Questions to Korten and Long on KUOW's Weekday

I recently posed questions to economist and author, David Korten, and Michelle Long, Executive Director of BALLE and co-founder of Bellingham's Sustainable Connections, on KUOW's Weedkay with Steve Scher. I've been a guest on KUOW in the past on the topic of sustainable design (find it here) so its always fun to call in with questions when the opportunity arises. For this show, I asked Korten and Long how they thought local living economies could make it mainstream, as well as what they thought the future might be if the trend in localized economies continues. Scher always puts on a great show and Korten and Long were both eloquent and super informed on the topic so it was a fantastic discussion. You can find the podcast here. You'll find my short questions near the end of the show.

From NPR to Native Research Celebration

Wow, I had a busy day today...but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I started out by sitting down with KUOW's Weekday host, Steve Scher, to discuss sustainable style...can you be stylish and sustainable at the same time. It was my first time on radio so I was pretty nervous leading up to the show. Once I was in the booth though, it went great. I've been a fan of Weekday and Steve Scher for a long time so was pretty familiar with the format, a quick back and forth with Steve and then listener questions. Steve was right on it as far a touch questions. And the listeners were right on as well with great examples or suggestions themselves. Afterward, I got lots of text messages, emails, and voicemails from all sorts of folks, friends, family, and I guess I'd have to say brand new friends. In the end, I just hope I did well by SSFand everyone out there trying to live a bit more on the sustainable side.


So that was the start of my day. The end of my day was spent at the launch of a new institute at UW called the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI). It is an incredible new effort that will do incredible things and produce incredible results. But speaking of incredible. The evening blew me away. The ceremonies and lectures were inspiring and the performances were out of this world. Two performers in particular really left me breathless. Pura Fe completely amazed me. This woman should have shelves full of Grammies. Not that you can really describe her voice or style, but if you crossed Janice Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Bonnie Raitt...you'd be close. The other great surprise was Kinnie Star, a young female performing artist from Vancouver. She started with some awesome poetry, did a couple more Top 40 type songs, and then ended with some Rap/Hip Hop that ROCKED!!! Now Don't get me wrong, the Black Lodge Singers and Keith Knight (a six string guitar player) were outstanding too, but the women really stole the show I must say. One of the final acts was Ulali, a trio of Native women (including Pura Fe) that I think could have easily, literally set the house on fire. They combine some traditional native sounds with etherial melodies that were food for the soul. Wow, what an amazing day!

Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival

I had the honor of serving on a discussion panel during the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival this evening. The topic, 'Communicating about climate change', was moderated by KUOW's Steve Scher and the other panelists included Earth Ministry's LeeAnne Beres, Climate Solution's KC Golden, and Grist's David Roberts. Prior to the panel, we joined festival-goers in viewing four films: Climate: A Crisis Averted, a humorous short film looking back at climate change from 2056; Gone, a music video style short produced by Bill Madden; Out of Balance: ExxonMobil's Impact on Climate Change, a guided documentary on Exxon's many mishaps during the Valdez spill; and Greenpeace: Making a Stand, a documentary on the origins and continued spirit of Greenpeace by Leigh Badgley. Climate: Crisis Averted busted me up with lots of comic relief (including a magazine cover with Martha Stewart showcasing pastel solar panels), Gone was incredible aesthetically,Out of Balance appealed to the conservation biologist in me, and Greenpeace: Making a Stand completely inspired me. All are worth seeing, but Greenpeace: Making a Stand especially should be seen by as many people as possible. In particular, I think it goes a long way in defining what a hero truly is and can be. Although we sometimes slipped into broader issues than climate change, the panel discussion was great and the audience questions were right on task. Mark your calendars for the next Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival next March. Even better, keep an eye on their website for ongoing events.