Dear Subscriber,
A couple of us had the pleasure of attending a meeting recently of Citizens for a Sustainable Monterey County. This group has done impressive work in spawning separate sustainability initiatives in Salinas, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Big Sur, and Carmel Valley. All these groups draw strength through being part of CSMC.
I shared with them the sense of hope and significance many of us here derive from being part of the international Transition movement, and invited them to consider joining in.
The theme of belonging to something larger runs through all the most meaningful work we do. As TSC matures as a local movement, we see the movement more and more as one comprised of many local groups, united under a common purpose of a re-localized, more resilient Santa Cruz.
Some of those connections are evident in this newsletter. Perhaps you are part of an organization, church, or agency that might find it rewarding to sign on as part of the TSC effort...let us know and we can start the conversation.
Best,
Michael Levy
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Awakening the Dreamer Symposium
|  Saturday, February 13
Registration 12:30-1:00, Symposium 1:00-6:00
Louden Nelson Center, Santa Cruz
Admission free; registration requested (see below)
Transition Santa Cruz and the Pachamama Alliance invite you to attend the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium. Experience the possibility of a hopeful new perspective on our biggest challenges and opportunities today:
♦ The state of our industrial world and the thinking that got us where we are today
♦ A new dream—new ideas about what really matters— leading to deep connection and surprising solutions
♦ How you can be part of what’s emerging—because you already are!
For those who have attended a Symposium before, be prepared for some changes, as this event marks the release of a new presentation with a stronger emphasis on the international nature of the movement.
To register, visit the Awakening the Dreamer website, email Alain, or call Batya at 419-6574.
Download the event flier here.
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Laundry to Landscape Workshop
|  Saturday, February 27
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Eastside Santa Cruz
$25-$75 sliding scale
Transition Santa Cruz is co-sponsoring a graywater workshop with Golden Love, a local environmental landscaper.
This hands on demonstration workshop will show you what you'll need to know about how to hook up your laundry machine so that the water will irrigate your yard. Installing simple systems such as these will help us all save on water bills once the warm weather hits; and hopefully, reduce the need for costly community water alternatives like a desalination plant.
For details and to register, go to our website.
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Housing Within Reach Series
| Thursdays, February 11 and 25 and March 11
United Methodist Church, 250 California St.
7-9 pm
Free/by donation
Feb 11: A Developer Perspective on Affordability
Affordability by design? Zoning changes? Reduced parking requirements? Inclusionary requirements? Density? With John Swift, developer and land use consultant
Getting housing built through partnerships and innovation in planning. With Jeff Oberdorfer, FAIA, Exec Director, First Community Housing
Car-free & car-lite development for Santa Cruz. With Rick Longinotti, Transition Santa Cruz
Feb 25: Housing, Transportation, & Greenhouse Gases
The land use and transportation decisions of the future. With John Doughty, Exec Director, AMBAG, and Celia Scott, former mayor and environmental attorney/planner
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Social Change without Burnout
|  Social Change and NVC
(Non-Violent Communication)
With Kristin Masters
Thursdays, March 4-18
7-9pm - 3wks
$60-120 per person
Is it maddening to read the news? Do you get in conflicts with those who are "on your own side"? Do you find yourself wishing you could be a more effective agent for change? A short series that explores 4 keys to social change work in the spirit of NVC: Transform enemy images, grief/despair work, coming from a beautiful vision, celebration/gratitude. This will all be applied to the movements you are passionate about, the change you wish to be and see in our world.
Pre-register at the NVC site.
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Permaculture + Nature Connection
|  Nature Mentoring Day
Saturday, February 20, 9:00-3:00
Natural Bridges State Park
Adults $20, Children Free
Come join The 8 Shields Institute and world renowned naturalist and
mentor, Jon Young, for a fun filled day of exploration of the natural
world. We utilize a unique model of mentoring based on the wisdom of
nature connected cultures from around the world. Come see what others
have found to be one of the most powerful and hopeful educational
models for nature connection and community resilience they’ve ever
experienced. Pre-register here.
This one-day class is a chance to get a taste of the Nature Connection portion of the Nature Connection and Permaculture Design Course to be offered the third weekend of each month, March through August, right here in Santa Cruz! This brand-new program will also offer a component for children.
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Other goings-on
|  Thursday, February 18
7-9 pm
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St.
$15 general, students free with pre-registration
The What’s Next Lecture Series is kicking off its five part Innovation program with a look at “Sustainability and Social Innovation: Doing Well by Doing Good.” The panel will feature Peter Meehan, CEO of Newman’s Own Organics, KoAnn Skrzyniarz, CEO of Sustainable Life Media, and Joshua Levine, Vice President of Socially Responsible Investing at RBC Wealth Management. For information and to reserve a ticket, visit the What's Next Website.
♦
News flash: Peak oil and climate change still real!
With all the hoopla surrounding "climategate" and errors made by the IPCC, it can be tempting to doubt that climate change is a real problem. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone away. The real climategate is the well-funded effort to discredit climate science. Check this article, published by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).
Meanwhile, peak oil is gaining credibility with business and government...at least in the UK. See this article on Sir Richard Branson's warning.
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Contact Details
831-427-9916
http://transitionsc.org
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February Monthly Gathering
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Wednesday, February 17
♦ 6:30 Introduction to Transition slide show
♦ 7:00-9:30 Potluck and Main Gathering
♦ Quaker Meetinghouse, 225 Rooney, Santa Cruz
Off Morrissey exit of Hwy. 1 (map)
This month's topic: Towards a Resilient Water Supply
Now is a moment of opportunity for all of us who live in this county. We get a chance to resolve in our own way one of humankind’s age-old dilemmas. Sometimes called the tragedy of the commons, it’s the tendency to degrade the natural environment that happens inadvertently, as a result of our attempts to meet our needs. The term originally describes what happens when individual herders add animals to their herd. At some point, the common pastureland becomes overgrazed.
Our notorious local version of the tragedy of the commons is overdraft of aquifers. In 1980 the state described the Pajaro Valley as one of 11 aquifers in critical overdraft out of nearly 500 in the state. That overdraft has not been ameliorated in the 30 years since and seawater is turning up in wells near the coast.
The Soquel Creek Water District estimates the overdraft of their aquifer of at least 15% annually. That’s why the District plans to team up with Santa Cruz to build a desalination plant. Yet desalination technology is highly energy-intensive. How can we resolve the tragedy of the commons, and become less fossil-fuel dependent at the same time?
Join us for a potluck and discussion led by Rick Longinotti.
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