Group forum RSS feed

Looking for members/groups in Victoria BC

underdrive — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 20:00:10 -0700

I live in Victoria BC and the Vancouver group is the closest I could find. I am hoping to attend online discussions or in-person meetings as they relate to Victoria and Vancouver Island post-carbon solutions.

Thanks,

Jason

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

An introduction of sorts

stimulator — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:39:14 -0800

Hello Y'all,

My name is Franklin Lopez and I am sort of new to Vancouver. My wife and I moved here in 2005 into a house on 5th and Macdonald. Even though the house burned down a few months after us moving in, we were so impressed with the neighborhood response to our tragedy that we decided to stay in Kitsilano.

I've been concerned with energy issues for quite some time and I am worried that Vancouver is not moving fast enough to address the coming oil scarcity. I have little faith in government and great hope in community.

So with that said, I am eager to meet more like minded individuals in the Kitsilano area who want to be involved in community organizing. I am interested in starting a food coop and in learning how two grow my own food.

All for now, feel free to message me frank(at)submedia.tv

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

commercial composting

higambana — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 22:42:53 -0800

i was working for a cute little local flower shop recently,
and they compost none of their greenwaste.
Apparently, the city will not handle it because it is too toxin.

I feel strongly that all greenwaste should be composted,
and bioremediated (with mycorhyziae) if contaminated with complex chemicals.

I would like to find options for methods/companies that the flowershop could use to compost their greenwaste.

And, I would like to see the whole Main St commercial neighbourhood, including restaurants, (a) create and share a composting system (b) that is not dependent on petroleum (transported as little as possible).

Are there groups working on this/these issues?
Are there any links you can pass on?
Ideas for people to talk to?

Thanks,
jayme

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Californian contemplating relocation to BC

711shamn — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:03:16 -0800

Hi,
I am currently living near Ukiah, CA, and am thinking about moving to BC. I am worried about the current regime in our executive branch of government turning into an Orwellian nightmare. I would assume that Canadians are further away from being dominated by Big Brother than we Americans, but you have recently elected some right-wingish conservatives. I simply wish to live sustainably off the grid and grow all of my own food. The US has a law stating it can confiscate agricultural land and equipment during times of "emergency". I would hate to have my years of hard work taken away. How many of you think I'd be better off in BC? Thanks for your input.

Namaste,
Shawn

Greater Ukiah Localization Project (GULP)

three workshops

higambana — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:59:55 -0800

garden ninja: working with the source

presents
workshops 2007, east vancouver,
three sessions for earthworkers on the ecosystems we live within, how to be better animals to our landbase.

* soil/compost/mulch march 24
* eat your weeds! march 31
* intro to gardening with the cosmos april 07

10 am to noon.
@the M.O.B.Y. gardens, between 10th & 11th on Commercial Drive, under the skytrain.
by donation. (suggested donation $5)

please rsvp so i can get an idea of numbers; ineffable@riseup.net

* soil/compost/mulch

Exposed soil is wounded soil. Soil is a living skin.
This session lays out the basis of soil components and their functions -bacteria, fungi, and carbon-nitrogen ratios- for a holistic perspective of how fertility is built and maintained by the soil ecosystem; and how to accelate and accentuate these processes with composts and mulch.

* eat your weeds!

What plants arrive first to wounded soil? 'Weeds', and as they are medicines for wounded soils, they are also medicines for animals. Learn which weeds are medicines, what they do for the soil, what they indicate, and how they help you.

* intro to gardening with the cosmos

The Egyptians, the Mayans, the Pagans, the ancient Chinese all gardened according to cosmological patterns. Biodynamics is a modern language for how to hold the cosmos in mind while dancing through the web of life. This class is an introductory class; I do not position myself as 'expert' but as fellow student. A base framework from which to begin observing patterns of moon, season, growth, and energy .

*custom settings:
If there is a bunch of you interested, I can come to you; send me a note.

PS. I am only in town until mid-April.
(Then out to Nova Scotia for schooling).

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Meetup.com Peak Oil crew meets second time on May 19th @ 6PM

maxicat — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:56:26 -0700

Yeah, so we've put together a parallel group. A little diversity in appeal and broadening of outreach, but obviously these two group should mesh and overlap.

So you're all invited to come May 19th, 6PM to my house where we'll have a garden tour and action strategy brainstorm. There'll be a potluck deal, so bring a little sumpin' sumpin' if you can, otherwise we'll get you fed.

Check out meetup.com to get on board with that message center and connector. Email me max at greencycle.ca to get some directions and such. There is much oportunity for carpooling from skytrain stations if that's your bag.

Come one, and all.

-Max.

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Sheet Mulch Gardening

Korabear — Tue, 08 May 2007 14:06:17 -0700

We are transforming a 350 foot patch of yard into a sheet mulch garden. The area to be transformed is part moss, part grass. I am under the impression that we can build the layers on top of the area as is (ie. without tilling the moss and grass).

Is this correct?

I look forward to any insight any of you out there may be able to lend.

Thanks abunch,
Kari

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

What municipalities have passed Peak Energy Resolutions?

lifetree76 — Fri, 25 May 2007 08:45:15 -0700

The mayor of my municipality would like to see examples of Peak Energy resolutions as I continue to campaign and lobby for recognition of this issue. I am particularly interested in the resolutions of Canadian municipalities. I know about SF, Portland, Bakersfield already. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

thank you in advance!

Post Carbon London (Ontario)

Avoiding burnout in the move to inform and prepare

lifetree76 — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:24:39 -0700

A link for helping you take are of yourself as an activist and avoiding burnout.

http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g3.php

Coordinator HUB

Jim Kunstler writing about export cuts by producers and ramifications

lifetree76 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:11:15 -0700

"Stop wringing your hands about that new strip mall, think hard about how you're going to feed yourself in the coming years . . ."

I get lots of letters from people in various corners of the nation who are hysterically disturbed by the continuing spectacle of suburban development. But instead of joining in their hand-wringing, I reply by stating my serene conviction that we are at the end of the cycle - and by that I mean the grand meta-cycle of the suburban project as a whole.

It's over. Whatever you see out there now is pretty much what we're going to be stuck with. The remaining things under construction are the last twitchings of a dying organism.

It is not an accident that the housing bubble coincided with the phenomenon of Peak Oil. First of all, the housing bubble should more properly be called the suburban bubble, because most of the activity came in the form of "greenfield" housing subdivisions, and included all the additional crap-o-la accessories required by them -- strip malls, power centers, Outback steak houses, car washes, et cetera. The suburban expansion has been based entirely on cheap-and-abundant supplies of oil. Similarly, it was not an accident that the suburban project faltered briefly in the 1970s, when America's oil production entered its long decline, OPEC seized the moment, and oil prices shot up. Notice that the final suburban blowout occurred after 1990, when the North Sea and Prudhoe Bay oil strikes came into full production, disabling OPEC, and a world oil glut finally drove prices as low as ten dollars a barrel in 1999. That ushered in the climactic phase of suburbia, as represented by things like the standard 4000-square-foot Toll Brother's McMansion and the heyday of the super-gigantic SUV to go with it.

The American public has no idea how over all that is. The bottom is falling out under not only the housing market (as in houses up for sale) but on the whole apparatus for delivering future houses, and the car-oriented crap associated with it. The production home-builders, such as Toll Brothers, Hovanian, Pulte, et cetera are going down and they will not be coming back. There will be a great deal of wishing that they might come back, but they won't. Likewise, the commercial builders of all the various forms of suburban retail will be waiting to "turn the corner." But they will discover that the wall they have hit has no corner. It's just a wall. For anyone who wonders how much we do not need anymore retail space in America, have a look at this chart showing the comparative amount of retail square-footage allotted for citizens of each nation:

Those of you considering the purchase of more WalMart stock, take note.

Some years back, when those watching the oil scene began to coalesce in their recognition that a worldwide production peak was imminent and hugely significant, the concept developed that this peak would take the form of a "bumpy plateau," meaning that supply-and-demand would teeter in an uncomfortable relationship for a period of time as markets and economies adjusted to the new reality by oscillating from higher prices to "demand destruction" to recession to recovery to higher prices, and so forth. This was expected to go on for quite a while before the world really headed into a slow permanent decline.

The latest statistical work by Dallas geologist Jeffrey Brown over at The Oil Drum.com, suggests that something else is happening, something that was not anticipated: an imminent oil export crisis. This Export Land Theory states that exporting nations will have far less oil available for export than was previously assumed under older models. (Story here.) The theory states that export rates will drop by a far greater percentage than net production decline rates in any given exporting country. For example, The UK's portion of the North Sea oil fields may be showing a nine percent annual decline for the past couple of years. But it's export capacity has declined 60 percent. Something similar is in store for Saudi Arabia, Russia, Mexico, Venezuela -- in short, the whole cast of characters in the export world. They are all producing less and they are all using more of their own oil, and have less to send elsewhere.

Brown's math suggests that world oil exports will drop by 50 percent within the next five years, certainly enough to trigger a systemic breakdown in market allocation, meaning serious supply shortages among the importing nations. That's us. We import two-thirds of all the oil we use.

The implication in all this is that the activities that have become "normal" for us during the post World War Two era will very shortly become untenable. An economy based on suburban expansion and incessant motoring is on the top of the list of supposedly "normal" activities that will not be able to continue. I would maintain that even if we had 20 years, no combination of bio-fuels and other alternatives would enable us to keep suburbia running. But this latest work indicates that we have much less time to adjust.

This new information is consistent with my view that we had better prepare to make other arrangements for living in this country, by which I mean specifically re-localizing, de-globalizing, with an emphasis on local agriculture wherever possible, the emergency restoration of passenger railroad service and related modes of public transit, the rebuilding of local commercial infrastructures, and a radical rethinking of how we inhabit the landscape under New Urbanist lines.

Perhaps the most imminent danger is that the financial markets, which have been driving our insane, hollowed-out economy, will soon recognize what's in store and implode, creating a crisis of capital that will leave us with no ability to make any emergency investments, such as would be required to rebuild the railroad system. The equity markets sure blinked last week when two hedge funds based on phony-baloney collateralized debt obligations tanked. The collateral underlying this load of hallucinated "wealth" is comprised of contracts made by the insolvent for suburban houses worth far less than the value stated on the contracts -- with every indication that the real value will keep dropping.

In any case, those who keep wringing their hands over the bulldozers leveling the plots of prairie, or cornfield, or desert -- those distressed folks can direct their anxiety elsewhere. Worry less whether one final strip mall will tilt up out in gloaming, and think harder about how you are going to feed yourself and your family in a couple of years when the stupendous motorized moloch of American life begins to sputter, and the Cheez Doodle shipments can no longer make it to your supermarket shelves, and all that is "normal" melts into air.

Chatham-Kent Oil Age Planning Group (CKOAP Group)

Escape from Suburbia: Vancouver Premiere

stimulator — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:23:29 -0700

Hello all.

I posted this on my blog already, but maybe I could reach more folks on this board. My group subMedia is sponsoring the Vancouver Premiere of "Escape from Suburbia" the follow up to "End of Suburbia". It will take place August 17th at the Ukrainian Hall at 154 East 10th Ave (10th @ Main).

For tickets and information go to http://submedia.tv/escape

In the following week we will be announcing speakers as they confirm. We just confirmed writer Rex Weyler (http://www.rexweyler.com) plus Conrad Schmidt author of "Workers of the World: Relax" (http://worklessparty.org) and Ifny LaChance of Freegeek Vancouver (http://www.freegeekvancouver.org/) will take part in a panel after the film, moderated by Justin Roller of the NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation. Below is our press release. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

For immediate release Contact: Franklin Lopez (604) 630-2441

escapesuburbia@gmail.com

Vancouver Premieres “Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream”
Peak oil and climate change take center stage in this important documentary

VANCOUVER (July 27, 2007) — “Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream” will premiere in Vancouver on Friday, August 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ukranian Orthodox Church, located at 154 East 10th Avenue. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with experts and community leaders. Advanced tickets are available for $10 at www.submedia.tv/escape. “Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream” is the second film in a trilogy by Toronto documentary filmmaker Gregory Greene.

In his award-winning 2004 film “The End of Suburbia,” Greene questioned prospects for the American way of life as global demand for fossil fuels begins to exceed supply. The film was the first to introduce thousands of viewers to the looming challenges of peak oil and helped spawn an international movement of citizens’ groups dedicated to relocalization—building greater community self-reliance in energy, food, and economy.

In the sequel, “Escape from Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream,” Greene takes a hard look at the imminent fuel crisis and explores how ordinary citizens and communities can respond to the situation. Expert research is balanced with personal stories and interviews to show how declining oil production has already begun to affect modern life in North America.

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Director Gregory Greene please email escapesuburbia@gmail.com or call (604) 630-2441. For more information on the film or to view a trailer visit www.submedia.tv/escape.

Film Synopsis:

Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. A lifestyle predicated on the availability of cheap, abundant oil. Led by some of the world’s most respected energy experts, economists and academics, a debate rages over when global demand for oil will outpace supply and what alternatives can be developed in time to prevent a massive energy crisis. ‘

“Escape from Suburbia,” moves from the realm of theory and despair to the real world, where practical solutions for a post-carbon age are explored and expert opinion from government and industry is balanced by on-the-street skepticism from an emerging movement of citizens’ groups confronting our addiction to oil. Peak oil and climate change take center stage in this irreverent yet intimate portrait of three characters and a small town preparing for the most dramatic transition in modern history:

“Escape from Suburbia” is a wake-up call that challenges the illusion of never-ending growth and provides viable alternatives for communities working at the local level to ensure the survival of a sustainable civilization in the 21st century and beyond.

Directed & written by Gregory Greene ; Produced by Dara Rowland; A feature length documentary film; Running time: 95 minutes; 1.78 Widescreen ; 2.0 Dolby

###

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Interview with Gregory Greene director of Escape from Suburbia

stimulator — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 18:34:38 -0700

Alex Smith from Radio Eco-Shock (http://www.ecoshock.org/) did a great one hour interview with Gregory Greene.

Link - http://www.ecoshock.org/cfro/2007/ES_070810_Show.mp3

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Howard Kustler Interview

stimulator — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:08:49 -0800

I got to interview Jim Kusntler on Tuesday as world markets crashed.

Short video interview (Kunstler comes in about 3 minutes in)
http://submedia.tv/stimulator/?p=132

You can listen to the 25 minute interview which is linked at the bottom of this page.
http://submedia.tv/stimulator/?p=132

enjoy//frank

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Rogers and too much paper!

Celina Starnes — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:50:38 -0800

Hi guys and gals,
This is my first posting! I felt inspired to share a message that I recently send to Rogers (the phone/cable company). I hope that you might like to send a similar one if you are with Rogers and feel the same. Here is the message:

I have recently received an invoice from Rogers. The new format used to fold the bills (folded only once) necessitates a larger then typical envelope size. I wish to complain that this new format is an unnecessary waste of paper and other resources. I have already switched to email billing but I fret that there is most likely a huge number of people still receiving the paper bills. Could you please provide me with the reasoning behind the change in format and also the paper provider used by Rogers (i.e. virgin paper / recycled paper)?

See ya,
Celina

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

Quadra By-election Candidate Responses on Climate Change, Peak Oil and Relocalization

Shelby Tay — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:46:58 -0700

On March 6th, I attended the Quadra By-Election Candidates debate on climate organized by VTACC (Voters Taking Action on Climate Change). Liberal candidate Joyce Murray, NDP candidate Rebecca Coad and Green candidate Dan Grice were in attendance. For a full recap, go to www.vtacc.org - you can view the full recording of the candidates' climate change town hall.

Last week, after seeing Andi Hazelwood's candidates' discussion for the Bundaberg, Australia, regional council election, I sent a quick email to all of the candidates asking them these three questions:

1. What are your thoughts on peak oil and climate change and their potential effects on the Metro Vancouver region?

2. Do you support the relocalization of the Metro Vancouver region, and other communities across Canada?

(relocalization means reducing consumption and sourcing daily
needs as
locally as possible to reduce dependence on declining fossil fuel
supplies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our local economy
and local producers)

3. What motivates you most about being involved in politics? at a federal level?

All four candidates responded:

Response from Dan Grice:

1. Peak oil is real, imminent, and going to cause real havoc on our economy if we don't begin redesigning cities and preparing for a post petroleum world. Global warming risks causing rising sea levels which endanger low lying areas of the Fraser Valley, may cause the loss of snow on the local mountains, and may result in increasing storms across coastal areas.

2. Yes. We need to think locally and create sustainable local institutes. We also need to protect agricultural land to ensure we have arable local land, create better transportation systems and encourage people to work closer to where they live.

3. I've always wanted to be an agent of change and am inspired by how the Green Party in Germany and now Ireland are able to put forward meaningful changes with a handful of elected candidates. I think we need to change how we think in government, work together collaboratively with other parties to put forward strong policy. However, our biggest challenge, is turning government into a grassroots organization that is responsive to the needs and ideas of local communities.

Response from Rebecca Coad:

Hi Shelby,

Thank you for your email.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Thomas Homer-Dixon and hearing one of his lectures. He's a strong advocate for building resilient communities- and I agree.

To answer your questions:

1) Canada needs to move away from oil dependency and towards sustainable, renewable energy sources. The NDP has a plan to make this happen and you can find the details at: http://www.ndp.ca/page/4048

Some highlights of the plan are:
- create market incentives for new technology,
- mandate that big polluters pay their fair share,
- provide alternatives for ordinary folk (better transportation, building retrofitting...),
- legislate leading efficiency standards in vehicles, buildings and appliances.

2) Buying local is good for the economy and good for the environment. I support it wholeheartedly.

3) Our lives are shaped by political decisions. I am concerned about social justice and the environment and these challenges require political solutions.

Thank you again for your email,
Rebecca Coad

Response from Deborah Meredith:

Hi Shelby

Density reduces energy consumption and is a good thing for our cities.

We have to make sure though that taxes do not drive business out of the cities.

Public policy interests me greatly and when I was approached to run I seized the opportunity because I think that public policy is too important to leave to career politicians and bureaucrats. I want to do my best so that my children and their children and all our children have a clean and prosperous environment. It is a good time to be running for the Conservatives because we have a good platform, great leadership, and the will to actually accomplish something.

Thanks for your interest.

Deborah

Response from Joyce Murray:

Hi Shelby,

Thanks for your interest in climate change. I invite you to check my website to see my 1992 Thesis on this critical issue and the environmental endorsements from people I worked with. I will give you a call to discuss your questions as I prefer a personal conversation to email dialogues. Or feel free to call me.

regards,
Joyce
604-221-9490

-----

The Quadra by-election is tomorrow, March 17th - use this opportunity to make your voice heard. Quadra-ites get out and vote!

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network

How will you spend your Climate Action Dividend?

Kevin Washbrook — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:44:14 -0700

Dear Friend of Climate Action,

This month, you'll receive a $100 cheque from the B.C. government. Called the climate action dividend, it's intended to help you reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, and is part of B.C.'s "revenue neutral" carbon tax announced earlier this year.

That's $440 million going back into the hands of British Columbians to take action on climate change.

So what will you do with your $100?

When the carbon tax was announced in February's provincial budget, and The Tyee first asked this question, many readers suggested a collective approach. If we pool our resources, we can have a much bigger impact than our individual $100 cheques ever could.
And so, today we are pleased to invite you to the launch of the Green Your Campbell Cash website developed by The Tyee, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute. The site is designed to showcase collective climate action projects occurring throughout B.C. to which you can pledge your support -- and your climate action dividend.

How to Green Your Campbell Cash

B.C.-based organizations and individuals are invited to submit climate action projects geared toward education, advocacy, public engagement, adaptation, emission reductions or carbon capture. All projects will be reviewed by Tyee staff prior to being published on the site, and those that meet the campaign's guidelines will receive their own project page describing the scope of their project and fundraising goals.
As a visitor to the site, you can browse through the projects, vote for your favourites and pledge your support by contacting project leads directly to make a donation. You can also submit your own climate action project.
If you'd rather spent your $100 some other way, you can share your commitment with others on the site. You can also send your favourite projects to your friends and social networks using the sharing tools provided.

Why Green Your Campbell Cash?

Maybe your neighbourhood could benefit from a community garden or a bike co-op. Perhaps your child's school could drastically reduce emissions by switching to solar power. Whatever the case, we believe that by taking collective action, we can take bigger steps against climate change and work to ensure B.C.'s climate action dividend truly makes a difference throughout B.C. communities. We hope you'll join in and Green Your Campbell Cash.

Sincerely,

Green Your Campbell Cash Founding Partners

Vancouver Area Relocalisation Network