Dear Subscriber,
With Andrew Harvey's visit to Santa Cruz (and our potluck, see below), I have been thinking a lot about the speed of our work towards a resilient local community. Are we going too slow?
Answer: Of course we are going too slow. With serious economic trouble already reaching us and serious climate trouble likely not far away (having hit elsewhere already), we should be moving much faster.
Change will speed up, as events make "business as usual" less and less possible. The question is, How can we help make this a good transition, one where intelligent things (like true community-building) happen and destructive things (like scapegoating) are minimized?
We are not powerless here.
Much of the most important work to be done now is just getting ourselves and the people around us connected, and beginning to trust one another. This is do-able, and the neighborhood is a natural place to do it (see "Be a leader in your neighborhood," below).
Another important piece of work is personal psychological readiness for change. Here's a step towards that you can take right now: Go to our homepage, where you will find our new "Book of the Month" feature. Click on the cover image of Carolyn Baker's Navigating the Coming Chaos. It's the best book I know on the subject, and you won't regret getting a copy. (Getting it from our site also benefits Transition SC and Bookshop Santa Cruz.)
—Michael Levy
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| Be a leader in your neighborhood
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Neighborhood Leaders' Training
Saturday, September 10
9:30 to 12:30
$10-$50 sliding scale
Click here to register
Resilience in your neighborhood? It is possible; it just takes someone to say, "Hey, let's do it!"
If you have been thinking that you might be that someone, you're in luck! Our new program, "Resilient Neighborhoods," will be ready to roll in September. The program is designed to support anyone who wants to see more connection, interdependence, and fun in their neighborhood. At this training you will meet others ready to try it out, learn how to take your first steps, and practice needed skills.
This is essential work. The good news is that most of the work involves having fun with the folks who live near you. The best news is that most folks are longing for community, one of the casualties of the cheap-energy era.
To find out more, or register, call Michael at 427-9916 or click the link above.
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Riot for austerity
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Tuesday, August 16
6 pm
Before the Sustainable Living
Meetup potluck
Live Oak Grange
In George Monbiot's powerful book on climate change, he lamented "No one has ever rioted for austerity." A couple of moms set out to prove that sentiment wrong by launching a national effort of individuals cutting their energy use and emissions by 90%. Learn how at their website.
Join Debi Baker of the Sustainable Living Meetup group and explore what it would mean to "riot for austerity"--in a personal way--for the next year. Bring food and you can stay for the potluck too.
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Sacred activism
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Our July potluck in Aptos packed the Cabrillo Horticulture building with people interested in how activism and a spiritual path can be one and the same.
After announcements, mini-presentations by some of our favorite local activists, and a short dialogue with Michael Levy of Transition SC, Andrew delivered a passionate talk highlighting the need for spiritual depth to deal with our present and developing crises. He also challenged the entire Transition movement to confront our "shadow," which he sees as the desire to think that the transition to a new society can be a smooth ride.
Thanks and welcome to those for whom this was your first Transition SC event! Thanks too to Temple Beth El, for sponsoring the meal portion of the evening.
Watch this space for upcoming news about sacred activism in Santa Cruz. |
Edible garden tour and "Quake Bake"
| Sunday, August 28
Walnut Ave. on the Westside
Free
Tereza Coraggio of Food in the Hood and the Local Food Working Group is organizing an Edible Garden Walkabout in her Walnut Avenue neighborhood. Save the date; time and meeting location will be sent out later this month.
If you'd like to join forces and plan an event in your own neighborhood, send a note to Tereza and she can help you get started. Tereza's event will include a Quake Bake: a potluck and conversation about six levels of earthquake/disaster preparednesss.
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Also worthy of attention...
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♦ Garden Cruz: Organic Gardening course at UCSC Farm and Garden. Saturdays and Wed. eves, Sept. 7 to Nov. 5. Learn how to develop your garden “from the ground up”! This course is designed to accommodate busy work-week schedules. $1200. More info at 459-3240 or
this link.
♦ The Art of Cooperation: Creating Sustainable Community through Cooperation. Sept. 23-25 in Occidental (N. of San Francisco). A rich mix of skill building, interactive & educational activities, workshops, & presentations organized by the Fellowship for Intentional Community. Info here.
♦ Who Killed Economic Growth? A new animated video from Richard Heinberg. Somehow makes an analysis of our present crisis entertaining.
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Contact Details
831-427-9916
http://transitionsc.org
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Potluck with a Purpose
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♦ Wednesday, August 24,
6:30 to 9:00 pm
♦ Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave (map)
♦ Free/donation
♦ Family friendly
♦ Bring a dish to share
In Celebration of Re-use!
In recognition of the tremendous amount of energy we use to manufacture, transport and dispose of single-use goods, we're designating August as the perfect month to polish our repurposing skills. To kick it off, we're organizing a swap meet - bring stuff you don't need, as long as you have a suggested reuse for it.
For example - extra pint-sized glass jars can be used as water bottles, for storing teas and herbs you've purchased in bulk, or decorated to use as fabulous, hand-made looking vases. Share your clean, reusable stuff, repurposing stories and ideas with friendly people over a downhome spread of delicious food. Go home with new-to-you treasures!
The rules are simple: 1) Bring things that you would be delighted to get if you didn't already have one...or would keep if you had the skills to fix it up. And 2) No drop-offs! Everyone takes their unclaimed stuff home when they leave.
Bring a dish to share and we’ll see you there!!
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