Eating Local Foods (ELF) Fund Raising Event

Eating Local Foods (ELF) (http://sites.google.com/site/eatinglocalfoods/ ) is an organization started about 2 years ago around people committed to creating an infrastructure where locally grown foods can be grown and marketed to area families. ELF members are helping to build a more sustainable, local food system that improves the quality of life and protects the environment. ELF represents members from the 5 Counties in Ohio immediately to the West of Lucas County (Fulton, Henry, Defiance, Williams and Paulding. Members actively encourage everyone to visit and purchase from their local food producers.

ELF’s fund raiser was held on Friday evening at Zion Lutheran Church in Defiance Ohio. A “free-will” dinner was served featuring locally grown dishes from pulled-pork sandwiches and potato soups to home-made breads and desserts. There were 13 different displays that featured area locally owned businesses that was involved in some way with the area “locally-grown” foods efforts. Phil and Diane Sherry of Nothing But Nature (eMail: nothingbutnature@hotmail.com) is a certified organic gardener that grown vegetables, herbs and flowers. He also raises range lamb, goat and mutton for sale in the Greater Toledo Area. Talking to Phil and Diane revealed their plans this year to open in area villages, organic gardens in their town limits. Also in attendance and offering a display was John Short of Juillard Farm Natural Grass-Fed Beef (eMail: jdshort@live.com). John mentioned that his business also offers quality grass-fed meats to the Northwest Ohio Area. Also displayed was information on the Greater Toledo Urban-Ag efforts of the MultiFaith Council of NWOhio.

The highlight of the evening’s fund-raiser was a live concert offered by John McCutcheon (http://www.folkmusic.com/), folk-singer and humorist. John’s songs typically involve his stories of personal encounters set to music with hammer dulcimer, piano, auto-harp and violin. Barb and I picked up his newest CD, “Passage” which featured many songs played this evening.

ELF Upcoming Event

The “Everybody Eats – Workshops on Sustainable Agriculture” will take place on Saturday, April 2^nd from 8:00am to 4:30pm. Monique Tressler of the ELF Network will present “Buying Power: Your Influence on Local Food Trends starting at 1:30pm. Multi-Grazing Livestock Meat Production will be offered by Ralph and Brian Schlatter of Canal Junction Meats starting at 11:30a.m. Other presentations being planned include Organic Soil Building, High Tunnel Growing Year Round, Transitions into Organic Certification and Safe Food Handling and Growing Practices. For information on other presentations and contact details, visit http://eatinglocalfoods.eventbrite.com/?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=evitefrnd&utm_term=eventimage .

How to Start a Community Garden Lecture

Saturday, January 8, 2011 @ 10:00a.m.

Main Branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

Toledo GROWs is the community garden outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden. Toledo Botanical Garden is a public/private partnership between the Toledo Botanical Garden Board, Inc., and the Metroparks of the Toledo Area in collaboration with the City of Toledo. Toledo GROWs is a non-profit agricultural organization serving communities in the NWOhio area. Toledo GROWs has a FACEBOOK presents and can be found at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/toledo.grows . Currently, Toledo GROWs is serving as a resource for area gardeners to produce food-gardens, assisting those wanting to establish urban-agriculture and provide either labor or knowledge assistance to area people and organizations.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Toledo Grows

Michael Szuberla

Toledo GROWs Manager

5403 Elmer Drive

Toledo, OH 43615

419.260.4615

EMail: Michael.szuberla@toledogarden.org

www.toledogarden.org

http://www.communitygarden.org

General introductions of the presenter as well as the 30 attendees started the morning’s presentation. Mike Szuberia grew up in the Toledo Metro area and has been involved in gardens most of his life. Mike has been associated with Toledo Botanical Garden since 2001. This is going to be the first part of an on-going series involving the start-up and maintenance of community gardens. Future meetings are now being planned for the 2nd. Saturday of each month in 2011. For further information on schedules, contact ToledoGROWs or please reference the ToledoGROWs Facebook page.

Audience members represented a cross section of people from faith communities, community organizers and government extension workers. Several members were presently involved in the VISTA/Americorps Programs and is actively assisting with ToledoGROWs projects. All visitors expressed an interest in creating food producing and ornamental gardens in their neighborhoods. Some members expressed interest in establishing a “users-group” that would serve as a resource for others. Users-groups could serve as a clearing house for ideas such as; how do we get water to remote gardens, how to control bee quality in hives, what are some of the most efficient ways to store grown food, and how to expand crops for business expansion. Finally, audience members often expressed a desire for a local forum to network in applying their gardens skills/needs with others.

Mike Szuberia’s Presentation:

The goal is to use formats such as Toledo GROWs to facilitate urban agriculture on a project-by-project foundation. The ToledoGROWs service area involves all of the NWOhio area from Bowling Green North to the Michigan Line. Significant opportunity exists in NWOhio in that the amount of vacant land available for agricultural development is not an issue. There is ample existing farm land and open land areas in and around Toledo that can easily be utilized for agricultural purposes. ToledoGROWs can provide support to individuals wanting to establish green-spaces to service the aesthetics of the community as well as provide natural playgrounds to children. ToledoGROWs also can assist with food-related agricultural planning on a varying scale for individuals and groups. It is our wish to make a positive difference for our NWOhio communities.

Community gardens are typically made by people working together to grow vegetables and/or ornamental plants. Community gardens also involve people of literally all backgrounds and skill-levels working together to create gardens and provide garden services. Universally, food is the unifying principle of community development on every scale.

TYPES of COMMUNITY GARDENS

Various types of community gardens including Neighborhood, Agency, Faith-based, Entrepreneurial and Habitat. Neighborhood gardens are those individual effort projects involving one or more families. Agency gardens involve community centers and soup kitchens. Faith-Based garden examples are like the NWOhioMultifaith Council efforts now enjoying its 2^nd year of existence. Entrepreneurial gardens are for those who want to use principles involving small-scale Ag to grow food for area restaurants/canneries. These types of gardens are considered “for-profit” meant for income generation. These types of gardens could result from some individual’s or group’s hobby or interest. Habitat gardens present places for people/animals can hang out and enjoy. Habitat gardening continues the traditions and principles of Sustainability of Ecological areas.

Who Gardens in NWOhio?

As far as the question of who can participate in community gardening, anyone from 97 years down to 7 years of age people. All participants can get out of community gardening whatever they want; organizational development or practical “hands-on” growing experiences are typically sought after. More people are becoming interested in the quality of what they are eating. Community gardening is a great way to get back to eating high quality food that everyone can enjoy. Literally everyone can participate and enjoy the experiences related to the vast experiences in gardening.

Benefits of Community Gardening

Community gardens can improve the quality of life for people in many ways. Community gardens encourage community social interaction. Breaking bread with people has always been a way in which cultures can interact. It can promote local self-reliance that would allow additional sources of income that may be otherwise denied. Beautifying neighborhoods can also be a way to improve community life. Neighborhood improvements can increase neighborhood values as well as aid in positive behavior change. They can and do reduce family food budgets, allow for conserving resources and create opportunities for recreations and health.

Community gardens can also positively impact youth. They can increase life skills, improve attention span, improve nutrition, provide a sense of stewardship and improve the self-esteem of youth of both genders.

Community gardens provide a meaningful role in their community. Toledo GROWs has a good track record involving the integration of urban Toledo youth and urban-Ag in area projects. Gardening also brings out the best in everyone. Generosity is frequently shown by gardeners when harvests are brought in … what to do with the garden surplus is never an insolvable problem.

WHERE TO LOCATE COMMUNITY GARDENS

Vacant Lots, Faith-Based Organizations, Under-utilized business land, Hospitals/HMSs, Schools are just a few of the many examples that can be utilized. Inner-city green spaces are also being established to aid in the urban ecology of neighborhoods. The City of Toledo can be a great source of information to determine where there may be land available for agricultural use.

COMMUNITY GARDENING INITIAL CONCERNS

The first consideration of establishing community gardens is always what kind of garden it shall be: is it going to be for vegetables, flowers, trees or a combination. Who will be served by the garden also needs to be answered: young/old, people with health issues, etc. Decisions need to be made on whom will be working on the various needs of the community garden: establishing a mailing address and recording contact information on the various stakeholders. Another critical concern involves the planning and organization of any meetings of other interested people. Organizations will necessitate the selection of a leader or supervisor.

ORGANIZATING THE COMMUNITY

Get a core of people together who are committed to the long-term success of the project. Talk to as many people who live in the neighborhood as possible. Conduct assessments of local assets and basic community garden needs. Hold a public meeting to recruit gardeners and begin to create the site plan and develop the site.

Community gardens will natural involve all types of people – some will be skilled gardeners, some will be good organizers. Some gardens may need carpenters. Diversity of labor has to be acknowledged for successful community gardens. Rob, From the Monroe Street UM Church presently grows turkeys on church property that involves a good cross section of members with diverse skills not necessarily related to gardening.

Choosing a site

Identify the owner of the land. Contact the City of Toledo (phone: 419.936.2020) general help line. By stating your need, you will then be routed to city departments that can answer your questions. Make sure the site you are considering gets at least 6 full hours of sunlight daily. Consider availability of water: is it close by or does it have to be brought in. If land is presently own by another party, Try to get a long-term lease on the property being considered. Do a soil test in the fall for nutrients and heavy metals. The University of Massachusetts (http://www.umass.edu/soiltest/ ) can perform typical soil testing for $9.00. Spending $9 will be cheap insurance to determine if heavy metals exists which may also impact on the food quality. Is insurance something that needs to be considered in case of accidents/breach of service, etc… Many church organizations will allow the use of their land for garden purposes if you sign a waiver.

ORGANIZING THE GARDEN

Form a committee and have regular meetings; establish and agree to rules and guidelines. Decide on how the garden should be laid out: individual plots or large collective garden? If the group charges dues, how will the money be used?… will the garden be appropriately manned, etc. A good garden involves a good planning and execution of those plans.

DEVELOPING THE SITE:

Developing your design may be in your plans. The Ohio State University (tel; 419.578.6783) Bancroft Ave, Toledo may help or contact ToledoGROWs. ToledoGROWs offers a great variety of services that can assist most anyone interested in all aspects of agriculture. Make sure to have plots marked clearly with gardener’s names to avoid confusion. A properly-planned garden will include provisions for the storage of tools and other equipment, as well as for locating composting area. Have rainproof bulletin board for announcing garden events and messages. Arrange for land preparation – plowing, etc… If the garden will be organic, plan on how it will be established and maintained. Lay out the garden and place flowers or shrub beds around the visible perimeter. This helps to promote good will with non-gardening neighbors, passersby’s and municipal authorities – flowers and shrubs add to the aesthetical value of the garden. ToledoGROWs discourages the use of pesticides and herbicides because of the health hazards involved.

IMPROVING THE SOIL

Usually all new gardens will need to improve the soil before any garden can go in. Vegetable matter can be directly mixed into soil that can compost down into the soil. “Lasagna composting” involves introducing organic matter in sub-layers of existing soil. Organic composting material can be added and mounded over with 2 to 3 inches of regular soil. Pests are easily controlled by keeping the composting materials “smothered” with soil. There is a direct connection among the health of the soil, health of the food and the health of the people. Coffee houses, potluck surpluses, landscaping businesses can all be contacted for compostable materials such as coffee grounds, leftover food and grass clippings. Leaf bags can also be used to contain compost materials while being processed. Make sure to use un-sprayed clippings, organic garbage, etc. as toxins and heavy metals can accumulate and destroy food quality. Covering the soil with grass clippings and straw is a good practice since it controls weeds and maintains soil moisture.

CHICKENS

A new character in Toledo gardens involves the raising of urban chickens. In Toledo, chickens were never outlawed…as long as you get along with your neighbors, you can raise them in your neighborhood. Children do well with these types of Ag-projects. The youth projects involving the raising of chickens are now leading younger people to consider the raising of goats and sheep. Using the chicken-Ag project as an experiential learning lab, participants have increased skills involving math, journaling, biology and genetics – learning by doing. Finally, the eggs produced by the chickens were a great source of protein available to family members.

RABBITS

ToledoGROWs is presently promoting the raising of rabbits for urban-Ag applications. The fertilizer value of the rabbit represents an outstanding value to any garden. Each rabbit can produce 3 Wheel barrels of manure per year that can be applied to a 500 sq. ft. garden. Rabbits can be raised for show as well as used for fur. Rabbits can also provide protein to a family but the problems occur when people become attached to them.

FISH

ToledoGROWs can also assist in the raising of Tilapia fish. This can be done by using swimming pools or 55 bal. drums using controlled systems. Fish farming (or Aqua-culture) can easily be established in any area of NWOhio. Contact TOLEDOGrows for more information and instruction on how this is done.

OTHER THINGS INTEGRATED IN GARDENS

NWOhio gardeners have been involved in the establishment of Bee Hives, Goat and Turkey raising. Gardeners have also organized local harvest festivals, created works of art for public display, and organized poetry sessions. Several persons have begun to plant urban orchards in the NWOhio area.

ToledoGROWs AS A RESOURCE

Toledo GROWS can provide or coordinate:

• Free seeds and plants
• Job training for over 100 youth with the CITE program
• Stipends for youth projects, helping youth building positive work histories and assist them in learning new skills in serving their communities
• Assistance with Planning
• Assistance with problem solving – find a site – getting water
• Assistance with garden installation
• Assistance with soil improvement/preparation
• Assistance with work days (ground breaking strategy and possible manpower)
• Tool Loans (as available)

ToledoGROWs will not do:

• Provide a group to landscape areas
• Any day-to-day maintenance of agricultural projects

The actual growing of food is a small part of a greater organizational effort. You don’t have to be a veterinarian to raise a puppy. There is help available for any garden challenge/problem. What kills a plant is neglect. Call community governments for any resources they may offer. Contact other community resources:

Owens Community College

The Oil State University Extension Office

The City of Toledo (for general referrals; 419.936.2020)

MultiFaith Grows

The United Way (has a volunteer center…can match volunteers to efforts)

Toledo Lucas County Library (collection of gardening books)

Erie Street Market, Sat. Feb. 265 for the SEED SWAP. Workshops are from 3 to 5pm.

The End

Food Justice in an Era of Global Food Crisis

On Wednesday July 1, 2010, Toledo Grows invited Mr. Malik Yakini to present on “Food Justice in an Era of Global Food Crisis at Glenwood Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Yakini is Chairman of the Detroit Food Policy Council and member of the Detroit Black Food Security Organization. Approximately 65 people attended this presentation of which there was a good mixture of older and younger generations. Malik’s presentation was using an LCD projector with computer-created PowerPoint slides.

For those of us wanting further information on this topic please visit the following websites:

The Detroit Food Policy Council

The Detroit Black Food Security Network

Personal Interview with Malik Yakini

Personal Interview with Malik Yakini

Democracy Now Interview with Malik Yakini

Mr. Malik opened his presentation with a reference to the Kroger Grocery Store on Toledo’s Manhattan Blvd that was recently closed. As painful as this may have been for the residence near there, he wanted the audience to believe that Detroit, Michigan is much worse. He stated that while he was being shown the various Toledo urban agricultural projects around the area, he was impressed with the bee-keeping infrastructure, numerous greenhouses and neighborhood chicken raising areas. Yakini stated that these have proven to him that the Toledo environment is moving toward an acceptance of a movement toward the development of urban agriculture.

Malik stated that the food crisis that Toledo and Detroit are facing is a global one and that this food crisis interferes with one of the basic drives that humanity is invested with. Food is life, food defines culture, and food provides a foundation of social structure. In traditional agricultural areas of the world, Malik stated that celebrations occur around food production; great celebrations happen during the planting of the crops and at harvest time. Today, it seems we have a great capacity to grow food but the food crisis is happening now.

In the United States, 36 million people are hungry or malnourished. In Haiti, Egypt and other locations, food prices have escalated contributing to social riots and protest. Yakini referred to this situation as “the Silent Tsunami”. There are those who will prosper and “make a killing” on this world-wide food crisis. According to Grain.org, Cargill, Arthurs Daniel Midland and other for profit agriculture-related corporations have experienced increases of profits during this time. An especially concerning event that is impacting food production is the use of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Science has developed the technology to alter just about any cell to create new life forms and therefore becomes the owner of that life form.

Soybeans and corn DNA have been recombined to become resistant to disease, mold and insects. In the grocery stores of the United States, approximately 60 to 70% of produce contains some aspect of GMO. Lawsuits have been entered into the U.S. court system by these holders of seed patents against farmers. Designed within these GMO seeds may be a “planned sterilization” of the plant that would prevent the development of seeds and therefore requiring the farmer to continue their purchase of these seeds. Presently, the European Union has safeguards in place that mandate the labeling of GMO products as well as making sure the GMO crops are “self-terminating”. In the United States, the organic food industry is very concerned about this technology and these products as there are now safeguards. Yakini stated that this present action will lead to a control of the world’s food supply. If a small group of people control the food supply, this will lead to a control of the people - sort of an Imperialist model exerting control on the masses. Kr. Richard Strohman, PhD and Professor at the University of California cautions that there are unintended consequences to the scientific manipulation of cell biology. The question of “Who Owns Life” has been brought up in the U.S. Supreme Court and a decision handed down that it is Monsanto who does where cell DNA has been manipulated.

About Detroit – in 1950, Detroit’s population was approximately 2 million. By the year 2000, the population dropped down to 900,000. With the census now being counted, Malik expects the population of Detroit to drop far lower. Statistics have shown that between 1970 and 2000, there were 161,000 homes demolished in Detroit. Now there have been around 750,000 which points to a broken city with a broken food system.

The last grocery store in Detroit left that city in 2007 requiring inner-city residents to either travel to suburbs for their food needs or purchase from local “party-stores”; stores that sell cigarettes, liquor and other “junk food”. It was because of these realities that the Detroit Food Policy Council and the Detroit Black Food Security Network was established. Yakini was one of the organizers who coordinated efforts of local food production and marketing these goods to Detroit residence. People of Detroit are growing their own food for their own security needs, taking steps toward self-governance and community building.

The abandoned City of Detroit nursery that at one time grew trees for Detroit neighbors have been reclaimed and is now being used in localized food production for inner-city dwellers. Derelict factory fields and city vacant areas are being reclaimed and used with intensive gardening technology to provide food to citizens. The goal of Malik’s organizations is to have these urban agricultural projects become sustainable.

Malik envisions a point where all urban ag programs will sell 60% of their product to Detroit citizens for their sustenance and nutrition. He believes that by growing high quality food, 40% of his market will sell to area restaurants and grocery stores. Presently, the problems being encountered by gardeners involve pests such as the usual deer population and surprisingly the immigration of coyotes into Detroit. These downtown urban farms are turning the city into a lush and delicious landscape. Typical urban food gardens are measure approximately 70ft X as much as 565ft. There appears to be around a $40,000 per year profit from 1 acre of any garden/farm land and this can be easily achieved thru the French Intensive method of food/garden production. Additional planning involves the creation of city grower co-operatives that could take advantage of crop specializations and growing efficiencies. The successes achieved by the Detroit gardens have attracted other entrepreneurs to adopt similar ideas and goals. One such person is actively seeking grants and other sources of government funding to do similar projects also in Detroit. According to Malik, if these community sponsored agriculture programs go the way of “Wall Street”, then it would not be sustainable.

Malik mentioned that this grass-roots community development has, at its core, agriculture and therefore is the “first economy” of society. All community based Ag projects should be a generator of service and wealth: service in the form of providing nutritious food to people at reasonable cost and wealth selling value-added products to commercial and institutional interests.

Cities Sustainable Webcast of 6/29/2010

City Sustainable

____________________________________________________________________

The following is my excerpts and notations taken during a live webinar from the Bentley Company, an engineering firm performing services in civil engineering, community development and municipal sustainability. This 30 minute webinar was presented on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 2:00 to 2:30pm. Further information can be viewed at Bentley.com .

“The City Sustainable” with Jennifer Jarratt and John Mahaffie

There are going to be some very big changes happening to all cities in the near future that involve issues of sustainability. The movement of cities and communities will be as a result of people trying to live with the Earth and not trying to overpower it. Melbourne, Australia and Copenhagen, Denmark are examples of their citizen’s movement to becoming a Zero-Carbon city. In the United States, Greensburg, Kansas has taken steps to rebuild that city after a tornado destroyed that town. Greensburg has partnered with city planners and community citizens to rebuild to a “green” standard that would encompass carbon emissions, energy efficiency and other sustainable models and systems. Detroit, Michigan may be another example although this may be too soon to tell.

Detroit is a city that represents a city that is at the end of its era. Houses within neighborhoods are being bulldozed due to the changing economics of the area. Detroit is at a point in its history where decisions need to be made; decisions that could point the direction to a sustainable model. Because of the changing dynamics now being experienced, Detroiters will have an increasing voice in their civic affairs and directions toward sustainability.

Sustainable communities will gravitate towards replacing existing systems that involve: waste recovery, use of clean fuels, living patterns that contribute to the common good, business and social models that are not “growth-oriented” and therefore focused on quality of service, decisions based upon the establishment and promotion of “the good life”.

Sustainable communities will be those communities where people will want to go to, move to, and work there. Future sustainable communities will need a wide transformation make-over of present models of living. These changes will need an active input from individuals as well as political institutions. The move to sustainable communities will also need the use of technology to make efficient any new or remodeled systems. Changes are necessary in the way we, as individuals and members of society, conduct our affairs. In the U.S., we have a history of personal property and ownership. Younger generations of Americans have become a generation of people who share – willingly. This same concept of sharing will impact on how we purchase and use tools such as lawnmowers, ladders and more. Sustainable communities will have to redefine the concept and meaning of ownership. Privately-owned buildings with flat roofs will be seen as resources for urban agriculture. Sharing of transportation vehicles will also be considered to reduce the cost of living and lifestyle.

Effect of Motivation and Planning on Sustainable Communities

Research shows that in this sustainable model, retail shop owners as well as community dwellers will be key players in the communities their occupy. Moving communities toward these models will involve some triggering mechanisms such as those involving; Crisis (economic, social, environmental, etc.), Costs of present landfills and technology to use them, and individual and public reason. The nation of China may be in a position to move toward sustainable communities due to their history of “central planning” – the carryover from their socialist/communist governmental cultures. The Chinese people may be able to leap-frog over other countries of the world to this end but will be dependent on their nation’s economic advantage.

Dymitry Orlov, a presenter at the 5th Peak Oil Conference at Oakland University, has a blog that adds further dimension to the present situation. You can access his blog by following the link located at the right of this page.

Megan Quinn Bachman
11/2/2008 9:00am

“The Long Dark Night Ahead”

There was intention of having the 5th Peak Oil Conference over the Halloween Weekend. Halloween is a time on the calendar that is the ending of a year’s cycle – a beginning to winter and all that it signifies. The financial melt-down starting this summer could be understood as the end of Globalization. As of this moment, shipping cargotainers used to transport products from Asia to the United States are empty and sitting idly at docks on the East and West Coasts. The news is reporting that 25% of Chinese shipping businesses are bankrupt. A working definition of “crisis” is when “The past has the least hold on the present – and when the present has great affect on the future”.

The twin crises now happening are energy (Peaking of the world’s oil production/availability) and climate change. The current ideas surrounding “Sustainability” may not solve our problems since sustainability involves doing things that meets our current and future needs. This will prove impossible due to the role that petroleum had played in creating our lifestyles. We can’t maintain our present way of life with the lifestyles we now enjoy and have to be dramatically reduced. One gallon of gasoline equals approximately 6 weeks of steady human labor. This liquid energy is responsible for the greatest majority of goods and services provided to the world and the gasoline is running out – no drop-in replacement in sight. We all must share in the decline that must come. For anyone to try to improve his condition means that those resources will be taken from another; therefore continuing the inequity which must lead to suffering and violence.

During this declining process, we can expect traditional social services to be destroyed with the collapse. We can presently see the collapse of the Industrial Capitalism model as we saw the collapse of the Industrial Socialist model – both failed economic systems.

Communities, by design share risks among members and therefore share opportunities and skills. Strong communities keep people from turning on each other for survival. Resilient communities will have a foundation of wealth based upon needs rather than consumption. Since money is a symbol of wealth, strong communities should have less wealth and greater cooperation among members to meet member needs. Credit Unions, Community Supported Agriculture are two examples of community wealth. The investment in communities will be made in people (with skills development and capacity building) and habitat. To rebuild the infrastructure, people with skills will be needed. Money cannot rebuild infrastructure at this time since the loaning of money is under tremendous constraint. It will soon be apparent that the present monetary system will be ill-equipped to address the challenges related to Peak Oil. The monetary system of the 1930’s was also ill equipped to handle the challenges of the Great Depression.

The western society has evolved from a respect/reverence toward Wisdom to Knowledge to Information. The information contained in the figures of the nation’s Gross National Product (GNP) does not count the negatives happening within the nation. Jails, Court Systems, Police and Drug Abuse centers all add to the numbers in the GNP. Another scale determining national wealth – the GPI (General Progress Indicator?) could be used to gauge national wealth.

There is plenty of advertising on the media about purchasing and supporting “green” but not much is being presented about having “green” agriculture. Presently, the industrial agricultural model being used in the U.S. uses around 60 (?) calories to produce 1 (?) calorie of food.

We are seeing a birth of a new way of life for the world. With natural birth, the mother experiences great pain during the process – it should not be any different with the process that everyone is finding themselves in. There is much news about the political campaigns – much talk about Republicans and Democrats. Perhaps there should be the start of a new National Party – the Community Party. A political party entirely grass-roots, local in character and not beholding to foreign influence.


Michael Brownlee
11/2/2008 10:00am
http://www.transitioncolorado.ning.com

Transition as a Movement

Many communities in the United States are finding their positions at the end of a very fragile supply chain. Disruptions in energy, food and medical supplies can easily devastate communities in very short periods of time. With the “perfect storm” (Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Collapse), the question becomes how do we create communities that will allow us to survive and increase our quality of life. We can see that traditional communities are ill-prepared to address these problems or find solutions in traditional manners. This summer, we find that the world’s economy has literally hit the wall. The questions become how do we make a graceful and ethical decent?

This may prove to be the transition from our species as adolescents to our species as adults. Now is the time to pause, ponder about our present course and plan our transition to whatever is going to come. As everyone understands, it takes inexpensive energy to maintain current levels of lifestyles. As we shift away from petroleum energy (something that must happen based upon oil production figures), we have a chance to recreate the communities we want to live in. Relocalize is the term being used – everything on the local level first. Part of any relocalization plan should include Food, Energy and Goods/Services. Indicators of relocalization advancement could include: Food being produced locally, the number of businesses servicing the locality, building materials being manufactured locally, employment in local businesses for supplying local needs.

The most exciting movement world wide concerning relocalization is “Transition Towns”. Starting in Great Britain, towns have organized around its citizens, developed a new locally-based economy, created their own arts centers and became their own community leaders. Bob Hopkins, a community college instructor at Kinsale Further Education College, developed a project for his students that would allow them to study and propose a plan that a community could use to advance themselves. The student project “Kinsale 2021 V.1 2005 was proposed by the students, adopted by the citizens of Totnes, Ireland which lead to a type of community transformation. The project allows replication to any community wanting their own transformation. Michael Brownlee represents Transition Towns, Bolder Colorado in the U.S. There are presently over 900 Transition Towns in the world and now just coming to the U.S.

Since we can expect less energy and less money, Transition Towns is acting on developing plans for community rebuilding of local economies, agricultural systems, self-reliance and advancement of the arts. The Transition Town processes include: 1. Form groups of interested people, 2. Raise Awareness, 3. Lay a collaborative foundation among other groups, 4. Officially start the campaign 5. Form working task groups 6. Explore all ideas involving creative processes 7. Visually imagine projects 8. Facilitate re-skilling of members 9. Build bridges and work with governmental officials 10. Engage the elderly 11. Do not provide for constraints as projects evolve 12. Actually create the energy decent action plan.

It works because it is rooted in a type of Permaculture philosophy, exists in a positive visioning perspective, trusts people to imagine and decide what is best, enables sharing of resources and ideas, is a grass-roots oriented activity, provides a replicable model for others to follow, is scalable to size, develops synergy among members, provides for an optimism for members.


Richard Heinberg
11/2/2008 11:00am

Powering Down via Webcast with WebEX

The focus of this presentation will be to suggest strategic thinking on the critically points affecting us today. It will be made clear by the International Energy Agency that the world has peaked in Oil production in July, 2008 – Natural Gas and Coal are not that far behind according to best analysis. Russia, the largest Non-OPEC country presently is in oil production decline. According to The Oil Drum (www.theoldrum.com) all liquid fuels peaked in 2008. With the declining U.S. dollar, we still are experiencing tighter supplies – supply levels of petroleum have not changed. Gasoline prices are low because of demand destruction. With gasoline prices low, oil companies cannot justify drilling in new areas because of the return of their investments. The U.S. government can open up ANWAR to drillers but they will not drill because there is no money in it.

With the present demand for petroleum, the world needs 1 new Saudi Arabian oil field to be discovered every 18 months and that is not happening. The quantities of oil now being found are significantly less and in harder to get areas guaranteeing that the energy will be more expensive. We may have petroleum to use but will General Motors and Ford be around to make the cars to use them? Who wants to invest $100/bbl in a process that would only bring $60/bbl?

The consequences of this will be severe. We will see the end of affordable airplane travel. Already the CEO of Boeing is concerned about his organization in light of these energy costs and future energy projections (Peak Oil). Some are saying that coal is our future for cars – liquefied coal can be used in internal combustion engines. But that process uses tremendous amounts of water which is scarce and becoming scarcer. Hydrogen energy foundations have been taken off the table of discussion because of Energy Returned on Energy Invested – Hydrogen has been taken off the table of discussion because it is a poor deal.

With the current Climate Change process affecting the globe and the shortages of Petroleum with declining monetary systems, the only answer for people is to power down and to power down now. Peak Oil will represent the end of the Economic World as we know it. This is already being understood since traditional ways of doing business is no longer working. This crisis will be a great motivator similar to what was experienced with Cuba, The Great Depression and World War II. Resilient communities would be well positioned to absorb the shocks that must come. The time to develop community plans must come now.

The need today is not in more industrial training – the foundation of the modern industrial society is being deprived of the very thing that it needs – energy. Economies should be redesigned to a steady-state mode. Progress and wealth need to be redefined. Perhaps to turn ourselves away from the consumer society, advertising should be outlawed. We see that corporations are being thrown off balance with current conditions. We can expect a receptive audience to our ideas, prognostications and solutions since nothing else is working. Form working groups, work with organizations, ask for participation, coordinate with disaster relief organizations, create and communicate coherent plans, obtain funding, implement plans, expand plans and share plans with others. We’re all in this one together and need each other.

Some of the important first steps would include: FOOD: Move away from food supplies that rely on fossil fuels – instead develop local agricultural systems and supply networks. ELECTRICITY: Rebuild the national electric grid to accommodate renewable energy generator resources. RETROFIT: existing building to greater energy conservation standards. TRANSPORT: Rebuild rail and public transportation systems.

END OF CONFERENCE

Just getting back from the Peak Oil Conference and am swamped by all the work left on my return. I'll plan to post the Conference's Final Day summary this week. In the meantime, there was presented a world-wide grass-roots movement toward community sustainability. The project called "Transition Towns" was started in Great Britain and is considered the largest and fastest growing movement of its kind involving citizen involvement. Accessing http://www.transitiontowns.org/ is a good place to start to learn about this organization.

JohnK