Dear ,
I am freshly back from the Northern California Transition Conference that took place in Richmond over the weekend. Those of us organizing it were blown away by the sold-out attendance of over 100 people, representing over 25 Transition and allied groups including from Monterey, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Berkely, Humboldt County, Nevada City, Sebastopol, and more.
A highlight was the keynote talk by Pam Hartwell, the mayor of Fairfax (in Marin County). With great enthusiasm, she described how her group, Sustainable Fairfax, had built support for Transition-type activities in Fairfax, and how that had led to her joining the City Council and becoming Mayor of the first majority-Green Party City Council in the country. You can see her talking about it at the Green Party convention on YouTube.
The Transition movement is having an impact on lives, programs and policies, from Brasilia, Brazil, where a group started in a favela, to Fujino, Japan, where a Transition group was galvanized after the nuclear disaster, to Fairfax, where Pam's group helped launch Marin Clean Energy (see potluck description to the right). Some of these efforts are not called "Transition," but they are a part of the same movement for creative, participatory relocalization. Consider yourself a part of it.
—Michael Levy |
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Transition Companion book group |
Thursdays, Oct. 18 thru Nov. 15.
6:30-8:00 pm
Santa Cruz Westside
Directions sent when you sign up
The Transition Companion is an amazing piece of writing by the founder of the Transition Movement. It incorporates the collected experience of hundreds of Transition groups around the world, as well as a great Permaculture-based perspective on the world. From TSC member Cecile Andrews:
"We'll be reading The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins.
We'll limit this group to about 8 people because my apartment isn't huge, but that's also the best size for a book group! Everyone gets to talk. To sign up, contact cecile@cecileandrews.com." |
| Yes on 37 |
Transition Santa Cruz occassionally takes a stand on political issues when their meaning and impact is of particularly strong relevance to our mission of relocalization. Proposition 37 is one of those issues. Our statement in support of this statewide initiative is on our website. Here's a teaser:
We believe that affording people the right to know whether their food is genetically engineered is in keeping with the following Transition Santa Cruz values...
Read the rest on the site, and be sure to vote next month!
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| County Climate Action Strategy |
Have you heard of the County Climate Action Strategy?
Newer and less known than the City of Santa Cruz plan for the climate, the County plan is coming to the Board of Supervisors for approval this December. Here are a few facts about it:
• You can read the first draft and give your input at this county webpage
• It is being worked on by busy County Planning Department staff without any dedicated funding (there is no County Climate Action Coordinator)
• It reports that 70% of our greenhouse gas emissions (in 2009 in unincorporated areas) were from transportation
• It recommends that the number one actionable step we can take to reduce emissions is to establish a Community Choice Energy agency (see potluck description, right). |
| Also worthy of attention... |
♦ Happiness Initiative Forum
Saturday, October 20, 6:30 -8:30 pm
Louden Nelson Center, Santa Cruz
$5 donation
Learn about
The Happiness Initiative, a revolutionary effort to measure and improve well-being of people and the planet. Discover the larger worldwide movement to create a new economic paradigm based on sustainability and happiness. More info here.
♦ Bioneers Conference
October 19-21
San Rafael, CA
For more information, click here.
If you would like to carpool, contact Tyger Wright at tygerwright@gmail.com.
♦ DIY Rainwater Harvesting Basics Workshop
Saturday, November 3, 9 am-3 pm
Seabright area
$25
More info here
♦ Energy Upgrade California Workshop
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Ecology Action, 877 Cedar St., Santa Cruz
Free
Please register here.
Learn how to get rebates if you are making energy-saving improvements to your home. More information here.
♦ Don't Worry, Drive on: Fossil Fools & Fracking Lies
A new video from Post-Carbon Institute
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| Become a member of Transition Santa Cruz |
Help support our important work of building local resilience! Go to http://transitionsc.org/donate and join at the $25, $50, $100 or $200 level, or join as a volunteer. Your participation matters!
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Contact Details
831-427-9916
http://transitionsc.org
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Potluck with a Purpose
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Tuesday, October 23
6-8:30 pm
Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave.
Free/by donation
Family friendly!
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| Rally for CleanPowerSF |
Community Choice Energy:
Freedom from the PG&E monopoly
Join us and Gine Johnson, recently retired Executive Director of Ecology Action, to learn about the biggest relocalization initiative to come along in a long time: Community Choice Energy.
Also known as "Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)," these initiatives allow a community to form their own public energy agency, so we can choose democratically where we want our electricity to come from. (The first in the state is Marin Clean Energy.)
Not only is Community Choice Energy a good idea emissions-wise, it also is an economic windfall, because by moving to a public agency, we can keep our energy money local, instead of watching it leave the community destined for the shareholders of PG&E.
Gine has been working on a local CCA initiative since leaving Ecology Action. She will talk about the local project and leave plenty of time for Q & A.
Can you offer a ride to the potluck? Please contact Cara to coordinate rides, at ratbert@cruzio.com.
Potluck 6:00, Program 7:00
Feel free to come for either or both!
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