More detailed information, speaker bios and event times and locations can be found at

http://www.evergreen.edu/synergy

Synergy: The 7th Annual Sustainable Living Conference is being held at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. The dates for the 2008 conference are Monday, May 19th through Friday, May 23rd. This conference has grown to be a powerful platform to engage and address the intertwining themes of Ecology, Design, Culture, Health, and Social Change.

Synergy is organized by a non-profit coalition of student organizers. The title of the event reflects our belief that the solutions to the world’s problems can only be solved though collaboration, where the whole becomes more then the sum of it’s parts. This year’s conference will include presentations by notable leaders in their respected fields.

Dr. Mitchell Joachim of New York based non-profit Terreform, will be presenting a keynote lecture on the future of ecological urban design at 6PM on Thursday May 22nd in Lecture Hall 1. Dr. Joachim, a MIT Media Lab graduate, is best known as being the creator of the Fab Tree Hab. He won the History Channel and Infiniti Design Excellence Award for the City of the Future, New York and Time Magazine Best Invention of the Year 2007, Compacted Car with the MIT Smart Cities Group.

The Puget Sound is in serious danger. Pollution has wreaked horrible consequences on this majestic waterway. For example, 92% of wild salmon runs are no more, and several stocks of other species are collapsing as well. Why is the Puget Sound in danger? Ask an expert.

Take it from William Dietrich. He published an article in the Seattle Times yesterday. It's about this very subject. It's very well written and it's titled: "Puget Sound: One man's indictment, love poem and call to arms", here's a link: seattletimes.nwsource.com/

This is to find out if there is interest on OlyBlog in creating a more wholistic view of how social justice, peace, environment, and other issues interrelate. Sometimes I feel alienated by the presentation of issues of sustainability in Olympia without mention of vegetarian diet, and I feel that the mention of peace without a view which addresses local poverty or animal rights actually helps perpetuate the habit of stratification rather than alleviates it.

When visiting the Emma Goldman Finishing School in Seattle, I admired the way they would create community by offering a monthly potluck with a themed presentation related to social justice along with a vegetarian potluck to support sustainability and prevent needless suffering in animals. By contrast, my experiences in interacting here in Olympia has been that the organizations I've explored pretty much pick a cause rather than addressing the root of stratified thinking. This results in unsustainable fundraisers that also victimize animals to support organizations that may be very effective and adept at addressing issues related to human suffering or the arts, or education, etc, and I have difficulty investing where I see one injustice perpetuated to support a relatable, but as of yet not related in practice, cause.

[News Release issued jointly by the City of Olympia and the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce]

(Olympia, WA) Local businesses were recognized for their participation in the Thurston Green Business Program today at the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce Forum Luncheon at St. Martins University. The purpose of the program is to recognize local businesses for their sustainability efforts.

Three businesses were given special recognition for their leading efforts in the large, medium and small business categories. They are Providence St. Peter Hospital, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, and Premiere Salon & Spa.

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Please Join Us for an Evening Report-Back From The EARTH ACTIVIST TRAINING

Ideas To Enliven And Inspire From Our Experience at a Recent Two-Week Intensive Training in SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND REGENERATIVE ACTIVISM!

Have you always wanted to Learn About…

• Restoring Degraded Land
  
• Observation and Awareness
  
• Spriritual Connection with Nature
• Permaculture Basics

The Evening Will Include:

Slideshow Presentation from our experiences at the training

Experiential Song and Earth-Based Ritual

A Hands-On Permaculture Project to restore degraded land: making seed balls!

When, Where:

Wednesday February 20, 2008 7:15-9:15 PM Olympia Freeschool 610 Columbia St. Olympia, WA