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Patricia
Dines
Writer,
Editor, & Graphic Artist
Specializing
in Environmental, Health, and Community
Topics
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Ask
EcoGirl Flies Again
The newest Ask EcoGirl has been
released and is ready for your viewing.
- June
2009: Eco-Lighting for a Brighter
Future
- What's the story with these curly-cue "eco"
lightbulbs? Yes, they lower energy use, helping
save money and the planet. But they also contain
mercury and can't go in the trash. Are we just
trading one eco-problem for another? EcoGirl
tackles one of the practical questions of
eco-implementation with her usual combination of
information and inspiration! (Hint: The answer
is that, on balance, these CFL bulbs offer
significant value for reducing energy use and
thus climate disruption, but need to be handled
with care. And there are emerging options to
support. Read the article to find out
more!)
You can read EcoGirl's column in
the June issue of the West
County Gazette and at
<www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl2i.html>.
Plus that webpage has information about sending
questions to EcoGirl, receiving email alerts for
future columns, and including the wonderful EcoGirl
column in your periodical.
Click on Published
Columns to see all
previous columns - and future possible ones. Your
input and requests are most welcome!
Reader
feedback
"Excellent articles Patricia - and
fun to read! Congratulations on the colorful
front page placement and thanks for
continuing to make a difference for the masses
by educating via your passion and talent for
writing. EcoGirl will soon be flying into
other communities and publications, I can feel
it. Good luck with her."
Melissa Weaver, Educator, Enhanced Health
Systems
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The
Next STEP
newsletter
I'm the Editor and Lead
Writer of The Next STEP newsletter, which provides
empowering information about toxics and
alternatives. The newsletter is a City of
Sebastopol project, operated by volunteers, and
distributed in City water bills (and by
email).
Current issue:
July/August
(Click link to download)
Contents:
* Properly Disposing of Our
Techno-Toys - Many of this culture's
enjoyable offerings can come through our
technological devices, including TVs, stereos,
phones, computers, game players, and more.
However, if discarded improperly, the toxics
hidden in these devices can harm both people and
the planet. Find out more about how to green
your use of electronics from purchase through
disposal.
* Chemical Protections - Another risk
of toxics during their life cycle is one of
accidental release at chemical facilities. A new
bill would increase safety standards at these
facilities and encourage transition to safer
materials. Find out more about this proposal and
how you can support it.
* Safety in Sunscreen - Along with
summer comes that perennial question: What
sunscreen shall we buy to best protect our
family's health? Assisting with that inquiry is
a 2008 EWG investigation that unfortunately
found that "4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer
inadequate protection from the sun, or contain
ingredients with significant safety concerns."
Find out more about the issues and how specific
brands stack up.
* Healthy Living Can Be Easy - The
STEP Online Index is overflowing with
information to help you live less-toxically. See
example timely topics in the newsletter.
Do you have a question about a specific toxic,
alternative, or related issue? Check out the
STEP
Online Index to past issues to see if we've
covered your topic of interest, and for leads for
other places to check.
For more information about the STEP program,
click here.
Thank you to Jim Gleaves for his assistance with
this project; to the City Council for creating it;
and for City staff for helping to make it
possible.
Recent reader
feedback
"Just wanted to say thank you for
all your positive information. My husband
and I are trying for our second child and I
really appreciated the article regarding autism
cases being higher when exposed to flea shampoos
for animals. This was a great eye opener for
me and I plan on using only non-toxic cleaners
pre-pregnancy and forever afterwards. This type
of information really does help all of us
&endash; so again, thank you....I am so
happy to be a part of such a caring community."
- A Sebastopol Resident
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I'm
Speaking at the Napa Fresh Aire Festival in
August
I'm excited to announce that I'll be presenting
at the Napa Fresh Aire Festival on August 28-30. I
love that this 3-day event brings together lots of
speakers (over 60!) to explore many aspects of both
personal growth and environmental healing. I've
long enjoyed these two themes, and really think
that they do belong together. Andrew Weil is the
keynote speaker at the gathering, the cost is quite
affordable, there are also activities, and it looks
like it'll be lots of fun!
More info, including about my talks, is below.
Registration for the conference has opened and the
full schedule is online. And if you attend, please
stop by and say hi!
NOTE: I'm also available to give talks to local
groups, including the eco-talks listed below.
Please contact me for more info.
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Presenting Napa Fresh Aire Festival | enriching
body, soul & planet August 28-30
2009
Fresh Perspectives. New Points of View.
An inspiring weekend of programs and outdoor
activities focused on personal well-being and
eco-conscious living.
Featuring over 60 presenters and over 75
sessions
Including Keynote Address from Dr. Andrew
Weil
Intriguing Experiences. Powerful
Presentations.
Health and wellness Fitness
Nutrition Outdoor activities Yoga
Eco-conscious living Meditation Wine
tasting Music and more!
This is your opportunity to meet one-on-one with
over 60 leading authorities and over 75 sessions on
health and the environment including Integrative
Health pioneer Dr. Andrew Weil; The Blue Zones
author Dan Buettner; SuperFoods RX best-selling
author Dr. Steven Pratt; specialists from UCSF's
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; Sexuality
Experts Holstein & Taylor; Experimental Man
author David Ewing Duncan, and many more.
SESSIONS PRESENTED BY PATRICIA
DINES
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Greening Our Everyday Lives
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 11:00 am - 12:15
pm
Taking Effective Action for the Earth
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 8:45 am - 9:45 am
Joyfully Returning Home to the Earth
FOR MORE INFO SEE: www.NapaFreshAireFest.com
FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE, SEE: www.napafreshairefest.com./schedule.html
(PD NOTE: This page has the overview schedule
and detailed event descriptions. Click on the link
"View full schedule" to see when each talk/event
will be.)
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My
new lead article "Greening Your Home - With No
Money
Down"
On the surface, Sonoma County's new $100
million Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) seems
simple enough, offering property owners government
financing to install solar equipment and improve
energy and water efficiency.
Yet, hiding beneath this mild-mannered exterior,
lies a powerful tool to help us solve some of our
most urgent shared problems. I've been watching
this program emerge for a while, so I'm delighted
to finally be able to tell you about its special
features.
To read this article and find out more, see the
April issue of the wonderful West County Gazette,
which features this article on its cover. Or click
here
to see both text and PDF versions of the
article.
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I'm
speaking at the March 28 Sustainability
Conference
You're invited to my talk at the Sat.
March 28 Sustainability Conference. It's being held
at 1:45 at Nit's Thai House in Guerneville (just
east of town).
My talk is titled "Detoxing Your Life."
My goal is to support folks in nurturing the
health of themselves, their families, and our
shared ecosystem by reducing exposure to everyday
toxics. I'll be offering a systematic approach I've
developed for identifying the everyday toxics in
all areas of your life, prioritizing the ones you
want to reduce, and making a plan for doing so. We
don't have to be powerless to the hidden toxics in
consumer products! In addition to personal actions,
I'll also take a look at community-level
actions.
Bring your specific questions! I've been
researching and writing about this topic for many
years, including writing The Next STEP newsletter
which gently educates people about everyday toxics
and effective alternatives. I'll also be very
interested to hear people's feedback on the
model!
For a full conference schedule, see
http://sustainableconference.sc5.info/CONFERENCESHEDpublic2web.htm
I look forward to seeing you there!
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My
article alerts email
list
If you want to
receive email alerts when my articles are
published, just email that request to me at
<caphealthyworld [at] yahoo.com>. I
won't use your email address for anything
else.
I hope that you find my writing
of interest, and that it serves our greater
connection with nature's wise ways. Thank you to
everyone who supports my work in the world; you
truly do help make it possible.
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Ask
EcoGirl Flies
Again
- In HopeDance!
Ask EcoGirl is appearing
once again in the wonderful HopeDance magazine,
with the column,"Taming Our Tiny Ant
Friends." Yes, we can protect our homes without
resorting to toxic sprays. Here's how!
View this column in the
January/February issue of HopeDance
and at <www.patriciadines.info/EcoGirl2e.html>.
Plus that webpage has information about sending
questions to EcoGirl, being informed about future
columns, and including the wonderful EcoGirl in
your periodical.
Click on Published
Columns to see all
previous columns - and future possible ones. Your
input and requests are most welcome!
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Patricia's
Poem Published in the Wonderful We'Moon
One of my poems has been
published in the 2009 We'Moon datebook. (We'Moon
suggests the notion of women being related
to the moon and its cycles.) I'm honored to
be part of this beautiful best-selling
goddess-inspired calendar, which brings forward
wonderful words and images that honor the poetry of
aligning with the Earth's sacred ways. Click
here
for more about We'Moon,
including ordering their upcoming calendars and
other products.
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Lead Article:
"Delighting
in Our Delicious Local
Farms"
The cover of the May
West County Gazette features my lead
article, "Delighting in Our Delicious Local Farms."
The Editor, Vesta, asked me to write this piece,
wanting to lead with something that was both fun
and informative, which she knows I love to do. With
my piece in hand, she did a beautiful job of laying
it out. We've both been delighted to hear the
enthusiastic reader feedback as well as see the
issue fly off newstands - with some places running
out in just a few days! Yay team!! (Of course, she
has lots of other wonderful articles in there too.
She's great at bringing forward a diversity of
interesting voices and info.)
You can view this article in the
May issue of the West
County Gazette. To
download the PDF, click here.
Reader
feedback
"Excellent articles Patricia - and
fun to read! Congratulations on the colorful
front page placement and thanks for
continuing to make a difference for the masses
by educating via your passion and talent for
writing. EcoGirl will soon be flying into
other communities and publications, I can feel
it.Good luck with her."
Melissa Weaver, Educator, Enhanced Health
Systems
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Patricia's
EcoNews Blog
(Reborn, In a New Updated Format!)
Here's a totally personal
selection of news stories that I think are
especially relevant for those of us who want a
better world for all. Topics include the
environment, energy, health, toxics, organics, the
economy, true democracy, and community. Plus I
include a little personal commentary along the
way!
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Your ideas and information
invited for an article I'm working
on:
Green consultants - I'm
looking for those in Sonoma County who offer to
help a homeowner or small business be more green.
I'm also interested in the experiences of those
who've used such services, and the questions of
those who would like to.
Just email me at pd [at]
patriciadines.info with your thoughts.
Thanks!
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What
the Latest News About Organics Really
Means
Scary headlines and
inaccurate articles are clouding consumers ability
to understand what's really going on right now.
Click here
to get the straight facts so you can make wise
choices and take meaningful actions.
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- We Had
Fun at the Harmony Festival
Patricia Dines was part of the
Global Cooling Panel at the (wonderful!) Harmony
Festival, Sunday June 10, at the Sonoma County
Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. It was fun to connect
with folks and spread the word about the joy we can
feel when we make a positive difference in the
world.
The Festival is presented annually and has lots
of fun people, information, products, music, and
more. They call it "Northern
California's Premier Music, Camping &
Sustainable Lifestyle Festival." It's offerings
include "World Class Music & Speakers on
multiple stages for 3 Days and 3 Nights of
Entertainment, Arts, Ecology& Healthful
Living." This year's theme is "Promoting Global
Cooling." For more information, see www.harmonyfestival.com.
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Sebastopol
Peak Oil Report Released
Patricia Dines was
Executive Editor & Report Coordinator of the
report,
"Charting a Path for a New
Energy Future for Sebastopol."
This report was produced for the Sebastopol City
Council by the Sebastopol Citizens Advisory Group
on Energy Vulnerability (CAGE). The purpose was to
help the City explore how to maintain public
services in the face of anticipated significant
energy supply shortfalls (aka peak oil). Sebastopol
was one of the world's first cities to take formal
public action to explore this issue (just as it was
one of the first U.S. cities to commit to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions).
CAGE spent over a year in focused research and
analysis, understanding the facts and possible
scenarios, exploring innovative and realistic ways
to approach these issues, and understanding the
workings of Sebastopol's operations. The resulting
report was presented to the City Council by Ms.
Dines on April 3, 2007. All Councilmembers was
warmly appreciative of the quality of the
information and usefulness of the report.
Click here
for the resume page summarizing the report and the
responses.This page includes a link to an article
about this report and a link to the final
report.
Thank you to everyone in CAGE and beyond who
contributed to this report's successful completion,
and to the Sebastopol City Council for seeking to
look forward and act proactively in the best
interests of the community.
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