The long-running debate over an historic oyster farm in Drakes Estero, within the  the Point Reyes National Seashore,  has jumped from western Marin County to Washington D.C., and shows few signs of cooling off.

Fredrick Smith, Executive Director of the Environmental Action Coalition of West Marin says that, Senator Feinstein's statements to the contrary, he fears that her legislative intervention on behalf of the Drakes Bay Oyster Company will set a bad precedent that could have wide implications.

The fate and future of the Drakes Bay Oyster Company and the Estero has been a long-running and hotly debated issue in the Point Reyes area for years. Recent developments have been chronicled by the Point Reyes Light.

The gorgeous airborne view of the estuary below was taken by Sonoma-based pilot and photographer Robert Campbell . See more of his work here .

The continuing rise in cancer rates in America is proof that conventional treatment methods are ineffective, contends an advocate for alternative health methodologies who says both approaches should be integrated to achieve the best results.

Burton Goldberg (right)  has been studying alternative medical treatments and publishing books about them for 33 of his 82 years. It was a change of professional direction, he explains, that was prompted by the illness of a friend's daughter.

Since he's been working in this area, Goldberg says, the alternative treatments he has publicized have gained much wider acceptance among the American populace.

Burton Goldberg is hosting a public workshop on dealing with cancer (This illustration is an electron microscopic photograph of a single breast cancer cell) and integrative medicine at the Steele Lane Community Center, 415 Steele Lane in Santa Rosa  from 1-4 pm on Saturday, June 20. In addition to presenting a film and lecture on these new therapies, Goldberg will be joined by two additional speakers, Dr. James Forsythe, a Reno oncologist and Dr. Filberto Munoz from the Instituto Medico Biologico in San Diego and Tijuana.  Information at (707) 322-3822 or vajraproductions@gmail.com.

From Capitol Hill to downtown Sebastopol, people are finally talking seriously about climate change and clean energy legislation.

Peter Oliver (left)  is the co-owner of Make Mine Electric one of the five businesses currently incubating at the new Blue Sky Center in Sebatopol (shown below). In this audio clip, he explains the two-pronged business model he and partner Brain Hall are rolling out there.

As a demonstration of his company's electric vehicle conversion capabilities,  Oliver drives the red replica Porsche 356 seen below, which is now powered by batteries and an electric motor rather than gasoline.

Even as progressives debate the policy details embedded in the federal energy bills under consideration in Congress, Barry Vesser (right) remains hopeful that some members of the minority party there will also be able to find reasons to support the new measures.

For a more thorough explanation of the relative benefits and drawback of "Cap and Trade" versus "Cap and Dividend" legislation, click on the artwork to link to a downloadable booklet.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan (right) was glad to see George W. Bush leave the White House. Now she's pressing his successor for more change in US military policies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Unless President Obama decides to take actions more in keeping with his campaign promises to quickly wind down the dual wars in the Middle East, Sheehan predicts his current high levels of international popularity will plummet.

In addition to recalling American troops, Sheehan believes that a key step toward rebuilding this country's credibility in the eyes of the world would be war crimes prosecutions of top Bush Administration officials.

 Sheehan, who is speaking this evening at Sonoma State University  (see flyer below),  has recently completed a new e-book,  Myth America
10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution!   Here's a peek at its Table of Contents:

Myth One: America: Greatest Nation in the Universe!

Myth Two: Elections Matter

Myth Three: There's a huge Difference Between Dems and Repubs

Myth Four: It is Noble to Die in Robber Class Wars

Myth Five: The Central Banking System is good for the Robbed Class

Myth Six: It's a Privilege to pay Income Taxes to the Robber Class

Myth Seven: Housing, Health Care and Education are Privileges, too

Myth Eight: America has a Free Press

Myth Nine: The Environment, Who Needs it?

Myth Ten: 19 Muslims with box cutters were responsible for 9/11

Summary: The Case for (peaceful) Revolution.

The book is available only in digital format through Sheehan's website.