I was just informed of a great event coming up Feb 26th, 27th and 28th on the ASU campus that you should know about. An important conference with a festival feel open to all centering around justice in the local and global community with ongoing workshops at various times throughout the weekend. All are welcome and you can stop by any time that works for you, details below.

RE-STORYING COMMUNITY
www.localtoglobal.org

February 26-28, 2010
Farmer Building ASU Tempe

Here are some of the highlights of the event:

Friday February 26, 2010, 5:30-9:00pm: Reception and Film Premier showing of Mountains that Take Wing: Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama – A Conversation on Life, Struggles & Liberation, Directed by ASU faculty members, C.A. Griffith & H.L.T Quan

Saturday February 27, 2010, 3:15-4:45pm: Veronica Leyva and Charis Elliott from local fair trade organization, Las Otras Hermanas will talk about survival hope and community building amid violence and poverty in Juarez.

Sunday February 28, 2010, 3:15- 4:45pm: John O’Neal, Director of Junebug Production and Founder of the Free Southern Theatre from New Orleans. Will speak about the power of storytelling

There will be lots of activities for kids and teens! Youth ages 3-17 are invited to participate in workshops, art projects, and skill shares on both days.

Dozens of local grassroots and student groups will lead workshops on a wide variety of topics, from sustainability to immigrant rights to healthy food. You’re sure to find topics that will engage you and inspire you to act!

Music will be provided by Haymarket Square and other local musicians!

Delicious FREE food for all attendees provided by Green Vegetarian Restaurant.

The Teach-in runs from 8:30 am – 7 pm Saturday and 8:30 am – 5 pm Sunday, so feel free to stop in at any time on either day. For a full schedule of events, plus parking info and directions, visit www.localtoglobal.org.

With my little company, Strawberry Hedgehog, I seem to always be telling people “what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it!” Why? Because our skin is our biggest organ, just as it expels toxins in sweat it that delicate, thin membrane between your inner systems and the polluted outside world also absorbs what it comes in contact with. The trick is learning how to read the labels, how to decipher those ingredient lists and figuring out exactly what IS in the stuff we slather on every day or suds up with in the shower. Historically, we have done some crazy things for beauty but by being mindful of what you’re using you can count yourself out of that modern group. Cosmetics and beauty products have a huge range of ingredients from seriously hazardous and cancer causing, to allergy-inducing, to down right gross (hello carmine!). Ecocentricity, a fantastic ecofriendly shop in downtown Phoenix is offering an informative get together to clue you in on the No-No’s and what to look for.

Join us for light refreshments and a good time. Hear from Donna Harris, CEO of Naturoli Beautiful, LLC , a local natural skin care company; Rachael Ward, founder of Mixology Makeup, a local mineral makeup company; Elizabeth Allard, owner of Organic Excellence, a local company offering natural hair care, anti-aging and therapeutic cremes; and someone from Just B – B Just, a local social enterprise offering natural soaps and benefiting individuals trying to escape homelessness. Sample products from these and other local companies offering natural alternatives — that really are natural. (* Men are welcome, too — the nasty stuff is in your skin care products too!) RSVP by following this link or at 602.281-2725 so we will have enough refreshments to refresh everyone.

Host: ecocentricity!
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: 137 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ

If you can’t make it and want more information on your own products you should do some searching on the Cosmetics Database. You can also find valuable information on the Vegan Beauty Review or read some of my other posts on the topic:

1. How Natural Is Mineral Makeup?
2. Are you Polluting your Home?
3. Block a Burn, Bleach a Reef?

DATE: Nov. 24, 2009
CONTACT: Mark Shaffer, Director of Communications, (602) 771-2215
ADEQ Urges Proper Disposal of Turkey Grease Through Recycling Rather than Pouring it Down The Drain
PHOENIX – (Nov. 24, 2009) – Don’t listen to any of the traditional gobbledygook when it comes to disposing of turkey grease after your Thanksgiving Day feast.
Pouring the grease down the drain clogs the pipes of many homes along with causing wastewater blockages and overflows in municipalities. There are environmentally conscious alternatives to disposal that not only protect wastewater infrastructure but can also help clean the air.
“Just say no to clogs and yes to turkey grease recycling,” said Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Benjamin H. Grumbles. “Thankfully, more households, businesses, and communities are seeing green by keeping fats, waste vegetable oils, and greases out of drains and sewers and converting them into clean-burning biodiesel fuel easily and cheaply.”
Arizona offers several venues for grease collection that will ensure it is used locally for the production of clean burning fuel.
The Town of Gilbert and Az Biodiesel group are partnering to collect the grease through Monday, Dec. 7 at eight Gilbert fire stations located at the following addresses: 215 N. Cooper Road, 2730 E. Williams Field Road, 2855 E. Guadalupe Road, 1011 E. Guadalupe Road, 909 E. Ray Road, 3630 E. Germann Road, 1095 E. Germann Road and 3595 E. Warner Road.
In the Town of Cave Creek, Dynamite Biofuels Co-op is partnering with Big Earl’s Greasy Eats Restaurant, 6135 E. Cave Creek Road, and is offering a bin for grease collection daily from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during the holiday season.
In Tucson, the Tucson Clean Cities Coalition, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department and the recycling group Grecycle will be sponsoring a grease disposal drive on Friday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at O’Reilly Chevrolet, 6160 E. Broadway; Pima County Industrial Wastewater Control Plant, 5025 W. Ina Road; and the City of Tucson Water Plant #2, 1102 W. Irvington Road.

Hope to see you this Saturday! Great bands, fabulous local vendors, & what should be gorgeous weather. Keep your dollars in our state while avoiding the carbon footprint of shipping in goods from all over the world/country for nationally owned chains.

Saturday, November 7th
10am-4pm
Duck & Decanter
16th St. & Camelback
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Head out to the Farmer’s Market being held by Bashas’ in Gilbert next weekend! As you probably know Bashas’ is our only large locally owned grocer here in Phoenix. At the suggestion of Local First AZ we’ve asked you to make the move to shopping predominantly at Bashas’ to help pull them out of bankruptcy. Part of this movement to support Bashas’ as a local business has apparently driven Bashas’ to do the same by offering this venue to other locals – farmers, crafters, artists, etc. See you there?

Bashas’ Farmer’s Market
next Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8am-1pm
at Bashas’ #172
99 S. Higley Rd. (Higley & Elliott)
Gilbert, 85296