n most years looking forward to the promise of Spring includes an overwhelming hope for warmer weather. After this year’s mild winter we can look beyond that to the growth ... (click for more)

n most years looking forward to the promise of Spring includes an overwhelming hope for warmer weather. After this year’s mild winter we can look beyond that to the growth and renewal that Spring brings. Instead of shivering and hoping for warmth let’s shiver with anticipation for what the season will bring.

Spring brings Earth Day on Sunday, April 22nd. The not to be missed Mighty Kindness Earth Day Hootenanny will be at the Louisville Nature Center from noon to five on Earth Day. And the Louisville Zoo has expanded their celebration to include the entire month of April. They have some wonderful activities planned. Some are highlighted in our Green Happenings section. Check the Zoo website for full details.

Several years ago I had an epiphany while being stuck in traffic behind a TARC bus for several blocks and, being unable to get around it, having to wait while it picked up and dropped off passengers at a couple of stops. I realized that traffic and pollution would be much worse if all the people riding the bus were driving cars instead. Since that day I say a prayer of thanks and always give busses the right of way. A strong public transportation system is important for a sustainable city and TARC is looking beyond transporting people in support of making Louisville a sustainable city. An article by TARC executive director J. Barry Baker tells us how.

An individual with a goal toward making our city more sustainable, Mason Roberts, is hoping to contribute more by running for Metro City Council in District 8. Mason, a Louisville native, will bring new ideas and energy to one of the more eclectic districts of the city.

Also in this issue you can learn how to use time as a currency through the Louisville Time Bank, read about a Circle of Healing Retreat offered by the Angela Merci Center for Spirituality, and read Rev. Diane Walker’s thoughts about navigating life’s transitions.

The Dalai Lama tells us that teaching young people about compassion is one of the most important things we can do for them, and for the future of humanity. Three U of L students share their experiences helping to build a more sustainable world by bringing compassion to the young here and in Botswana.

Spring is a time to be outdoors where new growth excites the appetite. Eric Osborne teaches us about the joys and dangers of wild mushrooms.

Here comes the sun! May you bask in its radiance, chase away the SAD blues, and make some vitamin D! May you find joy and compassion this Spring.

Our thanks to those who recently contributed to GreenList Louisville. All contributions help offset our production costs. We appreciate the community support. There is a DONATE button on our website ... (click for more)

Our thanks to those who recently contributed to GreenList Louisville. All contributions help offset our production costs. We appreciate the community support. There is a DONATE button on our website and we welcome contributions of any size. Or contact us for advertising information.

Lauren Anderson, Director of the Air Pollution Control District gave an enlightening presentation at a recent Green Convene meeting. She came to talk about their new Idle Free initiative and in her overview of APCD she showed a couple of pictures I found interesting. One was of the Louisville skyline in the 1940’s. There were only vague outlines through a haze of coal smoke. The other was the skyline in the 1970’s. It blended into a haze of gray smog. While we’ve managed to control many of the visible signs of air pollution there are still a lot of toxins being generated and dispersed all around us. Read about APCD’s Idle Free Louisville program and find out how a few simple changes in how we use our cars can make a difference in the air we breathe.

In this issue you may also learn about the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance, a broad-based coalition that is promoting the use of clean and renewable energy in the Commonwealth. We should all pay attention to and do what we can to help our legislators pass the Clean Energy Opportunity Act, HB239, in the 2012 session of the General Assembly. And we have an update on Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh’s Green Triangle Initiative including information on where you can drop off used cooking oil and grease to be recycled into biodiesel fuel.

On the spiritual side Rev. Diane Walker is offering insights into dealing with life’s transitions, something we often avoid thinking about but should be prepared for. And Louisville’s Earth and Spirit Center is offering a thought provoking program for the Easter season. Lent 4.5 has weekly lessons about the Christian message of living simply with the resources available to us.

I’m excited to have an article about the origins of Louisville’s Blessings in a Backpack. With the support of Highland Cleaner’s Mike Jones the organization has been helping 400 students at one elementary school, but right before going to press Blessings in a Backpack announced it has received support from the community that will enable it to help students from early education through fifth grade throughout the JCPS system. What a blessing to the community!

And finally, Eric Osborne of Magnificent Mushrooms offers some insight into mushrooms, perhaps the most important organism to life on our planet, yet one of the least understood or appreciated.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!