2-6-07 - RUMORS OF OUR DEATH HAVE BEEN MILDLY EXAGGERATED

Welcome back, you few people who have remained loyal visitors during this long period of inactivity. You know something? Running a website is hard work, especially when you also work 50-65 hrs a week, from 3:00 am to 3:00 or 4:00 pm every day. Actually, it's not the working that gets in the way so much as the eating and sleeping that you constantly have to keep up on. So all this complaining is just to say that, yes, activity has slowed down here on the site, but Big Green City will still live on. There have been some big developments over the past few weeks, and we haven't been blind to them. Probably the biggest news was the release of the long-awaited IPCC report, citing with a 90% probability that humans are in fact to blame for the global climate change. Though it's not a definite yet, the report should still stiffle a few of those naysayers out there who were still clinging to the belief that global warming is just a natural phenomenon. It does make us greenites feel pretty good about our cause, but I still hold true to the idea that regardless of what science finds about global warming, we should be mindful of our impact on the environment and our ability to make smart choices. It'd be nice to decide on our own to not irradicate all species of wildlife or rain forests, or to keep our air clean just because we like clean air. Anyway, I digress. For a good, easy summary of the report, check out this report on the the report at Grist.org.
In other news, the drama continues to unfold in the story of Kansas City's proposed Light Rail system. Advocate Clay Chastain has run up against some apparent opposition from the mayor and the city council as they have raised flags regarding legal issues that could prevent the plan from ever happening. Well, one KC Star reporter has some words of cautious optimism for Mr. Chastain. You, meanwhile, can draw your own conclusions by keeping up on the latest at KCLightRail.com. That site has been added to our list of links, as well.
Also added to the links page, BlogKC and KCTalk, two blogs about news, happenings, and life-in-general here in good ol' Kansas City. I also added a few new events to the BGC-KC calendar, which you can find by logging in to our forum (or by clicking the calendar link on the left if you want to make it difficult for yourself, sheesh).
I haven't updated the featured business or link yet this week (or last week...or perhaps the week before, I don't remember now), but look for that to happen soon.
And, for the time being at least, I must announce that the much-anticipated* BGC-KC newsletter will not be making it's debut anytime soon. Thanks to those of you who signed up for it; you are definitely registered to win the neat-o books. Unfortunately, time and resource constraints have kept the newsletter from becoming a reality at the moment. For the present, you'll just have to bookmark the site and check back regularly. If you've already signed up, you'll be notified as soon as we do have a newsletter--which will hopefully be soon--and if you haven't signed up yet, do so before February 16th and you too could win a couple of great eco-books. Check the Contests page for details.
Until next time.

1-23-07 - CALENDAR UPDATE AND A LINK ADDED

A bunch of events were added to the calendar, and the calendar page itself was changed. Now instead of a short list of upcoming events, there is a full list of all the events that are logged in the BGC-KC Forum calendar. The list isn't automatically updated (we're not that technically advanced here) but hopefully it will continue to be manually updated by me and so will always be accurate. Anyway, click on an event in the list to be taken to that event's entry in the BGC-KC Forum calendar. No, it's not just a ploy to get you all to visit the forum (though that's admittedly a great side-benefit), but it keeps me from having to log events in two different places all the time.
Moving on: There is a link to Bridging the Gap's EarthDay page, where you can find information about this years EarthWalk and EarthFest events. If you haven't participated before, try it out. It's not until April, so you have plenty of time to plan. I'll see you there. I'll be the one wearing a Big Green City t-shirt!

1-22-07 - A LINK AND A SMILE

Actually it should say a link and an event, but I like the Harry Connick, Jr. reference better. In our links section, I added a link to the Missouri Department of Conservation. They've got an event coming up soon, the details of which are located in our calendar of events.
And check the bottom of this page to see our latest featured links.
As always, if you've got something to say about living green in Kansas City, let us know. Whether you have an article, an upcoming event, or even just an anecdote to share, email admin@biggreencity.com. Don't forget to visit our forum, and visit our contests page to find out why you should sign up for our newsletter today!

1-16-07 - LINKS ADDED; NICKELBACK; NEW FEATURED STUFF

It was a long, difficult, and weather-filled weekend for me (as I'm sure it was for many), and so I apologize for the delay in updating the site. Here's what's new, though:
I added some links to the seemingly-appropriate "Links" area. The Monterrey Bay Aquarium has a section on their site devoted to seafood, and how to choose what to order and eat if you're interested in buying organic. Also, the Environmental Media Association is an advocacy group whose aim is to use the entertainment industry to promote environmentally-friendly agendas, so you can show your support for that (if you support it) by visiting their site. Thirdly, the American Lung Association has a site, called Health House, that is meant as a resource to show you how to keep a healthy home for your family, free from allergens, toxins, and other bad things. Again, you can find all of these links under the "Non-Regional" area of the Links page. Finally, in the "Blogs" area of the links page I added a link to Grist.org, a blog devoted to eco news and activism. Their new column, "Ask a Brokeass," promises to be hilarious and helpful.
The other day I caught part of a video from Nickelback for their new song "If Everyone Cared." Now, I use to be a Nickelback fan, back when "You Remind Me" was on the radio...or at least for the first few months it was on the radio. After about a year, I started to get tired of hearing that song every hour...so I got a satellite radio, but nevermind. Anyway, their new song is pretty moving if you're into social activism at all or you just like people, and the video for it is doubly powerful. I'll link to it here, and encourage you to check it out.
In other news, I've updated the Featured sections at the bottom of this page. Our new featured business is the GreenAcres market, of which there are two locations in the Metro, and the featured link is to the website for the radio show "The Lazy Environmentalist." Check out both sites, and if you get a chance, go visit a GreenAcres yourself. Tell them Big Green City sent you.

1-13-07 - VEGGIE MEETUP RESCHEDULED; NEW GREEN BUSINESS ADDED

Because of the Winter Wonder Hell we've all suddenly found ourselves in, the Vegetarian meetup scheduled for today at noon was cancelled, and rescheduled for Saturday, January 20th at 2:00pm. It will also take place at Waldo Pizza. Visit the event calendar for new RSVP info.
We're happy to add Liquid Soap Products to our list of green, Kansas City-based businesses. Visit their site and you'll immediately recognize their commitment to environmentally-friendly, high-quality products. Check out the Business Directory; their link is at the bottom.
And speaking of links: If you come across any links on this site that are broken, bent, or otherwise out of shape, please let us know. Shoot a quick email to admin@biggreencity.com, if you don't mind. We'd appreciate it, and your fellow greenlings will thank you, too, because you'll be helping make the site all it can be.