Join cohosts Bonnie Bucqueroux and Bill Castanier tonight (Monday January 24) at 7 p.m. at Lansing Online Radio  for a provocative discussion with Ann Woiwode, president of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, Tom Rico of the Michigan Peace Center and John Beck, director of the Labor Education Project at MSU. The show is broadcast on WLNZ Radio 89.7 FM from the campus of Lansing Community College in downtown Lansing.
Woiwode will talk about the Sierra Club’s reaction to the recent State of the State Message in which Governor Rick Snyder referred to lawsuits by consumers against mega-corporate farms as “frivolous.”
She said he is taking a backwards and dangerous approach to policing big agricultural polluters that will put Michigan at risk.
 ”Rick Snyder’s agricultural plan unveiled this (past) week would roll back Michigan agriculture to the bad old days of dangerous de-regulation that put both Michigan’s natural resources and the future of Michigan agriculture at risk,” said Woiwode.
 ”There is little to nothing in this plan to support Snyder’s claims that he would protect Michigan’s Great Lakes
Tom Rico will discuss two upcoming Peace Projects to be held on February 14 and February 19. On February 12, the Center will conduct a “Warm the Heart Knit-a-thon to benefit child and Family Services of Lansing. On February 19 middle school students from the area are invited to World Friendship Day to explore opportunities for youth to connect with people of diverse backgrounds while exploring issues of peace, diversity, and tolerance.
The Peace Education has more information on the programs on their website.
John Beck, who also coordinates the “Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives” project at MSU will give his insight into the new 2011 Michigan Notable Book “Working Words.” Beck has arranged for the editor M.L. Liebler to visit Lansing along with several contributors including the cult author Ben Hamper who wrote “Rivethead.” The authors will be at Schuler Books & Music in the Eastwood Towne Center, 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 25. Read this post on Mittenlit.com about the new book which is a collection of poetry, essays and short fiction on working. More informaiton on Our Daily Work is available at their website.
In addition, Beck will discuss the “Grapes of Wrath” program at MSU which will be producing an opera and play at MSU based on John Steinbeck’s novel of the Dust Bowl.
This week Thursday January 27 at 7 p.m. in Grand Rapids at the UAW Regional Office Auditorium, 3300 Leonard St. and Sunday January 30 at 1:30 at the Michigan Historical Museum, 702 West Kalamazoo, Lansing members of the MSU College of Music and Theatre will present free performances of “The Grapes of Wrath in Word and Song.”
The Opera Theatre and Department of Theatre will host fully-staged performances of the opera and the play this spring (April 1-10) at MSU. More information on the opera and play visit are available online.
