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    • Four Corners Recycling InitiativeThe mission of the Four Corners Recycling Initiative is to promote sustainable living through waste diversion and recycling, education and outreach, and economic opportunities without increasing the tax burden on those we serve.




    World Clock and Earth StatisticsYou need Flash installed to see this.



    Search Saves
    the Rainforest

  • The more you search, the more trees survive !!
  • Read about it here

    • San Juan RC&D
    Area Plan Survey

    San Juan RC&D (M-CAN’s 401C-3 umbrella organization)

    The Area Plan is their 5 year Strategic Plan that helps guide the Council into the future. One of the most important parts of the revision process is to gather public input from our communities. The San Juan RC&D would like to invite you to provide us with your ideas and comments on the needs and opportunities that you see in your communities.

    The San Juan RC&D has prepared an On-Line survey and would like to ask you to take about 3 minutes and provide us with your input on what you feel is important in your community.

    Please provide us with your thoughts and ideas as to what areas you feel need addressed. Feel free to add any comments or additional ideas as to what you feel the needs of your community are.

    Below is a link that will take you directly to the San Juan RC&D survey. You do not need to supply your name if you wish, but your ideas are important for the Council to determine what direction they will take to assist our area in the future.

    Thank you for your input and feel free to contact me if you have any problems or ideas.

    Doug Ramsey
    Coordinator
    San Juan RC&D Program
    Durango, Colorado
    970-259-3289 ext 111     is looking to the future and is working on updating their Area Plan.

    (click here) to take the survey.


    Check out the latest on Feed In Tariffs

    Wind Works Paul spoke at the "Creating Jobs for the Local Economy" FIT triple−feature Wednesday, September 15th, 2010. He spoke at the LPEA Board Meeting, again at the Green Roundtable Luncheon, and yet again at the Sasco Community Workshop, "FIT for Colorado". Paul is an internationally recognized authority on the FIT. is Paul Gipe´s website.

    Stop the Junk Mail Monster

    Eco-Cycle Do-It-Yourself instructions
    41pounds.org Hands off, 100% guaranteed, 5 year, non-profit service costs $41

    Check Your Appliance Power Use

    Check out Kill-a-Watts at
    Mancos Public Library Do you know what your refrigerator, freezer or other household appliances are costing you per month? Empire Electric and the Mancos Public Library have teamed up to help you determine how you are using your electricity in your home. Empire Electric has donated KILL-A-WATT METERS that you can check out just as you would a book. Take it home, plug it in and test your electric consumption! It is free but electricity is not.

    Lotsa Useful Links

    Citizen Action

  • New! Ft. Lewis College Environmental Center

    The EC has five goals that guide our work

    * Empower students
    * Make sustainability a community effort
    * Strengthen community-based learning and research
    * Encourage innovation
    * Integrate environmental and social justice issues (read more)
  • Montezuma County Conservation District,

    Partners in protecting the agricultural lifestyle in Montezuma County.

    (read more)
    Dolores and Mancos Conservation Districts
  • LaPlata Climate and Energy Action Plan

    The La Plata Climate and Energy Action Plan project provides a concrete and systematic way for concerned citizens to volunteer and get involved right now in identifying the many ways, large and small, that our community, individuals, governments, businesses, and other groups can reduce greenhouse gasses throughout La Plata County.

    (read more...)
  • 4CORE The Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) mission is to promote resource conservation, energy efficiency, and the use of clean, renewable sources of energy in order to decrease the emission of pollutants, protect public health, and strengthen the economy.
    Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency
  • Scientist James Hansen Proposes His proposal calls for a "simple, honest" carbon fee, collected from fossil−fuel companies upon the first sale at the mine, wellhead or port of entry. The money collected via this fee would be distributed to the public as a monthly "dividend" or "green check."
    Read more...     "People´s Climate Stewardship Act": A Simple Carbon Fee with Revenue Returned to Americans
  • Carbon Tax Center Why revenue-neutral carbon taxes are essential, what´s happening now, and how you can help
  • Citizens´ Climate Lobby At Citizens Climate Lobby, we believe that our national policy on climate change should be a match for the science. Toward that end, we offer the following legislation that will achieve the critical goals needed to avert catastrophic climate change. We believe this legislation can achieve these goals while at the same time shielding Americans from the financial impact of transitioning to a clean−energy economy.
  • Price Carbon Campaign A price on carbon would be the quickest and most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create incentives for renewable energy and efficiency, and generate green jobs. Fees could be returned to citizens as payroll tax relief or as dividends to promote economic equity.

    • Environment Tech Sites

  • New! EPA page on Navajo Generating Station Proposed Actions
    Four Corners Power Plant

    October 6, 2010 − Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Best Available Retrofit Technology Determination for Four Corners Power Plant

    EPA proposes to cut NOx emissions at nation’s largest source, Four Corners Power Plant
    ... Read More
  • More Energy News from MIT's Technology Review Among the most technically interesting and accurate eneregy news sites.
  • Skeptical Science Scientific skepticism is healthy. Scientists should always challenge themselves to expand their knowledge and improve their understanding. Yet this isn´t what happens in global warming skepticism. Skeptics vigorously criticise any evidence that supports man-made global warming and yet eagerly, even blindly embrace any argument, op−ed piece, blog or study that refutes global warming.
  • Global Warming
    Union of Concerned Scientists Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. To protect the health and economic well−being of current and future generations, we must reduce our emissions of heat−trapping gases by using the technology, know−how, and practical solutions already at our disposal.
  • Global Climate Change − NASA's Eyes on the Earth 2009: Second warmest year on record
  • Public Technology Institute
  • Energy Information Administration, an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Energy.


    • Nasa's Global Climate Change Site contains the latest information regarding climate change in very readable format. The site is by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech.

    Other’s Newsletters

  • Mountain Studies Institute
    June 2010 NewsletterRead it here if you didn´t get it by email.
  • Archived MSI Newsletters in pdf format
  • Archived GEO Newsletters in pdf format

    • Local Environment Tech

  • Ozone Readings in Cortez − Real Time !! Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides ozone readings for the past 12 hours.
  • Ozone Readings in Cortez − Long Term Table Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment table of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th maximum 8hr average ozone readings as well as 3 year average of 4th maximum values.
  • Colorado Ozone Tech. Support Document Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment PDF document contains ozone requirements and a great deal of general information about areas of the state including Montezuma county. Search the document for 'Montezuma'.
  • Mountain Studies Institutes´ 2009 San Juan Air Quality Forum Presentations

    • Local, State, National
    Renewable Energy Links and Incentives

    Term Definitions

    GEO − Governor’s Energy Office
    SDHW − Solar Domestic Hot Water

  • Empire Electric’s Green Power Program
  • City of Cortez "Grants to Citizens" page
  • City's SDHW Rebate page
  • GEO SDHW Rebate Program Application Forms and checklist.
  • List of GEO approved SDHW contractors working in Montezuma County.
  • U.S. Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
  • Database of Colorado Incentives for Homeowner Renewables and Efficiency
  • U.S. Federal Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
  • Green Made Simple provides one-source information about rebates, tax credits and other incentives which is searchable by zipcode.

    • Solar Links

  • Build It SolarThis website is a wealth of DIY solar info. Great site! Diy Solar

    • Solar Domestic Hot Water

    On This Site

  • Small system diagram
  • More complex system
  • Two panel system
  • Large drainback system
  • Eric Walker's SDHW pdf

    External SDHW Links

  • DIY SDHW links

    • Photo Voltaic Solar

  • Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems This site has a lot of useful PV project info including writeups of individuals projects.

  • PV Basice, Physics, Devices, Systems, Payback Times This DOE "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" Photovoltaic page has lots of useable information... particularly the "Energy Payback Times for Photovoltaic Technologies" summarized for various PV technologies in Table 1.

  • Solar Panel Sizing Information
  • PVWatts PV Production Calculator
  • Solar Module retail price ranges by Solarbuzz
  • New Low Cost Solar Panels Ready for Mass Production Sept. 10, 2007 -- Colorado State University's method for manufacturing low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels is nearing mass production. AVA Solar Inc. will start production by the end of next year on the technology developed by mechanical engineering Professor W.S. Sampath at Colorado State. The new 200-megawatt factory is expected to employ up to 500 people. Based on the average household usage, 200 megawatts will power 40,000 U.S. homes.

    • General Solar

  • Solar DIY Space Heating Projects Plans for a wide variety of solar space heating projects you can build.

    Solar space heating can be 25 or more times more cost effective than solar electric (PV) systems, and the systems are excellent DIY projects. Payback for these low cost solar heating systems can be as little as one year...(more)

  • Solar for Home or Office: Decision-making Tools U.S. DOE, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

    Here are some decision-making tools to aid you in the process of learning about and using energy-efficient and solar electric technologies and products.
  • American Solar Energy Society
  • Florida Solar Energy Center
  • International Solar Energy Society
  • The Solar Living Institute Website
  • Institute for Local Self-Reliance
  • Bubble Wrap Window Insulation
  • Climate and weather animations as well as many other educational animations.
  • mapawatt "Your resource for energy and water conservation" (and sustainability and local foods and lots of other stuff!)
  • ´The Age of Stupid´: a wakeup call on climate is a newly released video.
  • "Fuelly" is a free website where you can track your vehicle's mileage.

    • Wind Links

  • The National Wind Technology Center
  • American Wind Energy Association
  • WindTurbines.netA Social Network for the Wind Energy Community

    • General Links

  • Electricity Basics 101, U.S. Energy Information Administration
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • US DOE Energy Effeciency and Renewable Energy Home Effeciency Guide
  • Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
  • Home Power Magazine
  • Department of Energy
  • Green Power Network
  • Alternative Energy News
  • Alternative Technology Association
  • The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter
  • Resources for the Future: Energy
  • World Energy Council
  • Fuel Cell Development Information Center
  • Fusion Energy Sciences Homepage
  • Renewable Fuels Association
  • Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
  • Ecoseed, the global green portal


    • Recycling Facts

    According to this Alcoa press release
  • Recycled aluminum requires 95 percent less energy to produce and can be recycled a multitude of times.


    • Recycling Directory

    Take a look at our local recycling directory (pdf). Send us any other recycling locations that should be part of the matrix.



    Kermit Awards 2008

    In recognition of their significant efforts toward greenhouse gas reduction:

  • Cheri Dorshak
  • Sam Carter
  • Shawn Collins
  • Empire Electric
  • Farmers Market Association
  • Greater Dolores Action Group
  • Brett LeCompte
  • JoDee Powers
  • Jude and Addie Scheunemeyer
  • Matthew Keefauver
  • Patsy Smith
  • Organic Growers
  • Osprey Packs
  • Picaya


    • M-CAN Logo



    2009

    2nd Annual

    Verde Fest

    —By M-CAN—


    2009 was the first year that M-CAN organized the Verde Fest and the first year it was held in the Cortez City Park.

    In 2009 Verde Fest included:
  • 40 exhibitors
  • 750+ attendees
  • 8 speakers
  • 4 movies
  • 5 demonstrations
  • 25 volunteers
  • 51 people who walked, biked or drove hybrids to the event
  • only 3 cans of trash (everything else was recycled)
  • Events turn energy efficiency ideas on
    Verde Fest, Energy Efficiency Exchange promote savings
    2009 Verde Fest report by Cortez Journal


    • Everyone had Great Fun in the Cortez City Park !

    Many, many sustainable product vendors and sustainable cause advocates drew between 750 and 1000 folks to the second annual Verde Fest on Saturday, August 15th for lots of interesting and fun learning experiences. See a visual review in the many photos below.

    photo by Chris Foran

    From the M-CAN information booth...

    photo by Chris Foran

    to lots of fun and interesting activities for kids...

    photo by Chris Foran

    like this bicycle powered blender...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    at the Turtle Lake Refuge booth.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    There were plenty of things to design...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and build from recycled materials...
    (at Recreation Station)

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and draw...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and stencil...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and more to stencil...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and more to paint...
    (here, sandpainting)

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and lots more...
    (also Mesa Verde's recyling game, shopping bag decoration and a scavenger hunt)

    photo by Clyde Benally

    to paint...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    including faces...
    (thanks to all the volunteer face-painters)

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and eyes...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    with colorful shadow...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and neat designs...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    Even arms got painted.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    Sometimes the paintee...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    became the artist.

    photo by Chris Foran

    There was plenty of delicious, healthy, locally grown food as well as...
    (thanks to The Farm, Let It Grow and Turtle Lake Refuge)

    photo by Chris Foran

    alternative energy like hydrogen transportation and solar power.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    There were informative presentations, forums, videos...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and educational displays.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    There was music ...
    (here Zackary Baker, also "The Assortment")

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and many forms of entertainment...
    oh wait.. this is one of many, many doorprize giveaways...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    which eventually came directly from the M-CAN booth.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    The Verde Fest Free Box emptied quickly.

    photo by Chris Foran

    Land preservation was represented by Montezuma Land Conservancy.

    photo by Chris Foran

    The recycling cause was represented by 4Corners Recycling Initiative.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    There were composting demonstrations (Shawn Collins)...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and composting product displays (Durango Compost Co).

    photo by Clyde Benally

    The Cortez Cultural Center...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    leads this row of exhibitors.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    Here the Four Corners Recycling Initiative rubs elbows with the Ute Mountain Environmental Program and San Juan Bioenergy.

    photo by Clyde Benally

    Verde Fest covered sustainability from resource efficiency...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    to peace, bicycles...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    and books...

    photo by Clyde Benally

    to gardening tools and plants (Let It Grow).

    With more than 45 booths, Verde Fest had it all!

    2009 Sponsors:

    Dolores St. Bank
    First National Bank, Cortez
    Fraley & Co.
    RCL Trucking
    Skanska
    Southwest Seed
    Vectra Bank
    Artwork by R. Chris Vest
    Ecosphere
    City of Cortez Invaluable Contributions
    Colorado Governor's Energy Office

    Door Prize Contributions:

    Slavens
    Osprey
    City Market




    M-CAN Thanks the following

    2009 Exhibitors


    for a great Verde Fest!

    See you all next year.


    Adam Fries Builder
    Aramark
    Bland Solar
    Body Talk
    Casa 4Corners
    Children´s Kiva
    Colorado Peace Ride
    Colorado Straw Bale Association — COSBA
    Cortez Cultural Center
    Cortez Retail Enhancement Association
    Counter Kulture
    Dolores Soil Conservation
    Durango Compost Co.
    Encantos
    Endless Energy
    First National Bank of Cortez
    Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency —
        4CORE
    Four Corners Recycling Initiative
    Heart Path
    Home Energy Advantage
    Hydrogen4Gas
    JP&G Engineering, Inc.
    Kaimana Business Group (Mountain Sounds)
    King Sun Solar
    Let It Grow
    Life Force International
    Mesa Verde Country
    Mesa Verde Museum Assoc., Inc.
    Montezuma Climate Action Network
    Montezuma Land Conservancy
    San Juan Bioenergy
    San Juan Citizens Alliance
    Simplexity Health
    Singing River Farms
    Solar Today and Tomorrow
    Southwest Seed
    Sunland Renewable Energy Systems
    SW Colo. Organic Growers Club
    SW Memorial Hospital
    Swallow´s Nest Natural Building
    The Farm
    The Salvation Army
    Turtle Lake Refuge
    Ute Mt Ute Environmental Program
    Wolf Geothermal

    Kids Station -

    Mesa Verde NP
    Recreation Station



    • What: Exhibitors, speakers, films and workshops and demonstrations.
    • Where: City Park/Welcome Center
    • When: August 15, 2009
    • Films were shown in the meeting room of the Welcome Center
    • Purpose:
  • Engage and educate the community about the sustainable practices available in the area
  • Celebrate our communities' sustainable efforts
    • A sustainable, regenerative community is one that preserves and restores the integrity of its natural environment, nurtures healthy human and other living systems, and maintains a vital self-reliant economy, generation after generation. A sustainable, regenerative community meets the basic needs of all people, including the needs for food, water, shelter, health, safety, autonomy, connectedness, and meaning.