Spirit of Change Magazine

New England's largest free alternative health resource since 1987. Quarterly publication in MA, CT, RI, NH, VT and ME, reaching an audience who is looking for products and services to improve their health & wellness. The magazine is known for providing high quality articles and reliable information, making Spirit of Change the region's most trusted source of alternative health information.
Spirit of Change

The Ice Burns Black

Based on the True Tale of One of the Best-Concealed Bombings in History

The chilling real-life account of an unprecedented explosion
in Greenland, and the devastating and deadly effects that still
smolder today.

In 1968, an American B-52G bomber carrying thermonuclear
bombs violently crash-landed into the peaceful, icy terrain of
Northern Greenland. As radioactive metal, plutonium, and
uranium showered the earth for 200 meters in every direction,
even the ice itself turned black.

The Ice Burns Black is the revealing tale of the quietest
bombing in history, and finally uncovers the untold story of
the courage and hardship of those affected by the crash, and
the refusal of their own governments to help them.
This story, including Jeff Carswell’s eye-witness account of
the bombing’s clean-up and subsequent tragic events, spins a
thrilling, true tale that still lives on today.

ISBN: 978-1-60860-837-9
About the Authors:
Terrence Cromwell, a seasoned writer, former Marine, law school graduate, and family man, has worked and lived in diverse parts of the globe, and is currently working on his next project in his native Montana.
Jeff Carswell, survivor of the clean-up at the top of the world and its tragic aftermath, continues his international advocacy today, drawing attention to the plight of those selfless souls – and their families – who worked with him to clean the crash site.
Dr. David James, Ph.D., one of Australia’s foremost journalists and business management scholars, has published countless articles on a myriad of topics.

Dedicated to The Thule Radiation Victims’ Association.

For media inquiries, appearances, or other publicity—please contact:

Ellen Green—PressManager@aegpublishinggroup.com

John Muir and the American Idea

Probably no man more defined the notion of wilderness as an integral part of the American idea than John Muir. Librivox has released a seven hour podcast of John Muir's Guide to Yosemite. It is a beautifully written, as lush and vibrant as the scenes of the Yosemite that Muir describes.

Download Muir's Yosemite

Listen as streaming video

Muir is considered one of the major figures in the birth of environmentalism, though the term itself would not be created for another 3/4 of a century. Muir represented the preservationist philosophy, while Gifford Pinchot, a contemporary of Muir represented the conservationist philosophy, the view that sustainable use of the resource was its highest and best purpose.



I Believe - New Hampshire's Mountain Lions. Print and cards here.

MPW Takes Green Mainstream in Collaboration with MOP

In 1972, a young entrepreneur named Monte Black, formed a company to provide truck-washing services in central Ohio. He was the only employee of the infant company—he worked seven days a week, first selling and then performing on-site washing services for tractors, trailers, surface mining equipment and structures. While he had entered what was even then a highly competitive industry, he was convinced that hard work, innovation and a commitment to exceed customer expectations would enable him to succeed. He believed that if he “went the second mile” to meet customer needs, his infant company would grow. And it did —adding Waterblasting, Ultra-High Pressure Waterblasting and Cutting, Industrial Vacuuming, Chemical Cleaning, proprietary Container Cleaning and Water Purification Services.

Today that company, now called MPW Industrial Services, is a leading provider of technology-based services to industrial, manufacturing and process facilities in the United States and Canada. With headquarters in Hebron, Ohio, MPW has over 35 years experience rapidly responding to customer needs from their network of more than 40 offices.

MPW's expertise is in waste reduction systems and recently their work with MOP - Maximum Oil Pickup - sorbent, in manufacturing facilities employing chip drag machines has been generating a lot of buzz. Why? Because, together, MOP and MPW identified a way to utilize MOP's sorbent to filter used coolant contaminated with cutting oil and metal filings. MOP immediately developed an appropriately sized boom filled with its renowned sorbent. Now, coolant that would have been headed for a hazardous waste treatment facility, at a hefty per barrell price, is now being recycled and used again on the factory floor. The result will be hundreds of thousands of dollars saved at each plant and the ability to recover both oil and coolant multiple times.

We expect that the folks from MPW will be passing MOP's newly developed product along to a lot of client companies in the coming months and their reputation for helping companes "save green by going green" will be significantly enhanced.

To learn more about MPW's work with corporate waste systems or MOP's oil cleanup product call Shannon Stumbo, Operations Mgr. at MPW (800-827-8790) or Jim Haselhuhn at Tec-MOP distributor of MOP (586-764-0206).



Lone Moose on Robartwood Pond
1/2 Proceeds benefit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Open Edition Print Gallery
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Limited Edition Art

Choose Size & Signature

16x20 Signed by Artist $198.99 20x30 Signed by Artist $244.99 Canvas 20x30 Signed by Artist $498.99

A Doll Story: Telling a White Mountain Family History

By LewEllyn Hallett
Reprinted with permission from Heart of NH


I was strolling through the craft tent at Manchester’s Mill City Festival when I spotted Sara Boothman Glines, sitting behind her table weaving a tiny basket with nimble fingers. From the shelves surrounding her, a dozen craggy, wooden faces stared back at me from under felt caps, knit hats, and straw brims. These miniature, rustic figures looked as if they’d stepped out of the old photographs displayed as their backdrop. The dolls sat in rockers or on tree stumps, stepped up a mountain trail or kneeled to stack firewood, and a printed story card stood beside each one. A sign said, “SaraSally Dolls,” which I learned was a combination of Sara’s given name and her family nickname.

I pointed to a photograph of a woman hanging clothes in the sun on an open hilltop and Sara told me the story of her Grammie Boothman doll. Among family papers, Sara had found instructions for her grandmother Edith Watson Boothman’s 1890's detergent recipe, entitled "Washing Made Easy." Along with her photograph of Grammie Boothman doing laundry, this discovery seemed reason enough to immortalize Grammie as a doll folding wash with a detergent recipe tucked inside her basket. The basket that sits in the grass at Grammie Boothman’s feet in the photograph is another family heirloom still in Sara’s possession.
Basket weaver by craft, Sara has developed patterns for a variety of miniature baskets used by her dolls. Sara’s doll-making started as a crafting hobby, but has become a way to preserve history not just for her family but for anyone who longs for such roots to the past. It’s Grammie Boothman marketing laundry detergent to turn-of-the-century homemakers; Aunt Marion knitting socks for World War II soldiers; Great Grandmother Sarah Ann laboring in Manchester’s ribbon factories. It’s a mountaineering guide, a logger, a fly fisher, a cross country skier, a wood carrier, even a North Country Santa. SaraSally dolls record and preserve not only generations of family history and tradition, but a way of life in the mountains of New Hampshire.
For at least seven generations, Sara’s family has lived on holdings in the foothills and valley near Mount Adams, Mount Madison, and the town of Randolph in Coos County. When a family remains for that long in a community, they accumulate some history, including prominent figures to commemorate and important stories to tell. Sara (aka Sally) and her sisters, Rebecca Boothman Parker (Becky) and Susan Boothman Hawkins (Sue, 1950-2004), worked together to develop two series of doll figures. One series represents family members and their stories; the other depicts favorite White Mountain activities and vocations.


Sara invited me to her hillside home in Randolph to spend an afternoon with her and sister Becky. The three of us sat in her bright dining room, the wooden table top crowded with dolls, and a huge, antique map of Coos County on the wall behind us. With Sara’s cat in my lap, I picked up each doll and examined details like a tiny wood ax, a fly fishing pole, snowshoes, and hand-knit scarves. Sara and Becky spun out stories until they wove together and tangled in my brain. They were patient with me, laughing and backtracking down the trails of time and events, using the map to tie storylines to geography.

Growing up in the 1950's and 60's, they knew a rugged mountain lifestyle that was generations old but is now pretty much history. Families were self-sufficient and geared their work to the seasons. Spring was maple sugaring, summer was planting, growing, and harvesting, and winter was trapping, logging, and cutting firewood. They often sat down to meals where everything but salt and pepper came from the farm or the woods by their own labor.

"It’s hard going in New England. My ancestors worked this land and eked out a living," Sara says. "All three of us sisters were encouraged by our mother to do things with our hands, so I’ve always done some kind of craft. I started making dolls eight to ten years ago."

Her first dolls were simple schoolgirls with round, featureless wooden heads, two black dots for eyes, and print dresses like the ones they wore growing up. It was Sue’s idea for Sara to pattern other dolls after family members and pastimes. Sara compiled a catalog of ancestral characters and aspects of mountain life, and developed a more intricate style. The hardwood ball was replaced by a pine egg, which is softer for carving faces full of character and personality.
Sara’s doll making process is a slow one. It takes approximately thirty hours to complete each doll. For the fly fisherman, patterned after her father, the rod itself requires about three hours and is made from the stem of a certain iris that grows in her garden. Sara also ties the tiny flies herself, like she watched her father do. The clothing is patterned after old photographs and historical research. Each doll is a limited edition, and most are made to order or completed for display at a specific event. Prices range from $45 to $75.
Sara uses authentic, local products as much as possible. There are many items she could buy ready-made to use as doll accessories, but the fun is in figuring out how to craft the miniatures herself. She is constantly on the lookout for materials. A weaver of full-size baskets, Sara makes doll-sized knitting, tramping (hiking), ribbon, and laundry baskets patterned after the originals. She makes the hair on most of her dolls from the fleece of local sheep. Becky knits the sweaters, scarves, and socks from hand spun yarn, which is thinner so that she can knit items more to scale.
Some of Sara’s doll figures carry snowshoes. Her father, Jack Boothman, was an outdoorsman and trapper and invented a snowshoe binding that would allow him to get out of the shoes quickly if he fell through the ice while checking traps. He stretched a circular piece of tire innertube over his foot and snowshoe that would come off with a few kicks if necessary. The girls grew up using these bindings and Sara replicates them for her dolls, using bicycle tire inner tubes. In her basement workshop, she demonstrated for me the intricate lacing procedure, and shared that as recently as the 1960's most area roads were not plowed and snowshoes and skis were a primary method of transportation.


This family has thrown almost nothing away, so there is a wealth of memorabilia for the sisters to draw on. They handle the tools their great-great grandparents used, sleep under blankets made of wool grown, sheared, carded, spun, and woven by their great grandmother, study a wealth of photographs and family papers that tell generations of stories, and raid the trousseaus of their great-aunts.
These trousseaus are still intact because the great-aunts promised never to marry. Their mother, Sarah Ann Boothman, was widowed with four young children during the industrial revolution of the 1870's and forced by economic necessity to work in Manchester’s ribbon mills. (The Sarah Ann Doll is dressed as a mill worker and holds a basket of ribbons and scissors.) Sarah Ann thought her daughters could avoid such a plight if they remained single and independent, so they promised. But in case good prospects tempted them to reconsider, they made the beautiful trousseaus.

These other Boothman sisters–Becky, Isabelle, and May–were known locally as “The Aunts.” In the 1890's, The Aunts opened and ran an inn, the Mountain View House, on their grandparents’ farm overlooking a spectacular view of the valley and mountains beyond. Tourism has long been an industry of the area, and there were innkeepers on both sides of the family. In 1923, John H. Boothman, brother to The Aunts and grandfather to the present day sisters, bought the Mt. Crescent House further up the hill. His father-in-law, Laban Watson, was the first proprietor of another well known inn in the valley, The Ravine House. This inn was a base for early Randolph mountaineers and pathmakers and hosted hikers for generations until closing in the1960's.
Like the generations before them, the Boothman sisters grew up spending winters in the valley and summers up the hill in the Mt. Crescent House, taking care of vacationers. There was plenty of work to do both places. There was wood to gather for winter heat, for summer cottages (mountain nights can be chilly even in July), and about 20 cords each year for the wood evaporator that boiled maple sap from 4,000 taps.

"At first, Dad bemoaned the fact that he had only girls," Sara remembers. "But he soon realized that we could do all the chores that boys did and then clean up pretty good to wait on tables at supper." The Boothman girls filled the wood boxes, did laundry, gardened, helped prepare and serve food, cleaned rooms, cared for livestock, fished, logged, and processed maple syrup.
The Maple Sugarer Doll gathers sap the old fashioned way with buckets carried on a handmade yoke. This doll tells the story of a family endeavor that goes back five generations and continues today with Boothman Orchard 100% pure New Hampshire maple syrup produced by Becky’s family. Their orchard is on the same northern slope of the Presidential Range where generations ago the family tapped the trees and boiled the sap in the open over an uncovered fire. In a 1940's photograph, the Boothman parents stand beside the original sugar house. When Jack Boothman went overseas in World War II, his wife Gwen decided to keep sugaring. As she labored in the open, her father-in-law built a sugar house around her.
One source of the family’s rich photographic archives is Sara’s maternal grandfather, well known and prolific White Mountain photographer Guy Shorey. Shorey recorded much of the history and local culture of his day. Sister Sue co-authored a book, Among the White Hills, the Life and Times of Guy L. Shorey, including over 200 of his photographs, a biography of the photographer, and cultural history of the area.
Sara's craft also tells stories of mountain life and records the clothing, equipment, and activities of another era. Appropriately, Sara and her dolls were included in the New Hampshire delegation to the Smithsonian’s Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C., in 1999. Her sisters also participated, Becky as a Yankee cook and Sue as an interviewer and narrator on stage. Sara remembers, "I took fifty doll bodies because I thought I’d be making dolls for two weeks, but I only completed two. I spent the majority of time talking with people about New Hampshire. They were so interested and had so many questions."
Sara promotes doll making as a good way for everyone–children, adults, whole families–to discover and commemorate their heritage, and teaches workshops to school-age children, 4-H leaders, historical society members, and anyone else with an interest. Students have made dolls from cloth, Masonite patterns, spoons, and even tried their hand at carving wooden faces like Sara’s. Whether they record a family trade or occupation, a favorite hobby, a beloved grandparent, or a hero immortalized in stories repeated from one generation to the next, the result is an exciting discovery and a treasured heirloom.
Each SaraSally doll comes with a tag describing the character or the activity it represents and a larger card telling the doll’s story. "My premise is that the first thing you need to do before making the figure is to write the story, whether researched or remembered," Sara explains. When she teaches her workshops, her students start by writing down a story of their own. “The kids can come up with some unbelievable stories!” she says. The type of doll, the materials, and the skill of the crafter are all secondary to the story the doll will tell.
Whether you love New Hampshire as a native, a newcomer, or a regular visitor, SaraSally Dolls tell a chapter of its story and are a fun, charming way to display a favorite aspect of Granite State heritage. To order dolls, or for information on classes and other products, contact Sara Glines at sarasally3@netzero.net or visit online at www.ravinehousestore.com.

Autumn's Last Dance
2010 Calendar

The AMC 130 Years of Protecting Our Natural Resources

130 Years of Protecting Our Natural Resources
By Peggy Rosen


Land, air, water, flora and fauna - Since 1876 the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has promoted the protection, enjoyment and wise use of the Appalachian region. Its conservation concerns range from large to small, from seemingly obscure projects to those in the forefront of the community consciousness.

Ever heard of Potentilla robbinsiana (a.k.a. dwarf mountain cinquefoil)? If you want to find this tiny, rosette-shaped plant with its hairy, tooth-like leaves and showy yellow flowers, you have to trek to the heights of New Hampshire. This particular variety of cinquefoil is extremely rare. It only grows in several locations in New Hampshire’s Alpine Zone, above elevations of 4,500 feet.

Discovered by scientists in 1824, this rare jewel of the Granite State was placed on the endangered species list in 1980. Its population had precipitously declined due to over-collection, hiker trampling, and its difficulty in adapting to certain challenges of the harsh alpine environment. Concerned about possible extinction, the AMC, in partnership with the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Service and the New England Wildflower Society (NEWFS), put together a rescue and recovery plan. The AMC studied the plant’s biology and collected seeds, which the NEWFS grew and replanted to establish new colonies. The AMC relocated hiking trails and conducted ongoing educational programs for visitors who might travel in cinquefoil-populated areas. The species recovered and was removed from the list in 2002.

If you take a walk in Piscataquog River Park west of Manchester along the railroad spur up to Goffstown, you will encounter an area of pine barren. Very little pine barren habitat is left in New Hampshire, most of it having been cleared or paved. New Hampshire’s official state butterfly, the Karner blue butterfly (also on the federal endangered species list), relies on pine barren habitat, as the caterpillar feeds only on wild lupine, which grows only in pine barren areas. Once thought to be extirpated from New Hampshire, the Karner blues are making a comeback. However, invasive plant species such as Norway maple, bittersweet and garlic mustard threaten to overrun the native plants of Piscataquog Park and make it potentially inhospitable to Karner blue butterflies. AMC members from the New Hampshire Chapter have volunteered their time to clear away some of the invaders, in hopes of restoring the natural balance of this small, but important, piece of the state.

If you gaze out from one of New Hampshire’s many vistas, you may see for miles across peaks, forests, lakes and rivers. But you may just as easily have to squint through a soupy haze shrouding the summits and blanketing the valleys. Decreasing visibility and evidence of Northeast pollution from mid-Western power plants and vehicle emissions has prompted the AMC to take action. AMC members called Visibility Volunteers, or Viz Vols, carry a simple kit on hikes which measures ozone levels and records visibility levels. Viz Vol data collection is part of the Mountain Watch Program, finishing its second season in the autumn of 2005. More than 200 volunteers have submitted reports from around the region. Volunteers can also observe and report seasonal changes in wildflowers and leaf colors. These hikers tracking trends contribute to a large AMC database, which is used in Club air quality advocacy work. The AMC makes recommendations to government agencies and partners with other clean air advocacy groups. Together they are creating a collective voice calling for clean air legislation, policies and procedures.

As a non-profit organization with almost 90,000 members (nearly 10,000 in the New Hampshire Chapter), 130 staff and a dozen chapters throughout mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, the AMC is well-positioned to make the most of the influence of a large group and the commitment of its individual members to fulfill its mission. The founding members, many of whom were Boston academics who enjoyed the superb recreational opportunities of New Hampshire’s wild areas, recognized the need to protect wilderness. In addition to organizing recreational Club outings, they developed an attitude of stewardship of the land.

As far back as the early 1900’s, AMC members were vitally involved in fulfilling a mission of preservation, addressing lawmakers and policy-makers on the issues of land conservation. At that time there were no National Forests in the Northeast. Working determinedly for almost ten years, pushing for public access to large tracts of wilderness, the group’s efforts were finally rewarded by passage of the Weeks Act of 1911, which allowed the government to purchase private land for the establishment of National Forests. The creation of the White Mountain National Forest followed soon after.

Working with government representatives on conservation continues to be a focus of the AMC. Members are encouraged to seek natural resource protection through the legislature by contacting their representatives and voicing their views, concerns and suggestions. Since 1998, members have been able to keep up-to-date on current conservation issues through the AMC Conservation Action Network.

The recent release of the U.S. Forest Service’s White Mountain National Forest Management Plan provides an example of AMC involvement in policy-making. The new plan, which describes how the WMNF will be managed for the next ten to fifteen years, required the Forest Service to spend years studying data, holding public hearings, sifting through thousands of public comments and drafting many revisions. Throughout this process the AMC submitted written and verbal comments, scientific data, proposals, suggestions and general input. The AMC vision for collaboration, balanced approach to wise use and decades of outdoor expertise provided a solid platform for its recommendations, many of which were adopted as part of the final management plan

Early conservation efforts were also focused on the creation and maintenance of well-thought-out trails for hikers and skiers. Well-routed and maintained trails preserve plant life and minimize the detrimental effects of erosion. In-the-field trail work is still central to AMC conservation. With 325 miles of New Hampshire trails maintained by the group, trail work days are a common activity and are attended by all ages and all abilities. It’s not unusual to encounter a grinning, clipper-wielding seven-year-old on a trail crew, or dirt-smudged teenagers sweating alongside a senior AMC member. The NH Chapter has specific responsibility for maintaining the OLD Bridle Path in Franconia Notch, the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and the hiking and ski trails around Cardigan Lodge. The Adopt-A-Trail program, begun in 1980, allows individuals or groups to assume responsibility for specific sections of trail, committing at least two weekends per year to caring for that section. In New Hampshire, 35,000 hours of trail work is provided by staff and volunteers annually.

Roll-up-your-shirtsleeves work sessions, whether involving paperwork or trail work, isn't the only place you'll find AMC-ers. Simply enjoying nature is still an integral part of the AMC experience. Hundreds of all types of activities are available throughout the four seasons for every level of outdoor enthusiast. Trips range from easy family hikes to arduous mountaineering rock and ice climbs, backcountry ski expeditions, multi-day summer backpacking excursions, cycling, paddling, birding, map and compass workshops and wilderness first aid courses.

In addition to the fun of getting together with like-minded folks, the AMC philosophy sees every activity as an opportunity for learning. Trip leaders often impart important ecological knowledge. AMC huts and facilities offer seminars, workshops, displays, and self-directed learning activities that present the natural world, man’s impact on it and our responsibility in trying to protect it. Signs in the restrooms of AMC facilities instruct on water conservation. Wall displays in the halls of The Highland Center in Crawford Notch describe weather patterns, growing seasons, the development and path of acid rain, the inter-dependence of the animals and plants of the forest, and the fragility of the organisms of the Alpine Zone. Families join a naturalist for a walk along a woodland path and stop to study the tiny water life in an adjacent pond. A Mountain Classroom tailors outdoor experiences to middle school and high school students. Some AMC members have received official training in the “Leave No Trace” program, instructing backcountry travelers in low-impact principles. The educational component of AMC activities and facilities attempts to foster a sense of individual responsibility and the realization of what we can all accomplish together.

Striving for a strong and healthy future for New Hampshire’s natural resources, the AMC has “walked the talk,“ in many cases literally, for many decades and countless miles. As one member put it, "the AMC does a lot of good!"

• AMC Website



Thirteen Mile Woods Poster

iGo, uGo, we all go for eGo

The folks at eGo vehicles say they’re so much fun “you’ll be tempted to put cards in the spokes.”

That’s a smart statement that brings back childhood memories, describes the joy of the ride and at the same time clues you in to the quiet nature of the ride itself.

Launched in 2002 the eGo claims to be able to go up to 25 miles at 20 mph on a single charge – silently and pollution free.

”Ok,” so you say – “but then you have to recharge it.” Well, yes, but the eGO Cycle’s on-board charger allows "refueling" at any outlet for 10 cents worth of electricity.

"The eGO Cycle is the perfect product for the urban commuter, college student or gated community resident. It is dependable, fast, and emission free," said Andrew Kallfelz, President of eGO Vehicles. "We spent two years developing the eGO Cycle, and are now able to offer people the first street legal and safety compliant two-wheel personal electric vehicle."

The pedal-less cycle is unique, as its range is 36% greater than any other previously introduced electric scooter, bike or "transporter." The eGO Cycle gives anyone the opportunity to reconsider how they move around for fun or work," said Kallfelz.

The eGO Cycle can be ridden on any American street because it meets all National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety requirements, and with headlights, taillights, bicycle controls, large wheels and a low center of gravity it is safe and simple to operate for people of all ages.

Nearly 60 percent of all automobile trips are less than five miles, and 50% of trips are for personal (one passenger) transportation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "Today, Americans are thinking about new ways to get around. People want transportation convenience, young people want fun and everyone wants to find an alternative to oil and gas," said Kallfelz. In years to come the eGo, and other small personal transportation modalities may just be as commonplace as the automobile on local city and town streets.

eGO Vehicles, LLC
One Broadway, Suite 1400
Cambridge, MA 02142
USA
Phone: 800-979-4346 or 617-583-1379
Fax: 617-758-4101

A Look Inside Bonnie Brae Deer Farm

by Sheila Oranch

It is fawn season at Bonnie Brae and I am greeted by a green Totem Pole and a well-kept vintage barn. Postcard companies would pay for pictures of this front yard. Bonnie Brae Farms is a classic New England farmscape, maintaining a beachhead against all kinds of commercial development along busy Route 3 between Plymouth and Ashland.

The heart of the story here is about sustainable agriculture, preserving open space, diversifying food sources and good, old fashioned, New Hampshire independence. Two brothers, Henry and Bruce Ahern, established Bonnie Brae Farms to revitalize the family farm and to establish an enterprise that will support them when they retire. Although Henry Ahern and Cindy Downing run the farm, Bruce joins them for special projects. Henry and Bruce both have other careers – Henry is an authorized Apple Computer dealer and technician and operates HDA Technical Services. Deer farming enables them to maintain those activities while building for the future in a way that keeps them close to the land they love. Now that the major infrastructure is installed (watering systems, paddocks, handling shed and lots of fencing), caring for the herds only takes a couple of hours a day most of the year. It’s a walk in the park, actually.

I am treated to a tour of the deer farm by Henry, complete with seeing the new fawns close up. Red Deer are beautiful animals with winsome faces and varied personalities. Larger than Whitetail Deer (actually a branch of the Elk family), they are gentler and less skittish. The yearlings are separated from the breeding hinds (females) and their fawns as well as the big stags. The young animals are curious and greedy for a treat. Henry handles them like a flock of geese and they show no fear of him. He works with all the herds every day to keep them cooperative.

The impressive stags can grow up to 550 lbs. Henry took me into their paddock and it was a slightly intimidating experience. Some have earned names like Hercules. One character, Garibaldi, seems to crave Henry’s attention. He is not the biggest stag, but he certainly makes himself known. Generally, the stags are respectful of their handler, but he says during the roar (breeding season) they can be aggressive. The stags are competitive and have huge antlers.



You may already know the difference between a horn and an antler, but just in case you don’t, animals that have antlers, like these red deer, lose them annually. An animal with horns, a cow for example, does not lose its horns. For Bonnie Brae farm, these antlers are a profitable product of deer farming. They are an important part of natural nutritional, medical and fertility treatments and a real renewable resource, as they grow back each year. A healthy stag can live for up to 20 years, and the antler growth peaks at 10-12 years!

Venison, which is the first product that comes to mind for a deer farm, is a tasty, nutritious, lean meat. By culling the herds of surplus males, and females who don’t have the right personalities, the stock improves at the same time that a locally grown food is made available. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of FDA-approved slaughter facilities. The animals may have to be trucked 100 miles to be processed. Yet New England does not have quite enough demand to open a new facility. Henry has some creative ideas to solve that issue, but the plan is still in development.
Meanwhile, Bonnie Brae Farms sports a great big walk-in freezer from which they will sell you venison in many forms. I couldn’t resist taking home some beautiful, lean burger patties. Yum!
“Bonnie Brae” means “beautiful hillside” in Scottish. Red Deer are native to Scotland, England, Wales, Northern and Central Europe, and Yugoslavia. Is it a coincidence that these lovely hillside pastures support herds of these gentle Scottish cousins of the giant elk?

Just past the Bridgewater Power wood to energy facility. State regulations prohibit the public from touring the farm as you might tour a dairy farm like Bonnie Brae’s bovine cousin Longview Farm on the other side of town, but the deer can be viewed from Rte 3 as well as from the area around the parking for Bonnie Brae.

Bonnie Brae Farms
601 Daniel Webster Highway
Plymouth, NH 03264-4314
Phone (603) 536-3880
Fax (603) 536-2649
Website



Cloudspire Plymouth, NH: Order cards, prints

The Challenges of Going Green with Your Business

“Finding products and components that are sustainably made is a combination of measuring “footprints” and exercising good judgment and common sense. Here are some things that you should understand when assessing the “ green creds” of any product.” - Wayne D. King


The term green is an unregulated term that can mean many things to many people, similar to "natural" with food products.

A products green credential can be measured in many ways because there are many steps in the manufacturing process. For example, one of our products MOP, Maximum Oil Pickup is – without a doubt – the most sustainable product on the market among oil absorbents. Yet there are a number of companies laying claim to the “green-space” in this multi-billion dollar industry. One competitor of MOP uses a very energy intensive mining process to mine a "natural" product which they label as a "green" product. Since the product itself is a naturally occurring item, it is fair to say that the raw material for manufacturing the sorbent (the term of an absorbent product) is green, but the manufacturing process is decidedly NOT green. Some customers who are looking to be able to claim that they are using a green product may find this sufficiently acceptable, particularly if they are seeking "window dressing" rather than a genuinely sustainable product. Customers who are sincerely seeking to reduce their carbon footprint will see through this immediately. Furthermore, organizations that make determinations about this will see immediately the shortcomings of products that are "greenwashing".

“Finding products and components that are sustainably made is a combination of measuring “footprints” and exercising good judgment and common sense. Here are some things that you should understand when assessing the “ green creds” of any product.”


Choosing a green product in today’s environment is a challenging task. It’s important for two major reasons:

1. If you are sincerely working to reduce your company’s carbon footprint, or working toward measuring your triple bottom line, you want to be able to choose a company that has a truly sustainable product and manufacturing process.
2. Consumers and watchdog organizations have an increasing level of sophistication when it comes to products that claim some level of green-ness and are savvy when it comes to companies that are employing greenwashing techniques to position themselves in the market, but not really achieving a level of sustainability that reflects well on people who use their products.

Having said this, it is important to say that some common sense and good judgement needs to be employed in this process as well. For example: Suburu of America is arguably the greenest automobile company in the US today, even though they do not manufacture a single hybrid vehicle. Why is this? Because the sum total of all their environmental efforts and products add up to an impressive environmental record. They have no hybrids but among companies building cars in the US they have one of the highest MPG ranking across their fleet. Add to this, just in time and regionalized manufacturing and inventory systems that reduce their shipping and the fact that every one of their facilities in the US has achieved a zero carbon footprint and you see a total picture emerge that is more sustainable than you might expect at first blush.

So how do you measure the sustainability profile of a company that you are considering as a vendor?

Products and Processes
To begin with, you want to examine both their products and their manufacturing processes. The degree of sustainability for any product can run the gamut from a product that is completely carbon intensive from start to finish to a cradle-to-cradle green product that is produced sustainably and is completely green itself - made from 100% recycled and natural products, organic or fully recyclable.

Furthermore, it is certainly worth considering other factors that are relevant. For example a quart of strawberries grown in your community may be grown using a carbon-based fertilizer making them ineligible for the claim of organic. However, their carbon footprint is surely smaller than the same quart of strawberries grown organically but shipped across the country.

Every product is going to have a different story to tell based on its component parts, its manufacturing process and its recycle-ability. The choices you make will need to be based on both the goals of your company and the profile of your clients/customers in the context of other obvious considerations such as price points for the products, shipping issues etc.

Returning to the MOP product addressed at the beginning of this article, we were attracted to the product from the beginning by its green power across the broad spectrum of product and production. Ultimately, MOP achieves the highest possible level of sustainability, a cradle-to-cradle level, by first utilizing only recycled and organic materials and employing a production process that uses green hydroelectric energy as its power source. Their claims regarding this can all be verified and validated allowing a business considering utilizing their product the confidence to know that they will not be subject to claims of greenwashing or individuals and advocates questioning the validity of the claims or splitting hairs over whether the sustainability of the product is counteracted by the production process. Assuming under these circumstances that you can make the other aspects work for your financial bottom line, a product like this covers the social and environmental bottom lines to achieve success in reaching goals in your triple bottom line.


Wayne King is a recovering politician, author and political commentator and President of Moosewood Communications in Rumney, NH. He blogs from his space in the Blogosphere, Greener Minds: GreenerMinds.Blogspot.com where he advocates for a sustainable planet; and from the Moosewood Communications Blog MoosewoodCommunications.blogspot.com.
King holds a BS Degree in Earth Sciences and a Masters Degree in Earth & Space Science Education from the University of New Hampshire, Durham.

Ten Tips for improving Your Company’s Sustainability Profile

Its all about the triple bottom line. Embracing the bottom line in terms of economics, environmental, and social values. Your Green offices will embrace all of these values and your boss will love you for it because in addition to making the company look good, it will save money too.

1. Work with a certified waste management company and ask them to provide you with advice for minimizing waste, and where possible gleaning some returns for your efforts. Many companies, notably Waste Management, Inc., have created special e-cycling programs for computers and electronic waste as well as

2. Buy post-consumer recycled content paper. Many of the big dogs in office supply are now offering recycled paper as an option including Staples, Office Depot, Quill, Target, as well as some of the specialty companies like Dolphin Blue, Monadnock Paper, The Green Office and others.

3. Use recyclable products in your bathrooms and kitchen areas.

4. Get an energy audit. In many cases the utility company that provides your electricity also provides programs for auditing your energy use. At the very least you can be sure that they can refer you to a professional in your area.

5. Institute programs to encourage carpooling among employees.

6. Institute programs to provide flex-time and telecommuting. Putting your company’s primary databases and working documents on the web using an intranet will allow your workers to work from any locale with broadband access. Several companies now provide low cost web-based intranet, conferencing and meeting software solutions: Webex, GoToMeeting, TalkPoint, Phase2 and others have some very affordable options.

7. Surge protectors do more than just preventing surges. If you have appliances plugged into surge protectors shutting off the surge protector or unplugging it entirely will prevent leakage that can really add up. At the very least, make it company policy to shut down computers, turn off lights and appliances after hours.

8. Look for EnergyStar rated appliances and office equipment.

9. Limit paper products in the kitchen and encourage employees to bring dishware from home.

10. Purchase renewable energy credits for your office, and offset your air travel, gas mileage and more.

Go Green Longsleeve Shirt - $32.77

New Hampshire's Mountain Lion Mystery

by Peg Rosen
Images Courtesy Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

Imagine yourself driving a New Hampshire road at night, the winding pavement illuminated by the splay of the headlights. Suddenly, at the outer edges of your vision you glimpse an animal by the roadside, large and light in color with a long tail You stop to try and get a good look, but it’s gone. “I just saw a mountain lion!” you exclaim to yourself. But mountain lions disappeared from the forests and fields of New Hampshire long ago. Or did they? Do you believe your eyes? Or not?

You wouldn’t be alone in wondering. Numerous New Hampshire residents have encountered the mountain lion mystery Like all good mysteries, trying to discover whether mountain lions exist today in New Hampshire opens the door to a myriad of additional unanswered questions, intriguing clues and divided debate.

The Eastern Cougar (mountain lion), one of 15 subspecies of cougar living in North America, was native to our area at the time of settlement. Also called puma, cougar, catamount and panther, the eastern cougar roamed the landscape preying primarily on deer for food. Elusive and not often seen even in colonial times, its existence was threatened by land clearing for agriculture and logging. The deforestation resulted in habitat changes affecting the availability of prey and cover for protection. In addition, fearful pioneers hunted mountain lions relentlessly, adding to their decline. By the late 1800‚s, the cougar population had been hunted and displaced out of existence east of the Mississippi.

However, throughout the many years since the large, tawny cat was officially declared extirpated from the region, reports continued to trickle in from individuals claiming to have seen one. Today, apparent sightings occur regularly.. According to Mark Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, several dozen sightings are reported each year in New Hampshire. In efforts to validate what may be credible reports, Fish and Game Department biologists ask observers the Who, Where, When and What of the incident and look for patterns of sightings, such as flurries or clusters of reports in a particular area. In order to confirm any sighting, the Department’s “greatest focus is on the existence of hard evidence, such as photos or videos, tracks, scat, hair samples”. On the official record to date, there has not been any piece of hard evidence available that can positively confirm a single sighting. But those who claim to have seen one of the big cats are often quite passionate about their belief in what they saw or found. For those who believe that the cougars have returned, each new sighting and testimony is a validation of that belief.

John Harrigan, a farmer and writer in Colebrook, has been keeping track of “sighting stories” since approximately 1978 and states that “the table is set” for these animals, with deer in abundance and the cougar’s willingness to feed on everything from mice to deer to young moose. With plenty of prey and still adequate forest cover, “there is no reason why there couldn”t be a viable cougar population in New Hampshire.” He applies his own version of questioning to the reports, designed to winnow out the least reliable: How far away was the viewer? What were the lighting weather, and forest cover conditions? How long was the animal in view? Mr. Harrigan declares that “although I am inherently skeptical, there is no doubt we have 2 or 3 cats, even denning females.” His conviction about the presence of reproducing cougars comes partly from several significant sighting reports that occurred in 1988-89 in broad daylight during summer months. He feels these indicate a denning female was taking chances, desperate to feed her young. Although Mr. Harrigan is one of the more vocal advocates of the mountain lion’s presence, there appear to be plenty of other proponents of the idea, as evidenced by the steady stream of reported sightings..

The opposing argument, however, can be quite persuasive when based on the premise that sightings are suspect unless validated by hard physical evidence. Dave Erler, Senior Naturalist at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, New Hampshire, acknowledges that, although he would very much like to see the mountain lion return to this part of the country where it was an inhabitant before any of us, there is a decided lack of confirming evidence, especially tracks. “An animal that big and heavy couldn’t possibly travel through the snow in New Hampshire and not leave tracks.” Mr. Ellingwood also says that if they were here, we would have something more definitive by now to solve the mystery. “In talking with other biologists in Florida where they have confirmed the presence of the Florida Panther, we‚ve learned that wherever there are cougars, there is no lack of evidence.”

Mr. Harrigan refutes the lack of evidence theory with reasons for the missing elements of proof, explaining that scat, tracks, bits of hair and even deer carcass from a kill will not last long unless an effort is made by the finder to preserve them effectively. Some who hold the view that the cougar is extinct here argue that a cat and car collision would otherwise have occurred by now. But could a case for their presence be made on the idea that such a small number of cats might be able to avoid that type of human contact? What about the compelling stories of sightings told by, according to Harrigan, “keen individuals who have no reason to make something like that up”? Mark Ellingwood concedes that “the people registering reports are reasonable individuals who, even though we (Fish and Game) try to remain objective and respectful of their claim, seem perplexed when we tell them their evidence is not definitive enough for confirmation”.

If the reported sightings haven’t been substantiated by physical evidence and cougars aren’t here, what are people seeing that looks like a mountain lion? Some sightings have been determined to be a matter of mistaken identity, the creature later identified as a bobcat, housecat, or other animal. But in circumstances with good viewing conditions, it would seem difficult to not recognize the distinctive size, shape, color and cat-like movements of a mountain lion

And if the great cats are indeed back, where did they come from? Are they holdouts from the original natives who have remained in Maine or the Canadian Maritime Provinces and have migrated back to our state? Although a mountain lion’s territory range can be vast and migration of some western cougars seem to have occurred in the Midwest based on confirmed sightings there, Ellingwood states that “even though it’s not impossible, the dispersal distances seem too great„ to make migration a likely scenario”, while Harrigan observes that “animals don’t pay attention to borders” and seemingly credible sightings in eastern Canada put the mountain lion in range of our state. Or perhaps the sightings are of escaped or released exotic pets. Could a cougar kept in captivity make it‚s way as a wild creature and manage to survive? Some say “yes”, some say “no”. Cougar strength, agility and power is certainly evident in the physical appearance of the two captive mountain lions at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Brought to the Center from Montana as orphaned two-week-old cubs, they could not have survived without their mother. But, now, as full-grown adults, they seem to possess the physical qualities needed to hunt in our wilderness. But would they know how or be able to learn quickly enough? Who can say if a sighting is of a native Eastern Cougar, an escaped cousin from captivity, or nothing related to a cougar at all?

As long as there are unconfirmed sightings, there will be a mountain lion mystery. “Are there mountain lions in New Hampshire?” Mr. Erler has created categories for the possible responses: Category #1. “Don't know, don't care”, Category #2 “Yep, they’re here”, Category #3. “Nope, they're not here”, and Category #4. “Not sure - wish I could believe they were, but not enough proof to support the notion”.

In what category would you place yourself?


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Sumac "Lemon"ade & Tea

No doubt you've seen them before. Sumac is a plant that grows wild all over much of North America. It will grow in places where it seems inhospitable to almost any plant. And it makes a great tea or lemonade from late fall right on through spring when the old clusters dry out and are replaced with new ones that will be tasteless until the end of summer.

There are several species of sumac but you want the Staghorn variety for your tea (pictured at left). Its upright cluster of red seeds and distinctive velvety feel on the newer growth is a sure sign that you are using the correct sumac.

If you are nervous about this because you may have heard of Poison Sumac, don't be. Poison Sumac is actually much more rare and has white berries that droop. It is impossible to mistake for the more common Staghorn variety.

Making Sumac-ade is quite easy. Gather a grocery size bag of the clusters. Take a large pot and fill it with fresh water and put the clusters right into the water. Using your hands, crush the clusters until they break apart in the water and allow them to steep for an hour or two. Drain the liquid through cheesecloth or some other clean, disposable cloth, toss the clusters in your compost pile, add sweetener to taste (for lemonade) and voila!.

If you like it as tea, you need not go through the process above but can steep a handfull of the seeds in hot water for just a few minutes and sweeten as you like it. You can also hang the pods to dry and store them for later.

A Peoples Revolution in Iran Calls for A Peoples Army of Support

Obama should Encourage Citizens of the World to Unite Around Iranian Freedom, creating a movement that draws its moral authority from free people everywhere.

President Obama has taken just the right measured approach in the crisis in Iran. Not because we shouldn't be speaking out for the rights of Iran's citizens and for the rightness of transparancy and integrity within a system that claims the mantle of democracy, but because in the context of this crisis, governing institutions (read US Government, British Government, Iranian Government) are irrellevant - even counter-productive to the debate.

The cadre of thugs controlling Iran - by virtue of a blatantly rigged election and the brutal suppression of their own citizens exercising what should be their right to demand redress - have relinquished their moral authority to speak for the people of Iran.

There is nothing to be gained and much to be lost if President Obama gives the Mullahs in Iran a reason to hang the US around the necks of protestors. This is why even those who have cried out for support in Iran have asked for INTERNATIONAL support not US support; and most simply agree that the US government should try not to become entangled in the crisis.

On the other hand, "we the people" are under no such constraints. The people of the world have been speaking out and will continue to so do. If there are ways for us to broaden our efforts, we are willing to do that as well and "We the People" do have the moral authority to weigh in, where governments may not tread.

As we weigh in on the side of the people of Iran who yearn for real freedom, let us also not miss the other lessons that we can glean from this crisis:

1. Iran has a deep well of indigenous democratic thought. If thoughtful, honest and independent leaders emerge from this crisis, now or in the near future, Iran can be a central force for good in this troubled region of the world;

2. Democratic nations could be weighing in on the Community of Nations issue. Letting those who are on the fence in Iran know that under the right circumstances Iran could truly become a leader in the struggle for a more peaceful and democratic world.

3. Democracy cannot cohabitate with Theocracy. Any nation that views itself primarily based on a religious identity - Christian, Islamic, Buddhist or otherwise - will see Democratic thought and institutions poisoned by the toxic brew of theocratic intollerance and despotism in the guise of government.

Light in the Window of Stone House

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Citizen Journalists Bring the Uprising Home

No matter what the outcome of the next few days in Iran, the Genie is out of the bottle in Iran and the people of the country will continue to press for changes. 20 years ago - as with the Chinese in Tienneman Square - the government could have hidden this and gotten away with it. Today, the citizen journalist will not be kept down (Time Magazine please note: My vote for person of the Year 2009 is the citizen journalist) for all of the drawbacks to having our reporting coming from people who are in the middle of the news stories, we can't avoid the truth that without the tools of web 2.0 and the young people who are using those tools to bring the uprising to us, we would all be in the dark. The fact that the state department asked Twitter to delay maintenance work on the website speaks volumes for its value.

President Obama has handled the crisis brilliantly. Stand up for democracy and human rights - stand down on the personalities and the specifics of the uprising, lest they be tarred as puppets of the west. It's really political science 101 though some pretty high ranking US political leaders seem to have been out drinking during that class (take note Sen McCain and Rep Pence).

Green Promise Seen in Switch to LED LightingGreen Promise Seen in Switch to LED Lighting

From the NY Times

Jeffrey Sauger for The New York Times

LED streetlights in Ann Arbor, Mich., are expected to cut maintenance and electricity costs.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL and FELICITY BARRINGER

Published: May 29, 2009

To change the bulbs in the 60-foot-high ceiling lights of Buckingham Palace’s grand stairwell, workers had to erect scaffolding and cover precious portraits of royal forebears.

This is the second in a series of articles about stopgap measures that could limit global warming. Future articles will address appliance-efficiency standards, transportation, reducing global-warming gases other than carbon dioxide and other efforts.

So when a lighting designer two years ago proposed installing light emitting diodes or LEDs, an emerging lighting technology, the royal family readily assented. The new lights, the designer said, would last more than 22 years and enormously reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions — a big plus for Prince Charles, an ardent environmentalist. Since then, the palace has installed the lighting in chandeliers and on the exterior, where illuminating the entire facade uses less electricity than running an electric teakettle.

In shifting to LED lighting, the palace is part of a small but fast-growing trend that is redefining the century-old conception of lighting, replacing energy-wasting disposable bulbs with efficient fixtures that are often semi-permanent, like those used in plumbing.

Full article

Concerns Grow Over Sugar Maples in Midst of Global Warming

Some see the magnificent Sugar Maple as New England's version of the canary in the mineshaft of global warming.

A growing number of scientists, lay people, and those who's vocations and avocations regularly bring them into contact with Sugar Maples are expressing alarm over the potential economic and environmental impact of a changing climate on the species and the New England region.

"At first blush," says Wayne King, an environmental consultant and owner of Moosewood Communications, " few people have an appreciation for how broadly the Sugar Maple is linked to the New England economy and the New England psyche. But if you stop and think about it for just a moment, you will see why it is so. The Sugar Maple is deeply ingrained in us, from the stunning colors of autumn to the warmth of a woodstove and the sweet euphoria of real maple syrup on warm pancakes."

"What creates concern among those of us who understand the nexus of cultural, scientific and economic factors associated with sugar maples," King continues, " is that the species seems to be particularly sensitive to climate changes. "

An exquisitely sensitive tree, the sugar maple has a wide variety of residents, ecologists and scientists worried about how it will fare if Northeast temperatures rise as projected during the next century of climate change.


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Links:

Join the Google Sugar Maple Group. Post your thoughts, links, ideas and read those of other interested in the magnificent Sugar Maple.

NH Public Radio
In New England, Concern Grows for Sugar Maple by Ketzel Levine

Read piece Listen

Guardian of the Lupine

Floodplain Forests - Protecting a Unique NH Biosystem

Langdon Park - Plymouth, NH one of NH's finest examples of a floodplain forest where environmental and community interests blend to protect a beautiful forest and to provide for the recreational needs of the community.
Image: Wayne D. King

Floodplain forests - once abundant along river corridors - now account for less than two percent of New Hampshire. The Nature Conservancy and the US Army Corps of Engineers have announced that they will be conducting a study of these unique forests to learn how to protect them while still safeguarding cities and towns from floods.

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Listen to a radio piece from NH Public Radio
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Floodplain Forests represent a very unique ecological niche in New Hampshire. The mix of species varies in different regions of the state but all share some unique characteristics associated with the flooding, scouring and draining that takes place every year in them.

In the central NH area they are represented by canopies of large trees, often silver maples which are rarely found anywhere else in the hardwood forests of the region. Huge ostrich ferns, sensitive ferns and interrupted ferns creating a lush carpet along the forest floor, interspersed with streams, oxbows, and wallows.

According to Kimberly Lutz, director of The Nature Conservancy's Connecticut River Program, "Floodplain forests are an important biological community and we know very little about them.

We know that dams and other alterations of river flow can harm floodplain forests. We know that they are threatened by conversion to development and agriculture. And we know that floodplain forests can actually help alleviate floods' damaging effects on communities by holding high water and easing the impact of flooding."

But we know little about their dynamics -- like the volume, duration and timing of high-water events that enables them to survive. There have been studies of trees and other plant life in floodplain forests. And there have been other studies of elevational profiles and flow modeling. But there have been no studies that combine the two in a comprehensive way.

That's where the Nature Conservancy's study comes in. Over the next two years Christian Marks of the Conservancy and his crew will be lead an ambitious field study of floodplain forests throughout the entire Connecticut River watershed, looking at the effects of flow and elevation on trees and other flora.





Links

A Question of Flow for Floodplain Forests
Framed by enormous, towering silver maples, Christian Marks walks waist-deep in ferns, spreading out a foot of yellow measuring tape with each step
The Nature Conservancy's Floodplain Forest Project

The Sustainable Rivers Project -- A partnership of The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Partnership in Action

The future of many American rivers rests with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, empowered by Congress to manage the nation’s waterways. As the largest water manager and hydropower producer in the United States, the Corps owns more than 600 dams, controls levees and administers river locks that allow for navigation, making it an essential partner in the Conservancy's goal to achieve lasting river conservation in the United States.

In 2002, the Conservancy and the Corps launched a historic partnership to find new ways of conserving and protecting freshwater habitats while meeting human needs for water. Named the Sustainable Rivers Project, it is an important example of the Conservancy’s freshwater conservation work. Sustainable Rivers promotes innovative water management practices through work at demonstration sites, staff exchanges and software development. A focal challenge in the partnership is finding ways to manage floods so that key ecological processes, such as fish spawning and forest regeneration, can persist, while human settlements are protected.

Video

A Natural Focus: Floodplain
www.howstuffworks.com

The richest, deepest soils of the Holyoke Range are found by the riverside. To thrive here, plants must be able to withstand frequent flooding.

videos.howstuffworks.com

Fawn Among the Ferns

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Maintaining Perspective on the Pandemic

President Obama stated that we are "concerned but not alarmed" over the developments regarding the flu pandemic. The president is calm by nature, of course, but his demeanor on this front is particularly important in order to make sure that what is a source of concern does not become an unnecessary and calamitous amendment to the economic maelstrom in which we already find ourselves.

Panic and political opportunism both threaten to exacerbate the current international economic crisis. In order for cooler heads to prevail lets all agree to help tamp down the fear by using a few of these important facts to add some perspective to discussions that we are part of over the next few months.

1. A Pandemic is a world wide epidemic. We have an annual pandemic of the flu EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The question is always how serious is the pandemic NOT whether there is one.

2. The recent name change from Swine Flu to H1N1 Virus reflects the fact that we still do not know the actual origins of the flu but we know that it is genetically composed of viruses from past flu viruses including swine flue, avian (Bird) flu, SARS and possibly some others. In any case it is not spread by eating meat of ANY Variety. Calling it a swine flu has already had a serious detrimetal effect on pork producers, who have seen orders for their product plummet.
Additionally, always looking for a way to take advantage of an international crisis to violate world trade agreements and enhance their cash flow, countries like Russia are making a cynical play to close their borders to the importation of pork and in some cases other meats.

3. On any given year more than 36,000 people die from complications of the Flu in the US alone. So far, deaths from the H1N1 Virus are fewer than 300 in Mexico where it is believed to have started.

Before its all over, it could get much worse and there is no doubt that we should continue to operate as members of the Obama adminstration have said "with an abundance of caution",

Useful links:

Mapping the outbreak
Virus is 'a mild strain'
Your questions answered
Q&A: Advice about swine flu


Pelican Puppet


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The Iroquois Flag

The five shapes, often called "devices" represent the five original tribes. From left to right they represent the Seneca, the keepers of the Western Door; the Cayugas, the "people of the marsh" and "keepers of the Great Pipe"; The Onondaga, who were the "name bearers" who kept the wampum belt that contained the history of the Iroquois; the Oneida, the "stone people" symbolized by the Great Tree; and lastly the Mohawk, the "keepers of the eastern door".

Utility Companies Slow to Embrace LED Savings

Utility Control of Street Lighting Costing Communities Millions

While some utility companies like Duke Energy in South Carolina and the NH Electric Cooperative here in NH have aggressively gotten into the energy conservation business, many utility companies nationally have really only tinkered at the edges on energy conservation issues and there remain substantial existing conflicts of interest that drive higher utility costs for consumers, particularly municipal and business consumers.

Top among these existing conflicts are high energy consuming outdoor lighting sources, especially streetlights and parking area lights.

Most citizens are unaware that the cost of streetlights and municipal parking areas in their communities are paid for in their town budget, but that control of the lights themselves, in most cases, remains in the hands of utility companies. This despite the fact that the technology now exists to affordably shave 80-90% of these operational costs.

The average 400 Watt incandescent streetlight today - costs between $170 - $250 per year for electricity, and another $100 for maintenance. An LED street light, producing the same amount of light costs less than $50 for combined electricity and maintenance.

Of course the big challenge of the LED transformation is the cost of LED technology. However, with the new retrofit patent from Best LED now the cost of LED technology has been cut dramatically.

Utility companies would be wise to begin making the switch because when consumers realize that their taxes are millions of dollars higher because of this it won't be long before they begin to demand that the change be made.

Download LED Retrofit PDF



Flower and Vase in Window Light
Image by Wayne D. King


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Cap and Trade Postponement Will Shift Emphasis to Conservation

While all of the goals of President Obama's budget have been honored by the Democrats in the House and the Senate appears to be poised to offer similar support, it is clear that the important structural aspects of Cap and Trade policy will not be a part of the budget.

This means that the lions share of Green funding within the budget and in any subsequent stimulus will focus on conservation.

While some may be disappointed with this, in actuality, it is probably the best approach anyway. A lot of savings and carbon reduction can be achieved through conservation measures which, in point of fact, are usually the most cost effective ways to go green.

Sadly, the Republicans remain "the party of no" - irrelevant to efforts to stimulate the economy or reposition the country to compete in the global economy. For those who are hard core partisans, this will come as good news. The further isolation of the Republican party will extend their period wandering in the wilderness.

We don't subscribe to this notion. We believe that a strong two party system is the engine of innovation in government and a dramatically weakened Republican party is bad for the country in the long run. In the short run however, given the level of intransigence from the Republican Leadership, it is essential to the success of the Green agenda that the Republicans remain weak until a core of them realize that it is time to desert the party for the good of the country and Obama can begin to try once again to build a post partisan majority.