Can cows and compost stem global climate change? One project in West Marin thinks so. The Nicasio-based Marin Carbon Project is finding ways to increase soil carbon, in the hopes of putting the breaks on global climate change. 

John Wick describes how he manages cattle grazing to maximize carbon sequestration.

(Images: 1. Cows in Marin, Flickr/sarahkim; 2. Soil samples drying prior to weighing, Rebecca Ryals.)

How important is bicycling to Sonoma County? Well, it boosts tourism, public health, business, real estate, transportation, recreation, manufacturing and more.

Sandra LupienBicycling has gained a much higher profile in Sonoma County over the past few years, thanks to big races and increased numbers of individual visitors who come here to ride. Altogether, said Sandra Lupien, Outreach Coordinator for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, it's something that ought to be getting more attention from policy makers and other local leaders.

Santa Rosa Police Chief Tom Schwedhelm is acutely aware of the surge in bicyle-involved accidents and fatalities this year, and told the gathering he,too,had been dangerously harrassed while riding. His department has stepped up a combination of enforcement and educational efforts in high-incidence areas, the chief said, while he personally endeavors to set a good example when cycling.

Science has both helped create global climate change, and led us to understand how and why it is occurring. But according to writer and philosopher Jacob Needleman, solving the problems that face the planet now will require a different sort of human intelligence.

Jacob NeedlemanPart of the emotional core of humans, Needleman says, is an innate urge toward service, even at the expense of more immediate self-interest.

Dr. Needleman will talk about his book and engage in conversation at the Community Church in Sebastopo on Thursday eveing , Nov. at 7 pm., The event is sponsored by Copperfield's Books.

Can the dead communicate to the living from beyond the grave? A 37 year effort to do so, here in Sonoma County, was never successful, but it now provides the basis for an intriguing new documentary film.

Since the great magician's death in 1926, Houdini séances have been held every Halloween since, and in multiple locations, not just Sonoma County. One reason for the enduring interest in these events, theorizes Petaluma filmmaker Tom Wyrsch, is the level of detail that the Houdinis established in their ritual. It included a specific message, "Rosabelle believe" which was written in a sealed envelope on the séance table. One of the original séance participants, magician William Alstrand, brought that detail with him when he moved to the Bay Area, and through him, Soberanes was able to incorporate it into the Sonoma County Houdini séances.

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How did Bill Soberanes decide to begin holding these events locally? Wyrsch sees them as part of the newspaperman's entrepreneurial nature.

Because the local séances began so long ago,in 1964,  Wyrsch wasn't able to interview any of the original participants. But he did find and talk with several key local people who were involved in the later years.

 Wyrsch's film about The Annual Harry Houdini Séances will have its world premiere this on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 3 at the Boulevard Cinemas in Petaluma. Showtime is 1 pm, and the filmmaker will be on hand to asnwer questions afterward.