Events Fri.10/6 (Composting Toilets for LA) & Sun. 10/15 (EcoVillage at Ithaca) at LA Eco-Village

[Fred Chambers]

Dear Regens, and others not normally on the listserv at regen.org,

Here are details on two upcoming events to be held at Los Angeles 
Eco-Village on sustainable living patterns:

FRI., OCTOBER 6, 7:30 pm COMPOSTING TOILETS: POOP-POOP-PEE-DO with Dr. Bill 
Roley of the Permaculture Institute of Southern California.  Learning how 
to make poop go pop in the future of Los Angeles.


SUN, OCTOBER 15, 7:30 PM.  ECOVILLAGE AT ITHACA: A slideshow and talk by 
Dr. Jay Jacobson, longtime member of EVI.  Learn how this contemporary 
experiment in sustainable living is influencing mainstream America.

Suggested donation: $10 (sliding scale ok).

RSVP to: Lois Arkin, 213/738-1254 or <crsp at igc.org>.  Give city and phone 
number or email if you can carpool.

Directions to Los Angeles Eco-Village from the intersection of First and 
Vermont in Los Angeles: Go one block east on First Street.  Turn right 
(south) on Bimini Place.  Go one block to first building on right (117 
Bimini Place).

Eco-Village is convenient to Beverly/Vermont Metro, and the following 
busses: #204, #354, #11, #14, #16, #316, #201.  If you must drive, please 
carpool.  Call Lois for names of people who might be coming from your area.

HERE ARE MORE DETAILS ON THE ABOVE SPEAKERS:

DR. BILL ROLEY is one of the original permaculture instructors in the 
Western U.S. and founder of the Permaculture Institute of Southern 
California.  His expertise on water resources in Southern California is 
well recognized.  He is a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities, 
as well as with municipalities and advocacy groups.  The Los Angeles and 
San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council recently stated in their newsletter 
that Bill's "... presentation was extraordinarily stimulating and provocative."

Here's a sampling of what Bill has to say about toilets:

         "...One of the most critical criterion of a successful culture is 
a balanced relationship between growth and decay.  Our society values 
growth but looks upon the processes and products of decay as waste.  While 
the water toilet solved some major public health problems which are still 
being experienced in the rest of the developing world, it has also created 
a complex set of ecological and water quality problems as a result of its 
energy intensive infrastructure...   Because most of us in industrial 
societies were potty-trained on a porcelain bowl style, automatically clean 
machine (popularized by John Crapper), any other style of waste management 
is threatening.  In our antiseptic, hygienic era, a major psychological 
shift is needed to switch from the waterborne systems of pumps and valves 
to a dry-toilet design that can recycle waste nutrients.  Becoming 
responsible for our own waste is critical.  The cliche "out of sight, out 
of mind" can no longer dictate our behavior.  By
returning our organic waste to the soil as nutrient compost, we could 
prevent the pollution of our waterways, and we would not lose valuable 
fertilizer."  ("Sustainable Cities: Concepts and Strategies for Eco-City 
Development," Eco-Home Media, 1992, pg. 109)

Los Angeles Eco-Village plans to install a demonstration composting toilet 
soon.  Are there other communities and neighborhood groups that would like 
to work with us to do a similar demonstration?  Can we reinvent the way we 
live in this city in relation to our planet's life support systems:  air, 
soil, water?  Come hear Dr. Bill who will share the knowledge we need and 
give us the courage to make this kind of change happen!

JAY JACOBSON is a retired plant physiologist from Cornell University.  He 
has been a member of EcoVillage at Ithaca since 1992.  He has extensive 
expertise on soil improvement, water and energy conservation, edible 
plants, distributed (rather than centralized) leadership, the consensus 
process, conflict resolution and the use of story-telling to pass on 
community values and history.  Jay is an active member of the Ecovillage 
Network of the Americas.  On the web, EVI is at 
<www.cfe.cornell.edu/ecovillage>.




SAVE THE DATE FOR ANOTHER LA ECO-VILLAGE EVENT (IF YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD 
LIKE TO CO-SPONSOR THE FOLLOWING EVENT WITH US, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL LOIS 
AT 213/738-1254 OR CRSP at IGC.OR):

NOVEMBER 9TH, 7:30 PM, DAVID ENGWICHT, author of "Street 
Reclaiming:  Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities."  Australian 
author, lecturer and community facilitator of convivial streets and 
neighborhoods, David will be on a book and workshop tour across North 
America.  You can learn more about David's work at 
<http://www.lesstraffic.com/>