With guidance from GINI members (representing 13 faith groups in NE Tennessee), we now have all the nuts and bolts in place to build GINI. That's awesome! If you'd like to help, please let us know. I have another suggestion, too. Let's also step out and plan things to do. Let's lay out an activity a month and set some dates. I happen to have a list of ideas, and you may have others.  We can do any of these things in stages (or make it a one-time all-out effort). We can do them…

Standing Up Mountains in the Tricities September 15 and 16

Local author Jay Leutze of "Stand Up That Mountain" comes to Johnson City September 15 and 16.  After moving to a cabin near Roan Mountain, Jay Leutze's life changed after a concerned phone call from a 14-year old neighbor.  Leutze went from hiking and fishing to fighting alongside his neighbors to save their mountain home. "Stand Up That Mountain", published June 2012,…

In an ongoing endeavor to better understand our common values and beliefs about humanity and nature, I've been doing some online reading. We're including some of the information I've gathered in a presentation that is being developed for members to use when inviting other individuals and faith communities to join GINI.

I found this website to be very helpful and thought I should share it. The website for the …

Download a printable copy FOR%20IMMEDIATE%20RELEASE.docx

Text:

PRESS RELEASE

July 2, 2012

Knoxville, TN

Contact:  Sandra Goss, Executive Director, Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (865) 583-3967, Sandra@sandrakgoss.com

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will hold two public hearings Tuesday,…

A BIG thank you to all who came and supported the May 20th Johnson City Interfaith steam clean up.  Together we hauled out 40 full bags of litter from an estimated 3 miles of city creek.  If each bag weighed 20 pounds, give or take, that was 800 lbs of trash!  

The most unusual finds were an automobile alternator and a children's toy stethoscope. The most ubiquitous item clogging our waterways was the plastic bag. They…

This is just being used as an opportunity to share a request:

Have you ever wanted to learn more about another culture or provide that opportunity to your own family? Have an extra bedroom? If yes, read on!

Homestay/host families are needed for international students studying English at ELS…

I was recently confronted with an idea that is at odds with my own thinking. Frankly,  I'm not sure what to do about this information. I was told that many of the faithful in NE Tennessee think that climate change should not be addressed at church because they see it as a political issue, not a moral/ethical one. Recently, John Torrey offered much of the same argument I would use (perhaps more forcefully than I would, but probably more convincingly as well). His blog is found at…

Judy has given me permission to post her letter to Gov. Haslam as a blog...

    First of all, thank you for being an engaged member who reads blogs and tries to keep up with contemporary life in TN and the rest of the world. Really!  Thank you!

    But I also feel a need to formally acknowledge that I've gone hog-wild lately with requests to contact our legislators. Please forgive me for that. I'm new to the legislative process in TN. I didn't realize that the TN Legislature considers so many bills in such…

You may already know that HB 368 is in line for Gov. Haslam's signature. I ask you to support excellence in science education for students in TN--call Gov. Haslam now at 1-615-741-2001, give your name and city of record, and ask him to veto HB 368. I don't know when this might reach his desk, so time is critical on this matter.…

     I believe a majority of Tennesseeans enjoy nature, for a whole host of reasons. Whether for hunting (animals or morels or wildflowers), fishing, hiking, cycling, photography, birding, off-road fun, camping, and many other pursuits, I have to believe that we share our appreciation of our mountains. For many, the natural landscapes may even be a good part of the reason for living or settling here.

     Many people have studied and appreciate our mountains for their bounty, their…

Check out Carol's interview with Rev. John Shuck on the WETS radio program Religion for Life.  You can listen to the podcast at http://religionforlife.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-19T15_16_58-07_00.

Nicely done Carol and John!

Check out the link below to the Green Accelerator, a webpage offering excellent resources for green business ideas as well as personal tips for green living.  It is sponsored by an organization called the Center for Economic Options (CEO) in Charleston, WV.  CEO works to support green businesses and connect entrepreneurs with the resources necessary to operate sustainable enterprises.

Aubrey…

Here is what I wrote to my senators after seeing the TN Senate Energy and Environment Committee meet last Wednesday to discuss SB 577, the TN Scenic Vistas Act.

Dear Senator,

You have heard, and maybe you believe, that TN does not have mountain top removal. Mountain tops are certainly removed in Tennessee, more are permitted to be removed, and our ridge lines will continue to be leveled if legislation is not passed. I am imploring you, vote to keep our ridgelines safe from…

Interestingly, the link to the Senators' e-mail addresses in the TN LEAF Action Alert (from Mar 1) has been blocked as a "web forgery".  Hmmmm.  So, in case you're afraid to "ignore this warning", I'm sharing the list below. 

I'll beg. Please copy and paste it into your e-mail message to tell them how you feel about the Senate Committee's amendments on Feb. 29th that gutted the TN Scenic Vistas Protection Act (SB 577),…

In response to the vile remarks of Rush Limbaugh:

13 years ago today I was lying in a hospital bed in Chapel Hill N.C. recovering from major surgery to remove my reproductive "bits" because of ovarian cancer. This cancer was caused by ovarian cysts that all got together and morphed into a football sized mass on each ovary. I have been known to joke that it was like giving birth to twins, but I didn't have to take them home. But it was no joke. This is the same condition Sandra Fluke…

Here's yet another petition related to non-GMO foods (genetically modified organisms) ala Monsanto. But since online petitions do seem to work (at least some of the time, with enough signatures), please read this petition and see if you'd like to sign.

URL, in case the link doesn't activate for you:…

I love this program!