Attention Readers of the Dirt!

Attention Readers of the Dirt!

by: Read The Dirt Posted on: February 15, 2012

Welcome Readers of The Dirt! You may noticed that our “Letters from the Editors” section has been somewhat dormant since we launched in October 2010, but that is all about to change. From here on out we will be giving you, the readers, contributors, supporters, and partners of Read The Dirt periodic updates on what we are up to, advice on how to navigate the growing archive that is readthedirt.org, signals of what to expect in the future, and information on opportunities to collaborate with us now.

What we’ve been up to: This winter we have been:

Compiling articles for the future
Connecting with partners and young writers
Organizing a writing competition
Filming a Read the Dirt promotional video
Developing our new “PRESS” section where we present press releases and other information
Educating our motivations on the innate overlap of social and environmental issues, as well as on the immerging movement to establish communities’ right to self-government as superior to those of corporations within a community
Staying educated on the future of the free Internet
Applying for grants

On deck: We are looking forward to publishing articles by the following people/organizations:

David Suzuki Foundation: What are the Alberta tar Sands and are there any other pipelines other than the Keystone XL that the people of the Great NW should know about?
Kai Huschke, the Washington organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and Campaign Director for Envision Spokane – working to pass a Community Bill of Rights that recognize the rights of neighborhoods, the environment, and workers as superior to corporate rights in the City of Spokane.
Dexter Gordon, University of Puget Sound Professor and Director of African American Studies Program: What should environmentalist know and understand about racial inequality in America?
Andrea Platt Dwyer, Executive Director, Seattle Tilth: How can agriculture empower the underrepresented?
Chris Wilkes, Executive Director, Puget Soundkeeper: What is the Clean Water Act, what has been its impact on the Northwest and how can we use it to protect our water?
Janine Blaeloch, Founder and Director, Western Lands Project: How can law be used to protect public land?
David Seago, Washington Coalition for Open Government: How is environmental protection dependent on a transparent government?
The list goes on…

Recent articles:

Bottle the Skagit River? What do you think about a proposed 1 million square foot facility in Anacortes, WA that will draw 5 million gallons of water from the Skagit River a day to operate the largest bottled water/food manufacturing plant in the United States? Some citizens of Anacortes think that they should be involved in the decision making process.
“Planning For A Future”: In this article by Bob Emmons, President of LandWatch Lane County, a watchdog outside Eugene, OR, we are taken through some of the history behind Oregon’s innovative and sensible land use policy, as well as the challenges it faces today. In this inspiring piece Emmons suggests a new philosophy to protect—among other things—the ground.
“Bellingham Rights-Based Ordinance Proposed to Stop Coal Trains”: The movement to explicitly asserted the rights of autonomous communities over those of corporations has come to Bellingham.
“WA Conservation Districts: An Introduction”: Those interested in the power structures concerning Washington’s natural resources should be acquainted with Washington’s Conservation Districts. Written by Craig Nelson, Okanogan Conservation District Manager.
“Recirculating Farms”: Recirculating farms can be implemented practically anywhere, including the Great Northwest. Written by Recirculating Farms Coalition.
“Oysters and Ocean Acidification”: The Executive Director for the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association takes us through the nuts and bolts of Ocean Acidification.

Contact us—info@readthedirt.org: We are looking for:

Freelance writers
Media Outlet Interns
Web Design Fellows
Mother publications to republish our original content
Inspiring editors
Spanish translators
Expert advice on constructing Read the Dirt curriculum for middle and high schools
Videographers
Illustrators
Research Fellows
Social Media Advisors
Funding opportunities
New articles

From the archive:

“Orange and Green”: Written by Andy Walgamott, the editor of Northwest Sportsman Magazine, a local hunting and fishing magazine. This piece challenges the reader and makes us think and daydream of what would happen if hunters and environmentalists unified.
“New Gold Rush Threatens the West”: As the price of gold climbs, so do the incentives to mine it. This article by Gary Macfarlane of Friends of the Clearwater explains how the proposed Buffalo Gulch mine outside Elk City, Idaho could impact the community’s drinking water and the health of the region.
“McKibben Comments on Expansion of Coal Exports at Cherry Point (Whatcom County)”: Bill McKibben is quite possibly the most active and influential environmentalist in the nation. He wrote us this piece with the hopes that it might inspire opposition to the proposed coal terminal just north of Bellingham. If built, the terminal would ship coal from Wyoming and Montana to China, significantly impacting local and global health. The terminal would be the largest of its kind in North America.

Thanks for reading,

2 Responses to “Attention Readers of the Dirt!”

How can I tweet you?
by: gillian davison: Thursday 16th of February 2012
Thanks Gillian, We are new to the twitter game, below is a link to our page. We got our young and inspiring Chris Young heading it up! https://twitter.com/#!/ReadTheDirt
by: Editoron: Thursday 16th of February 2012