CropMobster Community Exchange, www.cropmobster.com, links communities and individuals in-need with local farmers, producers and food purveyors who need a hand or have excess food to sell or donate. Based in Sebastopol and currently focused on four Bay Area Counties - Sonoma, Marin, Alameda and San Francisco, listings include Deals, Donations, [...]
Whenever I am in south Sebastopol, I take few minutes to see what’s happening at The Legacy. A volunteer based arts and crafts reuse center in the Southpoint Shopping Center near McDonald's, they accept and resell fabric - by the pound!, as well as sewing notions, yarn, hobby supplies and books. [...]
The sale of Sonoma County’s solid waste system is now off the table. The County has 3.5 months to make set of crucial interrelated decisions. It is believed that to reopen the landfill each of the cities must commit their waste stream. A new task force, the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG), is being organized which will provide a highly structured community forum to discuss and plan long-term solid waste management strategies. Led by Supervisor Zane, the group will include Supervisor Carrillo and a representative from each city council, assisted by a large advisory group with members from the business community, environmental groups, the Local Task Force for Solid Waste, city managers and county staff.
Zero Waste Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Conservation Council present Turning the Tide on Waste Landfill Issues and Zero Waste Communities Workshop Saturday, March 6, 2010, 1 - 4pm, $15 in advance, $20 at the door Sebastopol Veterans’ Auditorium, 282 South High Street, Sebastopol To register, please send a note [...]
Dear Santa Rosa City Council, Please consider slowing the waste contracting process down, do an inventory of all local discard related activites and then hold a series of town hall meetings where all voices are welcome. Diversion First: The 2007 Sonoma County Waste Characterization Study reports that 70% of what [...]
The recent Sonoma County landfill divestiture debate brought up lots of questions that weren’t directly answered by the process. Thankfully the Board of Supervisors has embraced a more balanced strategy; one which will involve the whole community and support our sustainability related goals. Before the next round begins, let’s all get on the same page. This preliminary discussion is designed to introduce relevant terms and concepts - such as flow control and indemnify from liability, diversion mandates and material bans, and green purchasing and zero waste. At the same time, we will be discussing how other municipalities are dealing with these issues, and how Sonoma County could further maximize diversion and reduce costs.
Here are a few ideas to get this "What Next" discussion rolling. Though they may not directly help with landfill repair or closure, these suggestions could reduce system costs and free up money for planning. 1) Apply our existing landfill material bans to our trash carts and out-haul vehicles. 2) Implement mandatory recycling 5 years early. 3) Recycle Better – At Home, Work, School And Play.
Thanks to no votes by our two newest supervisors, Shirlee Zane and Efren Carrillo, the sale of our landfill and solid waste system to Republic Services is off the table. That is great news, but now what? Or as posed by the 10/28 Press Democrat editorial, what next? Here are [...]
Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 11am, Supervisor's Chambers, Sonoma County Administration Building; Speak up: contact each of the Supervisors; ask your City Council members to speak at the meeting; attend the meeting; invite your friends, neighbors and coworkers to contact their city council and attend the meeting: Post a sign in your yard or on your vehicle or bike; Post a comment here!
Yesterday afternoon, the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on selling the Sonoma County solid waste system to Republic Services of Arizona. After more then 3 hours of very pertinent public testimony, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed staff to address a handful of important wording clarification issues and put the divestiture decision on the next meetings consent calendar. Please educate yourself on this matter, read the related entries and links listed below under Zero Waste, http://livinggreen.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/category/zero-waste/, and contact your supervisor and city councils asap.