ft.Burundian Kidum w/ Urugendo

"Green Chucks" interviews Kyle Amore about his experiences as a camp counselor for Camp Fire USA's Rural Alaska. This program is unique because the camp counselors go to the kids; more specifically the camp counselors are flown to each native village where they conduct the camp. The program focuses on water safety and cold-water survival instruction. They provide swimming lessons and day camp activities to children and teens living in native communities. Kyle talks about the differences in cultures and life perspectives of native Alaskans and Americans. He also talked about his own culture shock and what he has gained from the experience.
 

Welcome to Conscious Voices, a weekly program that seeks to promote both thought and activism on a variety of issues affecting the community and our collective future. I'm evan Davis, your host for this edition.

So as to manage my time and energy in 2010, I think I would be wise to focus on three main projects. Please let me know what you think. My guess is that these things will be better if we put our minds together.
 

(I)   Serial previews for the US Social Forum and in-person reporting on the event, and the people and issues involved;

(II)  Serial previews and reporting on the WCRS community forums, along with some reporting based on following what participants in the forums communicate about what issues matter to them;

and (III) Serial reporting on the problems of Ohio's factory farming and what can be done about it. I intend to frame this reporting within the context of Peak Oil, Climate Change, over-population and other broad issues.

I dislike how a lot of environmental reporting homes in on a specific environmental problem such as mountain top removal mining, without framing the issue within a broader ecological and socio-political context. 

Obviously this also happens with reporting that doesn't present itself as having an environmentalist perspective. For example, WOSU, Columbus Alive, the Other Paper, or 614 Magazine have reported on bicycle commuting and local food.

But, to my knowledge, they have done so without much, if any, mention of Peak Oil, Climate Change, or even concerns about air or water quality for that matter. 

So, I intend to use Peak Oil, Climate Change, and other broad ecological and political issues as a reference point in every peice of reporting I create.

Localism isn't about focusing on,  for example, the buses, bike lanes, farmers' markets, co-ops, and community gardens of Columbus as if no world beyond our city existed. Rather, as far as I am concerned, localism is about finding local ways to actually do something about the various global problems we become aware of.

http://civicallyengaged.net 

A group of citizens from Union County who oppose the proposed installation of a large-scale egg-farm in their community met with Adam Ward, who is legislative liaison of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Kevin Elder, who is Executive Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Livestock Environmental Permitting Program.

The company, Hi-Q Egg Products wants to build a facility near Mansfield that would involve 6 million chickens. Citizens formed the group called No More Chickens because they are concerned about , as their website says “the further negative impact that this facility will bring to our health, ground water, streams, air, soil, property values and roads.”

The meeting between community members and Adam Ward and Kevin Elder of the Ohio Department of Agriculture was part of the Ohio Environmental Council’s Environmental Lobby Day. It’s an event via which members of the community, along with members of environmental groups meet with Ohio legislators.

The conversation you will hear took place in the State House atrium. It was noisy. About 12 or 13 people sat around a banquet table in the echo y atrium, struggling to hear one another. I huddled closely with the people at the table in an attempt to hear what was being said.

The meeting between community member and Adam Ward and Kevin Elder of the Ohio Dept of Agriculture interested me because the concerns that were being voiced is a specific case which reflects the broader issue of problems associated with some aspects of industrialized agriculture.

When I spoke with some of the people working with the community group NO MORE Chickens , some of them said that promoting local and organic food is part of the solution

Columbus commemorated Earth Day 2009 with many work-site events around greater Columbus on Saturday April 18, and with a celebration at Goodale Park on the following day.

The music you are hearing is from System Theory, recorded at Dick’s Den on High Street. Just a Frisbee throw south of the Blue Danube, the jazz bar is , in my opinion, one of Columbus’ cultural and historical sites.

On keyboards is Scott Steeleman . On bass guitar Jim Tussing. On drums and moog synthesizer Adam Smith, not to be confused with the economist. On flute is Michael Cox.

Some might call the Earth Day event a celebration. Some might call it an observance of Earth Day, not wanting to use the term ‘celebration,’ due to thinking that humanity has many tough ecological challenges before us. Some might say its premature to celebrate any sort of achievement in terms of dealing with our eco-challenges.

But another way of thinking of the Earth Day event is think that there are things to celebrate, such as the fact that many people are working together to address our eco-challenges and not giving in to cynicism and hopelessness.

Some people might also say that environmentalism has at its roots a celebration of life-or perhaps a celebration of, and appreciation for, the physical and mental health of human beings, and other sentient beings, and an appreciation for the Earth’s services

upon which, not only life, but quality of life depends.

So, with that line of reasoning, Earth Day can involve celebrating life and appreciating the quality of life we have.

But how much of that celebration is based on our sense of what we have accomplished in terms of making our lives and our communities more ecologically and socially sustainable? You tell me. Go to Civically Engaged DOT NET to give your input. It would be great to hear from you.

The music called "new grass" is best described as bluegrass with a postmodern attitude, and one of its finest groups, the Greencards, starts things off in the second hour of this week's "Nightmix." Other music includes some of the traditional country and jazz sounds that have influenced new grass.