Ecotopia

Date: January 3, 2012

This week we’ll be talking about eating local and eating healthy. In the first half of the program, we’ll be talking with Stephanie Elliot who is Education Program Executive Director for GRUB: Growing Resources Uniting Bellies. She’ll tell us about her program that involves educating people about cultivating healthy communities. And in the second half, we’ll talk with Frank Mazzarino and Sally Shea, owners of Green Cedar Farm in Berry Creek, about their work as certified organic orchardists supplying our local market.

Our Conversation with Stephanie Elliott

Stephanie Elliott is GRUB Education Program Executive Director and one of a number of people running an exciting new program here in the NorthState.

1. You’re here to talk about a film being shown this weekend by Cultivating (Healthy?) Community. First of all can you tell us what “Cultivating Community” is? What are your goals?

2. Who’s involved in “Cultivating Community”? Is it a part of a larger movement? Does it have a national organization, too?

3. What are some of the main activities of “Cultivating (Healthy) Communities? What’s planned for the future? Who is your target audience?

4. The organization is showing a film, “Urban Roots.” Tell us a little about the film.

5. Tell us again when and where the film will be shown? [The film, Urban Roots, is being shown Friday January 6, 2012 @ 6pm @ Subud Hall, 574 E. 12th Street, Chico.]

Talking withg Frank Mazzarino and Sally Shea

Frank Mazzarino and Sally Shea, owners of Green Cedar Farm, a certified organic fruit and nut farm in Berry Creek.

1. Please tell us the history of Green Cedar Farm. How long have you been in business? What do you grow? How many varieties do you have? What are your favorites?

2. In our correspondence, you mentioned that you have a philosophy of farming that guides what you do and how you do it. Please tell us about that philosophy. Is it as difficult to implement as New Years’ resolutions?

3. We’re interested in the problems a local farmer encounters marketing. How do certified organic orchardists find a market that works for them? Where do you sell your products? Have you pretty much found your niche at this point?

4. We’re in the midst of what passes for winter in the foothills. What kind of work are you doing in the orchards these days? How will the new year unfold for you? What are the worries and the unpredictables?

5. There seems to be enormous interest in the buy local movement at the present time. What do you see as the most important evolving trends in our area? Do you think local ag can/will become large enough to make a serious dent in the megastore markets?

6. Please tell us how listeners can learn more about your farm and/or about some of the issues and problems in local organic farming.

E-mail: greencedarfarm@yahoo.com

Playlist for Ecotopia #171–Eat Healthy/Eat Local

1. Back To The Garden 4:03 Jason Webley Against The Night Alternative &

2. Plant a Radish 2:34 Hugh Thomas & William Larsen The Fantasticks

3. Mr. Soil’s Song 1:45 Singin’ Steve Billy the Bean Children’s Music

4. Dirt Made My Lunch 2:25 Banana Slug String Band Dirt Made My Lunch

5. Dirt 4:20 Mary Mary The Sound Christian &

6. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

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Date: December 27, 2011

This week we’ll be previewing the Wild and Scenic Film Festival that takes place in Nevada City, January 13-15. This is a fabulous event, and it’s close to home, accessible to KZFR listeners. In the first part of the program, we’ll talk with festival organizer Melinda Booth about the overall plans and scheduled events and why it the Festival is “a place where activists get inspired.”

http://www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/

Then we’ll talk with Sally Rubin, one of the filmmakers presenting at the Festival, about her film series Deep Down, which highlights people in the Appalachians who have made a difference in the environment, opposing projects like mountaintop coal mining.

And finally, we’ll talk with David Lukas, a Sierra Nevada naturalist who will be introducing several films at the festival and conducting a guided walk of a creek restoration project in Nevada City.

Listen to the Program

Our Conversation with Melinda Booth

Melinda Booth is the Director of Development and Wild and Scenic Events for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

1. First of all, just tell us a little about the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. How many years has it been in operation? What’s its mission?

2. How many films are being shown this year? We know that the range of subjects is immense. Can you give us an overview of the subjects and approaches?

3. Who are some of the special guests who will be appearing at the festival? Will a lot of the filmmakers be there?

4. Who makes the selections of the films that will be shown? Do you get to preview them? Do you have some personal favorites?

5. How many venues are there for viewing films? How many sessions are running at one time? Has this change over the years? How has the festival grown and changed?

6. There are also some special events at the film festival. Can you tell us about those?

7. Can you remind people of when and where the festival will take place? Where can they get tickets?

8. Are there other ways of being involved in the Wild and Scenic Film Festival? We’re sure it takes an enormous number of volunteers to make something like this happen? Do you still need help for this festival? What should people do if they want to be involved next year?

Our Questions for Sally Rubin
Sally Rubin is a filmmaker who has done a number of documentaries on social, environmental, and political issues. At the festival, she and Jen Gilomen will be showing their film from the “Deep Down’s People Power Series.”

1.  What’s the topic and title of the film you and Jen are showing? What’s the People Power project and how does this fit in?

2.  What’s the story you told about Carol Judy and why did you select her?

3.  We understand that this film is part of a film portrait series about Americans who make a difference in environmental issues.  Please tell us about other topics and people you’ve covered.

4.  How do you go about making these kinds of films?  Do you start with a script?  Raw footage?  How does the editing process work?

5.  What kinds of results have you seen from people like the activists featured in your films?

6. Where can our listeners learn more about and get involved with these causes?

7.  What’s your next project?

Our guest has been Sally Rubin and you can learn more about the film at deepdownfilm.org. Thanks for being with us tonight.  The film will be shown Friday evening at 7:05 in Stone Hall and Sunday morning at 10:47 at the Nevada Theater.  Full details are at wildscenicfilmfestival.org

Additional links:
ilovemountains.org
appalachianvoices.org

Chatting with David Lukas

David Lukas is a naturalist specializing in the Sierra Nevada, and he he’ll be playing several roles at the Festival. Welcome David.

1. Please tell us what you’ll be doing at the Festival. [We understand you will be doing a wrap-up for a film called Death of a Forest, mc-ing a session of films on animals, leading and a Sunday morning nature hike at a creek restoration site in downtown Nevada City].

2. What can you tell us about Death of a Forest, the film by Michael Pellagatti? What’s the link between the pine beetle infestation and global warming? What have you seen of this problem here in the Sierra? [The film will be shown Saturday morning at Vets Hall, 9:05.]

3. You’ve done several guidebooks the Sierra. How does your work lead in to the Wild and Scenic Film Festival session on animals? What films will be shown? [1 pm Saturday, Nevada Theater]

4. When does your Sunday morning creek walk take place? What will you be discussing?

5. Generally, what role do you see for films in the environmental movement? Do they change the way people think? Do they possibly just preach to the choir?

6. Finally, please tell us a little about how listeners can get involved in the kind of work you do. [www.lukasguides.com, www.sierranaturalist.com]

Playlist for Ecotopia #170–Wild and Scenic Film Festival:

1. Let’s Go To The Movies (Album Version) 4:42 Aileen Quinn;Albert Finney
2. Utopia 4:58 Alanis Morissette Under Rug Swept
3. High On A Mountain Top 2:44 Loretta Lynn
4. Global Warming Blues 3:42 Lenny Solomon Armando’s Pie
5. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary
6. Danger (Global Warming) – Radio Mix 3:35 Brick Casey
7. 3 Birds 3:45 The Dead Weather Horehound 8. Trophic Cascade 4:12 Ronn Fryer

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December 20, 2011

This Week’s Program This week we’ll be talking about the proposed plastic bag ban in Chico. The Sustainability Task Force of the Chico City Council has been discussing the issue, and will take it up again in January. We’ll talk first with Sue Vang. She’s a Policy Associate for Californians Against Waste, based in Sacramento, CA.

Later in the show, we’ll talk with Linda Herman, General Services Administrative Manager for the City of Chico. Among other jobs, she works with the City Council’s Sustainability Task Force.

Listen to the Program

Our Discussion with Sue Vang

You are listening to Ecotopia on KZFR, 90.1 Chico. We’re talking tonight about the proposed plastic bag proposal in Chico, and our first guest will provide some information to persuade us that that’s a good idea. She’s Sue Vang, and she’s a Policy Associate for Californians Against Waste. We’re on the phone with hertonight from Sacramento. Thanks for being with us, Sue.

1. First of all, can you tell us a little bit about Californians Against Waste. What is your mission? What are some of the issues you’re currently involved in?

2. As you know, Chico is considering a policy against plastic bags. Can we start by talking about what’s wrong with plastic bags?

3. Californians Against Waste has a “Bag Ban Tool Kit.” Can you tell us what that is? What are some of the most persuasive facts that you provide in your materials? What else is in the kit?

4. When proposing a ban against plastic bags, supporters of the ban can expect resistance from plastic bag makers. What are some of the myths that the plastic industry perpetuates about plastic? What other sorts of resistance do activists meet when trying to institute a plastic bag ban?

5. But bans on plastic bags have been successful in California. Can you tell us about some of the successes? Who’s done it and how have they succeeded?

6. What are the consequences of banning the plastic bag?

7. What advice do you have for Chico-ans who are trying to get a plastic bag ban here?

8. What else should we be doing about single use waste? What other fronts is Californians Against Waste working on?

9. How can people help with these issues? How can they learn more about what’s going on in California and the work of Californians Against Waste?

Thank you, Sue Vang. Sue Vang is a Policy Associate for Californians Against Waste. You can learn more and get involved at www.cawrecycles.org.

Our Conversation with Linda Herman

You are listening to Ecotopia on KZFR. With us now is Linda Herman, General Services Administrative Manager for the City of Chico. Among other jobs, she works with the City Council’s Sustainability Task Force. Welcome, Linda.

1. First, can you tell us a little about the Sustainability Task Force? What are its aims and function?

2. The Sustainability Task Force is considering a ban on plastic bags in Chico. Can you tell us how a ban on plastic came to be proposed? What a ban would mean? Is there a specific proposal under consideration?

3. The Sustainability Task Force discussed the ban on plastic bags a week ago, and was unable to reach a decision on the ban. Why was the task force unable to reach a decision? What are some of the considerations brought up in the discussion?

4. Is Chico looking at other laws or regulations that other cities have enacted as a model for their action? What have been some successful bans?

5. The Task Force will take this ban into consideration in their next meeting in January. If Chico-ans have ideas or suggestions, is there some way they can be involved in this process?

6. What are some other activities in the Sustainability Task Force that citizens might want to know about and be involved in? What should they do, if they’d like to participate?

We’ve been talking with Linda Herman, General Services Administrative Manager for the City of Chico. Thanks for joining us, Linda.

Playlist for Ecotopia 169: Plastic Bags

1. Recycle Reuse Reduce 2:46 Heidi Howe Give a Hootenanny!

2. reduce, reuse, recycle 3:35 The Junkman (Donald Knaack) Junk Music

3. The 3 R’s 2:54 Jack Johnson Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George

4. Working On A Dream 3:30 Bruce Springsteen Working On A Dream

5. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary Folk 96 5/9/11 2:39 PM

6. Big Yellow Taxi (LP Version) 2:15 Joni Mitchell Ladies Of The Canyon Pop 43 1/24/10 11:29 AM

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13 December 2011

This week we’re once again exploring the corporate practices of Monsanto and the response of organic growers. We’ll talk with Jim Gerritsen, president of OSGATA, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, about the lawsuit he has spear-headed against Monsanto.

We’ll also talk with Chicoan Pamm Larry about the petition drive to have GMOs labeled as such here in California.

And we’ll have a brief follow-up on last week’s discussion of Electric Vehicles.

Listen to the Program

Our Questions for Jim Gerritsen

Jim Gerritsen ispresident of OSGATA–Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. Unte Reader chose him as one of one of “25 Visonaries who are changing your world in 2011.” He was chosen as an “Organic Food Champion. Monsanto has a well-documented history of aggressively defending its genetically modified seeds. Organic farmer Jim Gerritsen is leading a lawsuit against the corporate agriculture giant on behalf of 270,000 family farmers, gardeners, and consumers who are suing to keep a portion of the world food supply free of genetic modification.” He’s here to talk about that lawsuit and about his vision for farmers becoming a significant participant in the Occupy movement.

1. First of all, can you tell us a little bit about the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. What is its mission? What sorts of activities and issues is it involved in?

2. How did you become involved in OSGATA?

3. You are recently back from Farmers Occupy Wall Street on December 4. Tell us about that experience. Who was there? What were the conversations about? What were some of the highlights of the trip?

(from OSGATA press release: NEW YORK, December 4, 2011 — Today farmers from across the U.S. will participate in the Occupy Wall Street Farmers March to join in solidarity with efforts to expose corporate control of our food supply: The event begins at 2 p.m. at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden with remarks about the growing inequity in our food system from farmers and food workers followed by a 4 p.m. Farmers March to Zuccotti Park, where farmers, activists and ranchers, who have travelled from as far as Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Upstate New York, will march to ground zero of the growing Occupy Wall Street movement to curtail excessive corporate influence.)

4. Why do you think farmers are such a good fit for the Occupy movement? What is your advice to farmers in making their voices heard?

5. OSGATA is also involved in a lawsuit against Monsanto. The case was filed in March. What is the claim of the suit? Who is involved? Where is OSGATA in the process? What have been some of the responses to the lawsuit? When is it likely to be resolved? What do you anticipate the resolution to be?

6. What do you see as some of the other pressing issues for organic farmers, food justice, and food safety?

7. What advice do you have for listeners who want to be involved in food justice issues?

8. Finally, what was it like to be selected as one of Utne Reader’s 25 Visionaries of 2011?

You can learn more about OSGATA, the OSGATA lawsuit against Monsanto, and Jim Gerritsen at OSGATA’s website: www.osgata.org

(from OSGATA press release: The case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, was filed in federal district court on March 29, 2011, on behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations, challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seed. The case now represents 83 plaintiffs.)

Our Discussion with Pamm Larry

Pamm Larry is one of the chief organizers of the label GMOs movement here in California. We first talked with Pamm eight months ago, in April, when she told us she’d had an epiphany on January 20 of this year to take a stand on protection of the food system against GMOs. And here she is, less than a year later, heading a ballot initiative that would require GMOs to be labeled.

1. What does the ballot initiative call for?

2. What is the process for getting the initiative on the November ballot?

3. What do you teach in your signature gathering workshops

4. How many signatures do you have to gather and by when?

5. How can listeners get involved in this process? The LabelGMOS website is http://www.labelgmos.org. You can find a link to the actual language of the ballot initiative, and FAQs about the initiative.

An Update on Electric Vehicles

Last week a listener called in to ask if EVs create high levels of EMFs–electromotive magnetic forces–which have been identified as health risks from sources like high tension wires.

We found a brief article by Eric J. Leech, Planet Green [note that he is talking about hybrids, not all-electric vehicles]:

We should by no means conclude that hybrids are not a potential source of dangerous levels of EMF, but nor should we go running scared just yet. Recent studies from Honda show that the electric hybrid produces no more EMF levels than any other combustion vehicle. Almost every vehicle has its share of electric components (stereo, seats, GPS, control module, etc.) that cause a certain amount of EMF, there is just unfortunately no getting around that.

Now that is not the last word on the matter, but it’s the most direct statement we were able to locate. Eric Leech also goes into some other concerns and myths that have been generated about electric cars, such as a myth going around that emergency workers might be afraid to apply the jaws of life to an electric car for fear of being electrocuted. We’d urge you to do additional reading yourself; just type “electric car myths” into your search engine and you’ll find lots of materials.

[Three Hybrid Myths Debunked

by Eric J. Leech, Planet Green

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/green-machines-104a-myths.htm

12 Myths About Electric Vehicles

by Dave Chameides, Planet Green
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/myths-electic-cars-vehicles.htm

8 Electric-Car Myths Busted

Kiera Butler in Mother Jones

http://motherjones.com/environment/2011/01/electric-car-myths]

Playlist:

1. Real Food 2:58 Jerry Engler Very Jerry Country

2. Good Health 3:37 The Dixie Hummingbirds In Good Health

3. Monsanto (Go Away!) 6:17 Human Naked

4. The Rape Of The World 7:08 Tracy Chapman New Beginning

5. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

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Date: 6 December 2011

Tonight’s program:

In this episode we return to the topic of electric vehicles.  We’ll be talking in the first part with Jim Motavalli, author of HIGH VOLTAGE, Abook that studies the history and current status of EVs–electric vehicles–in the world, from Detroit to China–and the variety of new vehicles under development. Then in the second part of the show, we’ll be interviewing Ron Ricci  of Chico Nissan Hyundai. We’ll be asking him about the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric plug in vehicle, and the kind of questions and issues northstaters raise when looking for low emissions cars.

Sorry,  no recording available for this week’s show.  Technology :-[

Our discussion with Jim Motavalli:

This is Ecotopia on KZFR, and our topic tonight is EVs: electric vehicles. Our guest on the phone is Jim Motavalli, author of a new book called HIGH VOLTAGE: THE FAST TRACK TO PLUG IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY. It talks about the problems of electric vehicle development and gives an up-to-date summary and critique of new developments. Jim also does a blog called "wheels" for the New York Times and has a long track record of writing on environmental issues, including 14 years as editor of E/The Environmental Magazine.

1. You note in the first pages of your book that "fledgling [auto] industry was building electric, gasoline, and steam cars” as early as 1900 and that electrics received initial postive public reaction. What happened to the electric car in the last century? How did we come to accept gasoline as the prime mover? (We’re also interested in your discussion of California EV mandates in the ’70s: “Who killed the electric car?”)

2. You are cautiously optimistic about the future of the electric car. What about our current circumstances and technology makes you optimistic? Is the time right for EV’s?

3. Please review the basic differences among the major EVs now available on the market? What are the advantages and drawbacks of, say, the Volt, Leaf, and other EVs now on the road?

4. You write about some cars that (as you say) most of us have never heard of: Wheego, Coda, Fisker, Think. What are these projects attempting to accomplish?

5. You also write about new developments in batteries, which have been one of the weak links in EVs to date. What’s on the horizon in battery technology, and how will that help to spread the use of EVs?

6. Although EVs are low- or zero-emission vehicles, the juice still has to come from somewhere. Don’t plug-ins just transfer the pollution to other sites? What is the evidence for your claim that “Coal-fueled EVs are cleaner than today’s 25-mile-per gallon cars”? (Can the current electrical grid support plug-ins?)

7. As you look to the future, you write, “I think we should all get used to the idea of buying and driving Chinese cars.” As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with Middle Eastern Oil! Please explain.

8. What would you advise listeners who are thinking about going EV soon? How do you think that advice might change if people put off buying for, say, five more years?
The book is HIGH VOLTAGE; THE FAST TRACK TO PLUG IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY and it’s published by Rodale. For those who’d like to learn more about the book and Jim’s interests, we recommend:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/author/jim-motavalli/

http://www.jimmotavalli.com/

Our interview with Ron Ricci

Susan:   You are listening to Ecotopia on KZFR. Our guest in the studio now is Ron Ricci.  He is the Nissan Leaf specialist at Chico Nissan Hyundai.  After our interview with Jim Motavalli, we thought it would be interesting to hear something about Electric Vehicles from a local perspective, realizing, of course, that Nissan has only one of several entries in the EV market.

1.  We’d like to focus on Chico and the northstate and your vision of how the EV market is evolving.  Is there a lot of interest in the Leaf?  Are people buying them?  (Can you lease one?)

2.  What sorts of questions do people ask before they buy?  What doubts do they have?  [possibilities: range, price]

3.  Our guest earlier, Jim Motavalli, said that Nissan is taking something of a gamble by going all-electric rather than plug-in hybrid.  Could you give us your perspective on how that affects the market?

4.  What do you see as the short- or longer-range future for EVs in our part of the world?  Will we

Thank you Ron Ricci for being with us on Ecotopia tonight.

Listeners should know that we are not endorsing the Leaf over other entries in the electric vehicle market, but you can learn more about the Leaf at: http://www.nissanusa.com/   For a comparative reviews of a number of EVsgo to <http://www.mygreenwheels.com/>

Playlist:

1. Drive My Car 2:30 The Beatles Rubber Soul Rock 12 4/4/11 8:50 PM

2. AC/DC 5:05 Andrew Lloyd Webber Starlight Express (Soundtrack from the
Musical) Soundtrack 8 2/23/11 1:16 PM

3. Fun, Fun, Fun 2:21 The Beach Boys Sounds of Summer – The Very Best of The Beach
Boys Pop

4. Little Deuce Coupe 1:41 The Beach Boys Sounds of Summer – The Very Best of The Beach Boys Pop

5. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary Folk 96 5/9/11 2:39 PM

6. Route 66 3:29 The Cheetah Girls Route 66 – Single Pop 7 3/3/11 12:23 PM

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