Sustainable Season's Greetings

Join us here at the store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, for a discussion with Shari Burke titled "Sustainable Season's Greetings," on Thursday, December 9, from 7 to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

Shari is a sociocultural anthropologist and self-professed Christmas junkie with an interest in the intersection between cultural and personal stories. With her husband Bill Burke, she founded the Center for Cultural Preservation to help people record their own life stories and to create space where community members can come together to share and listen to the stories of others. Through years of listening and helping people tell their stories, she has learned how to cut through cultural noise to discover what better ways are possible to experience the holidays.

"I learned a long time ago, through unhappy experience, that cultural ideas about what Christmas should be do not work for me," says Shari. "So I threw out what didn't work and came up with my own ideas about what does work. Everyone tells me how peaceful Christmas is at my house. I like that because it shows that the possibility for a better way is there for all of us -- we just have to find it."

Sustaining our own personal peace of mind, sense of well-being, feelings of joy, and personal connections with others can be challenging during the frenzy of activity that is culturally and often personally expected of us in December. According to Shari, we can meet this challenge to create a different kind of holiday experience -- one that is more meaningful and joyful for us and better for the planet.

Shari will discuss some of the larger issues surrounding Christmas in the United States, including the increase in waste production and personal stress, and offer practical solutions that will allow us to lighten our environmental impact while simultaneously brightening our own holiday celebrations. She welcomes your personal stories as well. Attendees are encouraged to share their own ideas about creating a meaningful holiday if they so wish.

"We have much to learn from each other," notes Shari. "We'll provide a calm space for listening to one another and for exchanging ideas."

More information about the Burkes and the Center for Cultural Preservation is available online at www.CenterForCulturalPreservation.com.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending please call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Good Giving Day the Friday after Thanksgiving at F.W. Horch

Come visit our store in downtown Brunswick to celebrate "Good Giving Day" on the Friday after Thanksgiving between 9:30 am and 6 pm. We'll share ideas on celebrating the holidays with practical gifts that minimize waste, and acts of generosity that build community. In addition, we will collect food and funds for the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Project. Bring in a donation and you'll be eligible to win a free gift in one of our hourly drawings.

Every year we look for ways to give back to the community that supports us. We sell organic seeds, gardening tools, composting and canning supplies, but we realize that growing and preserving your own food is not possible for many in our society. That's why we are raising awareness and support for our local soup kitchen and food bank, helping to provide healthy and nutritious meals to those who are in need.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is conventionally known as "Black Friday," associated with crowds marking the start of the Christmas shopping season. Among counter-culture activists, it is celebrated as "Buy Nothing Day," a protest against mindless consumerism. Being a sustainable living store, F.W. Horch seeks to provide you with gift and giving ideas that sustain meaningful relationships, cut down on the amount of waste generated during the holiday season, and make a positive difference in our community and beyond.

You don't have to choose between fighting the crowds at the big box stores or staying home alone in protest! Join us on Maine Street to shop at local businesses, support local organizations, and strengthen our community.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
MOST NEEDED ITEMS

Tuna
Peanut Butter

Baked Beans – regular & large
Rice – small & medium

Pasta
Spaghetti Sauce
Canned Tomatoes – regular

Canned Fruit
Canned Veggies – Green Beans, Corn, Peas

Soup
Hamburger Helper – Tuna Helper

Instant Potatoes and Stuffing
and…

Any other non-perishable items you would like to donate including personal care products.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program – 84A Union Street, Brunswick, ME  04011
207.725-2716   www.mchpp.org     mchpp@suscom-maine.net

Brunswick Earth Art 2010 Event

Fans of the Earth will be able to join with others to promote creative ways to curb climate change on Sunday, November 28 in Brunswick. Earth Art 2010 will take place that day from 2 to 3 PM on the Town Mall. This will be one of many gatherings worldwide between the 21^st and 28^th sponsored by the climate advocacy group 350.org. Led by Bill McKibben, the group intends for Earth Art to “spread a warning” as well as “a message of hope… to cope with the most dangerous problem we’ve ever faced, and begin to work our way towards a clean, renewable future” (from www.350.org).

Brownie Carson of the Natural Resources Council of Maine is scheduled to give a welcome speech. There will also be an open mic for sharing environmental action ideas. The event will culminate in a group photo to capture attendees’ costumes, banners, and other visual art. The emcee will be Brunswick and Bowdoin grad Tyson Weems, who recently founded a Maine non-profit called The Health League in order to promote personal, community, and environmental health.

According to the 350.org website, “350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide – measured in Parts Per Million (PPM) – in our atmosphere. Measurements indicate we presently have 388 PPM. The group considers 350 to be “the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.” That will take collective will and creative action. Using art to help celebrate, educate, and activate, writes McKibben, is a way “to reach past people's heads to their hearts.”

Everyone who cares about Mother Earth and wants to see constructive action to deal with global warming is invited to attend this event and make a statement. Participants are invited to wear a costume, bring a creative piece of Earth Art on a large poster or banner or just come and support others. It’s a celebration and call for constructive action.

Jeff Gillis from Well Tree will be photographing the event from his bucket truck. The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, contact: sfweems68@yahoo.com

Environmental Happenings

F.W. Horch hours: Mon by appointment, Tue-Sat 9:30-6, Sun Closed.

 

The US Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration and Conservation Initiative is a public/private effort that has been working since 2008 to develop and implement a unified plan to restore and protect the ocean and coastal habitats of the Gulf of Maine.  A draft plan, calling for investment of over $3 billion into Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, is now available for public comment.  According to the Boston Globe, "The plan, when finalized, will be made available to the US Congress to be considered alongside similar plans for the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Florida Everglades, and other degraded aquatic ecosystems whose ecological health is considered vital to the nation’s economic well-being."

Read and comment on the plan by visiting the Gulf of Maine web site at www.gulfofmaine.org.

 

Local Events

Wednesday, November 10 - Words for the Wild, 7 pm, Dresden Public Library, Bridge Academy, Rte. 127, Dresden. Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay for the second presentation of their 14th annual Winter Speaker Series. This program, “Words for the Wild,” features Gary Lawless, Gulf of Maine poet, publisher and co-owner of Gulf of Maine bookstore in Brunswick.  Canoeing down the Concord River in 1839 Henry David Thoreau penned the famous question: “Who hears the fishes when they cry?”  As Thoreau and many others speak out from and of their heart-land, so too Lawless reaches deep into the Gulf of Maine bioregion to carry its message to all who will listen.  Gary Lawless is a nationally recognized poet and has published 16 poetry collections, 12 in the U.S. and 4 in Italy including Caribouddhism and Poems for the Wild Earth. His writing deals with issues of environmental and social justice, and listening to the voices of the underprivileged and overlooked. Gary has traveled throughout the world, reading and sharing his poetry and leading workshops for traditional and nontraditional audiences.  The FOMB Winter Speaker Series takes place monthly from October-May on the second Wednesday of each month.  For more information, contact Ed Friedman at 666-3372.

Thursday, November 11 - Living Sustainably and Saving Money, 7 - 8:30 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk. This month we invite "Mr. Sustainable," Guy Marsden of Woolwich, to discuss the practical steps he has taken in his own life to reduce his environmental impact. Guy notes, "I do not believe that sustainability comes into conflict with living comfortably. My family has made very few sacrifices in the process of reducing our energy footprint." Come find out how you can live more sustainably and save money, too! Free and open to the public. Space is limited; please call us at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Tuesday, November 16 - Among the Bears, 6:30 pm, Colonial Theatre, 163 High St, Belfast.  Naturalist and acclaimed black bear specialist Ben Kilham will present "Among the Bears," a slideshow and stories about New England's black bears.  Kilham has lectured widely and been featured in a number of TV shows and magazines including Field and Stream, National Geographic and People.  He has raised 26 cubs over a span of nearly 20 years and successfully returned them to the wild. His experiences have given him new and startling insights into the lives of bears. Black bears exhibit behaviors thought to be found only in humans and great apes, such as an intricate system of communication and cooperation, empathy and altruism.  Admission will be $8, $5 for students and free for children younger than 8. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance, which conserves land in the headwaters of the Sheepcot River in Freedom, Liberty, Montville and Palermo. For more information about SWLA and its educational and recreational programs, visit swlamaine.org; or contact Buck O’Herin at 589-3230 or buckoherin@fairpoint.net.

Thursday, November 18 - Wine and Chocolate Party to Celebrate Environmental Health Strategy Center's 8th Anniversary, 5:30 - 8:30 pm, Whitney Art Works, 492 Congress Street, Portland. Join the Environmental Health Strategy Center to celebrate their work to secure a clean and healthy environment where we live, work and play, and develop sustainable solutions. Stop by for a glass of wine or to sample some organic chocolate, celebrate some of our heroes from the past year, and visit with EHSC staff and friends to talk about what's ahead in 2011! For more information, visit www.preventharm.org

Saturday, November 20 - Maine Pesticide Summit, 9 am - 3 pm, Brunswick Unitarian Church, 15 Pleasant Street, Brunswick. Laura Stevens of Toxics Action Center invites you to participate in a day of sharing, discussion and strategy around the issue of reducing pesticde use in Maine.  Best-selling author, journalist and Maine resident Paul Tukey will be the keynote speaker.  According to Laura, "Communities across Maine have been up in arms against pesticide use lately. From Scarborough to Camden, and Fryeburg to Yarmouth, citizens are saying 'Stop the Spray'! Opportunities abound for reducing pesticide use in Maine: We're one of nine lucky states in the US without a pre-emption law, making pesticide bans in towns legally feasible. And there is political support for change at the state level as well."  For more information, contact Laura Steven at 871-1810 or laura@toxicsaction.org.

Sunday, November 21 - By Land and By Sea, 4 - 6 pm, The Peace Center at Midcoast Friends Meeting, 77 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta.  Community Chowder Supper will follow a presentation, By Land and By Sea, that examines a growing movement linking farmers and fishermen around their common challenges and opportunities to build local foods systems and food security. Amanda Beal and Ellen Tyler, Tufts graduate students and local foods advocates, will share the outcome of this project in Maine. The supper will include seafood/sea vegetable chowders, breads and desserts Donations accepted.  For more information, contact Andy Burt at 882-6848.

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Local permaculture groups in Brunswick and Portland have several events planned. You can learn more about these groups and their events using the Meetup web service.  Check them out at

• http://www.meetup.com/Brunswick-Permaculture/
• http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/

A transition town group is active in the greater Brunswick area. Find out more about them and their events at

• http://www.meetup.com/Transition-Town-Brunswick/
  

For more news about Maine's environment, check out Maine Environmental News

Tip: Beat the Tax Credit Deadline

November's Sustainable Living Tip

Take advantage of the federal tax credits for energy efficiency. Purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment, to receive a federal tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500.  Improvements must be "placed in service" in an existing home between January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.

 

Facts about Consumer Energy Tax Incentives

1. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
2. A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government.
   
3. If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit. For details, visit the Energy Star web site, Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency.
   
4. Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.
   
5. Individuals and businesses who buy or lease a new hybrid gas-electric car or truck are eligible for an income tax credit for vehicles "placed in service" starting January 1, 2006, and purchased on or before December 31, 2010. The amount of the credit depends on the fuel economy, the weight of the vehicle, and whether the tax credit has been or is being phased out. Hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline than the average vehicle of similar weight and that meet an emissions standard qualify for the credit.
6. The hybrid vehicle credit will be phased out for each manufacturer once that company has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. At that point, the tax credit for each company's vehicles will be gradually reduced over the course of 15 months. See the IRS's Summary of the Credit for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles for information on the status of specific vehicle eligibility.
   
7. Alternative-fuel vehicles, diesel vehicles with advanced lean-burn technologies, and fuel-cell vehicles are also eligible for tax credits. See the IRS summary of credits available for Alternative Motor Vehicles.
8. The Recovery Act modifies the credit for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles purchased after Dec. 31, 2009. The minimum amount of the credit for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles is $2,500 and the credit tops out at $7,500, depending on the battery capacity. To qualify, vehicles must be newly purchased, have four or more wheels, have a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 lbs, and draw propulsion using a battery with at least four kilowatt hours that can be recharged from an external source of electricity.  The full amount of the credit will be reduced with respect to a manufacturer's vehicles after the manufacturer has sold at least 200,000 vehicles.  The credit will then phase out over a year.
9. The Recovery Act also provided a tax credit for plug-in electric drive conversion kits. The credit is equal to 10% of the cost of converting a vehicle to a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle and placed in service after Feb. 17, 2009. The maximum amount of the credit is $4,000. The credit does not apply to conversions made after Dec. 31, 2011. A taxpayer may claim this credit even if the taxpayer claimed a hybrid vehicle credit for the same vehicle in an earlier year.
10. The Recovery Act law also creates a special tax credit for two types of plug-in vehicles: certain low-speed electric vehicles and 2- or 3-wheeled vehicles. The amount of the credit is 10% of the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum credit of $2,500 for purchases made after Feb. 17, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2012.  To qualify, a vehicle must be either a low speed vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with a capacity of 4 kilowatt hours or more, or be a 2- or 3-wheeled vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with the capacity of 2.5 kilowatt hours. A taxpayer may not claim this credit if the plug-in electric drive vehicle credit is allowable.

Living Sustainably and Saving Money

Guy Marsden of Woolwich will give a public talk entitled "Living Sustainably and Saving Money" at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, November 11 at 7 pm. Guy will speak from his own experiences about his efforts to live as sustainably as practical while also saving money and reducing his carbon footprint. The event is free and open to the public.

"I do not believe that sustainability comes into conflict with living comfortably," says Guy. "My family has made very few sacrifices in the process of reducing our energy footprint."

Guy's presentation shares practical steps on the path to living sustainably -- from simple no-cost things like turning down the water heater, on up to installing solar panels. Along the way he will share anecdotes and personal stories about his journey. As an electrical engineer he will also demystify electric power: attendees will learn what a kilowatt hour is and why this measure of electrical energy is important to know.

 Guy documents his solar installations, including the solar building heating system he designed and installed and the solar domestic water and solar power systems he installed, on his web site at www.arttec.net.


Space for this talk is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly workshop is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.