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Relocalize - November '07 - Vol. 2, Issue 11

Relocalization Network: Local Communities. Global Connections

In this Issue of Relocalize:


Relocalization Network News:

Step It Up 2007 Campaign

On November 3, hundreds and hundreds of rallies took place in all fifty states in the US, and over 14,000 invitations were sent to politicians to voice a call to action to stop global warming. Below is a photo from the Pasadena Global Warming Group rally, part of Post Carbon Los Angeles.

Have photos and reports to share? Send them to network@postcarbon.org and visit www.stepitup2007.org to watch videos, read reports, and plan next steps.

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Project Port Lyttelton: building a timebank database

In February, 2007, the Relocalization Network began sponsoring Project Port Lyttelton, a Local Group in New Zealand to test out TimebankUSA's Community Weaver software. Here's is an excerpt from PPL Timebroker Chris Twemlow's blog:

"when I pull off the data from our Timebank database using the tools that the Community Weaver software offers I can show that there have been 5000 hours of trading....4900 are volunteer hours at Project Port Lyttelton and the Lyttelton Info Trust....100hrs are members engaging in timebank trades. This dual focus is complimentary, engaging and recording volunteer activity has also helped boost the timebank, clearly some community volunteers have participated in timebank trades. Another important outcome of using the timebank in this way is to begin formalizing a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) to demonstrate the importance of community involvement in the core economy. Although recording and developing social accounting for our community is important the focus still remains on the Timebank and how to foster and encourage members to share their time with each other." Read more...

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Featured book: Peak Everything by Richard Heinberg

Peak Everything Book Cover

Read the introduction to the book in a recent issue of Post Carbon Fellow Richard Heinberg's monthly Museletter on Global Public Media.

"Peak Everything addresses many of the cultural, psychological and practical changes we will have to make as nature rapidly dictates our new limits. This latest book from Richard Heinberg, author of three of the most important books on Peak Oil, touches on the most important aspects of the human condition at this unique moment in time." - New Society Publishers

Visit www.newsociety.com to purchase a copy of the book.

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Titanic Lifeboat Academy: October Greenfest challenge results

Last month, Directors Caren Black and Christopher Paddon of the Titanic Lifeboat Academy, 501(c)3 nonprofit, challenged themselves and others to live for one month without any outside utilities, no garbage, one tank of gas, and no purchases for the month. Wonder how they fared?

“It was a lot harder than I’d hoped it would be,” admits Black. “though some things were fairly easy. We got by on one tank of gas with about forty-two miles, or one gallon, to spare, even though we had to make a trip to Portland mid-month. Having no garbage pickup was not a problem; we normally use only the smallest container with a biweekly pickup, anyway. But our housing, our technologies and our culture are built for instant gratification, independence and disposability, not for conservation, community and the seventh generation. It takes creativity to buck the system.” Read more...

The Titanic Lifeboat Academy specializes in research and education in sustainable living and is one of the original relocalization groups of Post Carbon Institute. Caren Black and Christopher Paddon have been working for two years to create a sustainable homestead to demonstrate the skills, systems and technologies of sustainable living. They were recently featured on the KGW News - watch the clip!

On November 19, The Lifeboat Show on Coast Community Radio (9:30 am, KMUN 91.9, KTCB 89.5, streaming at www.coastradio.org, and archived on Global Public Media) will feature participants’ stories.

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Post Carbon Cities: Guidebook tour heads to the Mid-Atlantic

Guidebook cover image

Post Carbon Cities Program Manager Daniel Lerch has been traveling throughout the Northeast to promote our new guidebook for local governments, Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty. Over the last three weeks, Daniel has made presentations and met with local officials, staff and/or relocalization activists in Montreal (QC), Middlebury (VT), Brattleboro (VT), Keene (NH), Boston (MA), Providence (MA), Worcester (MA), Amherst (MA) and New York City.

Here are some highlights of the remainder of the tour:

  11/8 in Philadelphia, PA 6:30pm public presentation at Fairmount Water Works
  11/12 in Hamilton, ON 7:30pm Spirit of Red Hill Valley annual lecture, First Unitarian Church
  11/14 in Toronto, ON 7:00pm presentation at Post Carbon Toronto
  11/15 in Alliston, ON Panel presentation at Latornell Symposium

Visit www.postcarboncities.net/pcc-tour for location details. Next, Daniel will be heading on a Northwest tour - call 971-207-6334 or email Daniel Lerch to book a presentation.

Order a copy of Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty ($30, 113 pages), or download a free abridged preview version.

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New on Global Public Media

Global Public Media, a program of Post Carbon Institute, is an internet broadcasting station that streams long format audio and video interviews with world experts. Click on the links below for the latest additions on GPM.

     New transcriptions: read about sustainable finance and GHG's
     Peak Moment: An Innovative Program Helps Residents Protect Their Water
     Deconstructing Dinner: Biofuel Boom: Greenwashing and Crimes Against Humanity
     Richard Heinberg's Museletter: Big Melt Meets Big Empty
     Sadad al-Huseini, former head of Saudi Aramco: oil has peaked
     Sweden's sustainable finance system

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Keep the Heat on Bjorn Lomborg

Danish statistician Bjorn Lomborg is back with another misleading book on the environment, this one titled Cool It: A Skeptical Environmentalist Looks at Global Warming.

Post Carbon Institute is fighting back with a special web site, Putting the Heat on Lomborg, where you can find the latest reviews and critiques, plus analysis of how Lomborg got to be CO2 polluters favorite environmentalist. Lomborg is the most sophisticated global delayer out there, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to pop the bubbles he throws out.

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Upcoming Events

Have an event you would like to share with the Network? Please send an email to Shelby by the last week of the month and we will include it in the next issue of Relocalize.

Energy Efficiency Global Forum

EEGF

November 11-14, Washington, DC, USA
Presented by the Alliance to Save Energy, EE Global will showcase the potential of energy efficiency in creating a sustainable energy future. Visit the website for details and registration.

National League of Cities Conference

November 13-17, New Orleans, LA, USA
This conference is the National League of Cities most important annual conference drawing more than 4000 local elected officials every year. It is a chance for local elected officials to share ideas about how to make their communities better for their citizens. This year's conference will be a unique opportunity to see up close the host city of New Orleans and their accomplishments as they go from disaster to recovery. See www.nlc.org for details.

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If you have any comments about this Newsletter or suggestions for the next, please contact us.

Best,

The Relocalization Network Team

Post Carbon Institute
Tel. +1 707 827 3221
+1 800 590 7745 (toll-free)
Email Us
327 Murphy Avenue
Sebastopol, California, 95472, USA
www.relocalize.net
www.postcarbon.org


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