Comment

Comment by Jackie Minchew on July 5, 2010 at 2:54pm

I don't intend for this to be an adversarial discussion, so I will concede that I am, in a manner of speaking, passing the buck.

Mind you, I wrote my email (actually two of them) to the White House and received the boiler plate response I expected. As you say, a drop of rain in a hurricane.

But we have a national organization with an Executive Director, a Board (including Richard Heinberg and Asher Miller of the Post Carbon institute as well as my neighbor across the waters of Puget Sound, Vicki Robin, who will be the keynote speaker at our Renewable Living Fair in October) and a Supporting Team. It is their voice, on our behalf, that I would like to see raised on this issue.

If they judge my suggestion to be a bad one, as you apparently do, then I suppose they will ignore it. If so, my feelings will not be hurt. There have been many missed opportunities and there will be many more. I have certainly missed my share.

In any case, I will continue with my local activities, which are various and include a Transition Initiating Group here in Everett. In fact, having finished my lunch, it is now time to go weed my potatoes.

All the best.

Jackie

Comment by Larry Menkes on July 5, 2010 at 2:38pm

Are you ready to organize this national campaign for Transition US? Or are you just passing the buck?

BTW I prefer Heinberg for somethings, Kustler for others. This is IMHO a Kunstler issue.

Comment by Jackie Minchew on July 5, 2010 at 2:22pm

Thank you, Larry, for these comments. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. My copy of PCC is earmarked and underlined, as is my copy of the Handbook. I prefer Richard Heinberg to James Howard Kuntsler, but agree with the quote. I even agree that letters go largely unheard by elected leaders at all levels. But large numbers of letters/emails on the same topic and from members of a common community, will sometimes break through.

But my suggestion stands. We have a national organization, Transition US, but no national voice. In Britain, the Transition Network has been included in high level conversations with policy makers. This speech by our President, with its clear call for ideas, is our opportunity to begin developing our voice.

Of course, I don't mean just one letter from Transition US. I mean multiple letters from each Initiative and mulling group. Most of us spend considerable time on the computer anyway. What could it hurt to try?

That said, I certainly intend to continue my local activities.

All the best!

Jackie Minchew

Comment by Larry Menkes on July 5, 2010 at 1:38pm

Letters are interesting, and to our Pres., a drop of rain in the hurricane.

I much prefer acting locally, and I liked your Post Carbon Institute reference. Steve Ivy's response below indicates a fruitful first choice: Get the Post Carbon Institute's handbook on Relocalization called Post Carbon Cities (Daniel Lerch). Let's not reinvent the wheel. PCC and the Transition Handbook are complimentary publications. PCC is also a lot shorter. My copy is only 98 pp's. and exec summary and excerpts could be read over this holiday w/e over cocktails or beers (www.postcarboncities.net/guidebook). This is an essential document for Transition because it addresses how to work with and within local government.

According to James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency and The Geography of Nowhere, "Post Carbon Cities is an exceptionally clear and comprehensive call-to-action to those who actually work in the trenches of city governance. We don't have any more time to waste getting ready for an energy-scarcer future, and for those who remain dazed and confused, this book is an excellent place to start."

I also like Rocky Mountain Institute's "Winning the oil endgame" by Amory Lovins. To make a successful transition to a sustainable steady-state economy will require us to become very well versed in the literature. It isn't a game for rank amateurs


The PACE program that started in Berkeley is also a good model for getting started with your local region. PACE is being considered by Texas in HB 1391 and HB 1937. Or, just spend a few days in Austin, which has done wonders over the last 20 years. It may be the most sustainable municipality in the US.

Comment by Jackie Minchew on July 3, 2010 at 1:43pm

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE WAS SENT TO INFO@TRANSITIONUS TODAY.

I call your attention to Richard Heinberg's Museletter #218 (http://richardheinberg.com/218-deepwater-horizon-the-worst-case-bes...) in which, among other things, he quotes President Obama's speech from the Oval Office on June 15: "For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered. For decades, we’ve talked and talked about the need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked -- not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor." Let me particularly call attention to "lack of political courage and candor."

Heiberg further addresses Obama's statement that he would be "happy to look at other ideas and approaches . . . as long as they seriously attack our addiction to fossil fuels."

I see this as our opportunity to weigh in. While we may not want to engage in politics, this call for ideas need not be viewed as political. It is about energy, sustainability and resilience.

We have the community-based, grassroots response model. At the Post Carbon Institute, we have the think-tank. In communities across the country and around the world we have ordinary people doing the heavy lifting. What we lack is a national voice. This is where Transition US comes in. Beginning with a "Letter to President Obama" from you, copied to Transitioners here and abroad (who would be free to add their voices) we can seriously enter the national conversation on energy. This letter could be submitted to news sources large and small, and followed with subsequent letters fleshing out the ideas presented in the first one.

I hope this suggestion will receive serious consideration.

Jackie Minchew
Everett, WA

Comment by Steve Ivy on June 26, 2010 at 9:56pm

Dallas is now a transition town. Well there are a couple of us here anyhow. :O )

I am interested in ideas for how to promote this group concept (for real world projects and not just for on line growth.) How about the idea of connecting with somewhat related groups like the Sierra Club or alternative energy groups something like that?

Comment by Les Squires on June 15, 2010 at 2:42pm

I arrive on 24 June in Ljubljana Slovenia. Workshops at University of Maribor Department of Logistics 24-30 June. Train to Vienna 1 July. Return to U.S. 6 July. I'd love to face-to-face Transitioners during the free-times.

Comment by Lillian Moussa on June 7, 2010 at 4:58am

Hello Dear members,

I am a very life out-going, open minded friendly person to other cultures, calm and balanced, pleasant, communicative, extroverted (one of my friends telling me), and know-how to deal with all people from different levels, I am skilled worker in field of Management and Business Admin., Sales and Marketing as well, and would like to broaden, expand and invest my experience and apply my skills, of being creative, resourceful mind, analytical approach in problems, troubleshooting, and / or brainstorming, always keen to give results to all jobs and business activities in hand.

I am searching some help from Business owners, and CEO’s decision makers, to kindly, give me the opportunity and open the door for me to join their staff memebrs, as I am currently focus to achieve my life goal to move to the states, I like to live in beatiful country with its nice friendly people, who are always tend to help others, live in less crowded places, in more healthy environment, seeking better future, and quality of life.

Therefore, I have a keen interest to find someone's support, to help me achieve my life goal coming to live and settle in the US, hope it would come true soon as possible.
Looking forward to hear from you soon, meanwhile, I cordially remain with
Kind regards from Cairo.
Lillian Moussa Ibrahim
Cell: +2012-2959061
Lillian.moussa@orascomHD.com

Comment by Tony Budak on May 14, 2010 at 12:52pm

Hey Folks,

You all are cordially invited to a TimeBanking Training, Saturday & Sunday, June 26 and 27th, 2010,

Follow this link for details

In Cheerful Reciprocity,
Tony Budak

Comment by Jed Diamond on March 30, 2009 at 9:35am

Les,

Thanks for the note. Since there are a number of "Transitions" sites I wasn't sure where the best place to post would be.

Once I know more about when the book will be published and who will be publishing it, I'll check in with you to see how best to post information for comment.

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