Carbon Tax and Travel

I recently received an email from the political action group, MoveOn.org about a new campaign entitled “Stop Price Gouging.” Their original goal was to collect 350,000 signatures, they are now approaching 500,000. I have also received a few local circulating emails, about the need to increase the gas tax. Even with record prices, we are still increasing our demand for fuel. Peak oilers are saying that prices will need to reach $7/gallon before we dramatically shift our lifestyles. With global warming now upon us and peak oil around the corner, the need for dramatic shifts in lifestyle should be understood. But it isn’t and the record profits that the oil industry is seeing don't help.

All this got me to feeling guilty on Memorial Day Weekend. Did I want to contribute to this mass exodus of folks using more and more energy traveling for the weekend, especially with gas inventories being so low? But then a friend reminded me (who cycles around town regularly), that holidays are the time when you want to use your car. Taking the bus, cycling to work—that is where most of us can make the biggest impact on energy savings. If we need to drive, taking the kids on a 3-hour drive to Montana for a few days to hang out at the hot springs (in a mini-van with my cousins and their kids) is the probably an okay use our precious resources. Of course, I would have preferred to hop on high-speed train to Missoula and bussed the rest of the way - but not an option. The guilt wore off once I saw the kids having a blast in the pools.

But we are not alone, Canada’s complaining, too. Here is a great article from the Toronto Star on the need for a carbon tax. | Juliet

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/217825

Root Digging in Harrington

The second week of May, the kids and I were invited to go Root Digging with the Spokane Indians outside of Harrington, WA. We arrived slightly late and proceeded to get lost the last 1/2 mile, but eventually found the group of students from Wellpinit looking for Camas Root.

We didn't bring a digging stick or a bag, but borrowed some, were shown which plants to look for and we were off. The area was barren, hot and windy. Dust was blowing and the plants were dry, but my kids proceeded to get extremely excited. The thrill of finding the plant (and they weren't even planted there!) and then digging for the bulbous root brought out the competitive spirit in both of them. They were also thrilled to see real Spokane Indians, especially the long-haired teenage ones that seem to bring out open-mouthed admiration in my children.

On our drive from the root digging area to the lunch/picnic spot on the shores of Twin Lakes, we rode with a employee from the Bureau of Land Management and Native American. He proceeded to discuss with me all the ways that they enjoy the starchy root, some put in a pudding, some dry it and make a flour, some just dry it and snack on it (his preferred method) and how pervasive root digging still is to native culture. At Twin Lakes a representative from the BLM thanked everyone for participating and thanked the earth for providing for us even in the most barren of places. // Juliet

Village Building In Portland

The City Repair Project in Portland is hosting a Village Building Convergence from May 18-27. If you aren't familiar with Mark Lakemand the City Repair, check out his website below. They are doing amazing grassroots community-building work there. The Convergence is a hands-n event that runs throughout the city. Citizens, participants, etc. will build over 30 ecological gathering places throughout the city of cob construction (mud, straw and grasses). They also have an eveining speakers series focussing on placemaking, neoindigeneity and urban permaculture.

The beauty of the City Repair projects are that they are so simple, cost next to nothing, can be implemented in most neighborhoods and are extremely successful (in Portland at least) at building community. //Juliet

Go to: http://www.cityrepair.org/wiki.php/wow