Help Save NC's Pigeon River
 In 1908, a paper mill began operating in the small mountain town of Canton, North Carolina. Over the last century, the expanded mill has been polluting the tiny Pigeon River, now known as the “Dirty Bird” by locals and whitewater enthusiasts. Yet, to this day, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ), responsible for Clean Water Act compliance, has been reluctant to enforce discharge requirements protective of fish species, aquatic life and healthy recreational conditions.
Although the Canton Mill has modernized its paper production process in order to reduce discharge of dioxins (some of the most toxic and carcinogenic compounds known to man), the past decade has witnessed continued impact to the stream by high temperature and color, causing major fish kills as recently as September 2007.
High temperature wastewater causes depleted oxygen and a dead zone in the river, killing fish and other aquatic life. In low-flow periods, the mill discharge can be more than 50 percent of the total flow of the river. “Color” is a measurement of tannins and lignins that darken the water, constituents that are generally non-toxic but can be indicative of other trace toxic chemicals in the waste stream.
Lack of enforcement and penalties for such egregious harm to the river means that public citizens' groups need to stay vigilant in keeping pressure on DWQ to give the mill a stricter water discharge permit, in order to reduce the harmful impact of the mill discharge. The permit is currently pending renewal by DWQ, and local citizens are fearful that the state agency will keep the status quo of polluted water.
The mill is a keystone of the local economy in Canton, 10 miles west from the music mecca of Asheville, NC. EPA and technical working groups have identified new technology that can clean up the plant's discharge while saving money in the long run.
Rock the Earth is tracking the issue closely. The new discharge permit is due in February 2009, at which time Rock the Earth and the public will be permitted to comment. We anticipate working with the local music community in western NC to raise awareness and to keep the pressure on DWQ to do the right thing and clean up the Pigeon River!
For more information on this issue, please go to the Clean Water for North Carolina website.
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Mimi Fishman Foundation Rocks the Earth (again)!
 For the fifth time in as many years, the Mimi Fishman Foundation is conducting an on-line auction to benefit Rock the Earth. Items donated include a VIP ticket and merchandise package from Umphrey’s McGee, a New Years’ Eve VIP ticket package to Shanghai Nights in Portland, Oregon, original artwork by photographer Tobin Poppenberg, signed posters from Jam Cruise, String Cheese Incident, John Butler Trio, Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, a signed print from our Social Change Through Music activities at Bonnaroo, and limited edition signed and numbered prints from Michael Everett and Ryan Kerrigan.
The auction will open on Wednesday, November 19 and remain open until Tuesday, December 2, so check back at www.mimifishman.org/auctions often to make your bids and help Rock the Earth!
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In the Key of Green: Compostable Party Supplies
 So you're having a bunch of friends over to celebrate the holidays? Maybe a Thanksgiving potluck or a big New Year's party? Or you're thinking ahead to next year's Memorial Day picnic? If you don't have enough reusable glasses and utensils, instead of running down to the supermarket and buying a sleeve of those red plastic cups and a box of assorted plastic utensils, why not give compostable party supplies a try?
These products are made of polylactic acid (PLA) and other materials derived 100% from corn. A number of online retailers, like Eco-Products and The Biodegradable Store, sell cups, utensils, and even to-go containers and more in a variety of sizes and designs. After use, you can toss them in your green-waste recycling bin for disposal at a commercial composting facility. In the compost unit, the cups or utensils will break down into carbon dioxide and water, with no toxic byproducts. And don't worry about the CO2 - The carbon was already in the air before it became part of the corn plant, so the disposal of PLA products is carbon neutral.
PLA supplies are a little more expensive than their plastic counterparts, but you won't be cluttering a landfill with non-degradable plastic or contributing to America's oil dependence by using plastic manufactured from petroleum.
A couple things to keep in mind -- these products aren't meant to be placed in your home compost bin. The home composters don't usually generate sufficient heat or have adequate pH control to properly break down the bioplastic. Also, be careful not to get the PLA products in your normal plastic recycling container. There are reports that they can impact the quality of recycled plastic made from recycling streams containing PLA. The compostable products should be placed in a green-waste recycling container that brings the waste to an industrial/commercial composting facility.
Those cautions aside, compostable party supplies are a great way to green your next gathering!
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Give a Gift That Defends the Planet!
 Want to avoid long lines this holiday season? Looking for something unique to give those on your gift list? Give your friends and family a holiday membership package from Rock the Earth! Each package includes appealing and environmentally-friendly RtE merchandise as well as the satisfaction of supporting a non-profit organization that is working hard to protect the environment for you and future generations.
In 2008, Rock the Earth made an impact on ground-breaking decisions like successfully defending the rights of the Native American Oglala Tribe to challenge the expansion of a uranium mine and stopping drilling on Colorado’s Roan Plateau! Our work would not be possible without the help of members and supporters like you. As we take on new projects to Defend the Planet One Beat at a Time, we know that we can make a difference together by raising awareness, activism and funds to protect our natural resources.
Give a great gift and help support our efforts to protect beautiful and unique places like the Grand Canyon National Park's Colorado River and the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park by sending RtE membership gifts this holiday season! Packages include our 100% organic cotton shirts, fleece hats, CDs, DVDs, posters and one-of-a-kind, glass earth pendants from Touch of J. Also now, for a short time only, our limited edition posters by noted concert poster artists Justin Hampton, Jeff Wood, Jim Pollock, and Gary Houston are now available as gifts with all new and renewing members at the $65 level or as part of our holiday packages. We have a special thank you gift for RtE members that purchase holiday gifts, so order yours today at www.RockTheEarth.org!
Go here to order your RtE Gift Package! Place your order by December 15th to ensure delivery before the holidays.
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Help RtE this Holiday Season and Win RtE Prize Packages!
 Ah, the holidays -- when thoughts turn to food, friends and charity. Help us in our year-end work to grow Rock the Earth. Post a RtE holiday banner on your website, MySpace or Facebook page. It's easy to do, and you can show your dedication to the planet while helping us grow our movement of environmentally concerned music fans.
To show off your Rock the Earth pride, save the banner image above and then link it to www.RockTheEarth.org. Be sure to let us know that you posted it on your website or blog by sending a link to your site to info@rocktheearth.org -- two random posters will win cool Rock the Earth prize packages.
You can use the following code to paste into your blog or website:
<a href="http://www.rocktheearth.org" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.rocktheearth.org/newsletter/2007-11/holidaybanner.gif" width="120" height="60" border="0" alt="Give a Gift to Save the Environment!"></a>
Join our online community: MySpace | Facebook: Group | Cause
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New Rock the Earth Membership Gift: Rock the Earth Aluminum Water Bottle
 Recycling your PET plastic water bottles is good… but using a reusable water bottle is much better for the environment. You’ve been asking for it, so here it is – a Rock the Earth reusable water bottle by our friends at SIGG.
Oil for plastic, oil for shipping, oil for refrigeration and, in a small % of bottles, oil for recycling – and sadly most PET bottles go to landfills. Worldwide, over 60 billion tons of plastic waste is produced every year. Plastic is particularly damaging because it is not biodegradable and plastic particles eventually become part of the food chain - as they have, for example, in our oceans. In some parts of the sea, there is five times more plastic than plankton. Neil Seldman, a waste recycling expert, has labeled our plastic problem as potentially more dangerous than global warming.
SIGGs are Swiss-made and are extruded from a single piece of pure aluminium for seamless, leak-proof durability. The liner is one-of-a-kind and the true secret of the SIGG bottle. It is a proprietary formula - containing no BPA – which is baked on for the life of the bottle and remains flexible and crack-resistance despite how dinged up the outside of the bottle might get. Basically, if your SIGG takes a licking, you can keep on sipping.
The new 20 oz. Rock the Earth SIGG Water Bottle is available as a new or renewing membership gift at the $35 level. Join Rock the Earth and get your water bottle here!
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Rockin' the Gothic and Fox Theatres in Colorado With Free Tickets!
Next in our year-long series of events with Denver’s Gothic Theatre and Boulder’s Fox Theatre, Rock the Earth will be tabling at the following upcoming shows, educating and activating fans about important local and national environmental issues:
 …And the Fillmore Auditorium with Michael Franti and Spearhead!
This Thanksgiving weekend, THE place to be will be Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium for the annual Harvest Ball with RtE Advisory Board Member Michael Franti & Spearhead. Members of Rock the Earth can win free show tix for either Fri., Nov. 28 or Sat., Nov. 29.
FREE TICKETS: If you are already a Member of Rock the Earth, you can win a pair of FREE TICKETS to one of the above concerts. To enter, email info@rocktheearth.org; include the name of the band of your choice in the subject line and your name in the email. To volunteer at these shows contact volunteer@rocktheearth.org. For more information please visit www.rocktheearth.org.
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Rock the Earth Member Benefits: Guayakí Yerba Mate
 One of the many benefits of a Rock the Earth membership is 20% off Guyakí Yerba Mate products. Guayakí sells organic, fair trade yerba mate in tea bags or loose, as mate latte concentrates and bottled iced mate drinks, and sells mate gourds and bombillas. Guayakí partners with small farmers and indigenous communities to source mate from the sub-tropical forests of South America.
The name Guayaki (Gwy-uh-KEE) honors the Aché Guayakí people. The Aché live in the sub-tropical rainforests of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, home of the yerba mate tree. An infusion, brewed from the dried leaves and stems of the tree, is consumed by millions of South Americans as a healthful alternative to coffee.
Uniquely grown in its native forest environment, yerba mate is cherished as a sacred beverage. Like high quality coffee, high quality mate is shade-grown in the rich ecosystem of the rainforest, delivering more flavor and nutritional value. The leaves of the rainforest mate tree naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and abundant antioxidants. To create Guayaki's Yerba Mate, the "whole plant - whole energy" approach is used, combining the leaves and tender stems to produce a beverage with unique flavor and balanced energy.
Go here to see a list of all Rock the Earth membership benefits.
To find out how you can take advantage of these members-only benefits, write to info@rocktheearth.org.
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What Rocks Your Earth: Dave Shul (Spearhead)
 Dave Shul plays guitar in the politically and environmentally conscious band Spearhead and has been involved in the Bay Area music scene for about 20 years. In April of 1998, Dave was working in the office at Secret Studios when Carl Young (bass player for Spearhead) walked in and said, "I'm looking for a guitar player." Dave told him that he’d like to audition and ended up getting the gig. Since that time Dave has been on the road with Michael Franti and Spearhead in the US, Europe, and other parts of the planet.
What environmental issue(s) do you consider to be the most critical at this time?
They are all important to me. We need to use our (renewable) natural resources. Solar power and wind power, which not only create energy, their use creates more jobs. Recycling is also a part of my family’s lifestyle.
What has inspired you to combine environmental activism with your music?
Actually the music has got me involved in environmental activism. Meeting so many organizations on the road, such as Rock the Earth, that let me know what's going on in the world. Talking to the folks in the towns we play in.
Where is your favorite place in nature to go to find solace or inspiration?
Being a touring musician, we get to go to the most beautiful places in the world. I make sure I take a walk to get away and have alone time to clear my head! Whether it's the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of Australia!
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Rockin' the Earth at Fenway Park
Rock the Earth Members Todd & Jessica Gailar
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