Another Green Monday
Last Friday, DTE attended Chicken Sh@#: The Party, the closing night of the urban ecosystem exhibit by Gabriel Brown and Rimas Simaitis at the Saranac Art Gallery. What was on view: An alternative use for hubcaps, worm bins for composting, tobacco plants blooming, sprouting seeds, piles of carboard and more. Plus friendly chickens, who, as the artists said, not only displayed a brilliant example of ecosystems, they also "provide us with an immediate understanding of economics… to turn waste into something of value." (That made us curious about what happens when a patron at Isabella’s orders poultry as they hear the clucks next door.) During the show’s run, the gallery hosted several inspiring events partnered with the Main Market Co-op. Curt Ellis co-creator of the award-winning documentary “King Corn” stopped by to speak about his new film “Big River” which examines the environmental impact of pesticides and fertilizers. And let's not forget the local workshops: "Worm Bin Workshop" on indoor composting by Mariah McKay and “Chickens in the hood” on raising chickens in the city by Bea Lackaff.
The Inlander took some flak in their review for posing the age-old question “is it art?” That is a harder question to answer than it is to ask. Brown and Simaitis won’t say as much; think of them as magicians who refuse to reveal their tricks. Not to imply their work was an act rather it was grounded in the performance art of Charles Krafft. Brown had an old television with a looping video of him in a suit, satirically panhandling at 2nd and Division with a sign that said “Need Starbucks" and "My Lexus Needs Tune-Up." The exhibit hit fresh notes and it represented an authentic and quite personal relationship between the artists and the environment. With Riverspeak and the upcoming Transcendence project---and a wild Earth Day--- Spokane is ready for a confluence of creative events where there’s a potential to bring home an eco-message to a new audience in a lively and critical way.
(Photos by Ginny Baxter.)
After the jump are some stories you might’ve missed.
Groovin to the "green" beat. While it will still smell like any old music festival, the GreenNote festival in Seattle will be a whole lot different. The two-day acoustic music festy taking place in July at Myrtle Edwards Park will promote environmental awareness, "by incorporating the message of green energy and sustainability throughout the festival grounds," this according to Travis Hay reporting for Crosscut. And since it's being billed as such, we assume this will be more than simply recycling Coors Lights cans like at Sasquatch! In fact, you can read more about their objectives HERE.
Explaining the "triple win" or why the government's home energy efficiency program is awesome. Creating more jobs, offering energy savings to consumers, and lowering carbon emissions - sounds good right? That's the "triple win" effect of the government's plan to make American homes more energy efficient. Officially, the plan is called Home Star, but it’s also quickly becoming known as “cash for caulkers.” Read more from The Christian Scienece Monitor HERE.
Powerful farmers in Idaho. There was a wonderful piece in The New York Times last week about saving energy in Idaho. "As saving energy becomes a rallying cry for utilities and the government, Idaho Power [Company} is in the vanguard. Since 2004, it has been paying farmers to cut power use at crucial times, resulting in drop-offs of as much as 5.6 percent of peak power demand." Read the article HERE to learn more about other efficiency initiatives in Idaho.
Are Portland's bike boxes working? Apparently not. According to 918 hours of video shot at 12 of Portland's 14-foot-long boxes that are aimed at helping cyclists and pedestrians cooperate at intersections, there is no significant reduction in conflicts between cars and bicycles. Read more about this HERE, and be sure to click on the links in the article for more information.
