Fermenting Fruits!

So we’ve been picking up a ridiculous amount of fruits — apples, bananas, raspberries, etc. — from our dumpster excursions.  It’s more than we could possibly eat before it goes bad so we’ve been following Max B.’s favorite way of preservation by fermenting our own wine:)

It’s a pretty simple process really.  Most recently we did raspberry/watermelon and a banana wine.  So the process:

1. Chop up all your fruit and dump it into a pot of water.
2. Add sugar (we’ve been adding a few cups to our giant pots)
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Cool and cover with a cloth (rubber band/tie so it’s tight)  – This will keep things like fruit flies out, but let wild yeast enter (yes, there’s wild yeast all around and in the air!)
5. When you feel up to it remove all the fruit chunks (as we did with the raspberries below) and transfer into bottles.  (you can cover these with a cloth again or get some carboy stoppers at a local brew shop/online). We basically just reuse any old bottles we can find.
6. Wait for as long as you can — the longer you wait the more alcoholic (we have trouble with this step and only ever make it past a couple weeks by shear laziness)
7. DRINK!

   

   

   

   
   
   

Food…+money?

Rachel, Alix, Corinne, and Micky went out to check out our dumpster and a couple others for what we expected might be a pretty good night, we underestimated — big time.

At our first stop we met a bunch of skaters, one of which hopped into the bin with us, wondering what we were doing.  He was down with the whole thing, but when we said he could have some of the stuff we found he wasn’t so sure.

We ended up bringing home a ridiculous number of treats from mango sorbet to mac&cheese balls to chocolate muffins, mango salsa, yogurt, lots of bell peppers, loaves of bread, 15 apple pies/lemon tarts/other pastry stuff, eggs again, bok choy, more salads, 3 boxes of cereal, gallon of milk, two crates of water, gorgeous flowers, bagels, more meat…when we rolled back to the house around 2:30am we were pleasantly surprised to find most people up and we all had a loud binge eating session while sorting through our bounty.  We might have to do a free pie day tomorrow or something, our storage space is at capacity.

The most surprising item of all, however, we found inside a bagel dumpster we randomly went to while waiting for the TJs to close.  Having passed a Bank of America we joked about perhaps dumpstering some money.  Well, turns out in the bagel dumpster we found a whole wallet with $270! Also in the wallet, this girls ID, her SS card, everything.  Despite our desperate need for a vacuum, we decided the best course of action was to find her and Jeanne ended figuring out her number and we’re hoping the wallet will be back in it’s owners hands shortly:)

Love, TTT

On Radio, Women’s Voices, and Hip-Hop Activism in West Africa

In February, I traveled to West Africa with Indymedia to meet with media activists from Africa and around the world.  To quote the IMC website, Indymedia (or “Independent Media Center”) is “a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media’s distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.” Indymedia activists from around the world were in Dakar, Senegal for a “convergence” or gathering, intended to strengthen solidarity between African movements and other groups from around the world, build media production and distribution skills within these groups, and to provide in-depth coverage of the World Social Forum, which was taking place in Dakar at the same time.

IMC-Africa Convergence at the opening day demonstrations of the World Social Forum. Feb 6, 2011.

Over 50 people participated in this Indymedia Africa Convergence (which was the 4th Convergence to take place on the continent – 2004-Dakar, 2006-Nairobi, 2007-Bamako), and participants came from 11 different countries in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea), 1 person from Germany and several others from the US.

My experience at the convergence definitely intensified my excitement about radio – and highlighted the importance of recognizing the local relevance of a particular information medium, and adapting to this reality. This past year, I have become really interested in both the technical and production sides of radio. As some of you might know (or listen!!) I began hosting a radio show with my friend Juell, as part of Radiohive Collective in New York. I worked with Clara from Democracy Now! and Newsic (on Radiohive) at the WGXC Prometheus Barnraising to build a 10Watt transmitter which we will soon be pirate broadcasting with. And I have filed several stories with Free Speech Radio News, which broadcasts on over 100 stations across the US. Working with DeeDee Halleck on the Waves of Change project has broadened my understanding of community media globally, and what functions on a local level (In fact, Waves of Change and Deep Dish collaborated with Indymedia to fundraise a good chunk of the budget that allowed more to participate in the convergence – including me!).

But to be able to get to know some of the people that I worked with at the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, and learn about their local realities, brought my understanding of the importance of radio to another level. I met community radio organizers from Nairobi, Kenya (KOCH FM) and Soweto, South Africa (in particular Molefi Ndlovu from the Center for Civil Society, RASA FM) who work with youth from the slums to expose and discuss issues faced by their communities that are not covered by mainstream media. Molly Stentz from WORT community radio (Madison, WI – !!!) helped organize live radio streaming so that these radio activists from Indymedia chapters in South Africa, Kenya, and others, could connect and discuss their experiences with like-minded Indymedia folk in Madison.

Radio Live Stream with WORT in Madison Wisconsin.

Others that participated in this radio broadcast, and who I spoke with extensively throughout the convergence, included Jean-Baptiste from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who works to end violence against women and youth, in a country where sexual violence is chronic; Charles, a music producer from Zimbabwe who works with hip-hop artists to produce CDs with political messages (Soundz of the South), which are distributed to taxi and bus drivers since government censorship prevents any other form of distribution (stay tuned for Radiohive show next week 3/22, featuring his music and an interview I did with him!). I also had ongoing conversations with Jules, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide about French complicity in the genocide, as well as other ways that France continues to impose its neo-colonial policies throughout francophone Africa.

Alongside Mali Indymedia, and with the guidance of Norm Stockwell (also from WORT community radio in Madison, WI), we also had a workshop in which we built a radio antenna ourselves from materials bought in Dakar (I was one of the people that spearheaded this mission – definitely a challenge to find “SO239 connector” and “step-down transformers” and “coaxial cables” in a french-speaking country, when I know only roughly how to explain those parts and what they do in English).

I also got to meet Stella Chuku, from the Niger Delta in Nigera, who organizes radio shows with women from rural communities that are affected by oil extraction. Stella was also in charge of the cooking crew, which made food for 50 people every day!!! A big topic of conversation was the “peppe” (“pepper”) – Nigerian food was too spicy for many of the delegates, particularly those from Mali…

Stella Chuku and Russell Shoatz from Philly cooking. (photo by Amy Dalton)

Kebetkache Niger Delta Women’s Organization leads a march from the Convergence Center to the World Social Forum. Emem Okun (founder and Executive Director), is on the right.

Dorothy Ejuwa from Ugborodo Women’s Forum in Nigeria, who participated in the take over of the Chevron Oil Tank Farm in 2002.

Windy Grace Mamman and Dorothy Ejuwa opening their first email accounts…! (you can hear Grace in this radio piece!)

All in all, 15 women came from the Niger delta to participate in the IMC Convergence and World Social Forum. I spent a lot of time with them, teaching basic computer literacy, and helping them to open their first email accounts. This is a radio piece I developed based on my interviews with Stella, Grace, and Emem, which aired on Free Speech Radio News across the country for International Women’s Day Centennial (March 8th).

Nigerian women lead the struggle against environmental and social problems caused by oil companies The West-African nation of Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and while the industry has created billions of dollars in revenue it also has led to corruption, repression and devastated the health and environment of many communities. But in the Niger Delta, women are fighting back. FSRN’S Nicole Hummel files this report.

After the convergence, I got to travel with Sphinx and the Mali Indymedi group back to Bamako (capital of Mali) on a 48-hour bus journey across the Sahel to help with setting up a community radio station, which will be managed collectively by several different organizations (including: L’Association Malienne des Expulsés (Association of Malian Deportees), Coalition des Alternatives Africaines Dette et Developpement (Coalition of African Alternatives, Debt and Development), le Mouvement des Sans Voix (Movement of the Voiceless), and others..). The bus journey of over 1,300 km took two full days – we had to spend the night at the Senegal/Mali border because they don’t let people cross past 10pm, and customs forced us to get off the bus and search our bags at each city once we crossed the border. Everyone explained that this is due to AQMI (Al Qaeda branch that is in Northern Mali), which operates a large drug trade throughout the region, but a big part of it also seems to be corruption within the customs enforcement officers.

Mali delegation + Sphinx and Nicole traveling back to Bamako

Baobab Tree!

bags being searched… again.

Once in Bamako, I co-facilitated a workshop with Sphinx called “Demystifying Radio” about the technical explanation of how radio works, and helped interpret from English to French – the workshop was also explained in Bambara, a local language in Mali. I also helped to demonstrate the equipment set-up, and visited some potential sites for the radio with the local groups heading up the project. This week they are beginning pirate broadcasts in Bamako, feeling a sense of urgency to mobilize their constituencies through the radio.

Sphinx and Nicole facilitate “Demystifying Radio” workshop. Mamadou Coulibaly.

When Sphinx and I came back to Senegal before returning home to the US, we met with a bunch of people interested in forming a chapter of Indymedia in Senegal. Among the people involved, is a group of conscious hip-hop artists, Keur Gui, which is mobilizing many Senegalese people demanding the end of corruption in the government, under the head of Abdoulaye Wade. You can hear some of their music in West Africa Simmering . They are planning a huge demonstration on March 19, and see themselves as part of the same popular movements mobilizing for change across the Middle East and North Africa!

Keur Gui street art in Dakar.

Sphinx and I spent a lot of time together as a result of all of this work and travel – and he is a really amazing person! He was a core organizer of the convergence and a long-time Indymedia activist in exile from Cameroon, where he participated in the anti-government students movements of the 1990s. Here is an interview I did with him on Best of Both Worlds:

West Africa Simmering – Best of Both Worlds (Radiohive) From the Indymedia Africa Convergence, to a recent crackdown on hip-hop activists in Senegal, to women fighting back in the Niger Delta, to a new community radio in Mali… Tonight Best of Both Worlds explores the uprising that is simmering West Africa. Tune in for stories from women’s movements in the Niger Delta, music and updates from the musicians/activists of Keur Gui, and an interview with Indymedia’s Sphinx. Featuring music from the Lijadu Sisters (Nigeria) and Keur Gui (Kaolack, Senegal).

Soooo…!!! I’m still processing a lot of this experience, but it has already impacted my work. First of all, I feel a renewed sense of drive in the organizing and reporting work that I do. I also gained a lot of clarity into my identity as a white person from a wealthy country, and the role I can play in fostering solidarity as opposed to doing charity work. This focus on solidarity v. charity is based on an intentional critique of the NGO model that is rampant in Africa, which tends to be imposed in a top-down and controlled by the north. The solidarity model comes from a focus on supporting and collaborating with community-based groups and social movements that are community-driven.

 

LOVE + SOLIDARITY,

Nicole

 

 

Some other links:

http://imc-africa.mayfirst.org – the website built for the convergence that continues to be updated by all participants, includes audio, video, photos, and written reflections…

http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2011/03/72485.php – Nick from IMC Houston interviews me about the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, especially looking at the radio in Africa, programming/logistics of the convergence, and workshops we had.

Compost numero dos

After all the rearranging we’ve done in the backyard–with the garden, a new chicken pen/coop area, replanting the garden, moving the compost into the chicken area–we finally got around to building a second tier compost.

We built all four walls out of it from a giant piece of wood that was just laying around in the backyard.  Thanks Drew for rummaging for nails and putting the thing together:) Now hopefully some earthworms will find their way into all the dirt.

Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin?

By Kiera Butler, Mother Jones Online
Posted on April 13, 2010, Printed on April 14, 2010
http://www.alternet.org/story/146439/

 

This is about the time of year when I start keeping packages of veggie burgers in the freezer, just in case of an impromptu barbecue. In the past, I haven’t had much fake meat brand loyalty: I’ve found that once I smother my hunk of textured vegetable protein in barbeque sauce, all soy patties are pretty much created equal. But after reading a recent investigation by the Cornucopia Institute, I’m going to be a lot more picky: The food and agriculture nonprofit found that most non-organic veggie burgers currently on the market are made with the chemical hexane, an EPA-registered air pollutant and neurotoxin.

In order to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers, manufacturers of soy-based fake meat like to make their products have as little fat as possible. The cheapest way to do this is by submerging soybeans in a bath of hexane to separate the oil from the protein. Says Cornucopia Institute senior researcher Charlotte Vallaeys, “If a non-organic product contains a soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or texturized vegetable protein, you can be pretty sure it was made using soy beans that were made with hexane.”

If you’ve heard about hexane before, it was likely in the context of gasoline—the air pollutant is also a byproduct of gas refining. But in 2007, grain processors were responsible for two-thirds of our national hexane emissions. Hexane is hazardous in the factory, too: Workers who have been exposed to it have developed both skin and nervous system disorders. Troubling, then, that the FDA does not monitor or regulate hexane residue in foods. More worrisome still: According to the report, “Nearly every major ingredient in conventional soy-based infant formula is hexane extracted.”

The Cornucopia Institute found that a number of popular veggie burgers were made with hexane. The list (pdf, page 37, and below) is longer than you might think:

Amy’s Kitchen

Boca Burger, conventional

Franklin Farms

Garden Burger

It’s All Good Lightlife

Morningstar Farms

President’s Choice

Taste Above

Trader Joe’s

Yves Veggie Cuisine

Hexane-free products:

Boca Burgers “Made with organic soy”

Helen’s Kitchen

Morningstar “Made with organic”

Superburgers by Turtle Island

Tofurky

Wildwood

Also worth noting: Products labeled “organic” aren’t allowed to contain any hexane-derived ingredients, but that rule doesn’t apply to foods that are labeled “made with organic ingredients.” For more on soy sourcing, plus a list of popular “made with organic ingredients”-labeled protein bars that are made with hexane, read the Cornucopia Institute’s full study, “Behind the Bean.”

 

Yay bikes!

The (Financial) Case for Ditching the Car

GOOD Blog > Andrew Price on March 8, 2010 at 11:30 am PST

Over at Carfree.us, a self-described “average Joe” is trying to wean himself off his car where possible. After two months, he attempts this quantitative estimate of the payoff:

In January and February I commuted by bicycle or bus a total of 36 days or 72 trips, not counting holidays and vacation days.   Of those 72 trips I took the bus 32 times.  February was a really cold, wet, and snowy month in Charlotte so I took the bus a lot in February….

In two months I have had the following impact:

I’ve saved $47 in gasoline expenses and the equivalent of $457 in fixed costs for a total savings of $471.49 when accounting for bus costs.

Burned 22,356 calories which if I had been eating a normal diet is the equivalent of 6.4 pounds of fat!

I have kept 543 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere (19.546 lbs per gallon and my car gets an average of 21 MPG).

Simply multiplying these numbers for the year would equal 3260 pounds of CO2 kept out of the atmosphere, $2542 dollars saved, 134,000 calories burned, and 38.3 pounds of fat.  If I had a car loan payment for a $20,000 the savings jumps to $7900!

There’s more detail here.

I’m a little suspicious of the way he calculates the “fixed cost” savings. After all, it’s not as if the insurance or registration costs are pro-rated depending on how much he uses the car. He has to pay those in full no matter what. On that point, I think he does overestimate the cash savings.

But getting to work by bike or bus is still indisputably cheaper and, as he notes, this analysis doesn’t take into the physical and emotional benefits of the exercise and the closer contact with the community.

Read more: http://www.good.is/post/the-financial-case-for-ditching-the-car?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+good%2Flbvp+%28GOOD+Main+RSS+Feed%29#ixzz0hjt7tetb

USC takes some small steps toward Sustainability

Hello,

The USC Office of Sustainability is happy to announce that the University of Southern California is taking some significant green steps forward.

The Campus Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees approves six “Campus Sustainability Resolutions”On January 27th, 2010, the University of Southern California Campus Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees approved six resolutions to further strengthen the University’s commitment to sustainability . The resolutions address issues of environmental degradation, energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, and building construction. The resolutions come in response to the work of the Sustainability Steering Committee chaired by the Associate Senior Vice President of Career and Protective Services, Charlie Lane. View the Resolutions

Green Office Program Moves ForwardGreen Office Certification Program is expanding to bring faculty and administration operations closer to a low-impact, resource-efficient goal. The certification program promotes and rewards “greening” the actions and practices within participating offices. To date, 63 offices are advancing through the program towards certification, 19 of which are in the final stages or have received their green office certificates. Register for two upcoming informational training sessions: Feb. 9th, 1-3pm in SAL 128 Mar. 11th, 1-3pm in SAL 126 Register for a Training Session

Other Info:

- If your department is hosting or organizing and sustainability or environmental event, then please be sure to post them to the events calendar at GREEN.USC.edu

- If your department or group has organized any sustainability initiatives, then please be sure to post them to the Eco-Initiatives and Sustainable Projects Portal on GREEN.USC.edu

- Please forward this email to anyone that you think would be interested in Sustainability at USC and suggest that they register on GREEN.USC.edu to receive our announcements and newsletters.

Sincerely,

Matthew Oden

USC|Sustainability
Program Manager

ACTION ALERT: Preserve LA City’s climate and sustainability programs

This is happened yesterday, but it’s worthwhile to spread the news!

“The city’s Chief Administrative Officer is recommending the elimination of the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) <http://ens.lacity.org/clk/committeeagend/clkcommitteeagend1864749_02012010.pdf> . The cuts will immediately terminate a quarter of the department’s staff — while those remaining would be transferred to other departments including Transportation, Planning and the Community Development Department.
Your attention to this matter is most urgent as the city council’s budget and finance committee will vote on this matter this MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 at 1:00 pm.

GREEN LA is not seeking to preserve the Environmental Affairs Department as it currently exists. We understand the profoundly dire economic crisis facing the city.

We are aghast at the likely dissolution of key staff performing essential environmental functions. The City may soon lose the personnel that:

• Perform LA’s greenhouse gas inventory
• Organize the City’s climate action plan
• Develop the City’s Sustain LA plan
• Oversee the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant to the city ($37 million in stimulus funds are in jeopardy)
• Administer the city’s Green Business Certification program
• Engage in regional  and statewide climate modeling and planning
• Respond to environmental emergencies
• Advise city departments on toxic cleanup
• Enforce cleanup standards at Sunshine Canyon Landfill and other polluted sites
  

We fear a terrible brain drain, dispersing staff to various departments, will result in abandoning crucial projects. America’s second largest city may soon be without staff-skilled in climate and sustainability planning.

The lack of transparency of this significant restructuring of environmental programs is also troubling. No environmental groups were consulted in the development of this policy, nor has ample time given to evaluate the CAO’s proposal.

There may be a way to salvage this devastating setback. GREEN LA believes this may be an opportunity to make the City’s environmental programs stronger.

GREEN LA staff believes the that the remaining EAD staff should move en masse to the Planning Department. Then climate and sustainability goals could be integrated into all city planning; a fitting home for environmental activities as plans need to be created to comply with AB32 and SB375.

In addition, Environmental Affairs commissioners could be asked to spearhead a Green Ribbon panel on the environment. We should continue to take advantage of the leadership on the commission.

GREEN LA is asking you to attend the Budget and Finance Committee on Monday, February 1, 1:00 PM, in council chambers.

• Please send an email to the five councilmembers serving on the Budget and Finance Committee, and Council President Garcetti.
• Some suggested talking points:
  
  • Stop the brain drain. Preserve key staff involved in climate and sustainability planning by keeping them together.
  • Keep the environmental affairs commissioners to serve as green panel advisors.
    

· Circulate this action alert to your members and other interested parties.

Links to members of the Budget Finance Committee and the Council President.

• Bernard Parks <mailto:councilmember.parks@lacity.org>
• Greig Smith <mailto:councilmember.smith@lacity.org>
• Bill Rosendahl <mailto:councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org>
• Paul Koretz <mailto:paul.koretz@lacity.org>
• Jose Huizar <mailto:councilmember.huizar@lacity.org>
• Eric Garcetti <mailto:councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org>
  

Here’s a link to the CAO report: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2009/09-0600-s159_rpt_cao_1-29-10.pdf “

Subscribe to their <http://www.graphicmail.com/RWCode/subscribe.asp?SiteID=40064&Mode=update&resize=0>
Read their <http://www.graphicmail.com/members/40064/ftp/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Sept%2009.pdf>

Become a fan on <http://www.facebook.com/GreenLA>

Follow them on <http://twitter.com/officialgreenla>



Oil Companies Admitting to Melting Glaciers

This is an old Humble Oil (who later merged with   Standard to become Exxon) advertisement from a 1962 edition of Life Magazine.

Probably not the kind of thing they’d want to advertise now eh?

They proudly purport, and  I quote, “This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries.  Yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies–is converted into heat–could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second!”

The Co-op 4 C’s: Chickens, Compost, Cats, & Carrots.

Update on TTT:

1) Chickens:

The chickens have been eating from the compost bins leading me to believe that composted dirt tastes better than regular dirt.  Also, Micky showed me that chickens like to eat weeds.  Micky pulled out a giant weed, which I thought was part of the tomato plant, and fed it to the chickens.  The chickens have also been burrowing in the dirt for fun.  Micky suggested we make them ash baths from future bonfires.  P.S.  Is Chubb Chubb a boy?  See future blog on the “Great  Chubb Chubb Mystery”.  Newsflash:  Chubb Chubb just pooped in laundry room.  See attached photo.

2) Compost:

Compost is being eaten by chickens.  They seem sad that there isn’t quite as much of it as usual.  See above regarding Chickens.

3)  Cats:

Mana seems to have hurt her paw.  She doesn’t put weight on it when she walks.  We are a bit worried, but she is eating and aside from that seems well.

We’ve heard rumor of strange neighborhood cats possibly interested in eating our chickens, but everything seems to be okay so far.

4) Carrots:

Micky pulled out 3 chubby midget carrots from the backyard today.  They are just cute enough to eat.  Adorable.

Side note:  Our apologies, but we will be having a garden extravaganza feast excluding everyone else except Micky, me, and possibly Sunny.  Sorry for your jealousy.

Happy Holidays!!!

Love,

Peggy & Micky