Our Santa Fe
River, Inc.
1-386-454-2366
Hello,
This week we bring you news from around the country on issues regarding
water rights. In here are the results of the Kucinch
hearings last year regarding bottled water. Our laws regarding water need
to be changed to allow for more and better protection of the very thing
that sustains us and our planet...water.
Our Santa Fe River (OSFR) is preparing you for the upcoming
Commission hearing in Gilchrist County. You can find us in
person during the next few weeks at the Trenton and High Springs Farmer's
Markets. We will be at Trenton's on Tuesdays 2 -
5 pm. And we will be at High Spring's on Thursdays 2 - 5 pm.
Come out and meet us there.
* We will have information you will want to read before
the hearing.
* There will be the yellow sign up card to fill in from
Gilchrist County if you wish to speak during the meeting.
Please come to the Gilchrist County Commission
meeting/hearing September 30 @ 6 pm at the Trenton High School, on Main
Street and be a part of our history, forever. The citizens
have the opportunity to use their voice and presence to tell the elected County
Commissioners what they want for their county. We do not want more
water bottlers in this area. CCDA (Coke/Danone) already
is permitted to withdraw 1.152 millions of gallons a day from our
Floridan Aquifer, Springs, and consequently Santa Fe River to put in plastic
bottles and ship to everywhere.
Our Santa Fe River will have a table at the Water Expo at Santa Fe
Community College Oct. 3rd.
In the near future you will no longer be receiving e-mails from this
address. They will be coming from
info@oursantaferiver.org.
Thank you,
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson
board member OSFR
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If you have trouble
reading this email go to http://www.newdream.org/emails/ta55.html
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| Issue No. 55, September 2, 2008
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| Take
the Pledge! Break the Bottled Water Habit -- Fill'er Up at
Home |
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Did you know that making bottles to meet
Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than
1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some
100,000 cars for a year? With gas prices
so high (though bottled water is even more expensive at
up to $6 a gallon*), why pour oil and money down the
drain when you can get your own reusable
bottle and fill'er up at home?
The current energy crunch illustrates the importance
of conserving all our natural resources, yet for each
gallon of water that is bottled, an additional two
gallons of water are used in processing. It’s time to take a
real stand and pledge to Break Your Bottled Water Habit
for good. So far over 3,900 of you
have pledged to give up bottled water for a year,
reducing 159,936 pounds of carbon emissions in the
process. We can do better than that. Take
the pledge, encourage your friends to do the same, and
reduce your carbon footprint by 40.8 pounds this year
for each person.** Imagine if 20,000 of you make
that same pledge.
From now through October 30, take the pledge to
Break the Bottled Water Habit, and encourage your
friends and family to do the same. Doing so can
put you in the running to win some very eco-friendly, water-themed
prizes: first prize is a Live, Learn, Experience
package that includes a trip to Glacier National Park
from our friends at Brighter
Planet; second prize is a water filtration package
from Wellness
Enterprises, and third prize is a very cool
self-filtering reusable bottle also by Wellness
Enterprises.
Need more reasons to Break the Bottled Water
Habit? Check out our top
five reasons to break the habit, and then our top five
ways to do so.
*Based on $0.95
price for a 20 oz. bottle of Dasani.
**Based upon bottles shipped 500 miles.
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This is an official Santa Fe College press
release
Contact:
•
Mallory O’Connor,
oconnormall@bellsouth.net•
Erin Friedberg,
friedbereh@cityofgainesville.org•
Annie Pais,
awpais@aol.com --
Florida's
Eden project
•
Julie Garrett, for help facilitating your story,
(352) 870-2924 (cell) or (352) 395-5430 (office) or
julie.garrett@sfcc.eduFOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 10, 2008
Community Water Forum and Water Expo Oct. 3
“The Art and
Science of Water: Framing the Issues and Finding Solutions”
Water—who has it, who wants it, who controls
it—has become a major issue throughout Florida. Water has been central to
Florida’s allure and has shaped its culture since humans first arrived on the
peninsula 12,000 years ago. Over the centuries, this precious resource has been
seen by some as something to be exploited. For others, it is a gift to be
preserved.
“The Art and Science of Water: Framing the Issues and
Finding Solutions,” 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 at Santa Fe College, is a
community forum and water expo that brings together scientists, artists,
environmental organizations, educators and journalists to explore the past,
present and future of water in our region and to offer strategies for preserving
and sustaining this vital but fragile resource.
The program is
funded by a grant from the
Florida Humanities Council and is organized by
the
City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Affairs and the
Florida’s Eden Project.
The community forum
begins at 9 a.m. in the E Auditorium at Santa Fe College’s Northwest Campus. At
9:15 a.m.,
J.D. Sutton, an actor and
William Bartram impersonator,
will discuss the changes the famous naturalist experienced in North Florida
between visits in 1765 and 1774!
Session One,
9:30-11:30 a.m., will look at water resources and why the St.
Johns watershed is so vital to the region’s environment.
Bill Belleville,
author of
River of Lakes, A Journey on Florida’s St. Johns River, chairs
the session. Also participating in this session are
Cynthia Barnett,
author of
Mirage, Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. and
St. Johns Riverkeeper
Neil Armingeon.
Session Two, 1-3 p.m., is chaired by
Mallory O’Connor, Professor Emeritus of Art History, Santa Fe College,
and curator of
Liquid Muse: Paintings of the St. Johns Region, an
exhibition of art by 35 Florida artists at the Thomas Center Gallery,
Gainesville, through Oct. 19. This session will focus on the work of three
artists—
Sydney McKenna,
Spence Guerin, and
Margaret Ross
Tolbert—whose paintings have been inspired by water and who are passionate
about preserving the region’s resources. The artists will show examples of their
work and discuss how they use their art to build public awareness of the need
for conservation.
Session Three, 3:30-5:30
p.m., is chaired by
Annie Pais, co-director of the
Florida Eden’s Project and curator of
Portray, Preserve,
Prosper, an exhibit of works by Florida artists that will be on display
in the Santa Fe Gallery in Building M, room 147. This session will look at how
artists, writers, musicians and naturalists have collaborated to educate the
public and to work for sustainable economic opportunities in the region.
Additional participants include
Stewart Thomas, co-director of the
Florida’s Eden project and
Steve Robataille, Santa Fe faculty member and
producer of
Natural Florida, an electronic presentation of art,
music and literature celebrating Florida’s natural beauty and historic
culture.
Water ExpoFrom
11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., a variety of organizations will offer displays, information
and volunteer opportunities at a
Water Expo. The displays will be set up
in the corridor between
Auditorium E and the
Santa Fe Art Gallery.
The Water Expo is hosted by
SFC Student Government,
Sustainable Santa
Fe, and the
SFC Department of Fine Arts.
Reception and Gallery Walk with Annie Pais from 5:30-6:30
p.m.Following the forum, a reception will be held at the
Santa Fe Gallery.
All events are free and open to the public, and
everyone is invited to attend any or all of the planned events.
Groups
should RSVP to
Julie Garrett, (352) 395-5430 or
julie.garrett@sfcc.edu to assure
adequate seating.
Those wishing to table at the Water Expo should also
contact Julie Garrett.
-end-
SFCC "The Art and Science of Water: Farming the
Issues, Identifying the Solutions"
Contact:
•
Annie Pais, exhibit curator and director, Florida's
Eden, (352) 377-0777 or
awpais@aol.com•
Gallery Director
Jayné Grant, (352) 395-5464 or (352) 317-6977 or
jayne.grant@sfcc.edu•
Julie
Garrett, for help facilitating your story, (352) 395-5430 or (352) 870-2924
(cell) or
julie.garrett@sfcc.eduOnline
Resources:
Florida's Eden
webpage on the
show
SFC Gallery
webpage on the
show
One Region, One Book read of Mirage
Press
Release Fact Sheet Community Water
Forum, Scheduled for Oct. 3
"The Art and Science of Water: Farming the
Issues, Identifying the Solutions"
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Sept. 12, 2008
Portray, Preserve,
Prosper Opens at the Santa Fe College Gallery
More than 30 local artists portray area springs
Opening reception, 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept.
19(Gainesville) -- Santa Fe College is proud to
host "
Portray, Preserve, Prosper – Florida's Eden: Springs Heritage
Region," featuring the art of more than 30 of our best known cultural
ambassadors inspired by our local springs and rivers. The educational art
exhibition is guest curated by artist Annie Pais, director, Florida's Eden, a
non-profit devoted to building a model sustainable environment and economy in 30
North Florida counties.
The exhibit's many forms, including photographs,
sculpture, stained glass and fabric, have a combined effect as refreshing and
uplifting as the crystalline waters of the springs themselves. Artists include
photographer John Moran, painters Margaret Ross Tolbert and Eleanor Blair, and
ceramicist John Tilton (go to
www.sfcc.edu or
www.floriaseden.org for a complete list).
In addition to great art, several educational components invite visitors
to participate, such as, a collection of plastic water bottles illustrating a
typical person's bottled water consumption over a year, and a challenge to
identify local rivers and lakes in an aerial painting of North Florida,
sans cities, towns and roads, in Johnny Dane's "Alamacani
Eco-Province
."Portray, Preserve, Prosper's opening reception
is 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 with catering by Blue Water Bay and music by the
Santa Fe Jazz Ensemble. Local author Cynthia Barnett will sign her book,
"Mirage, Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S."The
community-wide read of
Mirage is the first step in the Florida's Eden
Water Awareness Campaign, designed to build citizen knowledge and dialogue on
the most important natural resource — and most valuable economic asset — in our
region. Santa Fe College is the first college campus to sign on to the project
and is also hosting a community water forum, "
The Art and Science of Water:
Framing the Issues, Identifying the Solutions" on Friday, Oct.
3.
"Everything we need to protect our natural resources and build a
sustainable and prosperous economy is already present right here in our own
regional backyard," said Pais. "These are exciting times and North Florida has a
real opportunity to emerge as a national model by making wise choices to
preserve our natural resources now instead of restoring them later in
crisis."
Pais said if she can inspire students to be innovative and
entrepreneurial, "then I will feel that we've succeeded. Each person has
something of great value to contribute."
"My message to students is this:
Help us to envision the future — your future — and then share with us how you
see yourself and a career in that vision. The next 10 years will introduce a new
way of doing almost everything here, and the career opportunities are
endless."
The exhibit will normally be open noon-4 p.m. on
weekdays, but during the community water forum and water expo on Oct. 3,
it will be open from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., with a walk through and second reception
with Pais from 5:30-6:30 p.m. It runs through Nov. 7.
For more
information, contact Annie Pais at (352) 377-0777 or SFC Gallery Director Jayné
Grant at (352) 395-5464.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bottled Water
Bill Passes California State Assembly, Moves to Governor For
Approval
Sacramento,
California—In an era of increasing water scarcity, the California Assembly
overwhelmingly passed AB 2275, a bill to protect the public’s right to know how
its water is being allocated. The bill, which is authored by Assembly member
Felipe Fuentes, is now before Governor Schwarzenegger for his
approval.
“California is
facing a serious water crisis and in order to promote efficient water
management, we need to know how our water is currently being allocated,” said
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Assembly Bill
2275, authored by Assembly member Fuentes, tackles a part of this problem as it
would require public disclosure of the source and volume of California's water
that is bottled by corporations at over 112 bottling plants. While over 1
billion gallons of bottled water are annually sold in California it is unknown
how much bottled water is exported from California.”
Earlier in the
year the California Department of Public Health opposed the bill citing the
information it required bottling companies to disclose as “confidential business
information.” That edict came mere weeks after the Schwarzenegger administration
ordered the state’s Department of Water Resources to take immediate action to
address the state’s “serious drought conditions and water delivery
limitations.”
“Now more than
ever during this drought season communities need reliable and accurate
information about the water being extracted from local aquifers,” said Assembly
member Fuentes.
Governor
Schwarzenegger has until September 28 to ratify the bill. Until then, it remains
to be seen whether he will support the rights of consumers and the vitality of
the state’s environmental resources, or if he will side with corporate interests
keen on exploiting those resources for profit.
“As the Governor
has rightly called on citizens to use water responsibly, he should also promote
responsible water management in State government. AB 2275 would provide
the information to make responsible water management possible,” remarked
Hauter.
Food & Water
Watch is a nonprofit consumer rights organization that challenges the corporate
control and abuse of our food and water resources. Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
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Kucinich hearings
Assessing The Environmental Risks of the Water Bottling Industry’s
Extraction of Groundwater
This hearing will examine the environmental issues presented when water
bottling plants extract groundwater and spring water from water sources in rural
communities.
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
September X,
2008
CONTACT INFO:
Cragin Mosteller
(850)
294-9307
cmosteller@fl-counties.com
FAC Appoints Dixie County
Commissioner Buddy Lamb to Century
Commission's Water Policy Congress
- Lamb's leadership and expertise are critical
in developing statewide water policy-
LEON COUNTY – President of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) and
Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch has appointed Dixie County Commissioner
Buddy Lamb and eight other county commissioners from across the state to
represent the FAC at the Century Commissions' Water Policy Congress September
25-26 in Orlando, Florida.
"Commissioner Lamb is one of
the most talented and effective local leaders in the state and has become a
recognized authority on water conservation and resource protection issues,"
stated FAC President Hatch. "The FAC delegates are the best commissioners
to represent the state of Florida and Florida's
counties in this critical debate."
Commissioner Lamb is also the
Vice-Chair of the Growth and Environmental Protection Policy
Committee.
According to the Century
Commission, the 2008 Water Policy Congress will work to develop a comprehensive set of sustainable water use and supply
action steps. The Century Commission believes "a
long-term water conservation, use and supply plan, for environmental,
agricultural and public consumption purposes"
is essential for a sustainable quality of life in Florida.
"I am honored to have been
selected to serve my county and my association as a delegate for the most
important water resource policy discussion to date," said Lamb, "I am thankful
for this opportunity."
The mission of the FAC is "to
preserve and promote democratic principles by working to keep appropriate
authority at the level of government closest to the people, and to increase the
capacity of Florida counties to effectively serve and represent the citizens of
the state through legislative action, education of public officials, and
enhancement of public awareness about the role and functions of county
government."
Founded in 1929, the Florida
Association of Counties is a non-profit association representing the diverse
interests of Florida's 67 counties. Created
in 1998, the Florida Association of Counties County Commissioners Voluntary
Certification program has trained 196 county commissioners on the complexities
of county government and public life.
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reading this email go to http://www.newdream.org/emails/ta56.html
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| Issue No. 56, September 12, 2008
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| How
did a handful of corporations steal our water? See "FLOW" and
find out! |
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"FLOW: For the Love of
Water", a feature-length documentary directed by
Irena Salina, will give you even more reasons to Break
the Bottled Water Habit as it traces the story behind
mankind's most precious resource: water.
Featuring interviews with scientists and activists
who reveal the building global water crisis, the film, a
Special Selection at the 2008 Film Festival, introduces
many of the governmental and corporate forces behind the
use of water resources that are quietly drying up. By
making the connections between the corporate structure
that has come to control humanity's water supply around
the world the film begs the question "Can anyone really
own water?"
This documentary and its unforgettable message are
coming to locations around the country over the next
several months.
Visit FLOW's website to
find more information about the movie, view the trailer,
and learn about global water rights. If you haven't
already done so, take the pledge to
Break the Bottled Water Habit and help preserve our
natural resources. | |
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