Warm Smoke & Lies.

It should be illegal for a company to be so self-serving as to intentionally create misinformation about a public health issue! We lived through this with the tabacco companies who threw money and lies at the piles of data connecting tabacco smoke & lung cancer. Now, through a recent report of the Union of Concerned Scientists, it is clear that Exxon Corporation is directing over $16M to fabricate confusion and distort the truth regarding Global Warming and its relationship to the build up of CO2 provoked by the use of fossil fuels.
Well worth the read and pass along value to friends and colleagues. Here’s the summary and the report itself.

Another must see, if you haven’t yet, and perhaps even if you have… An Inconvenient Truth and their website which offers ways to take action as well current news. Some of Exxon’s money has gone to so called pundits like Sterling Burnett who claims Gore, on the issue of climate change, is like a Nazi protagonist.

If you’re ready for a real WAKE UP call, take the ecological footprint quiz. I was deeply stunned for days after having completed mine. Once you get your score, check out the impact of walking or cycling to work or between meals and flying less … it’s shocking and well, urgent!

Shed Light. Dim Down.

There’s a lot of talk about carbon credits, offsets and emissions lately. (thankfully!) While most of us are getting finally up to speed on climate change, global warming and in touch with what we can do — I thought it was worth the mention again that one of the easiest and most effective steps each of us can take is to choose the best possible light to live by.

The general story on light bulbs is that compact fluorescent bulbs are more efficient. (use less energy); They also tend to produce a more diffuse light and so some people like to use a reflector rather than a light shade in fixtures that are intended to deliver light for reading and detailed work. In some cities CF bulbs are being provided for replacement of incandescent bulbs or rebate programs are in place. Check with your local utility company or municipality’s website to see if one applies in your town.

The relationship between incandescent bulbs and CF bulbs is as follows:

a 40 watt bulb, replace with a 13 to 15 watt CF

a 60 watt bulb, replace with a 18 to 22 watt CF

a 75 watt bulb, replace with a 23 to 25 watt CF

a 100 watt bulb, replace with a 27 to 32 watt CF

In addition to CF bulbs, try LED bulbs which are more expensive than CFs but last longer. These are also very efficient in terms of the number of watts required to deliver sufficient light. This technology is fairly new, so expect the variety to increase and the price to come down over the next few years.

A couple of sources for more information on where to find bulbs, pricing and rebates.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=632&campaign=mts&source=searchg_200701

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/evangelizing_co.php

http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/index.aspx

Dimming lights also helps of course. Check to ensure bulbs are compatible with dimmers.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/dimmer-switch.htm

network for good

Chile Contracts for ‘Study’: Mega-Hydroelectric In Patagonia

This is the latest update on the new Chilean government’s movement to develop megadams throughout Southern Chile, specifically Patagonia. This article alludes to the progress of these projects through studies that have been contracted for what is now proposed as 4 dams from 2 separate rivers in the midst of a remote and relatively pristine area which is home to many local adventure travel companies, small hotels, farms and cattle ranches. It also references another study yet to be awarded which will concern itself with moving the electricity proposed to be generated from the far South of Chile, through a spectacular park called Parque Pumalin, to the far North of Chile where it will be used to power drills for extracting gold, copper and other metals from local mountains.

HidroAysén awards EIS work for Aysén project – Chile Published: Monday, December 11, 2006 16:41 (GMT -0400)Joint venture Centrales Hidroeléctricas de Aysén (HidroAysén) has awarded the EIS work for its 2.5GW Aysén project in Chile’s Region XI to a consortium of Scandinavian firm Sweco and Chile’s Poch Ambienta and EPS, HidroAysén said in a statement. The local subsidiary of Spanish power company Endesa (NYSE: ELE), which holds a 51% stake in the HidroAysén JV, launched the tender for the EIS in June. Local generator Colbún holds 49% of the JV. The consortium will perform the study next year. The US$4bn hydro project consists of US$2.4bn for four hydroelectric projects – two on the Baker river and two on the Pascua river – plus a fifth smaller plant. The project has come under fire from environmentalists, tourism agencies as well as salmon and cattle farmers. Endesa, however, has argued the project would diversify energy supply, increase current generation capacity 30% in the central grid and create 4,000 jobs. An Endesa spokesperson declined to provide additional information when contacted by BNamericas. Endesa also has signed an MOU with Chilean transmission company Transelec to develop a 2,000km transmission line to take energy from Aysén to the country’s central grid (SIC). The line will require a separate EIS. Environmentalists have criticized the proposed transmission line, which would pass through Pumalín park in Region X. By Business News Americas staff reporters

Water Worth More Than Gold!

PASCUA LAMA – “WATER IS WORTH MORE THAN GOLD”

Please take a minute to read and judge by
yourself if you want to take action. All you got
to do is add your name and resend this email to
your friends.

BACKGROUND

Pascua-Lama is a project involving open pit
mining of a field of gold, silver and copper in
the high mountains south of Atacama on the border
between Chile and Argentina at an altitude of
over 4,500 metres. It has been the cause of
controversy and public protest in Chile,
including demonstrations and petitions presented
to the Chilean government. As of 2006, work has
yet to commence.

The field contains deposits of 17 million ounces
of gold and 635 million ounces of silver, with 75
percent of the deposits in Chile and 25 percent
in Argentina. It lies under two glaciers which
currently feed the rivers of the Huasco Province.

Those protesting the project contend that the
project will involve the removal of 20 hectares
of ice, a volume of 300,000 to 800,000 cubic
metres, and that this will cause serious
environmental harm. They also contend that the
project will affect the water supply of the
70,000 farmers in the Huasco valley, releasing
cyanide and mercury into the valley’s rivers,
that the company has bought the support of the
famers with “social assistance” and promises of
US$60 million for infrastructure work, and that
the Mining Integration and Complementation Treaty
was adopted under pressure from Barrick. In
November 2005, a petition of 18,000 signatures
was presented to the Chilean government by the
Anti Pascua Lama Front, a coalition of
environmentalist groups.

CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE FOR MORE INFO:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascua_Lama

TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL EMAIL (SPANISH FOLLOWS ENGLISH):

In San Felix valley, some of the purest water of
Chile runs through rivers fed by two Glaciers,
that holds the most precious treasure (water).
Huge deposits of gold, silver and other minerals
have been found below the glaciers.
>En el valle de San Félix, el agua más pura en
>Chile corre por ríos alimentados por 2
>glaciares, donde existe el más precioso recurso
>(agua).Grandísimos depósitos de oro, plata y
>otros minerales han sido encontrados bajos los
>glaciares.

To reach them it will be necessary to break and
destroy the glaciers – something never conceived
previously in human history- and make two big
holes, each one as big as mountain, one for the
extraction process and the other for the waste
from the mine.
>Para llegar hasta ellos será necesario quebrar y
>destruir los glaciares -algo nunca concebido en
>la historia del mundo- y hacer 2 grandísimos
>huecos, cada uno tan grande como una montaña,
>uno para la extracción y otro para el deshecho
>de la mina.

The project is named PASCUA LAMA. The company is
called BARRICK GOLD. The operation has been
planned by a multinational corporation of which
George Bush senior is a member.
> El proyecto se llama PASCUA LAMA. La compañía
>se llama Barrick Gold. La operación esta siendo
>planeada por una multinacional de la cual es
>miembro George Bush padre.

The Chilean government has approved the Project
to begin in 2006. The only reason that it hasn’t
began is because the farmers have obtained an
extension. If they destroy the glaciers, they
will not just destroy the source of specially
pure water, but they will permanently contaminate
the two rivers that will never again be adequate
to human and animal consume because of cyanide
and sulfuric acid used in the process of
extraction.
> El gobierno Chileno ha aprobado el proyecto
>para que empiece este año 2006. La Única razón
>por la cual no ha empezado aún, es porque los
>campesinos han obtenido un aplazamiento. Si
>destruyen los glaciares, no solamente destruirán
>la fuente de un agua especialmente pura, pero
>contaminarán permanentemente los 2 ríos de tal
>forma que nunca volverán a ser aptos para
>consumo por humanos o animales debido al uso de
>cianuro y ácido sulfúrico en el proceso de
>extracción.

Every last gram of gold will be sent abroad and
nothing will be left for the people who own the
land. Nothing but poisoned waters and illness.
> Hasta el último gramo de oro será enviado a la
>multinacional en el extranjero y ni uno le
>quedará a la gente a quien le pertenece esta
>tierra. A ellos solo les quedará el agua
>envenenada y las enfermedades consiguientes.

The farmers have been fighting a long time for
their land, but they haven’t been able to reach
the TV because of a ban from the Ministry of the
interior. Their only hope to stop this project is
to obtain help from international justice. The
world need to know what is happening in Chile.
>Los campesinos llevan bastante tiempo peleando
>por su tierra, pero no han podido recurrir a la
>TV por una prohibición del Ministerio del
>Interior. Su única esperanza para frenar este
>proyecto es obtener ayuda de la justicia
>internacional. El mundo debe enterarse de lo que
>esta pasando en Chile.

The place to start changing the world is our own
place. We ask you to circulate this email
following these easy instructions: Please copy
this text and paste it a new message, adding your
name and sending it to all the people in your
mailing list.
>El lugar por donde empezar a cambiar el mundo es
>nuestro lugar. Le pedimos circular este mensaje
>entre sus amigos de esta forma: por favor copie
>este texto y péguenlo a un mensaje nuevo,
>añadiendo su firma y enviándolo a todas las
>personas en su archivo de direcciones.

If you are person number 100, 200 or 300 (
depending on the number signed) please send it to:
MAILTO:nopascualama@yahoo.ca to be sent to the Chilean Government.
>Se ruega a la persona numero 100, 200 o 300
>(dependiendo cuanta gente va) que reciba este
>mensaje mandarlo a noapascualama@yahoo.ca para
>que sea remitido al gobierno Chileno.

No to the open pit mine Pascua Lama in the Andes
mountain on the border between Chile and
Argentina. We request to the Chilean government
not to authorize the Pascua Lama project and
protect the two glaciers, the water of San Felix
and El Transito valleys, the quality of farming
land in the Atacama region and the quality of
life of the people affected in the region.
>No a la mina abierta Pascua Lama en la
>cordillera andina sobre la Frontera entre
>Chile-Argentina. Pedimos al gobierno Chileno que
>no autorice el proyecto Pascua Lama para
>proteger la totalidad de 2 glaciares, la pureza
>del agua de los valles de San Félix y El
>Tránsito, la calidad de la tierra cultivable en
>la Región de Atacama, la calidad de vida de la
>gente afectada de la Región.

>Muchas gracias por su atención
Thank you very much

>Envío actual
>1. Roberto Jiménez Vargas
>2. José Salvador Chávez Ferrusca
>3. Clío Chávez Palencia
>4. Rafael Merino Isunza
>5. Francisco José Ruiz Núñez
>6. Javier Emilio Jiménez Guzmán
>7. Cecilia Beaven G.
>8. Rebeca Miranda C.
>9. Ximena G T
>10. Samanta Guevara G.
>11. Patricia Galindo Islas
>12. Celia Islas A
>13. Guillermina Islas A
>14. Alvaro Galindo H
>15. Xochitl Vega.
>16. Teresa Flores R.
>17. Iván López Q.
>18. Luis Alejandro Ramírez H. (México)
>19. Mina Alejandra Navarro T. (México)
>20. Liliana Vanella (Argentina)
>21. Dardo Alzogaray (Argentina)
>22. Mirta Antonelli (Argentina)
>23. Sandra Mutal (Argentina)
>24. Magui Lucero(Argentina)
>25. Rosana Belcasino (Argentina)
>26. Claudia Diehl(Argentina)
>27. Ana Moro (Argentina)
>28. Marina Araujo (Córdoba, Argentina)
>29. Luis Enrique Olarte (Neuquén, Argentina)
>30. Elisabetta Lasagna (Roma, Italia)
>31. Roxelio Vazquez Gomez (Vigo, Galiza)
>32. jose carlos dominguez hervello (vigo, galiza)
>33.Cristina Fernandez Lareo (Vigo, Galicia)
>34.Montserrat Fernandez Lareo (Madrid)
>35. Carmen Orellana Martín (Madrid)
>36. Teresa Jiménez Santillana (Madrid)
>37. Beatriz Gómez Sánchez (Madrid – España)
>38. Flavie Staib (Madrid – España)
>39. Jorge Parra (Madrid – España)
>40. Danielle Jacobsen (España)
>41. Albertina Cabal (EEUU)
>42. Claudia Llinás (Chile)
>43. Constanza del Rio (Chile)
>44. Alejandra del Río (Alemania)
>45. Pablo Valdebenito (Chile)
>46. Soledad Rojas (Chile)
>47.- Luis Mendoza Mendoza (Chile)
>48. Pablo MOraga Mendoza (Chile)
>49. Luis Moraga Salas (Chile)
>50. Norma Vivallo Salazar (Chile)
>51. Carmen Mendoza (Chile)
>52.- Gilda Pino (Chile)
>53.- María de Jesús Gálvez (Chile)
>54.- Viviana De la Fuente Vera (Chile)
>55.- Carola Montenegro Tomè ( Chile)
>56.- Carola Encina F ( Chile)
>57.-Omar Garrido Aedo (Chile)
>58.-Ivan Nuñez(chile)
>59.-M. Eugenia Cordero (chile)
>60.. Crsitian Contreras Astorga (Chile)
>61.._Rosa Contreras (chile)_
>62.- Paula Morales (Chile)
>63.-Kelly Flores (Chile!!!)
>64.-Cristopher Ramirez (“Chile”)
>65.-Jonatha Jhandary Ramirez Cortes (“Chile”)
>66.-Tesly Natalye Guzmán (Chile¡¡¡¡¡¡¡)
>67.- Marcela Olguín P (Chile)
>68.-manuel olavarria m (chile)
>69.-Maria Jose Araya V. (CHILE)
>70.-Marcelo Muñoz Castañeda (Chile)
>71. Luis Alejandro Díaz Zárate (Chile)
>72. Florencia Araya Berrios (chile)
>73.Jose Daniel Mejias Canales (chile
>74. Lérida Baeza Canales (Chile)
>75. Patricia Martínez (Chile)
>76. Katia Pacheco (Chile)
>77- Eduardo Pantoja Milla
>78- Camila Vásquez Donoso
>79- Romina Pagani Hernández
>80- Giorgia Pagani Hernández
>81- Natalia Vieyra Attue
>82- Maria Paz Muñoz Illanes (Chile)
>83- Natalia Miranda Calderón (Chile)
>84- Edo. Muñoz Moreno
>85- Paola Ann Valenzuela Vicencio(Chile)
>86- Daniela Paz Valenzuela Vicencio
>87- Daniela Uribe Milosavljevic (Chile)
>88- Cristian Osorio Tobar
>89- Martín Silva (Chile)
>90.- Lucca Bosco ( CHILE ! ! )
>91.Cristobal Raby P.
>92.-Javiera Villarroel Herrera.
>100.- bernardita thenoux ( chile)
>101- Rocío Gutierrez (Chile)
>102.- Ruby Venegas (Chile)
>103- Daniela Bracchitta K. (Chile)
>104.- Mónica Rodríguez Balboa (Chile)
>105.- Amanda Sanhueza Ramos (Chile)
>106.- Zoraida Landeros Aravena (del sur de Chile)
>107.- Felipe Eduardo Silva Landeros (Valdivia-Chile)
>108.- Fernanda Sepúlveda (CHILE)
>109.- Manuel Ruiz Aravena. (CHILE)
>110.Claudio König Valdebenito (patagonia chilena che!)
>111. Joaquina Peña (Patagonia chilena)

112. Lisa Gansky (California EEUU y Futaleufu’ Chile po!)

so long and thanks for the fish

certainly over the past ten years the sentinel has sounded about the world fish stock being at risk. the ocean conservancy, NRDC, WWF, seacology and others have delivered reports focused on the negative result of ocean and river health from pollution, climate change and over-fishing. this week scientists warn that our fish stocks are likely to collapse by 2048 if we do not act now to both recover ocean health and carefully manage how, when and where we fish.

we can act even as individuals by selecting carefully which fish we buy and eat. always fresh and succinct,  Seafood Watch  provides a pocket sized list of both threatened & ocean safe fish &  is published  regularly by the Monterey Aquarium.  Stay tuned as this  international discussion  on strategies to manage our oceans, heats up.

waking up to the reality of climate change

two days ago the British government released a report on the economic impact of climate change. the cost of paying attention, getting into action, changing our lives and not ignoring anymore the harsh reality of our future will cost 1% GDP now and an estimated 5% GDP if we postpone then, embrace the consequences. today MIT released a survey claiming that people in the U.S. consider climate change the most pressing environmental issue.

Luzclara at Dos Margaritas in Patagonia

Luzclara is a medicine woman and internationally known shamanic practitioner. She will be leading a woman-only workshop at the Eco-tourism Center in Patagonia for one week beginning the 29th of January 2007 with a special full moon ritual. Luzclara is a healer with a deep connection to indigenous cultures and therefore, Mother Earth. I was particularly touched by a story shared in meetings with remarkable people.

We will be hosting a few renown and respected workshop leaders to lead special courses at Dos Margaritas’ Center in Patagonia. We are extremely delighted to have Luzclara be the first of those gifted teachers to join us. If you are interested in attending the workshop or know someone who might be, have a look here for more details. This is a very precious opportunity to immerse yourself in a week of learning, spiritual awakening and rituals in a spectacular setting with a profoundly present healer.

tabblo south

a new foto and storytelling service called tabblo gives us new ways to share projects and some sense of the people and the place of Futaleufu Chile and Northern Patagonia.

easy to use and well received by others, these tabblos also allow us to link to this blog and other sites too. (btw, they make really nicely printed posters which have been a big hit in these small Chilean towns too)

Local Guides In Action

Our Students: Future Eco-Guides

The Spirit of Patagonia @ Dos Margaritas

heading into Summer in the South

as fall hits home in Oakland California, spring is bursting onto the scene in the south. Santiago Chile is blooming & the people of Patagonia are shedding parkas in time for the sunlight of la primavera. por fin!

in the campo of Dos Margaritas, flowers are risking an appearance and the team is preparing to dive into longer days and the chance to get it all done before tourists, students and big summer days emerge. for a flavor, here’s a true sign of spring.

lago yelcho sparkles into spring