Convening the Conveners Report

Greetings and Well Wishes to all of you who contributed to the Convening the Conveners event May 6, 2009 in Ashland, Oregon,

We are pleased to share with you the written report from the event last month. We thank you for your patience in receiving the documentation and hope that you find it to be a valuable artifact of the endeavor. Please feel encouraged to share the information with anyone that you would like, as we hope to illuminate the culture of working together towards our shared common goal of local resiliency.

Models of Sustainable Living Tour

I know that community and sustainability are priorities to you and your green business so I have found a way for you to gain exposure while supporting the things you want to see in the world.

On June 24th, I will begin my Models of Sustainable Living Tour, a study of communities in Europe that demonstrate social harmony, cooperation and longevity, along with some specific tried and true, fuel free technologies that I've not yet seen here in the USA. From this tour, I will develop presentations and trainings to share this wisdom with people across the USA, to support our transitions to more sustainable choices, with greater community connections and cooperation.

Locals Win National Vdeo Contest | Ashland Resource Center

Local father/daughter team "isBreathing", Ed and Wrenna Keller have been selected as the Grand Prize winners of the if.net "15 Seconds of Fame" video contest. They received enough online votes to put them in the top 5 of nearly 300 entries.In addition to winning a hand-held HD video camera, a judging panel selected their entry as the grand prize winner of $10,000.

Green Showcase | Mail-Tribune

Goodbye 2-by-6 studs with fiberglass insulation, vapor barrier and a lot of screws, nails, pounding — and seeping of air between the many joints. Say hello to SIPs.

Today's green, energy-efficient and sustainably-built house can be framed entirely with SIPs — Structural Insulated Panels — which are a foot-thick sandwich of polystyrene foam between layers of oriented strand board, a product that costs a little more than lumber but which cuts building time and pays for itself in saved energy bills.

Thomas Berry, Renowned Cultural Historian, Dies | Greens News

GREENSBORO - Father Thomas Berry, a Greensboro native and world-renowned cultural historian, died Monday at the Well-Spring retirement community. He was 94. (Photo: http://handsofalchemy.blogspot.com)

Berry, a Passionist Catholic priest, was considered a leading ecological thinker and held eight honorary degrees and numerous awards and honors. His ideas have influenced people across the world - from corporate globalization critic David Korten to Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai of Kenya .

Berry's health had declined over the years and his family expected his death, said his sister, Dr. Margaret Berry.

"He had a quiet death and the family was with him when he died," Berry said. "We have people from all over the world who are e-mailing and planning to attend one of the four services."

Thomas Berry articulated a vision of an approaching "Ecozoic Era" in which human societies would live in a sustainable and mutually beneficial manner with the natural world. The Center for Ecozoic Studies in Chapel Hill plans to publish a tribute to Berry this year.

Governor to Attend 100 Best Green Companies Event | Oregon Business News

Gov. Ted Kulongoski will attend Oregon Business magazine's celebration of its first annual 100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon. The event will be June 1 at the Gerding Theater in Portland. "We are honored to have the governor help us recognize the importance of green ethics in the workplace," says Oregon Business Editor Robin Doussard. "And grateful for his enduring commitment to making Oregon one of the greenest states in the country."