Raleigh as the next Cool City

Below is a letter from Julie Woosley, TTA marketing coordinator, addressing Raleigh's potential to be a Sierra Club Cool City. Can anyone attend the city council meeting August 7th?

Hi all,

I went to a great Sierra Club event last night with ~70 people plus some elected officials. The purpose of the meeting was for fun (free beer!) and to encourage Raleigh to join Cool Cities, which is a way for cities to reduce greenhouse gases despite the feds' refusal to address the issue. This would put us in line with the Kyoto Protocol despite the country never signing it. Here's more info about Cool Cities: http://www.coolcities.us/

Nine NC cities have signed so far, but not Raleigh or any others in Wake Co. Please go to the Sierra Club website and send an email to the Raleigh City Council and ask
them to sign! Go to http://ncsierra.sierraclubaction.org/alertlist.asp and click
on "Help Make Raleigh a Cool City". The City Council is discussing this issue next Tuesday, August 7 at their 1:00 pm meeting, so any message you can send before then (or you could show up at the meeting!) will encourage them to sign.

As supporters of bike and pedestrian issues, I think it's obvious that a signed agreement to reduce carbon dioxide would probably result in increased funding to alternative transportation facilities – i.e., bike paths, bike lanes, public transit, sidewalks and crosswalks. So please check it out! And send this on to others in Raleigh or Wake Co. who may be interested. Perhaps Cary and other cities will follow suit.

Thanks!
Julie Woosley

Putting more of Raleigh on the map

Have you seen Sundance Channel's new green forum? It's called Eco-mmunity and it has a searchable map that points out local businesses with green practices. Clearly this hasn't really caught on in the Raleigh area- there are about 6 stars on our local map, two of which are Whole Foods- but it could be a good reference eventually. It fits in nicely with the GHFR idea of supporting local green business. Now they just need to sign up...

The site also provides email, green advice, a directory of green blogs, and even a little green quiz that separates the champions from the coffeecups.

Daniel Mathewson

Thanks to Marianne for spotting this guy and this story in the Indy:

"He's a metal sculptor with a keen
appreciation for junk and all its potential."

Daniel Mathewson has a keen appreciation
for junk and all its potential. Leigh Emery

Found the post below on City Farmer TV --

Apartment Community Garden

Not far from our garden is a new and unusual community garden. Next to a tall apartment building, residents have been given permission to dig up part of the building’s landscape and plant veggies.

Listen