There was very little new in Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s(D-AZ) wedding to Astronaut Mark Kelly. There was plenty of something old, borrowed and blue, however, as the couple were married in the small community of Amado, south of Tucson, AZ on Saturday.  Giffords, a staunch and outspoken proponent of solar power and everything environmental, made her statement well with a “low carbon footprint” wedding, complete with plates and forks made of sugar cane, a borrowed kiddish cup used in traditional Jewish wedding ceremonies, and homemade flower bouquets. Even her wedding dress was second hand, how’s that for a statement on sustainability?

Following the wedding on the Agua Linda Farm about 35 miles south of Tucson, the reception featured Mexican food with a person making tortillas on the spot, along with steak and potatoes.

Gifford’s husband, Astronaut Mark Kelly flew in a 14-day shuttle mission in 2006, his bride to be standing in the crowd watching liftoff. He’ll remain in Houston at the space center, while his congressional wife starts her quest for another two-year term in Congress. The democrat filled the seat vacated by Jim Kolbe in 2006.

Kelly will fly another shuttle mission in April, his third in 11 years and first as commander.  That puts their honeymoon on hold, since Kelly is grounded until the flight is finished, but they plan on seeing each other on weekends.

If you’d like to read more about this fairytale wedding in a rustic, southwestern setting, you’ll find it in the Arizona Daily Star.

She’s back, ready for another challenge and promising to stay active as an environmental protester. Betty Krawczyk is in the news again, this time planning to run for Mayor of Vancouver, BC, Canada in November of 2008. I talked with her after her release from the Alouette Correctional Center a few weeks after our first interview, and she spoke of many things: the new political party she’s joined as a candidate, the ills of Vancouver, and what she plans for it’s future should she be elected Mayor.

There’s more on Betty in the companion article I wrote that features several links to her personal website and blog, and to other articles about her. This is one tough lady, who’s as gentle and caring as you might imagine a great-grandmother to be. But she won’t back down from a fight; she picks them. Listen to the interview, then check out the companion article.

They have an honorable history, having survived the Depression, had a hand in defeating the enemies of freedom in World War II, created the United Nations, and overcame the Cold War. Some have called them the "Civic Generation" because they took an interest in voting, public affairs, civil rights and civil liberties. Today, they admit to exploiting earth’s limited resources, polluting the air and our drinking water and lumbering blindly on to global warming.

Today, a group of seniors at a retirement home in Hamden, CT, have formed their own organization, GrayisGreen, and authored The Handbook on Conservation for Retirement Communities (MS Word doc). They are another link in the expanding network of seniors stepping up and making a difference in their surroundings, and ours.

My thanks to Joyce Emery of Green Seniors for the lead to this amazing group of elders.

If you’ve ever been to San Francisco, or lived there for a time as I have, you can’t help but be charmed by the city, but also aware of the natural beauty of the entire 9 county bay area. That charm and beauty, in many cases, was won in difficult and often contentious battles between environmentalists, governments and developers to name a few.

San Francisco author John Hart and photographer Nancy Kittle have put together a wonderful book about 50 notable "elders" who helped shape the area with their committment to the environment and conservation. This is a review of Legacy, and the impact the "elders" have had on the bay area.

Back on August 2, 2007, I did a podcast featuring three women — two Chileans and a Canadian — who had run afoul of the law in their respective countries. The Canadian is Betty Krawczyk, and I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing her by phone from her prison cell.

She’s intelligent, charming, and an outspoken proponent for environmental and civil rights issues. Our interview touches on Betty’s evaluation of the Canadian court system, her first eyewitness account of discrimination and cruelty, and the events that led to leaving her native Louisiana with a husband and six children to settle in Canada.

Links:

Betty’s Early Edition

Books of Betty K.

The Raging Grannies, pursuers of activist causes since 1986 are still going strong. From humble beginnings as a peace group in Canada, to The Today Show, magazine articles, newspaper and tv coverage, the grannies have a rich history. They’ve been arrested, investigated, cheered and jeered, but still they go out and rage for change.

Join me in a look at the history and accomplishments of this group of seniors who are as much at home making brownies for their grandchildren as they are in front of a military recruiters office, trying to dissuade young men and women from joining the military. Shrinking violets they aren’t, and that makes their story even more interesting.

Paul Hawken"Something earth-changing is afoot among civil society, a significant social movement is eluding the radar of mainstream culture." That's the uplifting and optimistic prelude to comments made by environmentalist and author Paul Hawken in his new book Blessed Unrest, and in an article for Orion Magazine. I was inspired by his thoughts, and wanted to share them.

“Green Granny” Joyce Emery My guest today is Joyce Emery, a resident of Ames Iowa, and a young senior who is walking her talk. Joyce has two websites, Green Granny and Green Seniors. She talks about her websites, what it’s like to get on a bicycle after several years, and about owning an RV that goes nowhere.

You can meet Joyce