” President Obama said. “By bringing more energy efficient technologies to American homes and businesses, we won’t just significantly reduce our energy demand, we’ll put more money back in the pockets of hardworking Americans.” The Administration has announced new standards for lighting intended to reduce electricity use by 15 percent and the use of incandescent lamps by 25 percent. Another objective is to have all buildings at least 80 percent more efficient—or even become “net zero” energy buildings with the incorporation of on-site renewable power generation. The Department of Energy released more than $454 million to 18 states in the end of June that will be used for a wide variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, including state programs offering grants, loans, energy audits, education and training. Arizona is one of the beneficiary states. Additionally, the Department of Labor launched five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.
Solar
W
hen it comes to solar energy, no state in the United States has a greater abundance of sunshine
than does Arizona. Unfortunately, however, it’s an abundance that is not being harvested. Arizona has a total of 25.3 MW grid-tied photovoltaic capacity, while neighboring California has 530 MW, according to the U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review 2008 report from the Solar Energy Industries Association. Even New Jersey, which has one-third the sunshine, has almost three times the photovoltaic capacity (see table 2 titled Grid-tied Photovoltaic Capacity Comparison, page 8). In conjunction with the Solar America Cities program, the Department of Energy has launched a measure to increase the ability of local governments to accelerate solar energy adoption and workforce development. Local governments can obtain up to $10.5 million for green jobs training and economic development through support of the local solar industry and financial incentive programs to help citizens make investments in solar energy. Applications for the grants are due by Oct. 15. For more information, see the Solar Energy Technologies Program Financial Opportunities Web page at www1.eere.energy. gov/solar/financial_opportunities.html. Select the Current Opportunities button on the left. The Solar Energy Industries Association reported that grid-tied photovoltaic capacity increased 58 percent in 2008 and solar water heating capacity increased 40 percent. “Many companies report that, while consumers continue to express interest in solar, concerns about personal finances and tight credit have reduced sales,” the Solar Energy Industries Association reported. The Association’s report states that the U.S. solar industry “grew to new heights in See Stimulus, page 8
High Desert Rain Catchment www.HighDesertRain.com 928-308-5992 highdesertrain@gmail.com MacRae and Margaret Nicoll (siblings)
H
igh Desert Rain Catchment strives to help people take control of their personal water supply by reducing dependencies on aquifers, pipelines and politics. Decentralizing the water system will provide a safe, effective and sustainable water supply to everyone. High Desert Rain Catchment works to educate the public about the importance of collecting rainwater and to design and install high-quality, long-lasting rainwater harvesting systems that are based upon point-of-source production principles. Owners MacRae and Margaret Nicoll said the economy has affected their business because people are holding onto their money and are being very careful about where they spend it. “On one hand, they want to invest in their futures and in the sustainability of their land, but on the other, it is difficult to make large investments when you don’t know when the economy is going to turn around,” Margaret Nicoll said. “Many people tell us that they would love to install the systems, they just need to wait until they have a little more security. Additionally, the economy has affected our cost of goods, which in turn makes things more expensive for everyone.”
RINGING
ro ck s
Foundation
Nicoll said that High Desert Rain Catchment has not necessarily seen any benefit from the stimulus package. “Contracts for the stimulus money are so competitive right now that it is difficult for the small business to compete.” She believes the new law in Tucson requiring all new commercial buildings to use rainwater for 50 percent of their water outdoor use and an Arizona tax credit for 25 percent—up to $1,000—for the cost of installing a rainwater catchment system will help business. Additionally, the City of Prescott passed a 10 cents per gallon storage incentive program for rainwater harvesting, which will help municipal water users. Nicoll said she is optimistic about the future. “It is so important to stay positive and continue to move forward despite a poor economy,” she said. “We are here to empower and help people reduce or eliminate their water bills while recharging the local aquifer.”
Global Wisdom Conservancy
Ringing Rocks Foundation conserves indigenous healing practices and cultural traditions, through education, documentation, and grassroots partnerships.
Northern Arizona Wind and Sun Inc. 4091 E Huntington Drive, Suite B Flagstaff, Arizona 800-383-0195, toll free http://store.solar-electric.com/
N
orthern Arizona Wind and Sun Inc. is a family-owned business that has been selling and installing solar electric systems and components full time since 1979. The family has been in Arizona since 1885 and many of their first projects were installing 30-watt solar panels on hogans on the Navajo reservation, where the nearest power line was often 50 miles away, and so was the nearest paved road. The company was incorporated in 1984 and sales have grown steadily over the past few years. Northern Arizona Wind and Sun Inc. is now one of the largest solar retailers in the United States. David Lauzon, sales and system design for Northern Arizona Wind and Sun, said sales were really busy in January and February, but slowed about 50 percent in March and April. June and July rebounded and have been very busy. “Overall, we are doing better this year than last year,” Lauzon said. “In this economy, solar is the place to be.”
August 2009
Lauzon said Northern Arizona Wind and Sun has not seen a significant increase in sales due to the stimulus package at this point, but with the solar rebates offered by the utility companies and the 30 percent Federal tax credit, he expects sales to increase by 50 percent. Lauzon said Northern Arizona Wind and Sun expects to be doing very well in the near future. “With the power grid failing and so much talk about going green, we have seen a significant increase in new customers,” he said. “We have installed thousands of systems in Arizona and have provided equipment to millions of customers around the world. We plan to keep renewable energy as affordable as possible to help the environment and our customers.”
EVENT Tom Earl Pela
The Healing Nautilus is a unique exhibition of blessings by indigenous healers from around the world. Exhibition includes:
Traditional Hopi Healer Aug 14th, 7:00 pm - Free
Ikuko Osumi, sensei
Tom Earl Pela was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1979 and was raised on the Hopi Reservation in the village of Hotevilla on Third Mesa. At an early age, his great grandfathers David Monongye and Earl Pela recognized his gifts of healing and mentored him for many years. He was initiated into the Bear Clan Medicine Society on Second Mesa. This medicine society is one of the oldest found within the Hopi culture. It invokes the spirit and strength of the bear to guide the healer through the various healing techniques handed down to initiates by their Elders for centuries.
The exhibition and gift shop are open Mon - Sat 10 am - 5 pm. Admission is Free.
Seating is limited, reservations required, call 282-1298 Donations are gratefully accepted.
www.ringingrocks.org
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
Jero Mangku
Ringing Rocks 3190 W State Route 89A at Dry Creek Rd.
(928) 282-1298
Page 7
Table 2
Grid-tied Photovoltaic Capacity Comparison (MW-dc) State California New Jersey
Installed in 2008 178.6 22.5
Colorado Nevada Arizona
Cumulative 530.1 70.2
21.6 13.9 6.4
35.7 34.2 25.3
C
Source: US Solar Industry Year in Review 2008 (www.SEIA.org)
Direct Comparison of Two States State
Annual Precipitation
New Jersey
43-51 inches
Arizona
13 inches
Stimulus
Number of days with measurable precipitation
Number of days with sunshine
108-144
Not available
15-70
292-314
continued from page 7
2008” and solar energy now provides electricity and hot water to more than 100,000 homes, businesses and utilities in the United States. While that’s all good news, it’s not even a big drop in the bucket when considering that there were 129.8 million homes in the United States last year. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but the road ahead is a long one. “For the next 10 to 15 years, the only feasible and scalable options for carbon-free energy generation will be solar and other ready-to-deploy renewable technologies such as wind,” reported the Solar Energy Industries Association. Changes in the federal tax laws will help businesses and individuals make the switch to renewable energy. Those changes include: extending the 30 percent investment tax credit for eight years, lifting the cap for residential photovoltaic installations and allowing tax credits to be
applied against the alternative minimum tax. An additional boost came early in July with the renewable energy program, which will provide direct payments in lieu of tax credits in support of biomass, solar, wind and other types of renewable energy production. This direct-payment program will allow for an immediate stimulus in local economies.
Wind
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n 2008 the United States was the fastestgrowing wind power market in the world for the fourth consecutive year. Wind power accounted for 42 percent of all new electric generating capacity and the United States has now officially overtaken Germany as the world’s top wind energy generator. In all, wind energy generating capacity in the United States now stands at 25,170 MW, producing enough electricity to power the equivalent of almost 7 million households—or roughly 1.9 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption.
Technicians for Sustainability 612 N 7th Ave. Tucson, AZ 85705 520-740-0736 www.tfssolar.com
T
echnicians for Sustainability designs and installs commercial and residential solar electric systems, residential solar hot water heating and rainwater harvesting systems. The company is committed to offering superior quality products and workmanship and is driven by a desire to implement sustainable energy technologies in southern Arizona and in its own operations. Kevin Koch, a certified photovoltaic installer with Technicians for Sustainability, said business is skyrocketing. “With people concerned about rising monthly expenses and finding a safe investment in these turbulent economic times, interest in solar energy systems has
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Catalyst Architecture LLC 123 E. Goodwin St. Prescott, AZ 86303 928-778-3508 www.catalystarchitecture.com Jeffrey L. Zucker, LEED-AP AIA (jlz@catalystarchitecture.com) Matthew B. Ackerman, LEED-AP AIA (mba@catalystarchitecture.com)
skyrocketed,” Koch said. “We are twice as busy this year as we were last year.” He said Technicians for Sustainability is seeing direct benefits from the economic stimulus package. “The provisions for a U.S. treasury grant in lieu of tax credits for commercial systems is beginning to make systems possible for business owners who could not previously install systems,” he said. Technicians for Sustainability is optimistic about the economic future for business.
atalyst Architecture is an awardwinning, full-service sustainable design firm located in Prescott. Catalyst specializes in master planning, public/tribal, commercial and custom residential work, with an emphasis on Earth-friendly design and caring client relationships. Both principals Jeffrey L. Zucker and Matthew B. Ackerman are LEED accredited and are passionate about highperformance design and committed to the thoughtful integration of natural and built environments. For Catalyst Architecture, business is booming. “We are the busiest the we have ever been, due to a 36-year commitment to sustainable practices,” Ackerman said. “We recently signed a large contract for a $9.8 million facility in California for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. As a result,
we have hired new people, purchased new equipment and enlarged our work space.” Ackerman said they are particularly encouraged by the specific legislative references to green industry, green construction and development practices that are incorporated in various components of the stimulus package. “This is the kind of true leadership that is/has been desperately needed,” he said. “I am hopeful that this current interest in the environment is more than just a ‘flash in the pan.’” Ackerman said that, as a business, Catalyst Architecture is committed to the concepts of activism, education and outreach. “This is demonstrated in our company’s bi-monthly newsletter, The Sketch Pad, available online at http://catalystarchitecture.com/Sketch_Pad.html.”
The top five states in terms of current capacity installed are: 1, Texas, with 7,116 MW 2. Iowa, with 2,790 MW 3. California, with 2,517 MW 4. Minnesota, with 1,752 MW 5. Washington, with 1,375 MW Wind power’s recent growth has also accelerated job creation in manufacturing, with the share of domestically manufactured wind turbine components having grown from less than 30 percent in 2005 to about 50 percent in 2008. Wind turbine and turbine component manufacturers announced that they added or expanded 70 facilities in the past two years, including more than 55 in 2008 alone. Those new manufacturing facilities created 13,000 new direct jobs in 2008. In July, 28 new wind energy projects were selected to receive up to $13.8 million in stimulus funding. These projects will help address market and deployment challenges, including wind turbine research and testing, transmission analysis, planning and assessments. “Wind energy will be a critical factor in achieving the President’s goals for clean energy while supporting new jobs,” said U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “While the United States leads the world in wind energy capacity, we have to continue to support research and development as we expand renewable energy deployment.”
does result in the production of hydroelectric power. Twelve years ago, the state obtained 15 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric sources. In 2007, that percentage had dropped to just less than 6 percent (see table titled Electric Power Generation, p.6). As part of the Recovery Act, $32 million in funding was released to modernize the existing hydropower infrastructure in the United States, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Secretary Chu said that hydropower is clearly a part of the nation’s solution to the energy crisis. “Investing in our existing hydropower infrastructure will strengthen our economy, reduce pollution and help us toward energy independence,” he said. An additional benefit of hydropower, he added, is its stability—hydropower is available when sun and wind may not be.
Water
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nlike sun and wind, water is a commodity that is not so plentiful in Arizona, although the damming of the Colorado River at both Northern corners
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More information
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or more detailed information on any of the Recovery Act provisions introduced in this article, see www.energy. gov/recovery/index.htm. For information on federal tax incentives, see www.irs.gov. Enter Energy Tax Incentives in the search box. The Database of State Incentives (www. dsireusa.org) provides current information by state, municipality and utilities. Recovery.gov outlines the Recovery Act funding across all federal program areas. Energy Star offers consumer information and federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy can be found at www.energystar.gov. In the search box, enter Tax Incentives.
August 2009
Green Home Assessments offered
Green Place asks: How green is your home?
D
id you know that the United States is one of the largest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, which has been proven scientifically to be the primary cause of global warming? The U.S. Green Building Council reports that in the United States, buildings (and their occupants) account for: • 72 percent of electricity consumption, • 39 percent of energy use, • 38 percent of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, • 40 percent of raw materials use, • 14 percent of potable water consumption. The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the most significant end uses of electricity are central air-conditioning and refrigerators, each of which account for about 14 percent of the U.S. total. At the current rate of consumption, demand for electricity is expected to double over the next 15 years. Increasing the energy efficiency of homes, appliances, vehicles and commercial buildings will save consumers and businesses money, reduce the need for costly and controversial new power plants (and rate increases), increase the reliability of energy
supply systems, reduce dependence on oil and natural gas imports and reduce emissions of air pollutants that are harming public health and causing global warming. The overall green building market (both nonresidential and residential) is likely to more than double from today’s approximate $42 billion to $118 billion or more by 2013. With rising utility rates and green consciousness, the demand for “green” homes is growing exponentially. Those are encouraging projections for new construction, but what about the millions of existing buildings in our communities? Green Place believes that the solution lies in assisting homeowners, schools, businesses and municipalities improve the energy and resource efficiency, as well as air quality, of their buildings. Green Place is now offering homeowners Green Home Assessments to determine how they can make gradual investments in their homes to save money, energy and water—while reducing their carbon footprint. A Green Home Assessment may be conducted in various stages. The first stage is to schedule an initial consultation with Green Place, which involves a visual inspection of the home environment to determine whether further levels of testing and evaluation are plausible. The initial consultation includes gathering information on
heating and cooling systems, water systems, appliances, and the landscape—together with past energy and water usage and any special needs. Green Place may recommend more comprehensive energy, water or air quality tests to determine the best possible solution for you and your home environment. Upon completion of one or more additional stages, Green Place will submit and discuss in detail a recommendation report complete with all observations, cost-savings analysis and information on incentives, rebates and tax credits. In cooperation with Joe Medosch (Energy and Environmental Consulting), and Jim Tittle (A Superior Plumbing Company Inc.), our mission is to make a difference in our communities, one building at a time. Medosch is a Residential Energy Services Network certified HERS Rater, certified Indoor Environmentalist and certified Residential Mold Inspector (among other accreditations). Tittle is an Accredited Green Plumber. Referrals to a local certified landscape auditor may be eminent. Making environmentally responsive home improvements is a win-win proposal. You help conserve natural resources while reducing your home’s operating costs, enhancing the value of your home (higher resale value) and optimizing the sustainability of your home.
You may also improve air, thermal and acoustic environments, enhance your comfort and health and minimize the strain on local infrastructure, thus contributing to the overall quality of life in your community. Most, if not all, improvements will mean saving money while becoming a part of the solution to saving our planet. However, the biggest reward for “going green” may be that your children and grandchildren will know that you did it for their future—what a legacy! Green Place is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is the promotion and development of environmentally responsive, sustainable, healthy and energy efficient building environments. The fee for a Green Home Assessment initial consultation is $45. When a homeowner contracts to proceed with another stage of testing (one or more comprehensive audits), the $45 fee is refundable. Fees for Green Place services are used for programs to provide services and energy and water conserving improvements to local lowincome residents. Fees for additional stages of Green Home Assessments may range from $195 to $1,100. Contact Kate via e-mail at greenplace@cableone.net, or by phone at 928-925-2001 if you are interested in a Green Home Assessment or more detailed information.
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Jazz Summit kicks off Friday, Aug. 28, in Prescott By Jo Ann Johnson Earth Odyssey Contributor
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rescott Jazz Summit, Aug. 28 to 30, offers the truly cool Arizona jazz program for 2009 with Blaise Lantana, KJZZ Radio’s Jazz Director, as mistress of ceremony. This three-day event is an experience to nourish the soul of music lovers and nurture musicianship for aspiring students. Featured this year are more than 40 nationally and locally recognized jazz musicians including Toni Tennille, Carl Saunders, Scott Whitfield, Garry Hobbs, Tony Vacca, Jack Petersen, Joel Robin and Judy Roberts among many others in concerts and workshops providing a jazz lover’s delight—one event after another. The activities get started at noon on Friday, Aug. 28, at Courthouse Square with a free kick-off concert followed by some special ticketed and fundraising events Friday evening at the Hassayampa Inn. Saturday and Sunday provide a veritable feast of related events with daytime performances and workshops and a gala concert in the evening Saturday at the Ruth Street Theater. A smooth jazz brunch follows on
Courtesy photo Gary Hobbs and Ted Sistrunk meet with students. Hobbs is among the musicians who will be performing during the 9th Annual Prescott Jazz Summit, Aug. 28-30. For tickets, or more information, see www. prescottjazz.com, or call festival director Mike Vax at 928-771-1268.
Sunday morning at the Hassayampa Inn and a grand finale concert in the afternoon at Mile High Middle School Auditorium. Mike Vax, internationally recognized jazz
trumpet musician, Prescott Jazz Summit festival director and Friends of Big Band Jazz founder, is excited about the involvement of the community, the excellent venues hosting
events during Prescott Jazz Summit, the magic and magnitude of such a gathering of jazz legends and their fans and the opportunity to work with aspiring young musicians in the area. This year will be remembered for decades as the year Prescott Jazz Summit Youth Band began. Jack Petersen and Vax, talented jazz musicians and educators, have assumed the roles of mentor and maestro to provide these young musicians opportunities to explore and develop their jazz talents, grow through performance and expand their knowledge and musicianship in concert with adult jazz musicians. The group debuts in performance this year and is expected to grow in talent and numbers as outreach to other communities provides opportunity to young musicians throughout Arizona. Proceeds from Prescott Jazz Summit support Rotary International Educational Programs, Tri-cities school music departments and The Clare Willey Memorial Scholarship Fund. To learn more about Prescott Jazz Summit and secure tickets for any or all of the events, contact director Vax via telephone number 928-771-1268 or visit www.prescottjazz.com.
Mullein: A weedy wonder brought from Europe
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ullein deserves our attention. This beautiful, stately plant has decorated our roadsides for a long, long time. Mullein is native to Europe and Asia and was brought into the United States in the mid-1770s as a medicinal herb. In my own place in the Rim Country, I allow mullein plants to grow freely. They bring me great enjoyment. Even my neighbors enjoy their beauty. Mullein towers over all my other plants adding interest to my garden as well as attracting birds. Mullein has large, soft, flannel like leaves. In the second year, it sends out a flowering stalk sometimes several feet into the sky, which is full of beautiful yellow flowers. Bees visit the flowers every morning and when the blooms die and fall away, birds hang on to the stalk pecking away into the seed pods, feasting on the plentiful goodies. An average mullein plant can produce as many as a quarter million seeds. Despite critical words by some gardeners, I know that mullein has not always been a weed. In fact, mullein was once a fine garden plant and was dedicated to St. Fiacre, the 8th-century Irishman who traveled to France and became the patron saint of gardeners. More than 30 common names reveal mullein’s popularity and multiple uses through time. Before the invention of cotton wicks, dried mullein leaves were floated in oil or fat as lamp wicks—hence the name candlewick plant. The dried woolly hairs also made excellent tinder for starting fires. Mullein stalks were dipped in suet to burn and received the name torches. During the gold rush out West, 49ers
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burned the stalks as torches in the mines, earning the plant another common name, miner’s candle. Another example, mullein leaves were placed in shoes to increase a shoe’s durability and to keep the feet warm. Women added blonde highlights to their hair with an infusion of mullein’s yellow flowers and would rub their cheeks with mullein leaves for a rosy glow. Medicinally, mullein leaves were used to treat gout, hemorrhoids, diarrhea and insomnia, and for bronchial illness in humans and horses. Native Americans used mullein for medicinal purposes. The Navajo called mullein “big tobacco,” and mixed it with real tobacco for respiratory problems. Today, mullein leaves are used mostly in cough formulas and for respiratory infections, bronchial infections, bleeding lungs, asthma and glandular imbalances. The flowers have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. In small amounts mullein flowers are helpful for those with allergies, in particular
grain allergies. Mullein flowers can enhance the immune system and the flowers macerated in oil have been used to treat sinus infections, ear infections and ear pain. The root of mullein is known to harmonize and balance the entire intestinal tract for better digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Mullein root has also been used for various colon conditions, such as colitis, polyps, etc. Using the whole mullein plant, leaf, flower and roots, increases the assimilation of nutrients as well as oxygen in the body. They say that it is a life tonic, as it increases the vitality of every cell in our body. If you want to harvest mullein, collect the leaves in the first year. Dry the leaves by placing them in a warm, dry and airy room. Crumble them when they are dry. The flowers need to be carefully picked. Remove the green parts from them, and then dry gently.
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The roots can be harvested from November until March. Wash off all the soil and cut them up into smaller pieces. Dry the roots in a dry and airy room. Make sure not to take more than 1/3 of the plant’s roots. To make a tea with the leaves or flowers, simply boil 8 oz of water and pour over 1 tablespoon of leaves or flowers. Let this steep for about 20 minutes. Strain through a coffee or tea filter. Drink several cups a day. To make an ear oil, mix together equal volumes of flower and olive oil. Let this steep for several weeks on a sunny window, then strain. A tincture can be made from the roots. Place the roots into a glass jar. Pour enough brandy or vodka to cover the roots. Macerate (soak) for several weeks, then strain. Thankfully, mullein plants today are being rediscovered with their many uses. So why not grow mullein? Mullein is a biennial, and the roots are confined and non-spreading; you don’t have to worry that it will take over your garden. Actually, mullein may have a beneficial effect on your garden. The roots reach so far into the soil, they drain and ventilate areas shallow-rooted plants cannot reach, enhancing growth. Also, the large leaves shade the soil from the intense heat in the summer. It is not necessary to water the mullein plant. It thrives on neglect. To learn more about the safe uses of herbs, contact The Herb Stop in Pine by calling 928-476-4144 or e-mail Leilah at herbstop@ gmail.com. The Herb Stop is located in Pine, 4004 N. Highway 87. The FDA has not approved these statements. The information given is not meant to act as a prescription, medical advice or therapeutic advice. Consult your healthcare professional prior to using botanicals discussed in this column.
August 2009
Christine provides the scoop on olives
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live oil has been used for thousands of years as a health promoting substance. The Bible is said to contain 191 references to the healing powers of oil, most refer to the use of olive oil. Olive oil is most famous for its hearthealthy properties. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol levels in your blood. All types of olive oil contain monounsaturated fat, but “extra-virgin” or “virgin” olive oils are the least processed forms, so they’re the most heart healthy. Those types contain the highest levels of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that also can promote heart health. Another benefit of olive oil was revealed in a study done by Theodora Psaltopoulou and colleagues from the University of Athens in Greece. They investigated whether the Mediterranean diet as a whole, or just olive oil, is responsible for the reduction in blood pressure associated with this way of eating. Psaltopoulou confirmed that the Mediterranean diet as a whole was significantly associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as were olive oil, vegetables and fruit. On the other hand, consumption of cereals, meat and meat products and alcohol intake was associated with higher blood pressure. When the effects of olive oil and vegetables were compared, olive oil was found to be responsible for the dominant beneficial effect on blood pressure. Olive oil may also be the key reason that eating a Mediterranean diet reduces breast cancer risk, suggests a laboratory study published in the Annals of Oncology. Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil, has been shown to reduce the expression of the Her-2/neu oncogene, which is associated with the aggressive growth of breast cancer tumors. High levels of Her-2/neu are found in one-fifth of breast cancers, especially those that are resistant to treatment. Studies in diabetic patients have shown that healthy meals that contained some olive oil had better effects on blood sugar even than healthy meals that were low in fat. When olive oil is used to enhance a lowsaturated fat, high-carbohydrate diabetic diet, the diet still has beneficial effects on blood sugar control. In addition to this, a good diabetic diet with some olive oil added helps to keep triglyceride levels low. Triglyceride levels tend to be high in diabetic patients, which is a problem since high levels also contribute to the development of heart disease. This health promoting substance is produced right here in Arizona at the Queen Creek Olive Mill. “Our olives do not undergo any treatment
August 2009
Grilled Corn Salad By Christine Bollier other than washing, grinding, mixing, gentle separation and filtering,” said Queen Creek Olive Mill (QCOM) representative Terri Mack. The olive is a fruit and must be treated as such. QCOM olives are harvested by hand or gentle release methods. Olives that have fallen to the ground or into a net should never be used in the production of highquality extra virgin olive oil. Olives with any form of fungus or insect infestation are discarded. “Unlike most olive growing regions of the world, Arizona does not have a problem with the olive fly due to the extreme heat during the growing season,” Mack said. “So it’s not necessary to use pesticides in the growing of our olives.” Ripeness is one of the most important variables in dictating the final taste of the oil. Through experience, Queen Creek Olive Mill’s Master Blender will time the harvest in order to obtain the optimal ripeness of the olive. Fruity, peppery, grassy, bitterness or buttery, whatever the final desired taste, this is when the Master Blender puts his signature on Queen Creek Olive Mill’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil during the blending process. The oil is then transferred to oxygen-free stainless steel tanks, where it is kept fresh and bottled as needed to fill their customers’ orders. The Queen Creek Olive Mill also produces Gourmet Stuffed Olives and Tapenades in addition to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Queen Creek Olive Mill is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided tours are available. For more information, they can be reached at www.queencreekolivemill.com or 480888-9290. Too hot to go to Queen Creek in August? Queen Creek Olive Mill products can be purchased at the Fossil Creek Creamery and at VITA-MART located in the cool mountains of Strawberry and Payson, respectively. Olive oil loses it healthful properties when its heated, so enjoy the benefits of olive oil in my favorite summertime salad. We serve this salad at least once a week in the summer when fresh sweet corn is in season. All of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at VITA-MART 512 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson, AZ 85541. Questions can be answered via e-mail: Christine@thevitamart.com; or by calling (928) 474-4101.
4 to 6 servings 6 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed 1 tsp sea salt Dressing 2 Tbs each extra virgin olive oil and fresh squeezed lime juice 2 cloves garlic minced 1-2 green chiles seeded and minced or jalapeno peppers if you like things spicy! 1 tsp rapadura (unrefined) sugar 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp sea salt Few shakes of black pepper 2 green onions thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves Pre-heat either charcoal or gas grill to med heat (350°). Oil grill rack with high heat oil like peanut or sunflower. Fill a bowl with cold water and add 1 tsp salt, stir to dissolve. Add corn and let stand 10 minutes. Drain corn thoroughly pat dry and brush
with oil. Grill turning often until lightly browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove to platter and let cool. When cool enough to handle, using a sharp knife cut kernels off cob and put into mixing bowl. Add cilantro and green onions, toss gently to combine. Add dressing and again toss gently to coat thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Serve cold or at room temperature. For Dressing: In a bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp sea salt and few shakes of black pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.
It took three years of constant printing to complete Johann Gutenberg’s famous Bible, which appeared in 1455 in two volumes, and had 1,284 pages. He reportedly printed 200 Bibles, of which 47 still exist.
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Photo by Clay Coleman Three corporate mitigation banks forced the draining of Cyprus Flats. Today, invasive sawgrass is rapidly spreading through the empty bayous and will hamper the already slow outflow of waters. Unable to drain out quickly enough, hazardous waste will permanently destroy the basin and wash across Southeast Louisiana into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans. See page 13 for photos taken of Cyprus Flats before the forced draining project.
The dream of two conservationists vanishes
The story of a magnificent Louisiana wetlands destroyed By Judith Pennington Earth Odyssey Contributor full-throttle environmental battle is under way in what’s left of Cypress Flats, an ancient cypress-tupelo swamp just southeast of Baton Rouge, La. The good guys are Frank Bonifay and Jim Ragland, owners of Alligator Bayou Tours and founders of Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge. The bad guys are politicians and corporate mitigation bank owners interested in land development. A mitigation bank is a large tract of created or restored wetlands approved by the Army Corps of Engineers whereby each acre becomes a “credit” in a mitigation “bank.” Credits are available for purchase to mitigate impacts to wetlands caused by development. Politicians and corporate mitigation bank owners banded together in Iberville Parish west of Baton Rouge and succeeded in emptying the 13,000-acre Spanish Lake Basin as if it were nothing more than a toilet. When they flushed the water out of Cypress
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Flats, some fish swam out through a 1950s floodgate into Bayou Manchac and the larger Lake Pontchartrain Basin that empties into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans. With the lakes and bayous drained, countless numbers of fish died and were eaten by vultures and alligators. Without fish to eat, nesting bald eagles and some 285 species of birds flew away. Green herons, snowy white egrets, ibis, roseate spoonbills and flocks of migratory birds, seeing only dry land where a thriving ecosystem had been, circled over Cypress Flats and passed it by. The mitigation banks and the parish officials who backed them won the first battle: They have converted a primeval swamp and generations-old bird rookery into a dry forest. But now they face condemnation for the senseless murder of alligators climbing out of the basin in search of food and deeper, cooler waters.
Public sentiment ignored It’s a veritable holocaust at Alligator Bayou: The water is gone and so is a popular, award-
winning ecotour, Alligator Bayou Tours, which has educated hundreds of thousands of people about the beauty and value of the swamp over the past 15 years. Public sentiment is soundly in favor of Alligator Bayou Tours and its nonprofit conservation arm, Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge. Some 82 percent of area citizens are in favor of closing the floodgate and allowing rainwater to refill the basin and restore the ecosystem, according to a poll conducted by local television station WAFB-TV. But now, as predicted by Bonifay and Ragland, the worst of this ecological disaster is under way: The heat of summer and an extended drought are forcing the alligators to search for food and water on neighboring properties. Concerned about the fate of the alligators, Ragland has been checking with local nuisance hunters. “They took away the habitat of these gators and now, when they look for another place to live, they are being killed,” Ragland said angrily. “We put back the namesake of Alligator Bayou and now the alligators are
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being destroyed.” Ragland and Bonifay have spent the past 15 years restoring the basin’s hydrology and replenishing its wildlife, especially the alligators. Alligators, which were once plentiful, had been shot out by poachers over the decades. Naturalist William Bartram (1739-1822) said you could walk across the 66-foot-wide bayou on the backs of alligators. If you dared. Bonifay and Ragland do dare. They know the gators by name: Knot-Nose, One-Eye, Stubby and so on. Some came when Ragland called them. But not anymore. These gators are now among the murdered. Their loss is personal and catastrophic. It’s about a way of life and a dream of nature. Everything they have done for the past 15 years for the sake of wildlife and people has been destroyed.
A dream of nature For Bonifay, the notion of preserving Alligator Bayou and the basin literally came out of a dream. In 1993 he awoke from a disturbing
August 2009
Photo by Clay Coleman Lying on the Mississippi River Flyway, Cypress Flats was an ancient cypress-tupelo swamp before levees constructed in the 1950s converted it into an open lake. Alligator Bayou Tours and Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge planted cypress seedlings, replenished the alligator population and restored the swamp habitat.
nightmare in which his neighbors sold their ancestral lands to timber cutters. The nightmare turned out to be true. The old-growth cypress giants in Bluff Swamp, many of them 2,000 years old and up to 36 feet in circumference, would be cut down and ground into cypress mulch. Inspired and awed by these huge, ancient trees, Bonifay and Ragland set out on a mission to save them and found their life’s work. Blocking timber cutters from the road into the swamp, they asked their neighbors to sell them the land instead. It was complicated. While liquidating their land, holdings and retirement funds earned through their high-rise roofing and construction business, the conservationists negotiated with the EPA, Corps of Engineers and other state and national offices to relieve Ascension Parish, their local government, of millions of dollars in wetland penalties. In return, Ascension Parish promised to enhance the hydrology in Bluff Swamp. Bonifay and Ragland bought some 1,500
acres in the basin and placed 901 of those acres in the nonprofit Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge. The clear-cutters beat them to the 60-acre entrance to the basin, but they bought it anyway and spent the next 10 years cleaning it up. By 1997, the land deal was done. A hydrologic enhancement plan reached with the EPA and Corps of Engineers called for the parish to install larger locks and drain the bayous, or at the very least install three large pipes to drain Bluff Swamp into Alligator Bayou. One day in 1997, now broke and wondering what to do next, Bonifay and Ragland were driving along the winding bayou roads of South Louisiana. Bonifay turned to admire a white, steepled church and saw behind it a rusty barge outfitted for swamp tours. They bought the boat and dragged it 70 miles across narrow, rickety bridges to Alligator Bayou, where they refurbished it with the enthusiastic help of their families and friends. Excitedly, they realized that an eco-swamp See Alligators, page 14
Courtesy photo The sunsets on Cypress Flats inspired hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors. People cruising on the Alligator Queen listened to waves of sound as bullfrogs, gators and thousands of egrets, herons, cormorants, ibis and bald eagles sang the music of the night to the beauty of the sinking sun. With nightfall, Bonifay shared the story of Louisiana’s rich cultural history, and Ragland taught Cajun and Zydeco dancing to out-of-towners riding this rollicking 79-passenger tour boat.
August 2009
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Alligators
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tour would produce needed income for restoring the basin and educating visitors about the value of these ancestral wetlands. Their excitement grew as Bonifay studied centuries-old maps and realized that Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville, Louisiana’s most famous explorer, spent the night of March 25, 1699, on the banks of Alligator Bayou, admired the beautiful trees and realized that Bayou Manchac was the backwater shortcut between the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans and the port built on the bluffs of Baton Rouge. Few people recognized the importance of this historical landmark, but Bonifay did, and on the boat tour, he and Ragland taught local people about their own history. In 1999, they wrote an educator’s guide that traced the ancient history of the basin, its geology, hydrology, ecological value and its environmental challenges. School children from across Louisiana and neighboring states came here to learn about their Native American, French, Spanish, Germany, English, Scot, Canary Island, Cajun, Creole and AfricanAmerican ancestors, who had settled these lands and fished its waters for generations. Alligator Bayou Tours shared the music, dances, food and history of these cultures during their cruise into Cypress Flats and as people disembarked at a landing to walk down the levee and peer in wonder at the giant bald cypress trees, some of which are 2,000 years old and up 36 feet in circumference. The swamp tour was a smash hit, and so were the animals of the swamp, as Ragland, a playful comedian, brought a young nutria out of a cage in the back of the boat, fed it a lollipop and let people pat it. Everyone loved the year-old alligator, Gucci, and the smooth feel of its belly. Even the nonpoisonous snakes held up by Bonifay were admired by visitors. As people laughed and petted the animals, admired the huge, magnificent trees and photographed the beautiful egrets, herons and cormorants fishing from Cypress Flats, you could see them relax and soften. From the very old to the very young, people changed in these two hours. They boarded the Alligator Queen as strangers and disembarked as jovial friends. Through the years, Bonifay and Ragland drew the attention of reporters from Europe, Canada and the United States—even the CBS Early Show paid a visit. With great
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pride in their cultural history and the beauty of the ecosystem, they made heroes of the people of Louisiana. Their popularity did not go unnoticed. In 1998, the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program at LSU gave them its Louisiana Rural Tourism Success Award. In 1999, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network gave them its Scott Welch Award. In 2003, the Coalition to Restore Louisiana presented them with the Coastal Stewardship Award. Bonifay has recently been appointed to the Governor’s Coastal Restoration Finance Board, but their hopes and dreams dashed on the sharp rocks of public powerlessness and harsh political realities when their 15-year labor of love for Louisiana was hit with its own Katrina. But instead of drowning in floodwaters, Bonifay and Ragland have been left high and dry.
The well goes dry There’s an old blues song with this famous hook, “You don’t miss your water, ’til the well goes dry.” This won’t be the case for the 9-foot-tall invasive sawgrass bushes spreading across the empty bayous, lakes and swamps in the Spanish Lake Basin. The sawgrass is glad the water has gone away and it is rapidly taking over and will soon clog all of the bayous and swamps in the basin. Bonifay and Ragland predict the result will worsen drainage problems, conceivably along the order of a Louisiana Bhopal. Bonifay, watching the effects of climate change since the late 1980s, has repeatedly petitioned Ascension Parish to install larger, more efficient locks at Alligator Bayou and Frog Bayou and to dredge these sedimented, debris-filled drainage canals. In 1998, Iberville Parish asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a drainage study on the basin, and its own study recommended larger locks and a red-flag warning about the potential for devastating floods due to the slow drainage of water out of the small, inefficient floodgate. Still threatened by the Corps and EPA with millions of dollars in wetlands penalties for not following through on its 1995 agreement to enhance the hydrology of Bluff Swamp, the parish used Bonifay’s drawings to install three culverts to help with drainage, and at one point set aside monies for the
Courtesy photos Fascinated kindergarten students watch as Jim Ragland hand-feeds some of the 65 mature alligators in a 15-acre alligator ecohabitat. Ragland and Frank Bonifay (at right), co-owners of Alligator Bayou Tours and founders of Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge, wrote an educator’s guide for nearly 100,000 school children to teach them about the beauty and value of the swamp and wildlife in this 13,000-acre wetlands basin.
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August 2009
Courtesy photo Alligator Bayou Tours and Blu Swamp Wildlife Refuge replenished the alligator population and restored the swamp habitat in Cypress Flats, an ancient cypress-tupelo swamp. Writer Judith Pennington grew up fishing the waters of Bayou Manchac. To help save Alligator Bayou and the Spanish Lake Basin, contact Jim and Frank through alligatorbayou.com, where you will find photographs, stories and video of this amazing wetland wilderness. Or write to judy@eaglelife.com.
locks and dredging. But the money vanished and the work was not done. The emptying of the basin by Iberville and Ascension parishes—without even a courtesy call to Alligator Bayou Tours, a major tourist attraction operating in its busiest time of year—reeked of ill intent. The rich corporate mitigation banks wanted to increase the value of their land and co-opted Iberville Parish politicians to drain the bayou and basin without regard to the ecosystem and its wildlife, much less Alligator Bayou Tours. Their PR machine set out to polarize the public and confuse the media by claiming that high waters were being held for the benefit of “Bonifay’s boat.� They suggested that Bonifay buy smaller boats, despite the obvious fact that not even a canoe can ply an empty basin. What has surprised Ragland and Bonifay most is the lack of interest on the part of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, which is charged with the protection of the now-dead fish and wildlife. “The environment is adjusting,� was Wildlife & Fisheries’ answer to the news media. In fact, while bushes and grasses are growing on Cypress Flats and in Bluff Swamp, the wildlife is not adjusting at all. The fish, birds and reptiles and amphibians have vanished. There is no longer any life in the basin, except for the vultures feeding on the remains of dead animals. Nor will conservations and ecosystems find any remedy in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose new mitigation philosophy is self-sustaining environments. According to James Barlow, director of
August 2009
mitigation for the Corps, whatever happens to the Spanish Lake Basin—and any wetlands—is acceptable. New ecosystems will spring up, and when these are impacted, the new result will be acceptable, too. Barlow said that even if the existing ecosystem, bird rookery, wildlife and Bonifay’s ecotourism business are destroyed, the basin will survive in some form and nature will start over again. Ce sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. With the Alligator Queen now sitting in the mud, Ragland and Bonifay are shocked and stunned. They felt like giving up until their dreams turned into their worst nightmare with the murder of innocent alligators. Now, only a popular uprising can pressure the politicians to let the bayou fill back up enough to restore the cypress-tupelo swamp on Cypress Flats. But even this is not likely, since Louisiana is known for its indifference and corruption. Worst of all, to Ragland and Bonifay, is the killing of their gators, who, like all animals, are their children. Only prayer, money and public activism can save this wilderness paradise now. Learn more about this Louisiana environmental holocaust by visiting www.alligatorbayou.com. Listen to the mating calls of the alligators and watch the video. See the photographs. If you are touched by what you see, stand up and be counted. Donate to help them with attorney’s fees, send letters to the governor and president, make signs and stage a protest. What has happened here can happen anywhere. And it might be in your own backyard next.
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Hate them, celebrate them, eat them Invading crayfish can devastate diverse aquatic environment over time By Ann Haver-Allen Earth Odyssey Editor
I
f you are a Southerner, you likely call Arizona’s invading crustaceans crawdads. If you fare from the Northeastern United States, you likely favor the name crawfish. Still others call them crayfish or even mudbugs. But if you are from Arizona, you should call them aliens—because they are an invasive species. Some 500 varieties of these miniature lobsters are native in places throughout the world from North and South America to Madagascar and Australia. North America alone is home to more than 300 species of crayfish. Worldwide, they range in size from the tiny dwarf crayfish of Louisiana, less than one inch in length at maturity, to the marron crayfish of Australia, which reaches a length of 16 inches and a maximum weight of 4 pounds. The world’s largest crayfish is a Tasmanian species that can attain a weight of 8 pounds. With so many varieties out there, how can we tell which ones are not native to Arizona? That’s an easy one. No—not even one— crawdad, crayfish or crawfish is native to Arizona. If you see one, you can be 100 percent sure that you are looking at an invader. “Although there are no crayfish native to Arizona or the Colorado River basin, it is now virtually impossible to find a creek, stream or river that isn’t overwhelmed by this small crustacean,” said Emily Omana, conservation biologist with the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council. “Species, such as the northern crayfish (Orconectes virilis) are detrimental to many native fish and amphibian species, as well as other species, including reptiles, insects, plants and sports fish.” Let’s take a closer look at crawdads. How did they get here, why are they so bad, what efforts are under way to control or eliminate them and what can we do to protect our home shores against invasion?
published by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department recommends the control of nuisance vegetation through biological control when possible. “Crayfish, fish and muskrats are examples of biological control tools,” the pamphlet states. “The principal food of crayfish is aquatic vegetation. It is likely that in the absence of predators, most native crayfish will control submerged aquatic vegetation, thus making exotic introductions unnecessary.” When it comes to Arizona, there’s just one problem with this idea: crayfish are not native. Some researchers do recognize the dangers of changing the delicate balance of an ecosystem. The 1979 “Handbook of Utilization of Aquatic Plants,” published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations urged caution and extensive research prior to introducing crayfish into an ecosystem to control aquatic vegetation. “There are many hazards associated with crayfish and the potential impact of any crayfish which it is intended to introduce must be thoroughly studied under strict security before they are released into an aquatic environment,” the authors of that handbook wrote. Crayfish have been popular as fish bait as far back as can be remembered. Anglers have long used crayfish to attract trout or bass. Dead crayfish are attractive to catfish, including channel, white and bullhead catfish. Fishermen, when the day ended, turned their bait loose in the lake or river, which gave the see Crayfish, page 18
Photos by Pia Wyer Above, this nice-sized crayfish is headed for the boiling pot. Below, Summer Allen and Kirk Burnett are in pursuit of tiny crayfish.
How they got here Crayfish entered Arizona in four primary ways: as a biological control for lake weeds, as released fish bait, as a subjects for science lessons and as a food source. In the 1940s or 1950s—no one seems to know exactly when—crayfish were actually introduced into Arizona to control aquatic vegetation. Crayfish were stocked by Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the purposes of aquatic weed control. Frequently, one “pest” is “controlled” by introducing its “predator.” Such attempts at controlling nature frequently go wrong, but failure doesn’t seem to prevent future manipulations. An Aquatic Plant Management for Fish and Wildlife Habitat Extension Bulletin
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Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
August 2009
Crawdad adventure proves to be fun and educational By Tobias Hughes Earth Odyssey Youth Reporter
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eep into the Coconino National Forest lies a quaint little creek called Dines Tank. There lies thousands of crawdads, threatened fish, water snakes and the occasional trout. Ann Haver-Allen, Summer Allen and I traveled to this secret paradise to catch crawdads. We caught more than 250, laughed a bunch and had an amazing adventure. We arrived at a nearby gas station around 9:30 a.m. We rested, drank orange juice and rested some more. Soon, Emily Omana, a conservation biologist, met us to give us directions to Dines Tank. We drove for 45 more minutes down to the campsite. Once we arrived, we met up with Emily again and were introduced to four eccentric dogs, including my favorite Charlie Brown. We hiked down to the tank and were familiarized with the crawdad catching equipment. As Summer and I started our crawdad quest, Ann and Pia Wyer photographed our many catches, misses and falls into the cold water. As time went on, we became more experienced in the art of catching crawdads, and soon we were bringing them in by the minute. Well into our crawdad merriment, Tiffany James and Kirk Burnett arrived. Kirk showed us the powerhouse catch, the whirlpool. The trick is to spot a location with high crawdad output, stick down a large net and speed it through the water in a circular motion. Not many were caught by this trick that day, but last year they were brought in by the dozens. We had so much fun that lunch seemed to come in minutes. There, we met Julaire Scott. We ate ham sandwiches, Garden Salsa Sun chips—and my treat from Minnesota, Tobies Tortoises—which tasted delicious. After Summer and I chugged down our Gatorades, we hiked back down to the tank. We finished up our net catching within
August 2009
a few fast hours, because as everyone knows, time flies fast when you are having lots of fun. We started data collecting as we waited for John Metzger to come pick up the traps. I personally was the crawdad measurer/gender classifier. Summer was the crawdad weight analyzer and Julaire was the note taker. Scott eventually hiked down to the traps and we headed over. Tiffany used the easy way of crossing on foot, but Summer and I decided to use the wet way of swimming. We had a blast and were freezing on the short hike over to the traps. We accidentally dropped the first trap into the water, so Summer and I dove into the water to grab it, only to be greeted by knee-deep quicksand on the way back. We wrestled our way out and retrieved the last traps. We swam back, grabbed our towels and laughed. We took our towels over to our own little beach, sat in the tide, joked about how the mud looked like atomic explosions when pounded, and made killer mud castles. Summer and I were called back saying it was time to go, and we crossed the water only to have forgotten our towels. We started our hike back to the beach, giving me my biggest lesson of the day: Never step on slippery sandstone by a creek. I eventually finished swimming to the far creekside to get my towel. I wrapped it around me and started heading back. Thrilled by the moment, I gave Summer my towel and started swimming, just to be greeted with colder water. As much as I was disliking the frigid temperatures, Ann had no problem taking a picture of my doggypaddling through the waters. I got back and swiped my towel out of Summer’s hand. We hiked up the hill, and were given some crawdads to eat. I hoarded in handfuls as I laid back on my towel, talking with Summer about my fall into the creek and our laughs and joys of the day. I entered the car learning three life lessons: 1. Crawdad’s pinchers don’t hurt too much. 2. You have way more fun outside. 3. Never step on slippery sandstone by a creek. Tobias Hughes is an eighth grader at Mile High Middle School in Prescott.
Photos by Ann Haver-Allen Above, Toby participates in data collection as the crawdad measurer/gender classifier. Below, Toby tries out the powerhouse catch, the whirlpool, demonstrated earlier by Kirk Burnett.
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Page 17
Crayfish
continued from page 16
crayfish all the opportunity it needed to stake out new territory. Interestingly, crayfish that started out being the bait can, within a few years, reduce game fish populations by preying on eggs and fry. Over time, crayfish can transform a diverse aquatic environment into an environment that is home to only crayfish. Believe it or not, crayfish are a central component in a popular science lesson, sold to schools by biological supply stores for classroom projects. The popular Full Option Science System (FOSS) contains a Structures of Life Module that includes the study of crayfish. It is popular with teachers in grades 3 though 6. Students observe and record crayfish structures and behavior, care for a crayfish in the classroom and organize data about the crayfish territorial behavior. But, sometimes, when the study was complete, students released the crayfish with the idea that they are doing the humane thing. Little did they know that saving the crayfish could lead to the destruction of the state’s riparian habitats. In Arizona, this unit of study contains a lesson called “The Trouble With Crayfish,” which introduces students to the harm that crayfish can cause. It is now illegal to ship live crayfish anywhere in Arizona, although AGFD does offer a highly regulated permit allowing teachers and researchers to receive and possess live crayfish for scientific and educational study purposes. Lastly, crayfish entered Arizona’s waters
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when some workers from Louisiana introduced crayfish into the East Clear Creek watershed—which includes Dines Tank—as a food source.
Why they’re bad Arizona’s native plans and animals have no natural defenses against crayfish, who eat anything and everything in their environment. “They are voracious predators that eat almost anything, from insects and fish and frogs, small snakes and even young turtles,” reported the Arizona Invasive Species Advisory Council in the 2008 Arizona Invasive Species Management Plan. “With abundant food and no natural predators, crayfish populations skyrocket.” Once crayfish devour all the animals in their habitat, they turn their attention to plants, shredding and ripping them from the stream bottom. “Before long, vibrant aquatic communities have become muddy and lifeless—except for crayfish, which then turn to cannibalism,” the Arizona Invasive Species Advisory Council reported. “Big crayfish eat little ones, and because they are well fed, they produce lots more offspring, more food for themselves and other crayfish.” The report goes on to state that once crayfish have colonized an aquatic habitat, it’s usually bad for all other species—but particularly aquatic plant beds. Submerged aquatic plants are important for: * habitat for invertebrates (which provide food for fish and ducks), * shelter for young gamefish
Photos by Pia Wyer Top photo, Dines Tank is one of two most consistently occupied natural habitats of the threatened Little Colorado River spinedace. Bottom photo, Emily Omana, conservation biologist with the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, searches for crayfish.
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
August 2009
Crayfish Chili
Cajun Crayfish
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 lb Lean ground beef 2 lb Crayfish tails 1 tsp Garlic, chopped fine 2 tsp Salt 1 tb Soy sauce 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 tsp Dried mint 1 tb Dried parsley 3 tb Chili powder 1 cn (8 oz) tomato sauce 1 c Dry white wine Water as needed 1 tsp Lemon or lime juice 1 c Chopped onions Bacon drippings
1 lb large crayfish tails, peeled 1 tb Fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp Garlic powder 1/2 tsp Onion powder 1/4 tsp Thyme 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Red pepper 1/8 tsp Black pepper Lime wedges
Instructions Brown meat in bacon drippings. Combine all other ingredients with meat and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few hours.
flashlight. To participate, contact Omana at Emily@ grandcanyonwildlands.org or call 928-5569306.
The good news Some good news does exist among all this bad. Crawdads are tasty—so tasty, in fact, that the cultivation and sell of crawdads in Louisiana provides jobs for more than 7,000 people and infuses $120 million a year into the state’s economy. Crayfish are shipped worldwide and many locales have a crawdad festival where attendees can sample dishes like Crayfish Chili or
Instructions Toss the crayfish with the lime juice in a bowl. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, red pepper and black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the crayfish and toss to coat well. Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat until hot. Add the crayfish and cook for 3 minutes, or until the crayfish are pink, stirring constantly. Spoon into a serving dish. Chill, covered, for 1 hour or longer. Garnish with lime wedges.
Cajun Crayfish (recipes above). The Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and Slow Foods are holding the second annual Community Crawdad Boil from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9, at the Fort Tuthill Maricopa Ramada in Flagstaff. Suggested donation of $15 includes food, beverage and live music. For more information, call Liz at 928-607-9163 or Emily at 928-556-9306. Remember, Arizona bans the importation of live crayfish and prohibits live crayfish from being moved from the point of capture. So, if you catch crayfish, make sure you have a fishing license and that the crayfish are dead before you head for home.
Photos by Pia Wyer Above, Kirk Burnett holds a female crayfish loaded with eggs. Bottom right, Summer Allen and Toby Hughes look under rocks in search of crayfish.
* nesting substrate for fish, and * erosion control (by minimizing waves). Crayfish can be territorial and aggressive, often displacing or injuring native fauna.
Efforts to control The “war” against crayfish in Arizona waters is perhaps an impossible mission, but small “battles” are making a big difference. In 2008 the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council launched an effort to reduce the number of crayfish in Dines Tank on the Mogollon Rim in the Coconino National Forest. Dines Tank was selected because it is one of two most consistently occupied natural habitats of the threatened Little Colorado River spinedace. Dines Tank is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department as a source to re-establish spinedace populations elsewhere. “In 2008, with the help of our dedicated volunteers, we removed more than 14,000 crayfish from Dines Tank,” Omana said. She planned three trips to Dines Tank this year with two objectives: to continue improving the spinedace habitat by remov-
August 2009
ing invasive crayfish, and to minimize the negative effects of recreation on Dines Tank by removing unauthorized roads, removing invasive plant species and reseeding the area. Earth Odyssey accompanied Omana on the first of these trips in late June (see related story on page 17). Veteran volunteers and Omana said that 2009 appears to be a good year for native fish, and the number of crayfish in Dines Tank has decreased. Only 281 crayfish were captured during our visit. “We are definitely making a difference here,” Omana said. “Our first trip to Dines Tank this summer has revealed a different Dines Tank. The good news is that crayfish are harder to find this year. Last year, we saw few minnows and caught thousands of crayfish.” The final trip of the year is planned for Aug. 22 through Aug. 30. Volunteers are welcome for a day, two days, or the entire week. “We will provide a portable toilet, all the equipment needed to remove crayfish and a kitchen and all meals, including crayfish,” Omana said. Campers need to bring their tent, sleeping bags, personal toiletries and a
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Magical thinking, anyone? I’ll bring the talking animals
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agical thinking is more than just someone else’s religion. Usually employed in a pejorative sense, the term magical thinking is often used to infer an idea or belief is primitive, nonsensical and/or unscientific. Children are said to engage in magical thinking before they grow up to become rational and grounded in consensus reality. They believe their actions or thoughts influence external events and situations, that there is an unseen and inexplicable force of causal connectedness linking all aspects of life and circumstance, and that they are a part of that force. Yet, isn’t that true? At least, don’t we all believe that on some level? If we did not, there would be no symbolism, certainly no religion. Isn’t everyone a magical thinker even (especially) if they actively deny it? Perhaps we should think twice before we educate our children to subscribe exclusively to the modern day cultural norms of reality and allow them to reacquaint us with a way of being that is rich and imaginative. Granted, magical thinking, taken to the extreme, can become delusion, but the dirty little secret of human consciousness is that we all live in an interior world of our own construction, there is no such thing as one true anything. Just ask six witnesses to an accident and compare the descriptions of what happened. Or a husband and wife about an argument they just had. Perhaps if we loosened our grip on the dualistic right/wrong, either/or thinking, we might learn to understand one another more deeply. If we allowed ourselves to relax into the many-hued garment of our creativity, we could find a way of being in the world that is not as stressful or as narrow. Cultural traditions are important; they provide a sense of security and continuity through generations and a way to interrelate with one another. Yet they need space and openness to grow and evolve. When they become frozen at a certain point of history, rigidly adhered to when the metaphor of their message has been lost, they become constrictive and potentially dangerous. We cling to their form instead of their substance and engage in all manner of wars to defend them and exert dominance over the suppos-
Page 20
edly erroneous beliefs of others. At this point, there is very little thinking at all, much less of a magical kind. So what happens to that creativity and imaginative life energy? In our culture, it usually devolves into an addiction of some kind: shopping, substance abuse, religious (or antireligious) fundamentalism, militarism and any other purveyor of trance to cover the abyss. It seems to me that any fundamentalism is spectacular human vanity and beside the point––magical thinking gone wrong, missing creativity and the sense of play necessary to avoid taking oneself and one’s ego defenses too seriously. To be held hostage to one’s own constructs (through fear or arrogance) and desire for control, exchanging the humility of openness and mystical adventure for a well-defended intellectual (or anti-intellectual) ivory tower can be a disappointing and unrewarding existence. But then, I am often accused of engaging in magical thinking and I named my business Animist Arts. When discussing the Anglican tradition with a good friend, my response to the three official core principles of “Scripture, Tradition and Reason” was “but where are the talking animals?” Usually, when I say something like this, people laugh, some think I’m crazy, and others fail to appreciate that their belief system can seem just as foreign and arbitrary. That our beliefs diverge does not necessitate their being wrong. I was fortunate to be raised British, where we were taught Greek mythology in kindergarten, so I developed an appreciation for metaphor and mystery at an early age. I learned
Photo by Pia Wyer
that systems of belief are comprised of layers of perception, tradition, environment and experience, and that a complete and enclosed system of the One True Religion is unlikely to fall out of the sky one day, fully digested. This is not to say I have never yearned for such a road map. I have spent a lot of time studying other people’s perceptions of divinity and the elusive “meaning of life.” Yet mystically inclined people are seldom contained and I returned to the position that it is my responsibility to think for myself, my privilege to develop my own relationship with mystery and the divine, and that differing traditions do not need to be mutually exclusive. In other words, mix and match mythology is perfectly fine with me, which brings me to C.S. Lewis. I can fully enjoy books (and movies) like “The Chronicles of Narnia—The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” in all their complexity without having to impose a reductionist evangelical Aslan on the whole production. C.S. Lewis was British, too, and an Anglican, so maybe the talking animal thing is symptomatic of a repressed childhood, or maybe we should all teach our children Greek mythology in kindergarten.
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I don’t know, but I do know it is a lot more rewarding to believe in possibility and interconnectedness than not believe in it. And, in case you do think I’m crazy, rationalists consider the following to be examples of magical thinking (and not in a good way): Synchronicity, homeopathy, Jung’s collective unconscious, psychokinesis, morphic resonance, etc. These are not considered outlandish ideas in today’s understanding of reality. Oh, and in my travels this morning, I came across a Web site called “Rapture Ready” where the author decried “magical thinking” as “a satanic delusion to take the minds of man off Jesus, who is the Word of God.” I rest my case. P.S. In the unlikely event that representatives from “Rapture Ready” are reading Earth Odyssey, please do not send me hate mail. Your magical thinking is just as valid as anyone else’s. Originally from England, Pia lives in Payson, Ariz., and has been a part of Earth Odyssey since the beginning. She has a master’s degree in Culture and Spirituality, and most recently graduated from the Sacred Art of Living’s Anamcara Project. She can be contacted through Earth Odyssey and her freelance photography business, Animist Arts (pia@ animistarts.com).
August 2009
Neuroplasticity
One of most exciting developments of our time
I
have seen the physical effects of stroke—loss of left arm use, facial sagging, etc., disappear in moments after a spiritual or energetic healing session. I have seen decades-old chronic pain disappear just as quickly. I have seen surgeries cancelled after just one session, as the physical healing is so spontaneous that the surgery was no longer necessary. I have seen scar tissue disappear just as rapidly. Are these inexplicable miracles? Or do we just not yet understand the complex interplay between mind and body? I have a hunch that the amazing new developments in brain science will hold the key to our further understanding of spiritual healing. Just a few decades ago, the prevailing wisdom was that beyond age 6 the primary activity of the brain was to become “filled” with information. After that, your brain was static, you were pretty much stuck with what you had. While there was a burst of new activity in adolescence, the brain was fundamentally unchanged. We know now that none of this is correct. Indeed, the brain is not finished developing until around age 25! (Does this help explain your teenager’s behavior?) But the exciting news is that the brain is capable of being fundamentally altered, both its anatomy and physiology, until our death. This is called neuroplasticity, and I think it is one of the most exciting developments to come along in some time. Dr. Norman Doidge describes neuroplasticity as “one of the most extraordinary discoveries of the 20th century.” Let’s take a look at some incredible findings. For many years it has been thought that certain regions of the brain perform certain functions. It is commonly heard that the left hemisphere is associated with logic and analytical thinking, and that the right hemisphere is associated with intuition and creativity, for
By Mike Davis instance. This is called localization. But it appears that localization is at most a generality, with the exceptions beginning to make the rule. Here is one of my favorite examples. It is well known that a blind person can develop superior abilities in other senses, particularly touch and hearing. This facilitates the ability of the blind to “read” Braille with their fingertips. But if the visual cortex is blocked, the blind can no longer read! This has lead to the discovery that the brain of a blind person uses the cortical mass of the visual center to encompass the sense of touch. The physical nature of the brain is actually altered. In fact, if a sighted person is placed in a sightless environment for as little as 48 hours, the brain begins this re-mapping. Another fascinating example of how malleable the brain is can be found in experiments that use upside down glasses to alter one’s perception. In as little as 30 days, your brain turns everything right side up! And it takes only 30 days for the brain to return to normal once the glasses are removed.
Swedish researchers recently published data showing that through sensory and optical illusions, one’s brain can rapidly adapt to the form of any other human, including even feeling their pain! And there are numerous examples of people born with only one hemisphere who are able to live normally, including with all of the functions typically associated with the missing hemisphere. In The Brain That Changes Itself, Dr. Norman Doidge states unequivocally “the human brain can change itself.” It really does matter what you think, as this rewires neuronal connections and builds new cortical mass. Dr. Andrew Newberg states in How God Changes Your Brain, “that the more you think about God, the more you will alter the neural circuitry in specific parts of your brain…. When you intensely and consistently focus on your spiritual values and goals, you increase the blood flow to your frontal lobes and anterior cingulate, which causes the activity in emotional centers of the brain to decrease.” And Dr. Newberg goes on to present the evidence that meditation actually physically alters the brain. The implications of all of this are enormous, from counseling and therapy to healthcare and aging, to education and punishment. We will never be able to see the world, and those of us in it, the same way again. But let’s come back to our original premise that brain plasticity will hold the key to understanding the seemingly miraculous results of spiritual healing. If what we think can alter our brain physically, can what we think alter our physical reality? Dr. Barsky, creator of the Six Week MindBody Program at Harvard Medical School and co-author of Stop Being Your Symptoms and Start Being Yourself, notes “medical research has proven that the simple act of changing your thoughts can change your symptoms, and improve your life…. Changing your
thinking is key to changing how you feel.” Now the movie “The Secret and the Law of Attraction” has popularized this notion, but it is backed by sound medical research. We have to define our terms carefully, however, as the subconscious mind is far more powerful and active than the conscious mind. If one is solely focused at the conscious level, progress will be slow and limited, albeit very real and worthwhile. Estimates vary, but the subconscious is often described as 97 percent of what we call “mind.” While the conscious mind can process up to 400 bits of information per second, the subconscious mind can process 11,000,000 bits per second. It isn’t a fair fight! This is where spiritual or energetic healing enters the picture. Our subconscious is not readily accessible to us. Indeed, we don’t even know where the subconscious is! Dr. Candace Pert speculates that it resides in the body, and the large body of research on psychosomatic illness seems to confirm this point. Yet the subconscious is clearly more accurately described as an energetic “field” than a place. But the subconscious mind is also believed to be about 80 percent developed by age 5! Which means we are full of beliefs and thoughts that we never consciously choose, and probably aren’t even aware of. Despite the unending admonitions to live in the present, the subconscious is rooted in the past. I believe spiritual healing operates at this level of energetic field, and thus is able to impact the subconscious mind in ways we do not yet fully understand. And as we alter the mind, so goes the body. Mike Davis is CEO of Energy Medicine Foundation and a member of the Mountain Spirit Co-Op in Prescott. He is the creator of Vibrational Realignment, a unique approach to spiritual healing, and can be reached at 928862-0594 or at VibrationalRealignment.com.
Fundraiser to benefit Camp Soaring Eagle in Sedona
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charity fundraiser to benefit Camp Soaring Eagle is set for Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Grayleaf Galleria in Prescott. Camp Soaring Eagle, currently under construction in Sedona, will be the only year-round, dedicated medically based camping facility Courtesy photo in the state of Arizona when The Grayleaf Galleria in Prescott is hosting a charity fundraiser on completed. Saturday, Aug. 15 to benefit Camp Soaring Eagle in Sedona. Camp Soaring Eagle will provide recreational and facility to welcome various illness groups therapeutic camping experiences to children each week. Camp Soaring Eagle will be ages 6 to 17 with serious illnesses and lifecompletely free of charge to the campers and threatening conditions—such as cancer and their families as the camp is funded solely by HIV/AIDS, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and more. generous donations. Camp Soaring Eagle will adapt its medical Aspiring to become a member of Paul
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Newman’s internationally acclaimed “Hole in the Wall Camps,” Camp Soaring Eagle is following stringent guidelines to ensure the camp meets the highest safety standards and quality programming. Grayleaf Galleria will be showcasing an original painting by Camp Soaring Eagle’s official spokesperson, Jane Seymour. This painting features a rendition of her open heart design amongst the red rocks of Sedona and was created specifically for Camp Soaring Eagle. Signed Limited Edition Art Prints will be available for sale, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the camp. Selections from Jane Seymour’s Open Heart Jewelry Collection and books will also be available for sale. Proceeds from a silent art auction—with art donated by the Grayleaf Galleria’s artists—will also benefit Camp Soaring Eagle. Imagine Art of Sedona will introduce the “Tiles for Smiles Program,” whereby individuals have the opportunity to purchase
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a tile for $10 and paint it with inspirational images. The tiles will be permanently installed in the camper cabins at Camp Soaring Eagle and the money raised will assist in completing construction of camp. Grayleaf Galleria artists will be on hand painting tiles and offering design and painting tips. Additionally, Camp Soaring Eagle representatives will be present to educate people about this world-renowned project. See www. CampSoaringEagle.org for more information about Camp Soaring Eagle. The Grayleaf Galleria is located in the Terra Cotta Court at 124 South Granite St., directly across from Prescott’s Parking Structure. Live music, face painting, poetry performances and painting demonstrations by gallery artists will fill the courtyard. “The Art of Giving” Charity Fundraiser is sponsored by Grayleaf Galleria and InklessMagazine.com. For more information, call Grayleaf Galleria at 928-443-1503.
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Monthly horoscope from Dominique Read your Sun, Ascending and Moon sign. An astrologer can help you find all of the planets places on the day that you were born. e Leo—July 24–August 23 You may have lots physical energy. Make yourself happy and others will be happy, too. You do not have to give anyone anything. Just be yourself. You cannot go wrong. Focus on what makes you valuable. Your work and/or health could transform over the coming years. f Virgo—August 24–September 23 Oh, fortunate you. See how lucky you are. You are perfect just being you. Perfect means not bad, not good, just is. Put your mind on something you want and do what it takes to get it. Trust your intuition about work and health situations. Try doing something creative this month. g Libra—September 24–October 23 Focus on the love in your life, not just the ones you love and love you but the things you love as well. What you focus on expands. Your ability to focus is very strong now. Go for what you want! Honor your inner true self. Trust your feelings about your home situation. h Scorpio—October 24–November 22 Trust feelings that you have about your home
Dominique Shilling, MAFA, is a counselor and astrologer with a practice in the Valley. For an appointment, contact her at Way to the Light Within, (602) 279-2941 or check out her Web site at www.way2light.com. and security. Your ability to see deep into things and situations is strengthened now. This could bring peace and clarity. Focus on whatever you have going on right now and accept it unconditionally. Do this and your life will improve. i Sagittarius—November 23–December 22 Travel, learning and spirituality are ruled by
your sign. These are likely to be your focus this month. Honor your power. Change can be good or bad. You project by focusing on the positive outcome ahead of time. You always have a choice. Acknowledge any fear or anxiety to let it go. j Capricorn—December 23–January 20 Your capacity to attract is better now. Be assertive, go after what you want. Action leads to success. Everything that is yours is out there waiting for you. Change around work and health is possible now. Focus on the traits that make you valuable to self and others. k Aquarius—January 21–February 19 Introspection means looking at the inner you. You could seem quieter to others now. Enjoy daydreaming, it’s an Aquarian birthright. Go within and accept what is. Your closest relationships are highlighted. If another sees things differently, see what you can learn from that. l Pisces—February 20–March 20 Pisces is two fish swimming in opposite directions. You may feel like you are on both ends pulling against yourself. The tug of war can be won or lost, you choose. Both of the sides are you. Take some special time just for you. a Aries—March 21–April 19 Think of yourself as Aries the Ram, but with
wings. You would look funny flying above the world. You get to see the overall picture. Use your ability to observe and decide where you want to be. Focus on something you want. Situations related to romance, creativity or children are highlighted. b Taurus—April 20–May 20 There is always another way to do things. Do it your way, and things will get easier. Home and family are important right now. Embrace the situations and things that you have in order to feel more secure. Focus on the good already in your life while taking action to get what you desire. c Gemini—May 22–June 21 Is the path you walk not so pretty, but gets you there? Do you take the safe way? Now may be the time to take a risk. The worst you could do is get bored. Relationships are changing. Whether you are discussing, asking, telling or writing, communication can bring opportunities. d Cancer—June 22–July 23 You could gain luck, money, kindness and all sorts of good things with Venus in your sign right now. Recognize what you love about what you have and you will attract more of the same. But if you focus on what you do not like, you will get more of that just as easily.
Dominique takes an in-depth look at the stars
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his month starts out with the Sun in Leo and it will be there until it moves into Virgo on the 23rd. Leo is ruled by the Sun. People born under this sign are dynamic, self expressive, proud, dignified and romantic. This month we look at the constellation of Leo. In ancient Egypt, during the dry season the lions of the desert would come to the valley of the Nile when the river flooded. This happened every year when the Sun was in Leo. Some say that this is the how the constellation got its name. The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, Persians, Syrians, Greeks and Romans, all recognized this constellation as a lion. Another explanation is from Greek mythology’s the 12 Labors of Hercules. The first chapter is about the “First Labor” of Hercules, which explains how the lion got to be up in the stars. Hercules’ task was to rid the town of Nemea of an invulnerable lion that terrorized the hills around the town. The lion’s hide was so tough that neither spear nor arrow nor any other weapon could pierce it. Because the beast was so well known Hercules had no trouble finding its lair, which was a cave that had two entrances. As Hercules approached the cave, the lion showed itself and Hercules shot an arrow toward its heart. The arrow bounced off and fell to the ground. Hercules now knew that arrows or spears would be useless against the beast. So, he sealed off one of the entrances to the cave and chased the lion inside through the other entrance. Hercules used his great strength to seize the lion and choke it to death. Then
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he flung it over his shoulder and returned to show the king that he had fulfilled his first labor. The cowardly king was terrified at the sight of the beast and fled. Hercules skinned the lion and used its tough hide as a protective shield. Hera was so angry about Hercules’ success that she raised the soul of the lion high into the sky, where today he can be seen as the constellation Leo. This month’s Retrograde Planets: Jupiter retrograde goes from 23 down to 19 degrees Aquarius this month. It will go into direct motion Oct. 13. Uranus went retrograde July 1 at 26 Pisces. It will start moving direct again Nov. 30. Neptune is at 25 at the beginning of this month and ends the month at 24. It will not go direct until Nov. 3. Pluto is still at 1 degree of Capricorn at the beginning of this month and will end the month at 0. Pluto will stay in retrograde motion until Sept. 10, when it starts its direct motion at 0 degrees Capricorn. The following paragraphs are divided by weeks. Saturday the 1st with Venus Cancer opposite Pluto Capricorn would not be a good day for romance or investing. The 2nd starts the new week with Mercury moving into Virgo at 4:07 p.m. Monday’s Mercury Virgo trine Pluto Capricorn adds power to communication, and boosts intuitive ability. This placement is also positive for communicating with influential people or bosses. The month’s full moon will be in Aquarius and is exact at 5:55 p.m. MST on Wednesday the 5th. Friday’s Mercury Virgo sextiles Venus Cancer making it a good time for communication with loved ones and friends.
The 10th starts the work week with Mars Gemini square Saturn Virgo. Keep a low profile at work and put energy into making sure the basics are covered. Two days later, on the 13th, Mars Gemini trine Jupiter Aquarius, helps to bring back optimism, enthusiasm and courage. This placement is also wonderful for learning and gaining knowledge. Friday’s Sun Leo oppose Jupiter Aquarius tempts overindulgence and waste. Exaggeration is also common. If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. Consider holding off important decisions for another day. Monday’s Sun Leo sextile Mars Gemini is wonderful for exercise and other physical activities. People may tend to be impulsive or in a hurry. Mercury Virgo conjunct Saturn helps with disciplined thinking and makes detailed work seem easier. A good way to describe this energy is conservative, yet effective. The tables are turned on the 17th with the Sun in Leo opposing Neptune Aquarius. Tasks may not be as straightforward as they seem. Avoid confusion and mistakes by doublechecking work and getting and/or giving clear instructions. Mars Gemini trine Neptune makes it easier to be aware of and act on hunches. This combination in a birth chart can make a person intuitive, visionary and passionate. Tuesday the 18th’s Mars Gemini square Uranus Pisces could foster rebelliousness, quick tempers and sudden or unexpected occurrences. Think before you speak and take extra care when driving. The 19th has Venus Cancer sextile Saturn Virgo, which is good for love relationships. The focus is likely to be more on the serious
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or practical side of the relationship than the romantic. Stability is highlighted. This month’s new moon on the 20th is at 27 Leo and is exact at 3:02 a.m. MST. Friday has Mercury Virgo oppose Uranus Pisces, pay extra attention when writing or speaking to avoid misunderstandings. Mercury relates to communication and Uranus is known to be anything but ordinary, its energy is more toward the unconventional. The 22nd’s Venus Cancer sextile Uranus could bring an unexpected gift or other valuable gain. This positive combination can also invigorate matters of love and romance. The Sun moves into the constellation of Virgo. On the 23rd, Sun Leo trine Pluto Capricorn is powerful. This is a good time to make major changes or reform. Mars goes into the constellation of Cancer and Mercury goes into Libra, where it makes a square to Mars on the 25th. Focus on the peacemaking power of Libra to sidestep arguments. Steer away from discord by taking time out to listen to your favorite music or to meditate. Mars energy can also be calmed with Pilates or yoga type exercises. On Wednesday the 26th, we have Mercury Libra square Pluto Capricorn, which at worst could bring out secrets that are best kept hidden. Watch what you say! This same day has Venus moving into Leo and Mars in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn. With Mars and Pluto in this discordant relationship, energy can be used in destructive ways. Friday the 28th Mercury Libra sextile Venus Leo helps to end the month on a favorable note. People are more likely to have a positive outlook and be more logical and fair minded than usual.
August 2009
Holistic veterinarian considers animal’s whole health Q: How does a holistic veterinarian differ from any other veterinarian? A: The term holistic is defined as “Emphasizing the importance of the whole.” I have always preferred the term wholistic to describe this philosophy of medicine. Although not a universally accepted term, I think it better describes itself. Simply stated, the holistic approach to optimum health revolves around a single axiom: “We function as complete units, which cannot be reduced to the sum of their parts.” Body, mind and spirit integrate to express the state of our being. When there is an imbalance, or a disruption of health, the holistic veterinarian recognizes the disease as manifesting in a pattern of four stages. The first stage of the disease pattern is the Energetic Imbalance. At this stage, illness appears as an imbalance of energy, which can only be detected by intuition. You notice your pet isn’t acting normally. You may not be able to pinpoint a specific problem, but you’re concerned enough to seek medical advice. Your doctor’s physical examination, blood tests, and all other diagnostic tests will report normal results. However, your intuition tells you that something is abnormal. The second stage of a disease pattern is the Functional Disturbance. At this stage, your pet is beginning to change its normal habits to accommodate the disease. S/he may avoid jumping, or may visit the litter box more often or change his/her eating habits. Subtle changes in the actions of your
By Ken Crump, AAS, AHT Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) includes a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches and therapies. E-mail questions to: PetCAMQ&A @earthodysseyonline.com.
pet will confirm your intuition that something is wrong. Still, all of your veterinarian’s traditional diagnostic tests will yield normal findings. Inflammation is the third stage of a disease pattern, as recognized holistically. This is the point in the progression of the disease pattern when traditional diagnostic tests begin to yield abnormal results. Additionally, your pet’s behavioral changes become more pronounced. The final stage of a disease pattern is Pathology. At this stage, the body begins to change its morphology (its shape, or the shape of its organs) in response to the disease. For instance, the body begins to form a local abscess in response to focal irritation, or a bladder infection causes the walls of the urinary bladder to thicken. The genius of the body mobilizes to temporarily mutate its form, in order to protect its many functions, in the presence of a
disease pattern. Traditional Western Medicine has triedand-true medical techniques to support the healing of a body during the third and fourth stages of a disease process. Examples of treatment options for the first and second stages of a disease pattern, the Energetic Imbalance stage and the Functional Disturbance stage, include flower essence therapy, homeopathy, applied kinesiology, Reiki, nutrition, acupuncture, herbs, chiropractic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, to treat the Energetic Imbalance or Functional Disturbance stages of a disease process, you must first recognize the subtle signs your pet is demonstrating, and then consider complementary or alternative treatment modalities to prevent the disease pattern from developing further. It requires that you, as the guardian of your pet, trust your intuition when you suspect something is abnormal. It also requires
clear communication with a veterinarian who is open to consider more than the Inflammation and Pathology stages of a pattern of disease. Complementary medicine offers a variety of opportunities for dedicated pet owners to enhance the overall health of their animal companions. The term complementary is selected here intentionally. The term complementary offers the suggestion that these modalities be used in conjunction with Traditional Western medical techniques. Whereas, the term alternative medicine suggests an either/or approach to treatment. The overall intent is to integrate all forms of treatment, with good health as the focus. Compassion, sound Western diagnostics and treatment, and complementary modalities combine well to maintain optimum health for you and your animal companions. Complementary techniques range from the very pragmatic practice of quality nutrition and use of vitamins, to the more ethereal practice of healing touch and prayer. Be careful not to abandon Traditional Western Medicine as you explore the wide range of possibilities within complementary medicine. In the interest of optimum health, explore them all as an open-minded skeptic. Ken Crump AAS, AHT is an animal anesthetist and an animal acupuncturist. After 25 years with the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, he retired to Payson, Ariz., where he does anesthesia and acupuncture for Pine Country Animal Clinic and Diamond J Veterinary Services.
Indigenous wisdom keepers share traditions
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reat yourself to a “vacation at home” this fall as speakers from Palenque, Mexico, the Equadorian Amazon rainforest and New Mexico, travel to Prescott to share their indigenous wisdom and sacred cultural practices as part of the Spirit Keeper Series. The Spirit Keeper Series is sponsored by Kenosis Spirit Keepers in Prescott in cooperation with the Ringing Rocks Foundation of Sedona. The series features Saturday evening talks and Sunday afternoon circles that introduce cosmology, ceremonies and the ways of native people. The Chakaruna’s Offering, a talk on indigenous wisdom, takes place on Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture, 147 N. Arizona Ave. in Prescott. The Spirit Keeper’s Circle, a follow-on gathering, takes place Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living, 3755 Willow Creek Road. “Diverse ways of ancient wisdom and traditions make for a better world,” said Carla Woody, MA, founding president of Kenosis Spirit Keepers. “As people experience different ideas and cultures, we discover commonalities and develop a greater respect for one another, a chance to enhance our lives. In these times, there are indigenous healers who act as a
August 2009
bridge and unite cultures. In the Quechua language of the Andes, a person who undertakes this role is a chakaruna. They help us remember what we already know.” Discounts are available for advanced ticket sales. Full-time students with valid ID and seniors 65 or over qualify for discounts. Season tickets, a “Passport,” includes three talks and three circles. Purchase tickets in advance online at www.kenosisspiritkeepers. org. Tickets will have limited availability at the door. Kenosis Spirit Keepers, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, honors and preserves the integrity of indigenous wisdom and sacred cultural practices by providing cross-cultural exchanges, education and community-building opportunities. For information on the Spirit Keeper Series, see www.kenosisspiritkeepers.org, call at 928-778-1058 or e-mail info@kenosisspiritkeepers.org.
Mendez’s expertise has been featured in documentaries on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic and most recently, “2012: Science of Superstition” and coscriptwriter for “Maya Skies” for the Chabot Planetarium in San Francisco.
October Saturday, Oct. 10—Shuar Uwishin (traditional healer) from the Equadorian Rainforest Anank Nunink Nunkai speaks about “Mythology: The Legend of Nunkui.” Sunday, Oct. 11— Nunkai speaks about, “Peace, Love, Understanding and Respect:
Tools for a Happy Life.”
November Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15— Diné (Navajo) Medicine Woman from New Mexico, Walking Thunder, will share what it means to be a healer and demonstrate sacred medicinal practices. A chance to spend time with a living library of wisdom spotlighted in the books, Walking Thunder: Diné Medicine Woman and Shamans of the World, by Bradford Kenney, Ph.D. She has also shared her sand paintings at the Smithsonian.
The Spirit Keeper Series schedule
September Saturday, Sept. 5—Tzeltal Maya archeoastronomer from Palenque, Mexico, Alonso Mendez, talks about “Maya Hieroglyphs and Philosophy.” Sunday, Sept. 6—Mendez talks about “Maya Concepts of Sacred Geometry.”
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Sudoku!
Find 24 words associated with the rain forest
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains numbers 1 through 9. The puzzle has only one solution. The solution is on page 28.
Word Power
Amazon Banana Carbon Dioxide Chocolate Cloud Forest Deforestation
Durian Fruit Emergent Equator Extinction Forest Forest Floor
Jungle Leaf Canopy Low Sunlight Monsoon Trough Oxygen Photosynthesis
Rainfall Rain Forest Rubber Slash And Burn Understory Vines
Picayune (adjective) Pronunciation: [pik-ê’yun] Definition: 1) Paltry, trivial, of little value; 2) Petty, mean, spiteful. Usage: Picayune is currently an adjective but started out as a noun, producing the adjective “picayunish.” This adjective is still available today but the meaning has migrated to “slightly picayune.” Suggested Usage: Dealing with the chronically picayune can be trying, “Our manager’s picayune neatness keeps the office staff on
pins and needles—we have to keep the offices neat as pins or he needles us.” Etymology: When the New Orleans Picayune (now Times-Picayune) began operations in 1837, it chose its name for the coin that would purchase a copy of the newspaper. A picayune at that time was a Spanish-American coin worth half a real or about 6 cents. It comes from Provençal French “picaioun,” a variant of picaio “money.”
is f lying off the shelves An annual subscription of $36 guarantees that you will get your copy delivered in the mail. Send name, address and check payable to Pinon Pine Press to 1042 Willow Creek Road, Ste. A101-PMB 486, Prescott AZ 86301. Please include a phone number. Earth Odyssey is always available online at www.earthodysseyonline.com as a PDF in its original published format. Page 24
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August 2009
Morgan, Christina, Danielle, Stephanie, Julia and Amanda each own a car. One has a purple car, one has a yellow car, one has a black car, one has a brown car, one has a gray car and one has a violet car. Figure out the color of each person’s car. 1. Stephanie doesn’t like gray cars. 2. Christina borrowed the brown car because Amanda was using her car. 3. Stephanie’s favorite colors are gray and brown. Her car is one of her favorite colors. 4. Danielle borrowed the brown car because Christina was using her car. 5. Morgan borrowed the black car because Danielle was using her car. 6. Danielle borrowed the purple car because Julia was using her car. 7. Christina doesn’t like violet cars. 8. Julia’s favorite colors are yellow and black. Her car is one of her favorite colors. 9. Christina doesn’t like yellow cars.
10. Amanda doesn’t like yellow cars. 11. Amanda doesn’t like black cars. 12. Danielle’s favorite colors are purple and gray. Her car is one of her favorite colors. 13. Morgan borrowed the brown car because Stephanie was using her car. 14. Morgan’s favorite colors are black and yellow. Her car is one of her favorite colors.
Riddles
You can have me but cannot hold me; gain me and quickly lose me. If treated with care I can be great, and if betrayed, I will break. What am I? You do not want to have me, but when you have me, you do not want to lose me. What am I?
Solutions on page 28
“Wander the Wild” banquet and auction
Sunday, Sept. 20, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
at the beautiful Juniper Well Ranch in the shadow of Granite Mountain in Prescott
Local experts, including naturalist Walt Anderson, will lead private excursions showcasing the Central Highlands. The banquet will feature locally grown and wild native ingredients prepared by Chef Molly Beverly of Crossroads Café.
Space is limited
Call (928) 776-9550 today to reserve your place Tickets are $75 per person for more information, see
www.highlands@highlandscenter.org
Solution on page 28 August 2009
All proceeds benefit the education programs of the Highlands Center for Natural History, whose mission is to help children and adults discover the wonders of nature and become wise caretakers of the land. Highlands Center for Natural History is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3).
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Recurring Events Celiac (gluten free) Support Group, Payson. We will provide important resources and information for people on gluten-free diets. Snacks will be provided from Gluten Free creations bakery in Phoenix! Contact Christine for more information 928-595-2379. Monday nights, 7 p.m.—Self Search/Channeled Readings, The Way To The Light Within, Phoenix. This class has been going on for over 12 years now. In the first part of the class, Dominique uses her psychic ability and StarWheel™ tiles to give each participant a mini reading. Bring your questions about anything you want to know, because in the second part of the class Dominique connects to her own as well as your guides, to get answers and guidance for you. Dominique is also a medium and can connect with and give you information from departed loved ones or friends. $20, Call 602-279-2941 to reserve your place. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m., Pine—Women’s Sacred Dance with Su von Mazo. Call for details Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy. 87, Pine, Ariz. Phone: 928-476-3410. Thursdays, Vibrational Realignment, a unique form of spiritual healing, with Mike Davis at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St., Suite 100, Prescott. For more info or an appointment, call 928-862-0594. Thursdays, 6 p.m.–7 p.m., Pine—Tai Chi with Rick Clark. Beginning to advanced. Everyone welcome. $10 per class. Call to reserve space. Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy. 87, Pine, Ariz. Phone: 928-476-3410. Saturdays, 9 a.m., Cottonwood and Prescott Valley— Saturday Solar Seminars presented by Arizona Solar Power. Learn about solar energy for your home. Listen to a presentation on the most up-to-date products, how they work, and how they can save homeowners and even businesses money! Question and answer session follows, so you’re sure to leave with a greater knowledge of solar and how it can be one of the smartest investments you’ll make for yourself and the future. Call to reserve your place at either of our great locations: Cottonwood telephone 928-634-7341 or Prescott Valley/Dewey telephone 928-632-5525. Saturdays, 11 a.m.–Noon, Pine— Yoga with Jenny Kirgis. Walk ins welcome. $10 per person. Crystal Lotus Gallery, 3950 N Hwy. 87, Pine, Ariz. Phone: 928-476-3410.
Saturdays, Aug. 8 and 22, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.—Law of Attraction/Vision Board Workshop with Patti Stanley, Soul Coach®, A Vision board is a road map of the goals you wish to create in your life. Using images and graphics from magazines and photos, you’ll create a personalized collage poster as a constant reminder of your increasing abundance. Participation in this 4½ hour repeating class will change your life. Cost is $45. Contact Patti Stanley, CSC, at 602-568-4458 or Soul2sole.us.
preschoolers and above. Payment of $6 and pre-registration are required for all adults and for children 2 years old and above. Parents must stay with children. For more info, call 480-782-2890.
Sundays, Aug. 9 and 23, 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m.—Law of Attraction/Vision Board Workshop with Patti Stanley, Soul Coach®, A Vision board is a road map of the goals you wish to create in your life. Using images and graphics from magazines and photos, you’ll create a personalized collage poster as a constant reminder of your increasing abundance. Participation in this 4½ hour repeating class will change your life. Cost is $45. Contact Patti Stanley, CSC, at 602-568-4458 or Soul2sole.us.
Aug. 8, 10 a.m.–10:45 a.m., Chandler—Nature Walk at Veterans Oasis Park. Cost: $6. Participants under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. For more info, call 480-782-2890.
Nonrecurring Events Aug. 1, 8 a.m.–11 a.m., Chandler—Veterans Oasis Park Tour. Walk along the park’s 41/2 miles of trails and learn how the park was developed, how water is recycled and hear about upcoming events. For more info, call 480-782-2890. Aug. 1, 1 p.m.–2:30 p.m., Scottsdale—Deepen Your Intuition with Meditation: More and more people are finding that when they meditate, they learn to trust themselves more and make better decisions using their intuition. During this presentation, you’ll find out how meditation helps you to deeply listen to yourself and make choices in your life to support your goals. There will be a guided group meditation. Space is limited and advanced reservations are suggested. Call 480-990-1994 to make yours. $15 suggested donation.
Aug. 8, 7 a.m.–10 a.m., Chandler—Walk with the Butterflies and Dragonflies at Veterans Oasis Park. Meet at the Curve-billed Thrasher Ramada just north of the main parking lot. For more info, call 480-782-2890.
Aug. 8, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Sedona—Meditation 101: Learn a lifelong meditation practice in only 2 1/2 hours! Discover an ancient, universal, silent meditation technique that you can use to find out who you really are, and to deepen your experience of silence and inner peace. Advanced registration is required. Call 928-2040067 or fill out and send in the application form, and a confirmation and directions will be sent to you. $145 per person. Save 15 percent if you learn with a friend. Aug. 8-9, 7 a.m.—Unit 5 Work Project Anderson Mesa/Lower Lake Mary, Co-sponsored by AZ Wildlife Federation. This is a 2-day project, ending on Sunday afternoon, although you are not required to stay for two days. Feel free to come for any length of time you are available during the weekend. We will be removing 2-strand electric fence, most of which is on the ground. For more info, contact Scott Anderson at 480-2131611, or e-mail info@azantelope.org.
Aug. 2, Sedona— “The Native American Rock Art of the Sedona and Verde Valley Region” at Red Rock State Park. The Sedona and Verde Valley area contains one of the largest and most complex concentrations of prehistoric and early historic period rock art in the United States. Come hear Donald E. Weaver Jr. as he connects identified rock art traditions to the appropriate cultural traditions. Call 928-282-6907.
Aug. 9, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sedona—Primordial Sound Meditation Class: Rediscovered and revitalized from the ancient wisdom traditions by mind/body healing expert Deepak Chopra, this six-hour course will show you how to meditate silently using your personal primordial sound, or mantra, chosen for you based on the location and time of your birth. Mantras are used in meditation as a vehicle to experience deeper states of awareness. Advanced registration required. Call 928-204-0067 or fill out and send in the application form. $375 per person, learn to meditate with a friend and save 15 percent. $250 for full-time students and seniors.
Aug. 6, 2 p.m.–3 p.m., Chandler—Puppet show at Veterans Oasis Park by The Great Arizona Puppet Theater that focuses on Arizona’s environment. Directed at
Aug. 9, 3 p.m.–7 p.m., Flagstaff—Community Crawdad Boil, Fort Tuthill Maricopa Ramada. Enjoy wildcaught crayfish, corn, potatoes and desert. Live music.
Calendar listings in
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Suggested donation $15. Sponsored by Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and Slow Food. For more info, call 607-9163 or 556-9306. Aug. 14-16, Prescott—Becoming an Outdoor Woman at Friendly Pines Camp. BOW gives women (18 and older) the opportunity to learn about hunting, fishing and related activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Skills such as gun safety, shooting, angling (including fly fishing), camping, Dutch-oven cooking, map and compass reading, marksmanship with rifle and bow are taught. For more info, contact Arizona Wildlife Federation via e-mail at awf@azwildlife.org or call 480644-0077. Aug. 15, 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m., Chandler—Veterans Oasis Park Tour. Walk along the park’s 41/2 miles of trails and learn how the park was developed, how water is recycled and hear about upcoming events. For more info, call 480-782-2890. Aug.16, 10:30 a.m., Superior—Opuntia Punch (or “How-To-Juice-A-Prickly-Pear”) class at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. This informal hour-long class covers how to harvest opuntia cactus fruits and extract the juice without turning your hands into a “porcupine” of painful glochids and cactus spines. Apache Junction author Jean Groen (“Foods of the Superstitions”) shares her knowledge. This class is included with daily admission of $7.50 for adults, $3 for ages 5 to 12. For more info, call 520-689-2723. Aug. 18, 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m., Chandler—Open House at the Environmental Education Center at Veterans Oasis Park. Registration is not required; just stop by and join the fun! For more info, call 480-782-2890. Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m.–8:15 p.m., Chandler—Moonwalk at Veterans Oasis Park. Space is limited and registration is required. For more info, call 480-782-2890. Aug. 28–30, various times and venues, Prescott— Prescott Jazz Summit celebrates the ninth year of this cool, multi-venue, jazz bands/instrumentalists/singers, spectacular festival, which includes more than 40 national and local jazz musicians in concert; high school jazz bands and ensembles and the Prescott Jazz Summit Youth Band performing; jazz workshops; Jazz Brunch; Fundraising Dinner; Starlight Concert and Dancing; and Mistress of Ceremonies Blaise Lantana of KJZZ Radio. Information about festival events,
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Send info to: editor@earthodysseyonline.com. Provide a telephone number or other contact information. Put “calendar submission” in the subject line. The deadline is the 20th of the month for publication the following month (Aug. 20 for September publication). Payment, which is due at the time of submission, can be made online via PayPal, or mail a check to: Editor, 1042 Willow Creek Road, Ste A101-PMB 486, Prescott, AZ 86301. Page 26
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August 2009
concerts, tickets, free youth passes and venues is available at 928-771-1268, 925-872-1942 and www. prescottjazz.com. Sept. 5, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. and Sept. 6, 1 p.m.–6 p.m., Prescott—Alonso Mendez Tzeltal Maya archeo-astronomer from Palenque, Mexico, offering the Maya way of life and ancient sacred geometry for today’s use. For more info, see www.kenosisspiritkeepers.org/events.html, or call 928-778-1058. Sept. 13, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.—Cave Creek Meditation 101: Learn a lifelong meditation practice in only 2 1/2 hours! Discover an ancient, universal, silent meditation technique that you can use to find out who you really are, and to deepen your experience of silence and inner peace. Advanced registration is required. Call 928-204-0067 or fill out and send in the application form, and a confirmation and directions will be sent to you. $145 per person. Save 15 percent if you learn with a friend.
Grow Native! Plant Sale Features workshops, EcoMania game show, variety of plants By Jill Bluhm Earth Odyssey Correspondent
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his August, the Grow Native! Plant Sale and Educational Festival at the Highlands Center for Natural History in Prescott will include its usual array of inspiring trees, shrubs, succulents, perennials and grasses as well as a totally new component…EcoMania—a pilot game show. This game grows your knowledge of sustainable living in a friendly, fun and interactive venue. Participants will be chosen from the audience and prizes will be awarded. The plant sale will feature three workshops by Cindy Scott, Jeff Schalau and Eric Moore
on greenhouse design, composting and landscaping for birds, respectively. Scott, founder of Terroir Seeds, will share her extensive knowledge about greenhouse design. In her workshop, she’ll provide details about using recycled materials to build her own greenhouse, as well as information on other styles and materials used in greenhouse and hoop house design. Schalau, of the Yavapai County Extension office, will provide helpful tips to start and care for your own compost to develop healthier soil as an integral part of a prosperous and diverse garden. Moore will discuss the concept of “birdscaping,” the art of creating a landscape that will welcome year round and migrating birds
2009 Creative Energy Fair on the horizon
Sept. 13, 4 p.m.–5:30 p.m., Cave Creek—Introduction to Meditation & Mind Body Health: How does meditation help you to be healthy? Find out how it reduces stress, enhances your immune system, and balances your hormones. We’ll discuss the latest research and see how meditation helps you to make healthier choices in your life to support your goals. Following a short break, there will be a guided group meditation using a simple meditation practice. Hosted by Yoga Breeze, a delightful and peaceful yoga sanctuary located in North Phoenix, on the border of Carefree and Cave Creek. Space is limited. Cushioned floor seating only. Reservations are encouraged. Call 480-595-2855. Admission is by a $15 suggested donation.
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rescott Valley is holding its 2nd annual Creative Energy Fair—Solutions for Green Living—on Sept. 26 at Tims Toyota Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Earth Odyssey is among the sponsors of this year’s show, which promises to be bigger and better with additional outside food and entertainment venues. The Fair will be open to the public and focus on energy saving and green products and methods that are fun, functional and affordable. This year’s event will be one day, beginning earlier and ending later. There will be many hands-on demonstrations of how to reduce home energy costs, conserve resources and go green. Information on alternative building materials, methods, energy systems and green educational opportunities will be available. A food pavilion will provide many healthy food choices and alternative energy cooking methods; the event will culminate with entertainment for the whole family! Join us for an interesting, informative, fun day in Prescott Valley. Admission is free to the public. Sponsorships and booths may be purchased through the Town of Prescott Valley. All green product, building and alternative energy exhibitors wishing to participate should contact Kristi Jones of the Prescott Valley Community Development Department at 928-759-3069 or Kate Tittle of Green Place at 928-9252001 or greenplace@cableone.net for more information.
Oct. 10, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. and Oct. 11, 1 p.m.–6 p.m., Prescott—Anank Nunink Nunkai Shuar Uwishin (traditional healer) from the Shuar Tribe in the Equadorian Amazon, introduces the wisdom of his ancestors and how to live in harmony through nature. For more info, see www.kenosisspiritkeepers. org/events.html, or call 928-778-1058. Nov. 14, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. and Nov. 15, 1 p.m.–6 p.m., Prescott—Walking Thunder Diné Medicine Woman from New Mexico. She will share what it means to be a healer and demonstrate sacred medicinal practices. For more info, see www.kenosisspiritkeepers.org/events.html, or call 928-778-1058. Nov. 13-15, Santa Fe—Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. Trash Fashion Show and Costume Contest 7 p.m., Nov. 13. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Submissions for the juried art show must be 75 percent recycled materials. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 19. For more info, including submission forms, see www.recyclesantafe.org/. Jan. 5-16, 2010—Entering the Maya Mysteries. Spiritual travel to Mexico and Guatemala visiting hidden sacred places and nearly extinct ceremonies with the last Spirit Keeper of the Lacandón Maya. Hopi elders travel as invited guests. Limited number partial young adult sponsorships. A portion of tuition tax-deductible. For info, go to events page at www. kenosisspiritkeepers.org or call 928-778-1058.
August 2009
to your backyard. The mild seasons experienced in Prescott and close proximity to Mexico make it a prime pit stop for migrating birds. The workshops are scheduled throughout the day of the sale. See the Web site at www.highlandscenter. org for a complete list of plants that will be available at the sale, as well as more details on the workshops and game show times. The sale is Aug. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for members of the Highlands Center for Natural History. Hours for the general public are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the day of the sale, members receive a 10 percent discount on plants and new members will receive a coupon for a free one-gallon plant.
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Americans really are world’s trashiest people
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n this column, I have discussed a number of environmental issues over the past year in Earth Odyssey. Due to the unsettling limitations of the mainstream news media, I have been inspired to bring some of the more unheralded issues to light. But this month, I would like to talk about something we all know something about: recycling and garbage. The mass quantities of discarded items (garbage) have become a major concern to many of us. It is something that is right in our “face,” with landfills taking our land and stinking up many of our neighborhoods. Especially in America! Don’t get me started on the amount of trash floating in our beloved oceans (refer to my previous rant on this issue in the January 2009 Earth Odyssey). We all know about the packaging absurdities in our stores—items that are packaged to a size that is many times the size of the item being purchased. This is oftentimes required in the eyes of the manufacturer to discourage shoplifting the otherwise pocket-sized items. Additionally, there is excessive over-packaging for marketing purposes—making the product more pleasing to the eye and looking bigger or better than it really is. The clear intention of most every advertiser is to mislead the consumer into believing the virtues of a product, while making every effort to temper the blatancy of the lies. So, you go home with your brand new cell phone and after tugging at the packaging for a few minutes you give up with the testing of your strength and you resort to the scissors. You see on the label, “Packaged by Bastards Incorporated,” and after a few more minutes of continued struggle, you get to your little product and think: “Mankind’s footprint on the environment would be so greatly reduced if we could simply not put these products in any kind of packaging at all. Just stick a price tag on them!” Well, I’m sorry to say that the packaging is just the tip of an iceberg of waste. We, the people, discarding the tip of the iceberg—generate approximately 1,600 pounds of domestically generated trash per person per year. This is based on numbers from the National Geographic for the year 2006. In that year, the United States created an estimated 251 million tons of domestic trash. About 30 percent of all this garbage is food (How many countries could we feed with that?), and the rest is the stuff provided by packaging and simply unwanted or partially used items. Sounds like a big load of crap doesn’t it? A great deal of garbage? In the United Sates, we throw away about twice as much garbage (per capita) as they do in Europe or Japan, and five to 10 times as much as in most developing countries. So we can all agree that we need to work together to reduce the amount of garbage we throw away as individuals. But what about the iceberg! The iceberg is comprised of commercial, industrial and agricultural waste. Here in the United States it amounts to approximately
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14 billion tons of waste! Kind of makes our little 251 million tons of domestic waste seem not such a big deal, doesn’t it? Well, it is still a big deal because it accounts for a lot of the pollution from our landfill leachates, incineration plant effluents and power stations needed to meet the increased energy requirements. The rest of the iceberg will require some strong legislation to make significant strides in the reduction of waste. The EPA had a target of recycling 35 percent of our domestic products by 2008. Although this was not an overly gutsy goal, at least we were going in the right direction. San Francisco is estimated to recycle nearly 70 percent, and in Madison, Wisc., the amount is estimated at about 57 percent. Recycling does make a difference—for example, 95 percent less energy is used to make an aluminum can out of recycled aluminum compared to using virgin bauxite ore. And there are many similar statements to be made about the reduction in energy usage and reduction of pollution when we recycle our waste products. So what can you and I do as individual consumers? We can limit our purchasing of items that create a lot of garbage. We can eat fresh produce instead of packaged foodstuffs (and be healthier for it). Your food waste can be composted to create rich organic soil. We can get involved in the organization of more effective recycling programs in our communities, ensuring that the recycled materials actually get used to create new products and not end up in the landfills. We can lobby our local political representatives to legislate for a planned reduction in industrial, agricultural and commercial waste in our communities. Those of us working in businesses receiving a lot of mailed items can insist that their suppliers use recycled packaging products made from corn or paper. Each of us working in the manufacturing industries and agricultural industries needs to take a stand with their employers to make environmentally conscious improvements to their processes. It is a matter of shifting our individual mindsets to get serious about the footprint we are leaving on the environment. When enough of us are serious in this way, the collective consciousness of our planet will grow to be one of environmental sanity, and even our politicians and industry leaders will be making the right Earth-friendly decisions. John Hall is a co-owner of the Crystal Lotus Gallery and Spiritual Life Center, located on Highway 87 in Pine. Telephone 928-476-3410.
‘Wander the Wild’ fundraiser set for September in Prescott
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he Highlands Center for Natural History is holding the “Wander the Wild” banquet and auction on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the beautiful Juniper Well Ranch in the shadow of Granite Mountain in Prescott. The evening will be an elegant but causal event set amidst an actual working ranch and winery. A silent and live auction will support the educational programs of the Center. The auction will include outdoor-related experiences and opportunities, including a week in a Sierra Nevada Mountains vacation home, a weekend on Catalina Island and original art items inspired by nature. Local experts, including naturalist Walt
Anderson, will lead private excursions showcasing the Central Highlands. Many other activities are planned. The banquet will feature locally grown and wild native ingredients hand picked from this area and prepared by Chef Molly Beverly of Crossroads Café. Space is limited. Call 928-776-9550 today to reserve your place. Tickets are $75 per person. All proceeds benefit the education programs of the Highlands Center for Natural History, whose mission is to help children and adults discover the wonders of nature and become wise caretakers of the land. For more information, see www.highlandscenter.org.
Puzzle Solutions
Logic Puzzle solution: Morgan has a yellow car. Amanda has a violet car. Julia has a black car. Christina has a purple car. Danielle has a gray car. Stephanie has a brown car. Riddle solutions: trust; lawsuit
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
August 2009
Water is becoming big business globally
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ecently, there has been quite a bit of talk about how unhealthy bottled water is. We, here in Arizona, are entering our monsoon season, and that made me think it was a good time for this movie. “Flow� was made in ’08 and as far as I know all of the information is still current. I am pretty sure that at least one of the organizations that send me stuff—a few of which are featured in this film—would have had it in big bold “victory� letters if things had changed. Seventy percent of water is used by agriculture. Globally, the number one agrochemical used is Atrazine, which is also the number one contaminate in water. Atrazine is the cause of a list of endocrine problems and various cancers, and has been banned throughout Europe. Atrazine also has the remarkable power of turning males into females. But thanks to a company in Europe that makes the chemical, Syngenta, and the good ole Bush administration, we still use 80 million pounds of Atrazine per year. The United States does not keep records on how many people get sick from water each year, but it’s estimated to be from 500,000 to 7 million. The F.D.A. doesn’t even know what’s in any water bottle because fewer than one fulltime person regulates America’s multi-billion dollar bottled water industry.
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber All of this makes the story hit home, because it pertains to all of us, but the bigger story is what’s happening globally. It’s mainly that same old authoritarian story about large companies stealing what they can from the public to make money today at the expense of destroying tomorrow, and forcing regular people into lives of desperation. In this version, the villain is played by the three major private water corporations, Thames, Vivendi and Suez, accompanied by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the past, water has been provided as a public service. Recently, however, water has been taken over by these companies on a forprofit basis. These water corporations move into a
nation and demand that they privatize their water supplies, giving exclusive rights to the company. In return, they claim that they will provide systems for cleaning and provide potable water to the people for free. But what they actually do is limit access to water to only those who can afford it. One other thing they like to do is join with the World Bank to build a damn, which dis-
places communities and robs people of their way of life. The World Bank, incidentally, has immunity from prosecution in every nation in which they operate, so the people whose lives they destroy can’t even sue them. With no sewage treatment, the industries of the nations, as well as the people, pump all of their waste into the waterways, which poisons the rivers and streams so that people are forced to purchase their water. But, for the most part, they can’t afford it, which forces them to find water where they can. So, frequently, they are stuck drinking poison, literally, and living and dying very painfully. On the bright side, there are quite a few inspiring stories of people using their ingenuity to bring clean water to the people for next to nothing—sometimes for nothing at all—and nations revolting and taking their water back from the utility companies. Once again, it’s all wrong, but what can we do? Well, one thing is to catch the water coming off your roof. It’s already being channeled, but in most cases, especially where I live, it simply runs to the ground. I find it amazing that in the desert we have so little concern for water. We need to see water for what it is, which is the most valuable thing on Earth. There is no life whatsoever without it. “Flow� is another film I recommend adding to your library, but if you want to see it first, it’s available from Netflix.
Finding balance in the heat of summer
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t’s a heatwave here in the Southwest this summer. I keep praying for rain, but I guess I am not specific enough. It does rain, but it lasts for less than five minutes and evaporates as soon as it hits the ground. I am concerned for the plants and animals. I don’t really remember it being this hot before, but it probably was. According to Ayurveda, summer is the season that we need to pay particular attention to the fire element and how it influences us and expresses itself in our mind and body. We can get too hot—and not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. This fire element in ayurveda is called Pitta. When it accumulates through the physiology due to, among other things, environmental influences, it can lead to an imbalance in the mind and body and manifests in these ways: * getting easily upset or angry * moodswings * feelings of sadness or deep hurt * becoming irritated and sharp with loved ones * waking up in the middle of the night and unable to go back to sleep * heartburn and stomach acid * skin inflammation or rashes * heavy sweating * migraines * becoming highly intolerant, intense and critical
August 2009
According to the ancient Ayurvedic texts, when the fire element is balanced, you experience a sense of bliss, clarity, courage, sweetness, radiant skin and a healthy digestion. Here are some simple ways to bring that fire back into balance: * Aromatherapy: use pure rose or sandalwood oils—you can even spritz these cooling oils on your skin. * Eat lots of sweet, juicy fruits—avoid sour fruit. * Avoid spicy or salty food. * Cook with cooling herbs like cilantro and fennel. * Avoid excessive heat or sun—stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. until it cools down. * Hang out with people who bring out your positive side. * Avoid disagreeable people, or violent television.
* Give yourself an oil massage with cooling coconut oil. * Go to bed by 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. * Stay hydrated, drink lots of water—avoid alcohol and caffeine. * Speak sweetly and be respectful of others * Engage in activities that bring you contentment and happiness. * Walk in nature, especially in cool environments like the woods, mountains and lakes. * Gaze into the night sky, bathe in the cooling light of the moon, or walk into the rising sun for expanded awareness. * Wear cool colors, greens blues, whites. Avoid the hot and spicy colors of red and orange. * Meditate twice a day. Find out what your body type is, experience fabulous Ayurvedic massages and learn to maintain balance during the seasons at a world-class luxurious getaway where you can immerse yourself in an Ayurvedic lifestyle. Give yourself a nourishing few days off and come to Miraval Resort & Spa for an Ayurvedic Immersion program on Oct.
11 to 14, 2009. Perhaps you want to know much more about the science of Ayurveda. I am happy to say that the Chopra Center is hosting their Ayurvedic Training program, Journey into Healing, in Phoenix, Feb. 17 to Feb. 21, 2010, at The Biltmore Resort & Spa featuring Drs. Deepak Chopra and David Simon. Right now the cost of the program is $1,475; standard tuition is $2,175. Call the Chopra Center program consultant directly, her name is Kali, at 760- 4941631, and mention my name since it is an instructor referral discount. It’s an invigorating course, and a prerequisite for those who wish to become Chopra Center Instructors. I’ll be there! Sarah McLean is the director of Sedona Meditation Training & Retreats and is certified and recommended by Dr. Deepak Chopra. She can be reached via e-mail at meditate@esedona.net, phone at (928) 204-0067 or fax at (866) 6541705. You can also visit online at http://www. SedonaMeditation.com.
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The Verde River: A river worth saving By Stan Bindell Earth Odyssey Contributor uring a recent walk along the Verde River springs, not far from the headwaters, it became evident why this beautiful river is worth saving. Joanne “River Lady” Oellers and Prescott College’s Walt Anderson were walking along the section known as the Verde River springs. There weren’t any other humans walking this section on this given day, but there was plenty of life. A multitude of birds, lizards, butterflies, dragonflies and fish make the river come alive. Not to mention the various flowers and huge trees that provide plenty of shade in the warm weather. But many environmentalists feel this great river is under siege. Fortunately, there are environmental heroes like Oellers and Gary Beverly from the Sierra Club to protect this river. As Anderson started to descend down a little canyon to the river, he spotted a Lesser Earless lizard and the nest of a rock wren. This was just the beginning of a river hike that would include spotting green heron, summer tanager and other colorful birds. The butterfly list included a cooperative red spotted admiral—which posed for many photos—an orange sulphur and a morning cloak. The colorful orange Flame Skimmer and other dragonflies also made their appearance. The Sonora Sucker and bass were seen through the clear river water. It’s hard to imagine that this would not exist. It’s hard to imagine that somebody would want to take this away either with intent or unwittingly. The Verde River is one of the last free flowing rivers in Arizona. “It’s a reminder of a once vast river system,” Oellers said. “It supports a fragile wildlife and plant community.” She added that it is key to supporting the ecosystem of the Southwest. Sierra Club’s Gary Beverly calls the Verde River the last free flowing riparian area in Arizona. The Gila, Salt River, Santa Cruz and San Pedro have all mostly dried up, he said. “The Verde is the last one left and it has a dozen critters that are either endangered or
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Photo by Walt Anderson Author Stan Bindell and Joanne “River Lady” Oellers take a break during a recent hike along the Verde River springs.
have special concern,” Beverly said, adding that this area is critical for wildlife habitat and a loss of water will cause a loss of habitat many miles down the river. He also notes
that many people use the area for recreation. “The Verde River is extremely valuable,” Beverly said. “It’s worth saving and preserving.”
That is why Oellers and others recently formed the Save the Verde Alliance. Oellers was the leader of the Center of Biological Diversity’s Prescott Office, which was taking action to preserve the Verde River, but the Prescott office closed down due to financial reasons. Oellers said this gave environmentalists the chance to form the Save the Verde Alliance so they could take their advocacy to the next level. The newly formed group includes members of Citizens Water Advocacy Group, Sierra Club, former members of the Center for Biological Diversity and students from Prescott College. Environmentalists are concerned about the sustainability of the Verde River. Thousands of people rely on the water from the river—people from Paulden to the Phoenix area—as the river winds 150 miles down to Horseshoe Dam. Beverly, Oellers and others believe the Verde River faces many threats, but the biggest two are uncontrolled growth and Prescott’s proposal to pump more than 8,000 acre feet of water each year from the Chino aquifer. The plan also calls for the City of Prescott Valley to get 4,000 acre feet of water, which they want to use to develop state land they plan to purchase for development. The City of Prescott purchased the K4 Ranch, about 15 miles northwest of Paulden, so they could pump water from the Big Chino aquifer. Prescott officials have said that this would not impact the aquifer or the river. Beverly said that common sense should tell everyone that this is not the case, but he added that the U.S. Geological Survey and consultants have done three studies that have shown that it would impact the river, especially the Verde springs area. “The more they take from the aquifer, the less there will be in the springs,” Beverly said. “That’s basic hydrology.” Beverly said while Prescott hasn’t said what they want the water for—they have enough water for their current residents and businesses—so this water has to be intended for new developments. Currently, the City of Prescott doesn’t have the right or finances to start pumping and it appears it will be several years before that
Looking for something to do over the summer? Volunteer to create “Green” buildings, and learn valuable skills. I’m trying to make a shop which will house several art studios, which will be available to artists living under the poverty level
Studios will include Ceramics, Painting, Photography Darkroom and Lighting, Framing, Steel Sculpture and Patina, Glass Blowing, Woodworking, and more. Needed: Backhoe digging
Cut trees for roofing Concrete blocks and slabs (Trash) General physical labor ...and of course patrons
Jason Allen, Founder (928) 460-0467
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Caiomhin Shirey
August 2009
Photos by Walt Anderson Verde River springs, not far from the headwaters, is home to multitude of birds, lizards, butterflies, dragonflies and fish. At right, top, is a Flame Skipper. A Red-spotted Admiral is in the center and a Beehive Cactus is pictured on the bottom.
can begin. Last October, the City of Prescott applied for a certificate to proceed, but was challenged by the environmentalists. The state Office of Administrative Hearings held hearings for eight days, ending June 16. A decision is expected by Thanksgiving. Beverly expects the state to rule in Prescott’s favor because state law is weighted in the favor of developers. He said state law is completely based on lack of science and won’t let the state consider how it impacts future conditions of the river or endangered species. “State water law manages the depletion of resources in order to manage growth,” he said. “The law is balanced against environmental concerns.” If the state rules in favor of Prescott, then Beverly said they can take their concerns to Superior Court. The pumping issue could be tied up in the courts for five to eight years. He noted that Prescott hasn’t figured out how to finance the needed pipeline and that
August 2009
developers would unlikely want to proceed until the court case is resolved. Beverly said Prescott and Prescott Valley say they don’t want to hurt the Verde River. “But talk is different from what they do,” he said. “I’m not looking at what they say, but at what they do. I don’t care about their intentions. I care about results.” The Upper Verde River has a wildlife area so people can visit and decide for themselves if this river is worth saving. This 796-acre wildlife area includes three miles of the Verde River and one mile of Granite Creek. This area was established by Arizona Game and Fish for the protection and restoration of riparian habitat and its biodiversity. Cottonwoods and willows are found along the river for hiking and viewing opportunities. The facilities include restrooms, picnic tables, interpretive kiosk, primitive trails and a parking area. Unique species found here include belted
kingfisher, yellow-billed cuckoo, bald eagle and river otter. Mule deer, javelina, beaver and coyote can also be spotted.
If you go From State Highway 89 in Paulden, take Verde Ranch Road east for about one mile. Make a sharp right across the railroad tracks and follow around a sharp left. Take the first dirt road to the right after the railroad tracks (a green-roofed kiosk marks the intersection). Stay on this road for about three miles until reaching the Verde River Canyon. Cross a cattle guard as you enter the canyon. High clearance vehicles are recommended. Editor’s note to Earth Odyssey readers: PLEASE take a bag for trash collection if you go. This area is used for recreation and is littered with cans, bottles, shoes, socks, paper and even a broken camp chair. We brought out a bag of trash, but made only a small dent in the
Earth Odyssey • www.earthodysseyonline.com
enormous blight. Take your bag of trash to a recycling center and exchange it for some pocket change—it’s a win-win deal. Any area worth preserving is worth keeping clean.
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Protecting family, pets, environment with green cleaners
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any things we find in our home and yard can be reused or recycled in fun and Earth-conscious ways. Not everything we buy as a consumer is good for us or our planet, yet many toxic products are FDA approved for people, animals and the Earth. Baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, peroxide, rubbing alcohol, pumice and sand are all natural products. These wonderful items have many uses and can be easily found in and around most households. The best part is that when used properly, they will not harm our family, pets or planet. These items also have the ability to clean without the toxic chemicals and side effects. It is easy to save money and disinfect your environment naturally. Too many commercials plague the air waves with products that harm our environment. There is no time like the present to stand up and make the choice to eliminate that which has a negative effect on our well being. Here is a list of simple everyday cleaning products that are effective alternatives to the toxic chemicals pushed on us daily. All purpose cleaners: Mix each recipe in a spray bottle. Use for cleaning counter tops, walls, floors, carpets and upholstery. Dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Add ½ to 1 cup vinegar to 1 quart warm water. Combine ¼ cup distilled white vinegar, ½
teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap and ¾ cup warm water. Shake to blend. For really big jobs, combine ½ cup distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap and 2 gallons of warm water in a pail and stir to blend. Grease cleaner: Mix full strength vinegar with salt for a good surface cleaner. Abrasive cleaner: Use a nonchlorinated scouring powder such as Bon Ami mixed with baking soda. Disinfectants: For bathroom fixtures and kitchen cutting boards use a spray of distilled white vinegar followed by a 3 percent peroxide, wipe clean.
Another disinfectant is rubbing alcohol, which should be used with caution (extremely flammable). Use in well-ventilated areas far from source of ignition. Wear nitrile gloves, apply with sponge and allow to dry. Glass Cleaner: Combine ¼ cup white vinegar or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 1 quart warm water. Use both vinegar and lemon juice if you want the cleaning power with the scent of lemons. Mix your ingredients in a spray bottle and use as you would any glass cleaner. If you want another pleasant scent, you can add a drop or two of any essential oil. A squeegee is a great investment to help with window cleaning. Another great tool is a razor blade for scraping off dirt and paint before you clean windows. Crayon marker remover: Use toothpaste and a damp cloth to remove from walls, carpet, countertops and floors. Do not use on nonvinyl wallpaper. Room/air freshener: Simmer cinnamon and cloves in water. Pour vanilla extract on a cotton ball and place in dish. Use in car, home or refrigerator. Place lemons or baking soda in a dish. Set out a dish of vinegar or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in one cup of water. Hand Cleaners: To remove heavy grime combine 4 ounces of beach sand, 1 ounce of pumice powder and enough glycerin to moisten the mixture in a labeled screw-top bottle. Use about 1 tablespoon at a time,
rubbing into hands thoroughly and rinse. Hand wash disinfectants: The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes soap as a legitimate disinfectant. Many vegetablebased soaps are available at supermarkets and health food stores. Tea tree oil is a antifungal and antibacterial. Add 10 drops of tea tree oil to 4 ounces of liquid castile soap in a pump container and shake well. This information and other resources can be found through the source on Metro’s web site at www.oregonmetro.gov/greencleaners. Diatomaceous Earth: Is similar to pumice powder and is an all-natural product made from tiny fossilized water plants. This product can be used as a natural insecticide, sprinkled in and around the household to keep out unwanted bugs. Safe for children and pets. Great for flea and lice control. It can be used as a cat litter or an absorbent for spilled liquids. This wonderful product also comes in food grade and can be used in horse and pet feed, put in grain storage to keep out bugs. When added to food for livestock or pets it controls parasites and works well for fly control. You can buy this product in most garden supply and feed stores. Have fun cleaning naturally. Don’t forget to take the time to plant one tree. Patricia Melchi is a writer, artist and avid recycler who lives in Strawberry. She can be reached via e-mail at patriciamelchi@yahoo.com.
Toniwith Tennile the Festival All-Star Big Band, plus Judy Roberts, Rusty Higgins, Reggie Thomas, Carl Saunders, Mike Vax, Margo Reed, Scott Whitfield, Gary Hobbs, Blaise Lantana, Ginger Berglund, Joel Robin, Delphine Cortez, Tony Vacca, Jack Petersen, Steve Annibale, Denny Garr, Tom Winker and other musicians to be announced (Musician list subject to change)
Youth bands to include the Prescott High School Jazz Ensemble, Bradshaw Mountain High School Jazz Band, Tucson Jazz Institute, Prescott Jazz Summit Youth Band
Tickets on sale at Hassaympa Inn & Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Tickets and Information 928-771-1268
•
1-925-872-1942
www.prescottjazz.com Page 32
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August 2009