Ojai Valley Green Coalition

March 2010 E-Newsletter

2010-03-05T20:47:50Z

DOWNLOAD FILE March E-News Contents: Our March Community Presentation: The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil Saying "Vaya Con Dios" to Our Board Member Sue Broidy Meet the Directors and Committee Chairs! Come to Soule Park for Our First-Ever Coalition Social Executive Director Deborah Pendrey on "A Season of Renewal" The Neighborhood Foresters of the Ojai Trees Group Field Notes on the Ongoing Ojai Creek Riparian Habitat Restoration from Brian Holly, Biologist and Project Manager Longtime Resident Mary Long Writes on Ojai’s Arbor Day Celebration 2010

Ojai Arbor Day Celebration on Thursday March 11

2010-03-02T20:03:28Z

Join the Ojai Tree Committee, The City of Ojai, The Ojai Valley Green Coalition, Ojai Trees and local school children to celebrate Arbor Day and congratulate the City of Ojai on becoming a Tree City USA! We’ll begin at 10:00am, Thursday March 11, in Libbey Park at the Bandstand. There will be a memorial tree blessing and planting in the east barranca area being restored by the Watershed Group of The Ojai Valley Green Coalition. The City of Ojai will receive recognition as a Tree City USA by our Southern California State Forester. Everyone is invited to come help us celebrate our community forest!

Meet the Directors -- Coalition Social at Soule Park on Sunday March 14

2010-03-02T19:35:43Z

Here's an opportunity to learn about the coalition and meet with the board of directors, committee heads and active members of various projects. Sunday March 14, 3:30pm - 5pm, we'll be near the baseball diamond. Bring a snack, a ball and bat, and a lawn chair and get ready to meet some green folks. Until then you know where to find us!

Film - "Our Seeds: Seeds Blong Yumi," Ojai Theatre, Feb 27 4:30 pm

2010-02-23T01:43:00Z

click here.]]> Our Seeds, originally made for free distribution to Pacific audiences, addresses the problems of globalized food based on hybrids that require pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and shows how individuals and small groups have solved these problems. It’s a celebration of empiric seed saving practices and diverse farming cultures around the world, and of the seed keepers who stand at the source of humanity’s diverse food heritage. Because it was made for the people of the Pacific, the DVD is being hand-delivered there: into villages by canoe and up narrow walking tracks, passed from family to family. The film is a David and Goliath story in which resilience and persuasive logic triumph over the seemingly invincible forces that control the production of most of the world’s food. To make it, Michel Fanton and Jude Fanton of the Seed Savers Foundation, joined occasionally by a local soundperson, took 160 hours of footage in many countries of Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Our Seeds features Pacific islanders as they face great challenges to their way of life, their culture, and their traditional cultivation systems. They fall into the same traps as others, replacing innumerable varieties of root staples with modern hybrids that require pesticides and chemical fertilizers, importing low-quality foods such as white rice, cookies, and noodles, and thereby risking the loss of their own food crops. The film seeks to reverse this trend. Its rich sound track features mostly indigenous music recorded in the making of the film. Intended to encourage the further development of local seed saving groups and seed exchanges, the film explores the relationship between traditional biodiversity and traditional culture in wide-ranging locations. There are interviews with farmers and expert commentators as well as documented seed saving, farming methods, and cultural activities in both First World and tribal locations. According to the filmmakers, when it comes to traditional plant varieties, peasants in such advanced countries as France, Italy, Spain, and Taiwan share the same sentiments as indigenous Pacific farmers. The Seed Savers Foundation affirms that it will continue telling the stories of the lives of traditional seed guardians and their importance to the world. Clips from Our Seeds can be found at youtube.com/seedsavers and www.seedsavers.net.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of the Federal-aid Program

2010-02-18T14:53:16Z

Thanks to Kelly Pasco of Project Ride for reminding me of this link. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/bp-broch.htm Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of the Federal-aid Program Section 217 of Title 23 of the U.S. Code calls for the integration of bicycling and walking into the transportation mainstream. More importantly, it enhances the ability of communities to invest in projects that can improve the safety and practicality of bicycling and walking for everyday travel.]]> Contents http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/bp-broch.htm Funding Sources for Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects Federal-aid Highway Program Federal Transit Program Highway Safety Programs Federal/State Matching Requirements Planning for Bicycling and Walking Policy and Program Provisions Facility Design Guidance Research, Special Studies, and Reports Conclusion

VCStar: Two transit agencies plan studies on how to improve county's bus service

2010-02-15T08:18:37Z

Check out the VC Star reader comments on busses and bike lanes in Ventura County! Two transit agencies plan studies on how to improve county's bus service http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/13/two-transit-agencies-plan-studies-on-how-to-bus/ To Comment to the Ventura County Transportation Committee: http://www.goventura.org/?q=about-vctc/public-review-and-comment/unmet-transit-needs ]]> The fastest way to make Public Transportation as convenient as the private car is for the public to demand that all elected officials, members of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, all City Managers and staff leave their cars at home at least one day a week and ride the bus. Convenient public transportation and a safe bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure should be the top priority for creating a green, sustainable Ventura County. If all our public servants were required to transport themselves mainly by bus or bicycle for at least three months, the convenience of the private car would no longer be the top priority. Public transportation is the key to reducing air pollution, traffic congestion and solving parking problems --not more freeway lanes and parking lots! --Suza Francina Chair, Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee Former Ojai City Council Member and representative to the Ventura County Transportation Commission

One Less Car --the first in a series on leaving the car at home at least one day a week.

2010-02-15T07:55:57Z

By Suza Francina, Chair, OVGC Transportation Committee "The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind." -- William Saroyan Seven years ago* I gradually changed my trip to work from a two-hour car commute to a refreshing ten-minute bicycle ride. After a decade of driving the freeway, my soul had grown weary of watching the sun rise and set from behind the steering wheel. Working closer to home meant a cut in my income, giving up my new Mazda mini van and downsizing to an older Toyota.]]> * Editorial, Ojai Valley News and other publications 2000 Author's Note: After many years of car-sharing, my life/work circumstances changed. I recently had the opportunity to buy back my trusty 1984 Toyota station wagon, from the person I sold it to. This person took excellent care of my car, and taught me a lesson about making old things last. And I still enjoy many car-free days. The bicycle is the most sustainable vehicle for our small planet.

Pedaling Toward Cleaner Cities --Let's Help Ojai Catch Up!

2010-02-06T18:21:33Z

Bicycle advocacy groups are expanding, and a "Complete Streets" movement has blossomed in recent years, bringing together a broad coalition of citizen and environmental groups demanding more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly roads. Six states and more than 50 cities, counties, and metro regions have now enacted some form of Complete Streets legislation. Pedaling Toward Cleaner Cities By Alison Raphael, OneWorld US, May 13, 2008 What single silver bullet can simultaneously reduce air pollution and oil dependency, roll back urban congestion, and fight obesity? It's not a pill, nor a complicated formula concocted by the World Bank. People around the world are turning to bicycles by the millions, as governments rush to create incentives for the low-tech transport alternative to gas-guggling, smog-making, traffic jam-producing automobiles. ]]> Bicycle advocacy groups are expanding, and a "Complete Streets" movement has blossomed in recent years, bringing together a broad coalition of citizen and environmental groups demanding more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly roads. Six states and more than 50 cities, counties, and metro regions have now enacted some form of Complete Streets legislation. With more than half of the world's population now living in cities, and given the steep health and economic costs of continuing reliance on oil-fueled cars, many analysts expect the lowly two-wheeler to continue to become more and more fashionable. Source: Article by Alison Raphael, OneWorld US, May 13, 2008 Related stories and bicycle links are on the World Watch Institute website. http://www.worldwatch.org/ Posted by Suza Francina on the Ojai Post, May 16, 2008. http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/05/pedaling_toward_cleaner_cities.shtml Thanks to Ojai resident Sally Carless for sending this article.

Letter from Bicycle Advocate Lana Hester in Response to Dr. John van Houten’s Editorial

2010-02-06T06:23:44Z

I applaud John van Houten’s comments about the lack of support for cycling in the Ojai Valley. I am a long time resident and I have always been engaged by our community’s desire to preserve our quality of life and sustainability. As a cyclist I have been disappointed in our community’s lack of support. Lanhest@sbcglobal.net (Published in the Ojai Valley News, October 2009) ]]>

It's About the Bike: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthy, Wealthy and Green Ojai

2010-02-06T06:09:15Z

Guest Editorial by John van Houten, M.D. The city of Ojai has made a concerted effort to become a “green” city in the past few years. However, it has ignored one very effective way to be more environmentally responsible, and that is by promoting cycling as an alternative form of transportation. Ojai is a haven for recreational cyclists and even pro level cycling teams due in large part to our beautiful terrain and agreeable year round weather. However, there is no support for cycling as a form of daily transportation. John van Houten, M.D, lives with his family in Ojai. John van Houten highly recommends the following book: Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities http://www.amazon.com/Pedaling-Revolution-Cyclists-Changing-American/dp/0870714198 Related Articles May 16, 2008 - Pedaling Toward Cleaner Cities --When Will Ojai Catch Up? http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/05/pedaling_toward_cleaner_cities.shtml May 16, 2008 - Ojai's First Ride of Silence http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/05/ojais_first_ride_of_silence_1.shtml May 13, 2008 - May is National Bike Month http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/05/may_is_national_bike_month.shtml July 14, 2006 - Oak Grove Cycles http://www.ojaipost.com/2006/07/oak_grove_cycles.shtml Suza's Traffic Updates and Ojai Bicycle Articles http://www.suzafrancina.com/traffic_updates.shtml Editorial by John van Houten, M.D, published in the Ojai Valley News, Letters to the Editor, 09/18/09]]>

Ten Reasons Why Bicycles Are Good!

2010-02-06T05:50:16Z

Listing the benefits of bicycling makes it sound like one of those old patent medicines: "guaranteed to cure all your ills." But the simple truth is that bicycling is good for the air, the water, the earth, the quality of life in our community, helps to conserve energy, increases property value, increases business, and makes our streets and highways more efficient and, at the same time is good for our health, makes us more fit, and its fun! Here is a quick look at the ten top reasons why bicycles are good!]]> 1. Bicycling is good for family-friendly communities. A recent survey of potential home buyers found that 93 percent said "quiet, low traffic areas were very or extremely important" in selecting the type of community they want to live in. More than 70 percent of the home buyers cited bicycling facilities as important to their decision. Parents recognize that children are more independent in bicycle friendly communities. Women between the age of 30 and 50 tend to make far more vehicle trips than men--largely due to the "chauffeur" role they play in delivering children to various after-school destinations. Safe bicycle routes liberate both parents and children. 2. Bicycling increases property values. Studies have shown that property values climb in neighborhoods near newly built bicycle-pedestrian trails. "Community designs that deliver low traffic and quiet streets. " "Lots of natural, open space" and "Walking and biking paths" were the top three priorities among 39 features identified by home buyers as crucial factors in their home-purchasing decision. 3. Bicycling contributes to community safety. Streets full of cyclists have a calming effect on motorists. Communities with high rates of cycling tend to have reduced rates of traffic deaths and injuries among bicyclists and pedestrians. It is estimated that for every dollar invested in bicycle and pedestrian improvements, we save double this amount in medical costs from averted traffic accidents. Many successful community policing programs around the nation is the bicycle -mounted police squad. Placing cops on bikes (as we do here in Ojai) has proved effective in fostering goodwill among residents of crime-plagued neighborhoods, while the crime-fighting virtues of the bicycle -- stealth, speed, all-terrain mobility -- are well-established. 4. Bicycling improves air quality and the health of the community. Place any living creature in a closed system and turn on even a brand new combustion engine and death is the result. Our Earthly atmosphere is a closed system about 10 miles high. The burning of fossil fuels, primarily from cars, busses and trucks is contaminating the single most important ingredient for human health--clean air. An average four-mile round-trip bike trip prevents nearly 15 pounds of air pollutants from contaminating the air. 5. Bicycling conserves energy and resources. Bicycle trips are most likely to displace short car trips, which are less fuel efficient than longer trips. Bicycle transportation saves an estimated 700 million gallons of fuel annually. By making our communities safe and practical for bicycling, bicyclists could save the U.S. as much as three billion gallons of fuel each year. 6. Bicycling helps relieve traffic congestion. Bicycle improvements can encourage motorists to shift some of their short automotive trips to bicycling. Approximately 40% of all car trips are less than two miles in length. 7. Bicycling is economical. Bicycling is the most-cost effective mode of transportation. The cost of operating a car has climbed 300 percent in the last 20 years. Growing numbers of families find that the replacement of a commuter car with a commuter bike can restore thousands of dollars annually to the household budget. Critics point out that we make a grave error by measuring time gained by speed as miles per hour while sitting in our car. We forget the time spent in earning money to pay for the vehicle, insure it, and maintain it, which in an overall view of our lives is the real measure of our time. From a broader perspective (calculating the hidden costs of driving), it is estimated that cars actually deliver us at speeds of about five miles per hour. One quarter of our waking lives are spent in performing the involuntary activities associated with the automobile-transportation system. 8. Bicycling is good for the economy. Besides increasing property values, we cannot afford to overlook that Ojai has a tourist based economy. Tourists love to visit places where they can conveniently park once and forget the stress of driving. "Car-Free Vacations", "Carless Vacations", destinations known as a "Bicycle-Pedestrian Paradise" or "Walkable Cities", are recognized as both desirable for visitors and local residents who find noise and congestion from traffic to be the single most annoying side effect from tourists. Retailers are recognizing that healthy revenues do not depend on heavy car traffic and lots of parking. Cars don't shop--people do! Studies show that bicycle-pedestrian friendly street designs creates a shopper friendly atmosphere which increases retail business. Plus bicycles free up valuable car parking spaces for those people who must drive. 9. Bicycling promotes health and fitness for people of all ages, including our older population. Bicycling is a lifelong, low impact aerobic activity available to almost anyone. Modern gearing allows every user to find his or her own level of effort. Three wheelers with large baskets can be used by older adults riding for the first time. The role of the bicycle in keeping older people healthy and independent is just beginning to be explored. One study suggests that if one quarter of the nations sedentary adults -- 20 million people-would exercise moderately on a regular basis, savings to the healthcare system would exceed $5 billion. 10. Bicycling is fun! Actually, bicycling is more than fun. It is a spiritually uplifting, consciousness raising, mind expanding experience. Riding your bike connects you to the earth and everything you see all around you. Resources: Lesscars.org: Website for the publisher of Auto Free Times and Alliance for a Paving Moratorium More resources coming soon! Posted by Suza Francina

The Ojai Creek Restoration Project: Phase Two Begins: Final Saturday: Feb 27

2010-02-04T20:47:11Z

On three Saturdays in November of 2009, community members and students from schools around the county began a collaborative effort to return the Ojai Creek that meanders through Libbey Park to its natural ecology and functioning state. Students, Coalition members, and the public are now being invited back to participate in the final Saturday of the second phase of the project on Saturday, February 27. Download event flyer .pdf here. This final event will take place from 9:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Helpers will gather for an initial training and will then continue the removal of non-native species from the creek, along with starting the planting of seeds and cuttings of native plants. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Libbey Park Gazebo in downtown Ojai. Wear sturdy shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Feel free to bring your own shovel, trowel, and gloves; gloves and tools will be provided, but can run out in the event of a large number of volunteers. The Watershed Committee of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, under the leadership of conservation biologist Brian Holly, completed a site analysis, habitat assessment, stream characterization study, and stream morphology survey last summer, followed by the November non-native plant removal. Over the holidays, a tree plan was written, and an irrigation plan is in the works. This creek and riparian habitat restoration project is being made possible by funding from the Earth Island Institute and by support from the Wetlands Recovery Project and the Coastal Conservancy of Southern California. ]]>

Go Green Ojai! Lecture Series - until February 14, at the Ojai Museum

2010-02-04T20:15:46Z

Never tiring in its drive to educate, inform, and even entertain, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is now presenting, in collaboration with the Ojai Valley Museum, the “Go Green, Ojai!” lecture series. eight talks investigates the concept of going green using the newest tests, tools, and tips. It is a companion to the well-received “Go Green Ojai” exhibit running until February 14 at the museum, located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue. Local representatives of the green building industry, including architects, builders, and designers, answer big questions like, “What is green building and why does it matter?” and “How do I decide what green products and designs will work for me?” The lectures offer information focused on different aspects of green design, from the practical underpinnings to the eye-catching finishing touches that keep the environment in mind. All lectures are $5 suggested donation. For more detailed information, go to ojaivalleygreencoalition.org, or call (805) 669-8445; or visit ojaivalleymuseum.org, or call (805) 640-1390. The lecture dates and details are: Sunday, January 24, 5-6:00 p.m., “Green Building: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter?” with David Intner, AIA, LEED AP, of Firmitas Architecture and Planning Thursday, January 28, 7-8:00 p.m., “Picture Your Yard’s Possibilities Using Computer Imaging” with Diane J. Squire of D. J. Squire Designs Saturday, January 30, 5-6:00 p.m., “How to Decide what Green Products and Designs to Incorporate Into Your Home” with designer/builder Kerry Miller Sunday, January 31, 5 – 6:00 p.m., “Building Performance and Energy Efficiency for Your Home” with Tim Broderick, Building and Energy Consultant Thursday, February 4, 7-8:00 p.m., “How Green Design and Building Relates to Cost, Climate and Lifestyle” with Reggie Wood of West Wood Construction Saturday, February 13, 5-6:00 p.m., “Renovating with Natural Materials” with Carolyn Marie Hernandez of the Natural Building Network Thursday, February 11, 7:00-7:30 p.m., “Solutions to Create a Healthy Eco-Home” with Jon Cotham of Jon Cotham Construction & Environmental Testing Thursday, February 11, 7:30-8:00 p.m., “Eco-Elegant Kitchens and Baths” with Cynthia Grier of Ecologic Life ]]>

“Go Green, Ojai!” An Interactive Exhibit for the Family: until February 14, at the Ojai Museum

2010-02-04T19:51:49Z

In its continuing efforts to make the Ojai Valley a model green community, and in a joint undertaking with the Ojai Valley Museum (www.ojaivalleymuseum.org), the Coalition is offering its “Go Green, Ojai!” exhibit to explore the many facets of sustainability that are vital to the health and well-being of the Ojai Valley community. ]]> green is the Ojai Valley now?,” and, “How much greener can it be in the future?” (Click here for a printable flyer.)

See for yourself at our Flickr site ...

Admission for “Go Green, Ojai!” is $4.00 for adults, $1.00 for children ages 6-18, free for children under 5 and current 2009 museum members. The exhibit is sponsored by:
The Ojai Valley Museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue. For information about the museum, go to Ojai Valley Museum (www.ojaivalleymuseum.org). For further information on the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, visit Ojai Valley Green Coalition (www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org), or call (805) 669-8445. This interactive family event highlights many areas of public interest, including: * what we can do to protect our rare and valuable watershed, * how reconstituting our historic wetlands recharges the groundwater, * alternative modes of transportation and the latest in biofuel conversion, * how to build a compost tumbler from recycled materials, * the restoration of the creek in Libbey Park, * reversing the decline of native trees while reforesting the Valley, * the energy audit project, * the greening of the Valley’s food and agriculture, and * Ojai’s existing green buildings. Also featured is information of more personal interest, including * how to transform a home into a green oasis with alternative energy, * rainwater catchment barrels, * beautiful recycled tiles, carpet, flooring, and more.

February 2010 E-Newsletter

2010-02-04T17:04:54Z

Download file • This Month’s Community Presentation: Our Seeds: Seeds Blong Yumi, a Film from the Seed Savers Network • We Welcome Three New Members of Our Board of Directors • Thinking in Green: On Resolving vs. Resigning • Last Two Weeks for “Go Green, Ojai!” • The Ojai Creek Restoration Project: Phase Two Set to Begin • Eek! So Much E-Waste!