under construction more to come at some point,,,,
Web Version of the Global Trends - Local Choices Presentation Hello and Welcome, This is a simplified web version of the DVD currently under production, Global Trends - Local Choices. The text you find below is the same as the audio [sound] narration for the DVD. You will find some of the same graphic images and fotos here as on the DVD, but there are many more on the DVD. Why Global Trends - Local Choices DVD? Many important perspectives relating to our way of life - economics, culture, the environment, global relations, human potential, sprituality - are missing when discussions turn to how can we meet the challenges of climate change, peak oil, the environment and economic decline. The GTLC Project is intended to contribute to those discussions. Begin Presentation During the next 85 minutes you will hear and see a great deal of information – analysis, philosophy, practical actions millions of people can take. Please have a careful look at the entire presentation. Global trends affect different people, regions and nations of the world in different ways. GTLC will focus on the affluent, particularly in the United States. While some in the world would do well to downsize their material needs, hundreds of millions of others would benefit enormously to upsize access to clean water, sanitation, education and political freedoms. Notably, both the affluent and the poor suffer from many common causes. Global Trends refer to climate change, resource depletion, social dis equity, the environment in steep decline and destabilizing global relations. Related to those trends is a deep concern about the character of our economy, way of life and culture. Given the trends, what can we do to make best use of the opportunities we have for positive outcomes – those are the choices This is the first table of contents slide. Notice there are several distinct sections of GTLC. Each one will begin with the basic contents of the entire presentation but showing more detail about the next section, like this one does for points of departure. Also notice each section can serve as its own sub presentation but they all fit together and each adds meaning to all the others. The presentation begins with explaining several basic aspects of Global Trends Local choices such as its goals, why its not about peak oil and climate change, core principles and a couple of personal comments.
GTLC Contents Points of Departure Goal
Symptoms
Core Principles
Surprises
Tone and Content Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Goal of GTLC The goal of Global Trends – Local Choices is to encourage people to take an active part in this bold and timely adventure - to find creative, uplifting and peaceful ways to take care of human needs that planet Earth can sustain over the long term. This presentation will challenge. It is both practical and philosophical. Some people might call the ideas described in this here as radical. A different perspective would observe what is really radical is climate change, massive species extinction, trillions spent on weapons of destruction and remarkable disparities between rich and poor. Ideals and values to safeguard the well being of people and planet, to cooperate with our neighbors near and far, compassion and help for those less fortunate, to live in peace --- is not radical at all, its actually quite sensible Symptoms Global Trends – Local Choices will not dwell on climate change and resource depletion. Those immense and compelling challenges are symptoms of deeper issues that have much to do with our economic system and the culture it has created. That is where I prefer to focus. Core Principles
Here are several core principles that will help you make the most from GTLC. Please keep them in mind. The demands of a growth dependent economy and what is convenient for humans expecting to live in affluence, as we know it, will not likely work for planet earth. Approaches to address trends and challenges called for in mainstream discussions are far from adequate and often in the way.
The foundation for creating solutions are uplifted values and ideals. Human scale technology offers vital support. The great majority of the tools and models needed to make thoughtful choices for a peaceful and healthy world already exist. Making positive choices will address climate change, resource depletion, environment and culture in decline, economic disarray and global relations all at the same time. And finally - Positive human potential is perhaps our greatest renewable resource - there is near unlimited opportunity to make good use of these changing times. XXXXXX - Continued from the Home Page Surprises Also important to keep in mind, the world is a great place for surprises. Politics, resources, the weather and countless other variables can come together at any time and create an event few have anticipated that can have profound world wide consequences. Given the trends, this should be expected. History gives birth to movements and trends. Downsizing, Going green and local is a huge emerging trend. At the same time, not everyone will embrace downsizing and localizing and efforts will be made to preserve privilege and advantage. The more effective going green can be, the better the chances of avoiding conflict over contrasting visions for the future. Tone and Content A good friend cautioned me about the tone and content of this presentation. He advised me, people need to feel safe in making changes in how they live. After carefully considering his advice, my thoughts go like this - Making the tough and unfamiliar choices to create a viable human culture, economy and future will be far safer than doing nothing or submitting to the money centric schemes put forward by the dominant economy, the source of these problems in the first place. GTLC Contents Points of Departure Market Capitalism External Costs
Junk Food
Oil
Military Spending
Suburbia
Boom and Bust
Yearly Pay
Dis equity
Sectors
Multi Tasking
Careers in Contraction Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides?
Creating a peaceful and healthy future will require an economic system that can assist moving towards those goals and ideals. We dont have that at this time. The agenda of market capitalism is not peace and health, its agenda is to manage and manipulate dynamic conditions as well as it can to increase economic activity and wealth for those who control the economy with enough left over to keep the larger population compliant and docile. To be most effective in pursuing an uplifted goal, its vital to create a strong foundation from which to work from. Understanding the nature of market capitalism helps to avoid putting false expectations, loyalty and assumptions upon a system that is not designed to assist attaining a healthy and peaceful future. This part of GTLC will touch on several examples to show why market capitalism is not an ally for a viable future. Shortly afterwards, we will explore alternatives.
EXTERNAL COSTS There has never been such a high level of affluence, comfort and convenience for so many people all over the world wide. But these outputs have many caveats. In economics, a term vital to understand is external costs. It is seldom talked about. What we pay at the cash register does not cover the entire cost of the products and services we use. Price is not the same as cost. This is a fatal characteristic about how our economic system operates. Here are several examples why
Industrial feedlot................................................................Consequences
Fast food and junk food have enormous external costs. One is a public health epidemic of obesity which can lead to many other costly medical conditions. <> The burgers, the sodas, the chips and snacks have baggage - if the beef comes from a mainstream supermarket or fast food shack, most likely it comes from cows fattened in factory farms with crowded, unhealthy, inhumane conditions or from a tropical pasture where ancient rain forests have been cleared for grazing.
Antibiotics used to control disease in feedlots render those antibiotics less useful for humans. The cows are fed an unnatural diet of government subsidized corn. Factory farms produce an enormous volume of urine and manure that is poorly regulated and commonly pollutes streams and ground water while the energy and transportation infrastructure to move all the ingredients and product from place to place is part of another extended list of external costs. Snack foods and sodas are loaded sugar, salt and fat. A 12 ounce soda contains about ten teaspoons of sugar. This is a recipe for big health problems and that is what we have.
Pass it off to the future,,,,,
The economy is set up to pass these costs off on the environment, public health and the future. Its a costly arrangement. What creates affluence also creates distance between the user and where the item comes from so the user rarely sees the damage, until later. Its economic don't ask, don't tell. If a business wanted to be ethical and practice full cost accounting - to include all the cost of production, use and disposal, they would not be in business for long. Our economy and its billions spent on advertising, is dishonest because it sends false messages to the market place – cheap prices don't tell people what the real cost is.
Military to protect commercial interests
Perhaps the most notable collection of external costs starts with oil – that's what supports much of our way of life. Our food – its cultivation, fertilizer, distribution is highly dependent on oil. Our foreign policy and military have a great focus on oil. Ironically, public health is oil dependent.
A very large freeway, is not so free
The cost of oil presents itself in countless ways - 40,000 killed in car wrecks each year, millions of others injured, paved over farm land. Agricultural, transportation and industrial pollution to soil, water and air, are part of oil's external costs.
Oil impacts local people
Oftentimes cultures, economies and the environment where oil comes from are severely degraded. Designed for automobiles, our cities and towns and are routinely ugly and dispiriting, no wonder the growing phenomena of road rage. Automobile bridges and highways are extremely expensive and divert public money away from other important public needs. Little of these costs find their way to the people who buy the products at the time of purchase but they are ultimately paid by individuals, society and the environment. Various estimates of the cost of gasoline, if all external costs were included range between 10 and 14 dollars a gallon.
US foreign policy is oil centric - to protect access to oil [see for yourself - research US foreign policy doctrines named for recent presidents – Carter Doctrine, Clinton, Reagan and Bush. Former vice president Dick Chaney boasted, the American way of life is non negotiable. Not negotiating is very expensive, the US spends almost as much on its military as the rest of the world combined and much of that military spending is about oil. This cost is paid in many ways but not much of it at the gas station.
Not negotiating is expensive SUBURBIA
Down the street.....................................................................Indoor furnishings, many jobs
Suburbia is home to half of all Americans and is very oil dependent. The home furnishings, energy, highways and utilities that serve suburbia come at enormous cost. Suburbia impacts air and water quality and social well being and has lead to the paving of millions of acres of productive farmland, its a major source of climate change and directly related to the military budget. In one way or another, it provides employment for millions of people.
Suburbia threatens farm land...................................................Suburbia
Boom and Bust The current so called Great Recession is regarded by many as the most dramatic bust since the Great Depression. Boom and bust is considered a normal feature of our economy. Historically, booms have been about resource extraction – furs, gold, trees, – catch it, dig it, cut it wreck it and move on. In recent years boom and bust has been more about financial manipulation. As time passes, it seems the booms have become less about products that might perform a useful function, and more recently its, about financial speculation - buy low and cash out before the crash. The current real estate bust is a perfect example.
One might observe our current economy is in a long term boom for the entire baby boom generation – cheap oil and resources supercharged by cheap credit. All the while externalizing the cost at a steepening rate. One could also say the booms are becoming more extravagant and desperate at the same time. Millions of jobs have become dependent on make believe while many people, naively caught up in the drama, can be considered as external costs. The current bust, even in conventional terms, is shedding many kinds of jobs and careers. Without the government bailout, there would likely be many more but major adjustments are only delayed. Economic Disequity The amount of money people are paid for their work tells a great deal about a society. It says a certain job, service or skill is worth more or less than others. It reveals a set of values and attitudes simply but what people are paid. In our time, these values are heavily weighted towards finance and entertainment. There are actors, professional sports players and people who manage money who make many times more than a health care worker, teacher, a factory worker, a farmer or city employee. One could easily observe that the numbers we see in our nation today reveal the values of a very unhealthy society. Note Each - [dash]equals $50,000 yearly pay Retail - $25,000 . School Teacher - $50,000 - City Planner - $100,000 -- Cardiologist - $400,00 -------- Pro Sports Player - $3,500,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Actor - $20,000,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Top Tier Hedge Fund Manager - $200,000,000 [In 2008, the #1 earning hedge fund manager made fifteen times this amount] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [that's right, count them, each dash $50,000 - $200,000,000 - 200 million]
Our society's level of economic dis equity is remarkable and destabilizing.The difference in pay is only one aspect of disequity, its also an ethical issue, what does it say about our collective values when some people don't even have the basics in life? Its also civic, the wealthy and well placed have more control than ever over the political system.
Democracy does not equate with market capitalism, rather the two are antagonistic. The problem of dis equity is immense, it is deeply embedded in our culture of status and meritocracy. Making progress in this realm fits well with thoughtful choices to downsize our material needs and upsize our positive human potentials. Sector Analysis Another telling look at our economy is to assess its sectors. These sectors represent millions of jobs and the larger sectors trillions of dollars in value. What we see is that large parts of the economy exist to repair the damage caused by other large parts. This is remarkable - the livelihoods of tens of millions of people depend on tens of millions of people making poor choices with how they spend their money. Repairing the damage could be even a larger part of the economy because at the present time, much of the damage to human health and the environment is not repaired.
Multi Tasking For the economy to grow, there needs to be an increasing level of production and consumption so the pace of life is sped up - its Multi tasking
common to see people multi tasking – driving, eating, talking on a cell phone and more, all at the same time. The TV is on for hours every day, pitches to buy and consume cover walls, t shirts, insides of buses, magazines, tops of buildings. Multi tasking
The saturation entertainment, advertising and fast paced lifestyles effectively distract most people from considering other possibilities and choices that may be friendlier to self, family, community and planet. Imagine if we traded a sizable chunk of multitasking for different choices, slowing down closer to home with family, friends and creating resilient communities.
Market Capitalism Review This economic, social and global state of affairs presents monumental challenges. The flaws of market capitalism are overwhelming. Trends relating to the environment, global relations, the economy, social well being are all saying this economic system has serious problems. But these challenges offer opportunities. All these trends will play out, ready or not, in unpredictable ways There are no guarantees but the more people who take action in positive ways, the better. A growing number of people are already taking action, they can be found all over the country and world and they are greatly needed to step forward to share what they are learning with friends, neighbors and the community. Lets move on to the next part of the presentation. We will consider some important thoughts for a more peaceful and healthy culture and way of life. What could be more important to our families, communities, planet earth, the future? To have a solid foundation to work from is vital and the realm of spirit and positive ideals is rebar for that foundation. GTLC Contents Points of Departure
Market Capitalism Power Shift – Downsizing Great Traditions
Nature
An Uplifted Culture
Historical
Affluence – Up and Down
An Open Door Permaculture
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Mainstream Adjustments
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides? Power shift. That could have many meanings. One is shifting our own power. We all have far more positive potential than we know. We have far more power and potential in our neighborhoods and communities than we know. Connecting with that power and potential can arrive in many ways, from within, from others, from uplifted traditions, from conditions and circumstances that clearly tell us its time to step it up. It is time to step it up. This next part of GTLC describes concepts and encouragement to step it up and some tools that can help.
Wisdom of the Ages
Virtually all the world's great philosophies and spiritual traditions, regardless of where or when, call for moderation in how humans relate to possessions and the material world. They all teach concern for others, cooperation and care for the natural world. Wisdom from several great traditions -- Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity
My religion is simple. My religion is kindness. The frog does not drink up all the water in the pond where he lives All that I have created has been for your sake; take care then not to destroy my world God created nature in balance and mankind's responsibility is to maintain this fragile equilibrium through wise governance and sound personal conduct. It is more blessed to give than to receive. These lessons are exactly what is called for in these changing times. The wisdom to help redefine and re prioritize how we live as individuals and communities exists, its simply a matter of taking the time to put this ageless wisdom and these lofty ideals to everyday use.
The natural world provides us with air to breathe, soil to grow food, water for many needs, heat and cold with the changing seasons but there is much more. The natural world provides a visible connection to a spiritual realm. Nature's inspiration is with us every day if we take the time to experience it and that inspiration should be there for future generations. Nature has its own value apart from humans
Downsizing Downsizing is a good term at this point. Using resources at a rate planet earth can not sustain and human activity planet earth cannot clean up and recover from are the physical conditions that manifest as global trends. The deepening social, cultural and economic trends are intimately related. The need to address all of these trends delivers us to downsizing – to use less stuff on behalf of planet earth and to use less stuff on behalf of our own social, spiritual and personal well being. The physical inevitability of downsizing on a finite planet can be mitigated by making these choices sooner rather than later in a reasonably humane and graceful fashion, which looks a lot better than pushing our luck. Important to understand, downsizing can addresses all the trends mentioned in this presentation at the same time.
Downsizing may not be convenient, Downsizing will not fit well with what the existing economy requires Downsizing will put virtually all of us on unfamiliar turf. This is an adventure. Making a start will assuredly help illuminate the way forward. The path is brighter when it is shared with others. We all have our own unique potentials to contribute. When they are all added up, the whole will be far more than the individual parts. Downsizing, unique potentials, a brighter path. where is this all moving? Lets consider several basic guiding principles ,,, What could a mission statement for a humane and uplifted culture look like? Here are some ideas, that culture would, 1] Make a priority of nurturing positive human potential 2] Value and respect the diversity and traditions of the world's people 3] Define its economy so it internalized all its costs 4] Recognize human activity must fit within what planet earth can sustain. On the Historical Edge Let's jump ahead a bit for a moment and consider this interesting permaculture concept. Its called the edge effect. The edge effect refers to a place where two or more systems come together. This special edge location is a crossover or transition place with benefits from all the surrounding systems. This circumstance could be biological or social. Or the edge could be a point in history - a period in transition that can benefit from from the past, present and future. This is what we have available to us - an opportunity to combine certain existing assets with a sense of this unique historical position and a vision for what we could do if we made smart choices. Downsizing is one of the smart choices. There's more.
Voluntary Downsizing
Over a generation ago, a movement known as Voluntary Simplicity gained attention. Even then, there were people who said, enough to stuff. This was not poverty, this was re-assessing one's ideals, goals and values and deciding to downsize by choice. After basic needs are met, more stuff delivers a declining return. Its a matter of deciding what is more important, one's time or more possessions. There are many examples of downsizing, some voluntary and some not. Some people have freely walked away from middle class affluence. In contrast, millions of people, victims of the current economic slide, are simplifying and downsizing because they have lost jobs, homes and hope. Many scramble to adjust. They provide a useful preview of what will likely become far more common as economic decline continues.
On the up side, there are encouraging stories of people forced into power down and are making good use of it to discover skills and interests helpful for changes already coming into focus. Some lament they should have downsized long ago. To re-asses and reinvent is to swim against the current. The mythologies that promote more is better are very effective. This is a fascinating time to be alive. Few expected the Soviet Union to dissolve as it did. Climate change is now mainstream. History is full of surprises. Many people will be find the coming years very surprising while others look forward to them. Either way, less stuff many benefits. Recall the comments earlier, of the collective wisdom of virtually all the world's great philosophies and spiritual traditions. Nearly all of them, - east, west, north, south, ancient, modern - advise a life of simplicity, cooperation, compassion and care for the natural world. What could be a better time to put those teachings into practice than now? Voluntary simplicity and downsizing create a doorway to new possibilities. Less stuff means less time making money which means more time for other purposes. It opens up opportunities to learn more about ourselves, to have more time with friends and family. Downsizing can open up time to learn new skills, connect with neighbors, volunteer in the community and be an active part in creating a peaceful and healthy world.
Car free family, downsizing with many benefits
Car Free Family Some might say, I have a family and young kids. How can I simplify? Friends in Eugene have four young children and they are car free, have a large garden, fruit trees, chickens, have bee hives on the roof, are active in community affairs and are making even more eco friendly changes to their suburban property and lifestyle. Advocating bikes at the Prom
They have a very high quality of life. This is not living without money or hot water. Its making thoughtful choices that can lead to many benefits to the family, community and planet. Active home life with kids
With more time to contemplate and consider, one will begin to recognize they are surrounded by a surprising number and variety of opportunities, tools, models, groups, projects, where we live, that can be useful and fun for bringing about positive changes in lifestyle, economics and culture. Permaculture
Permaculture principles, holistic and mutually supportive.
One of the most useful companions for downsizing and making local choices is Permaculture. Conceived in Australia, Permaculture has been embraced by millions and practiced all over the world. Its a holistic approach to designing systems to take care of human needs in ways that work with nature and are people and planet friendly and can be applied to virtually any type of setting - urban, rural, tropical or temperate – food production, community building, energy, shelter, water, landscaping, economics and more can all benefit from permaculture approaches.
Permaculture attracts interest
This Deserves to be said again,,, PC is one of the most useful tools we have for downsizing and making local choices. The next section will show a variety of examples of permaculture design and principles that apply to everyday life. PC is a very important part of GTLC and can play a critical role in creating a more peaceful and healthy world. GTLC Contents Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift Urban Redesign Suburban Permaculture
On site Assets
Site Plan
Home Economics
Community Resource
A Sober Note
Block Planning
Aspects - Maitreya Eco Village
E Blair Housing Co-op
Graphic
N St Co Housing
Economic Boost
Sum Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides?
Suburban Property Conversion What better place for global trends to encourage making local choices than where we live?
This part of GTLC will focus on what can be done with existing residential properties. Property conversion is here and now. Its about making much better use of what a site has to offer. As you watch this, consider how could you make use of these ideas? If you have a property like this, please share it, others need to know! Urban redesign is about multiple benefits – economic, social, cultural, environmental. You will see examples of conversion applicable to a wide variety of urban settings. Further, this grass roots approach can expand organically with little or no formality. Even so, city policies could be helpful moving these great ideas forward. You'll see.
Jan's, back yard, then and now
This suburban permaculture project has been underway for nine years. The quarter acre lot and modest 1500 square foot mid fifties house have seen a lot of changes. First to go was the grass. My intention from the outset was to create a model of suburban Permaculture, to reinvent and salvage what was already here to take care of more of my needs where I live. Half of all americans live in suburbia. It is not all created equal but most properties have a surprising number of possibilities. On Site Assets
Automobile space has been reclaimed – the cement driveway is gone and the carport converted into living space. There is a 6000 gallon rain water collection and storage system that takes care of nearly all my outdoor water needs and sets me up for a potable water system at a future date. Residential density has been increased with three housemates which also means the place earns an income to help pay for itself. When starting a conversion project, its helpful to have a good sense of what the assets are of the site and what are the priority outcomes. For more ideas visit other nearby locations, search permaculture on you tube and the internet, check out bookstores, local co -op. Don't wait to have all the details. A property will help design itself.
South to the left, street to the right
This diagram shows the quarter acre property. The street is to the right, south is to the left. Highlights include removal of the driveway which was replaced with a storage shed and edible landscapeing. The bungalow, built in 2007, is the southwest corner of the proerpty, upper left hand corner. Along the fence line between the shed and bungalow, 70 feet of ornamental hedge was taken out in the summer of 2009. Note the sun room for passive solar heating, also the new roof top garden area, still under development. The back yard is veggie garden, see the food hedge lower left – a 60 foot example of fruit tree espaliet . Also note water storage tanks, chicken coop, compost, cold frames and water features.
Projects have been ongoing since the beginning. The bungalow was a big effort and has increased residential density even more. Replacing the shingles on the house with galvalum metal roofing means no more roofing for a long time and galvalum is the preferred metal surface for a potable rain water system. The flat roof of the car port has become a roof top garden. Its the sunniest place on the property, still some R and D remains. Great ideas do not always equate with perfection first try.
Home Economics This small suburban property provides for many of my needs. I rarely buy fruit and vegetables at any time of the year and have come to appreciate a new meaning for home economics. Food storage is wonderful to learn about - drying fruit and veggies, freezing, keepers like onions, winter squash and potatoes and leaving many veggies in the ground until needed. The place is beautiful, like seasonal performance art. We would be a more peaceful and healthy people if our homes, neighborhoods, cities and towns were designed or redesigned to be positive and uplifting.
Passive solar space heating......................................Former grassy back yard......................................Drying summer veggies
Passive solar design in both the sun room and bungalow provide a surprising amount of heat to both structures. A solar hot water system lets me be “off the grid” for half the year for hot water if passive solar works this well in Eugene, Oregon, its potential is enormous almost anywhere else in the country. After 9 years of ongoing projects, there is still plenty to do. In the summer of 2009 my neighbor and I removed 70 feet of ornamental hedges between our properties. This area will become a food forest with a multi story design of semi dwarf fruit and nut trees, useful shrubs below and useful ground cover. Edible landscaping can be just as attractive as not edible. There are many choices of edible plants ranging from familiar fruits and nuts to edible natives to exotic imports from far away. Some people prefer Perrenials to annual vegetables. The produce food year after year without replanting and can be highly nutritious. This type of edible landscaping can take 6 to 8 years to mature, best to do it sooner than later. There are still other benefits.
Food from home and nearby. .................................Tour of the property with a Permaculture class..............From the street, former driveway and carport.
Community Resource
This place has also become a community resource. There have been many workshops, tours and site visits here. The media has been here, also the mayor, school classes, out of town visiting lecturers, neighbors and people who just happened to be walking by. A number of people have made use of what they have learned here and adapted it to their own conversion projects. A Sober Note A sober note, not all suburbia is created equal. Looking into the future - water, soil, temperature, economics, local culture and other factors we cannot anticipate, will reveal the fate of suburbia, verily the fate of much of what we have built. The real estate bust has left untold suburban homes and other projects derelict, a suggestion of what is to come. Suburban locations distant from commercial areas, transit and in hilly locations are good to avoid. In the current real estate bust, suburban homes furthest from commercial areas have lost the most value. Already, some people are leaving where they live for places they think will be safer as the economy continues its decline and global trends mature.
Abandoned suburban development................................................Boom and bust
A sensible action, no matter what the future holds, is to become acquainted with one's neighbors and to make creative use of what is at hand. Some of those casual friendships and connections will strengthen and evolve as changing times will call for new kinds of mutual support and social cohesion. Block Planning Block Planning is an ambitious strategy for residents and property owners of a residential block to rework the entire block. A wide variety of design changes can be made that can add to the cohesion, resilience and well being of the block. Global trends can make block planning a timely and extremely valuable strategy, adaptable to diverse land use situations. Lets have a closer look. A block plan does not make code and regulations go away, but in Eugene, it can make codes and regulations more flexible. Compliance becomes based more on performance and less prescriptive. Property remains private but it would allow a greater level of design creativity. A block plan can allow for new structures, converted structures, changes in the street and parking, landscaping, commercial use, set backs, building height and more.
Idealized Block Planning - before and after
East Blair and Maitreya In Eugene, a formal block plan has never come into being but several places in town have aspects of block planning. We will see a number of fotos from East Blair Housing Co-op and Maitireya Eco Village that show a number of land use strategies that block planning could produce. One possible Block Plan[see graphic above] would be to close the interior of a block except for emergency vehicles and restrict parking to the ends of the block. With the plan shown, some residents would walk a bit further to their homes in the middle of the block but an enormous amount of space in the middle of the block can be reclaimed from automobiles and put to good use
Parking lot to garden, East Blair,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Maitreya Eco Village, many green features
N ST. Co Housing N st co housing in Davis, California is perhaps the most well known example of a retro fit cohousing project in the country. Retro fit co housing can be considered as a form of block planning. N st, started informal and later became a planned development, working with the city. Lets take a look, this is very interesting. Starting in 1986 with two suburban properties taking down its fences, it has grown property by property to its current extent of 19 residences with 50 adults and 14 kids. N st became rezoned in 1999 as a planned development which allows it greater flexibility in land use than the surrounding neighborhood allowing larger granny flats and more relaxed set back requirements. Property remains private but there is a common house with community dining room and kitchen with meeting room, laundry room and bathroom. These amenities and many other additions to quality of life are the benefits of cooperation. Members are free to set their own boundaries regarding participation in various community activities. N St. shares many of the positive attributes of its more formal cousin, planned co housing. This is a wonderful model for recreating suburbia. Global trends will make retro fit co housing a far more attractive local choice.
Economic Boost With a strong lean to green features, jobs needed to implement the block plan could include skilled facilitators, eco friendly permaculture designers and architects, small scale finance from local credit unions, carpenters, plumbers and other trades people. Local business could be favored with financial incentives for using local products and services. For example, passive solar reconstruction could specify components fabricated locally such as window glazing systems, energy conservation strategies, rain water catchment and more.
Funky one story...............................................................Becomes productive multi story multi use..Below, meeting space, office, laundramat. Apartments above.
Enough block plans could stimulate local small green manufacturing of important products. Certainly, forward thinking neighbors can initiate these kinds of changes on their own with no official involvement at all, and they should. But if cities made block planning a priority, the process could become far more accessible and expansive in its positive impact. Proactive promotion of block planning and support for groups of people who become interested would be an enormous investment for a more resilient community. Multiple block plans could be designed for synergistic benefits with companion neighborhood scale commercial redevelopment guided by residents of the neighborhood. In sum, block planning whether official or informal, offers wonderful possibilities, more food, energy, social cohesion, employment and retail needs could be taken care of closer to home. Supporting local products and services, creating new green jobs, keeping money close to home benefit the local economy. All by making use of opportunities already available. Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign Neighborhoods Resilient Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Watch
Emergency Preparedness
Permaculture
Grass to Garden
Promote and Educate
Stacking
Neighborhood Associations
River Road Community Organization
NLC Committee on Sustainability
City and Neighborhoods Cooperate
Also Important
Key Leverage Point/Conclusion Larger Scale Transforming individual properties, even entire blocks, is wonderful but a viable green culture and economy must have a scale far beyond scattered property conversions or the even more scarce housing co-op, eco village, or retro co housing project. Neighborhoods, the base of the civic pyramid, is the next size up and the focus of the next section of GTLC. We will see how existing organizations and programs can work together and be far more effective than they can alone and how they can be used in creative and positive ways they were not originally designed for – all on behalf of greening our neighborhoods. Imagine if entire neighborhoods were like an upsized block plan. This section offers helpful ideas and emerging examples for movement in that direction.
Resilient Neighborhoods The next part of GTLC is Creating Resilient Neighborhoods, a powerful strategy for addressing global trends. This can be the starting point for a remarkable set of benefits ranging from personal to community to global, its about safety and security where we live. Creating Resilient Neighborhoods calls together programs and interests nearly every city or town has – Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and a gardening organization, perhaps even Permaculture. If your town or city has a neighborhood program, you have another enormously important potential ally. Creating resilient neighborhoods is relevant anywhere and has appeal to nearly everyone. Its practical and accessible – its where we live. Whether one is concerned about global trends, local food security, employment, crime, natural disasters or their own home and little else, there is a shared concern, its about safety and security where we live. Here's more,,,,,
I include a short essay, in a moment, submitted to our local newspaper that explains the entire idea. Here they are several key aspects of creating resilient neighborhoods. Such an initiative can - 1] Bring community groups, programs and people together that have complimentary interests but have likely not worked together before. 2] Stacking benefits - People taking action in their own lives where they live that will benefit themselves, families, neighborhood, the environment, public health and much more 3] Lead to multi layers of creative mutual assistance, improve land use, promote skill and knowledge sharing, mitigate all the global trends challenges 4] Attract others to be involved and help bring out the best in people. The sum will be far more than the individual parts. 5] Its good timing. In Permaculture, there is a word called stacking. It means multiple benefits from thoughtful design. Turning suburban front yards into gardens is perhaps the best example of stacking I can think of. Lets take a look. “Creating Resilient Neighborhoods” Is about making where we live more adaptable to unfamiliar disruptions to food, transportation, the economy, energy whether from natural or human causes. Creating resilience can bring people and groups together that may not be familiar with each other but already have overlapping interests. These kindred groups can cross fertilize – creating more holistic approaches to address multiple issues with an expanded set of strategies and tools. Individuals are empowered as well and others will be attracted to become involved. Collaborations can make the participating groups even more effective with the positive work they already do.
Its good timing. First, a slight tangent about public education. An event is an opportunity for outreach and education where savvy planning can introduce new and positive ideas to a larger audience. Be creative in using available media with an op ed in the local paper, newsletters, networks, radio, invite TV coverage.
Our neighborhood association sent out over 7000 postcard invitations, each with the basic ideas of resilient neighborhoods. Many people can benefit from the value of the event even if they can't be there. The following is a short version of a guest opinion submmited to the local news paper. If you ask residents of any town “What is your ideal neighborhood”, most will replay – a place to feel safe and knowing their neighbors. In Eugene, several programs already help bring about safer places to live. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture. [If your town does not have a Permaculture group, either start one or find the next best thing] How would each program's effectiveness multiply if the three cross fertilized?
Neighborhood Watch is a nationwide program. Typically, a Watch Group is for mutual support to help neighbors look after each others' safety and properties. Phone trees, personal connections, meetings and socials all help create cooperation between neighbors. Emergency Preparedness plans for, helps prevent and mitigates natural disasters and emergencies that present a threat to lives and property. Typically, both professional and citizen volunteers serve their communities. Permaculture is designing practical systems for taking care of human needs by working with nature. It is planet and people friendly. Local food security, renewable energy, local economies and a culture of living more cooperatively all fit within Permaculture's umbrella. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture - 1] Function at the neighborhood level 2] All exist to enhance community safety, security and well being 3] All depend on people cooperating and working together How can these programs support each other? Grass to Garden Picture a chunk of grassy front yard turned into a garden or planted with edible landscaping. Taking care of that garden and landscaping takes time and that would be time out front along the neighborhood street. That creates safety because someone is outside with a view up and down the street, perfect for Neighborhood Watch. Growing food contributes to personal health - fresh fruit and vegetables are good for us! Home grown is less dependent on transportation and less affected by disruptions either natural or human caused. A front yard garden is a great way to attract attention. Passers by will be curious, especially if you tell them why you are turning grass to garden. This is a proven way to make friends, build community, learn new skills and share useful ideas. Perfect for emergency preparedness. There are many low cost strategies and designs to increase our safety and security by making better use of sun, water, soil, shelter and human potential at home and in our neighborhoods,,, including rain water catchment, edible landscaping and solar energy. Arranging those assets to complement each other so they can be most effective - perfect for Permaculture. Many assets and allies for creating resilient communities and n'hoods are already in place. Victory Gardens, with plenty of experience turning grass into garden are ready to help. People who can't garden but have space, can connect with others who would like to have a garden but dont have space. Neighborhood organizations can help with this. Communities of faith could make meeting spaces available for classes related to going green. The COS already offers a speakers bureau, ready to visit those classrooms.
Removing part of a suburban front yard................Bike tour visits a newly planted front yard food forest.
Models Many sites in Eugene that can serve as models of resilience, available for visits. Bike tours are great for seeing examples of green living. School gardens, dozens already in place, could also serve as locations for classes about gardening and preserving food. Schools could make class room space available. There are many other service organziations in practically any town that can add still more to n'hood resilience. Many other community organizations, already doing good work, can add their part such as scouts, service organizations, youth groups and others. Neighborhood organizations, some of them already with their own related projects and networks, are perfectly positioned to . Victory Gardens, with plenty of experience turning grass into garden and is ready to help. People who can't garden could make their yards available to others who would like to have a garden. Communities of faith could make meeting spaces available for classes related to resilience such as food storage, first aid, learning networking skills, seed saving, product replacement and much more. There is already a speakers bureau with people who can address these topics, ready to go. There are many sites in Eugene that can serve as models of resilience, they could be available, by arrangement, for educational visits. This past summer, a committee of representatives from 12 different neighborhoods organized nine bike tours all over town for people to see real examples of more resilient living. Real life models are in place all over town. School gardens, dozens already in place, could also serve as locations for classes about growing and preserving food.
Resilient transportation............................................School gardens could be neighborhood garden centers
Bike tour visits a 5000 gallon cistern......................Media has a keen interest in green living
A city wide media campaign - radio, TV, print - could promote resilient ideas with features and reports. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture are made for each other and they could be joined by many other groups and organizations that can add important parts for creating a more resilient community. Stacking Stacking, the diagram shows many mutually supporting benefits.
This is a great example of making use of what is available to us every day. In Permaculture, there is a term called stacking. It means multiple benefits from thoughtful design. Its also recognizing existing assets. Think exmapsive, starting with grass to garden and adding property conversion and block planning we see many ways within reach to make our lives more safe, secure, fun and uplifted. All the global trends are addressed, public health can improve, the community is less affected by conditions we have little influence over. We reduce our impact on the environment, external costs are reduced, cohesion goes up, its good for the local economy, positive potential is called upon, the community is engaged in a collective positive adventure. Its good! What could be better?
Update - The River Road meeting was well attended with a wide variety of people from the neighborhood, the city and other neighborhood organizations. Neighborhood watch has agreed to distribute grass to garden information along with their own literature. Victory Gardens and neighborhood volunteers will help create those gardens. Permaculture events will distribute N'hood watch and Emergency Preparedness information. Talks are planned with Emergency Preparedness to consider collaboration.
NEIGHORHOOD BASED ACTIVISM The resilient neighborhood idea came to me largely by my involvements with my neighborhood association. Being on the board, exposes one to many goings on in the community. Neighborhood associations [NAs] can play a huge role in moving a green agenda forward. They are an enormously under used asset. Different cities have different kinds of programs but all of them are intended to improve safety and livability in the community. NAs can communicate both with those living in its neighborhood and with other neighborhood organizations. Typically, they have newsletters, meetings, and websites so they can help keep people posted on important news and issues. This kind of communication capability is extremely useful. Neighborhood associations are a perfect for grass roots work in the community even if issues like local food security, downsizing lifestyles and creating front yard gardens have not been on the agenda before. ........... Map of Eugene Neighborhood Associations................Postcard went out to over 6000 addresses This kind of work can tap into the growing interest and concern about neighborhood safety and security. As economic conditions move further along the down slope, neighborhood associations can and should take on far more responsibility for the well being of the community. Need to Start a Neighborhood Progam? If your town or city does not have a neighborhood program, find out what it would take to create one.
From my experience and perspective, a community program to empower people at the neighborhood level is one of the most vital tools a community can have for helping make the transition towards a more viable future. How to do this? Do some research about how neighborhood programs work elsewhere. Identify allies such as community groups, friends, sympathetic city councilors or other possibilities. Create momentum - write an op ed for the paper, help put a story about neighborhoods in the local paper. Visit other groups in town and explain why a neighborhood program is so important. Meet with the mayor, councilor and city staff. Have endorsements from other groups and influential people. Be prepared to fully explain the benefits of a neighborhood program and have a blueprint for action. Stay with it!
River Road Community Organization
Our own NA- River Road Community Organization provides a vital service to the neighborhood hosting dozens of public meetings. Board members have participated on untold committees. We organize a yearly celebration for the neighborhood - a day of education, fun and community building for the whole family. RRCO participates with a city wide neighborhood council and the committee on sustainability.
RRCO provided key support that lead to a recently built park being designated chemical free which has lead to a new friendships helping to maintain the park. RRCO collaborates with other NAs. We have met with the city about traffic issues and the ideal of redeveloping a semi blighted area so it might become a walkable mixed use neighborhood center with a much desired small natural food store. Stepping back one can see virtually all the neighborhood issues we are concerned about – quality of life, safety, environment, land use, air and water, traffic and the rest are efforts to mitigate or repair the damage caused by the profit driven economic system. Our work is dealing with external costs. There is much to do for any neighborhood association. My own experiences at this base of the civic pyramid convices me that neighborhood associations are absolutely essential for taking a key role in greening our communities.
NLC COS Over a year ago, the Committee on Sustainablity [COS] was formed in Eugene. Created by a city wide neighborhood council, it now has representatives from twelve of Eugene's nineteen neighborhoods. Its mission statement is to help make Eugene a more eco logical community. COS bike tour..........................................COS bike tour
During the past year, the COS has been active with outreach to the community participating in the local green home show, where it had a booth, conversation cafe and organized four home show presentations. The group has a growing speaker's bureau. It has tabled at numerous other public events.
Home Show COS Conversation Cafe,
This past summer it coordinated nine bike tours all over town to show people real examples of living more green. The bike tours attracted a good deal of media attention and averaged between 30 and 60 people per tour.The COS has an enormous task. It has accomplished a good deal and what is now in place can provide a platform for more ambitious projects and goals. COS members share useful information about events and actions in their respective neighborhoods, a great way to learn from each other and coordinate planning. The COS has an enormous task. It has accomplished a good deal and what is now in place can provide a platform for more ambitious projects and goals. City - Neighborhood Collaborations The city of Eugene supports neighborhoods in many ways. There is a program where the city will match in kind volunteer work with financial grants. Grant projects have included river clean ups, building information kiosks, neighborhood parks upgraded, a Permaculture course was taught, and in one neighborhood, a gleaning program has been set up to make sure all the fruit trees in that neighborhood are picked and the fruit distributed.
Neighborhood leaders seminar...................................NAs collaborate with the city...................................Neighborhood Summit brought city, NAs and community groups together
Other city programs to support greening the community are park volunteers stream and river restoration. The city provides expertise and equiptment. We had a clean up of a filbert grove in River Road and the city brought a chipper, gloves, loppers, shears, glazed donuts and coffee. City staff also support neighborhood initiatives helping with logistics, permits, publicity and advice for community events.
Of course, the city and neighborhoods have an entirely different set of more formal relationships focused on codes, policy, development, traffic, infill and all the rest. These are important as well. Herbicide free park celebrates..................................City cartographers made great map for the Prom.......Riparian repair, city, neighborhoods, non profits work together...
As global trends deepen, neighborhoods are well placed to take greater responsibilities for community well being. Neighborhoods would do well to be building networks with businesses, communities of faith, developing closer to home skills and making inventories of assets nearby. Strengthening connections that already exisit between neighborhoods are also vital. At the same time, Solid relationships between city and neighborhoods now are critical foundations for more ambitious collaborations to come - all of these timely efforts to build safety andsecurity and taking care of more human needs closer to where we live. Also Important This second to the last section touches on local food, an essential part of going green. Then, a fundamental theme of GTLC continues strongly - recognizing existing assets, this time, more deeply from the mainstream - manufacturing, management, city hall, finance, the urban landscape, faith communities – and imagining those assets becoming tools that will serve a greener downsized future. We will also have a look at future employment prospects.
Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods Also Important Local Food
Cohesion
Communities of Faith
Mainstream Adjustments
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides? Local Food Local agriculture benefits the environment, public health and adds to a more resilient community. Food is a cross over issue, a human need everyone can agree on. Given trends in energy, public health, the economy, every town should have some kind of advocate for increasing local organic agriculture, a food policy council or network of local food groups. Food should be growing all over and people should have access to learning about growing and preserving food. School gardens are becoming much more common Communities of faith can play a key role both in providing space for gardens and also providing indoor places for meetings, in effect, becoming centers of green living all over town. Apartment complexes - someone – knock on doors, find allies, go to the management with a petition and ask for garden space. Rooftops offer opportunities for container gardens. Countless suburban properties could host gardens in both front and back yards. Groups can form to help guide people in the grass to garden transition.
School Garden Project and Youth Corps................Urban Farm at the University of Oregon
Connections with rural areas are also vital. Community supported agriculture is growing nation wide. Some farmers may welcome towns people to rent acres of farm land they may not be using for a larger scale food production. Also supporting farmers who are transitioning from non food crops to food crops or from non organic to organic is helpful. Buying local, especially at farmers markets is a plus for the local economy and a more resilient community. Some older farmers welcome younger people to mentor, a new generation of farmers. Diet is a critical issue in many ways. We can be far healthier just by our food choices. Whole, fresh and local is best. Eating lower on the food chain, fewer animal products, has many benefits as described at the beginning of the presentation. A study in the county where I live concluded the county could feed itself but the diet would be close to vegetarian
Developing local food security and networks will accomplish more than producing food. The working relationships and templates for food collaborations can be useful for taking care of other needs in the community bye and bye.
Huerto de la Familia..................................................Field crops transition from grass seed to grain and beans
The Extension office also offers classes on gardening, food preservation, composting, nutrition and more. Another group educates about seed saving. Several neighborhood organizations advocate cooperation for tool and garden space sharing. One neighborhood organization received a grant to set up a gleaning program, “Tree by Tree”, many neglected fruit and nut trees will now be harvested. Networks and collaborations that serve local food security will be very useful template for other kinds of cooperation bye and bye. The efforts to create these relationships now will help serve many other needs later. A vital ingredient to expand local food production and security is people taking the time to recognize the opportunities and make them happen.
City sponsors Seed Ambassadors, seed saving..........Half a dozen groups combined for the largest seed swap ever in Eugene
COHESION Cohesion is a timely and fascinating concept. Cohesion refers to a social condition where people share an ideal, experience, a belief that brings them together. Cohesion can provide an elevated platform to more effectively plan and work together for a purpose or cause. Climate change, resource depletion, the environment in decline, economic disarray, social injustice have common causes and therefore, common remedies. That means a great number of people are on the same team whether they know it or not. If the cohesion of these groups was fully realised and manifested, there is no question the very foundations of our society would be changed and that could be done with no laws, legislation or need for permission.
Millions of people at home, in their neighborhoods, faith communities and civic organizations being true to their higher calling provide the best opportunity we have for creating a peaceful and healthy world, by passing official structures that are unable to provide the visionary leadership that global trends call for.
COMMUNITIES OF FAITH "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."t It is more blessed to give than to receive. ‘All that I have created has been for your sake; take care then not to spoil and destroy My world.
God created nature in a balance ("al-mizan") and mankind's responsibility is to maintain this fragile equilibrium through wise governance and sound personal conduct. A community of faith is any group that looks to the spiritual or esoteric realm for inspiration and guidance that can be applied to a more uplifted way of living such as Christian churches, synagogues, mosques and less well known beliefs. Cohesion is a tremendous tool and communities of faith have that tool. Virtually all religions and spiritual traditions teach modesty of lifestyle, compassion and cooperation with others and protection of the natural world. These values are exactly what is called for in these changing times. Cohesion can provide a community of faith a more elevated platform to operate from. Agreed upon teachings, ideals and values can translate into a more focused and effective means of action. Often times, a leader or board is in a position to motivate and focus the group's move to action. Combining their cohesion, ideals and values, faith communities have a potent tool and responsibility to take a leading role for the good of community and planet.
Grass Roots Garden...........................................................That's My Farmer
In Eugene, at least two different faith based projects have wonderful programs that are great examples of local choices given the global trends. One network of thirteen churches and a synagogue support local agriculture by asking their respective memberships to patronize local farmers. They buy shares from many of the local CSAs. The Group, calling itself “That's My Farmer”, also holds a large public gathering once a year to honor local farmers. Hundreds of people attend and media coverage has exposed thousands of others to this great community service. Another well known community project is the Grass Roots Garden. One of Eugene's Episcopal Churches has made available two acres behind the church that has become the site of a truly wonderful garden. The local food bank, Master Gardeners and the church have created a place that grows many tons of organic vegetables. The garden offers numerous workshops for learning all kinds of garden skills and attracts hundreds of volunteers ,young and old. These models from communities of faith are impressive yet they are only a fragment of what they are capable of. Many people belonging to churches, mosques and synagogues may not realize the value of their cohesion and its potential to the community.
Compost, a perfect metaphor
An economic free for all has been raging at an accelerating rate for several generations, - supercharged by abundant energy, a benign climate, fertile soil, plenty of water, cheap credit and cooperative global relations. The free for all has externalized its costs for enormous temporary gain in material terms but a loss beyond measure in terms of human potential and the natural environment. Global trends present a clear wake up call. Our challenge is to make best use of what humans have built and to transform that into a culture and economy for taking care of human needs in ways that planet earth can sustain. Mainstream Adjustments
Many grass roots groups and projects described here and similar ones all over the country are gaining transition momentum. How far can they go on their own? How dependent is the change we need to make on the system we need to change? We can only imagine the future but the more people, neighborhoods, blocks and creative efforts making closer to home choices, the better. The pioneers for a viable way of life are heroes but for there to be a successful and widespread transition to a viable culture and economy, a good chunk of today's mainstream governance, manufacturing, transportation, public health, finance, education, communication and agriculture - will have to go green at a quickening rate. Shifts in public awareness, values and societal expectations will be critical to support mainstream change but time is not an ally at this point.
Here are several condensed thoughts on economics. What can you add? The economy does not have to be a package deal. Buying what fits a green future and not buying what doesnt helps with the transition towards a green future. Money staying local multiplies its benefits to the community. Local community credit unions can help keep money local and green with their by laws, local boards and local focus. Economics does not always require money. Trade and barter, time sharing and other informal means of exchange have been a part of the human experience for millenia. They are inherently more local, accessible and people friendly. They are a perfect fit for local economics.
Land use, Replacing parking lots with mixed use redevelopment – residential, services, retail, employment - can accomplish many goals at the same time such. Added to property conversion and block planning, much of our urban infrastructure can be made far greener while boosting the local economy. Young people, the unemployed and people on the margins are needed. An expanded Youth Corps and Americorp could engage all these people in valuable work for the community restoring environmental health, increasing local food security, helping with urban transformation while learning useful skills and earning a reasonable income as well. Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important Key Leverage Point Who Decides? Human history and GTLC are essentially about economics - taking care of human needs. Important to consider within this realm of thought is what is a need. One could observe our consumer culture has come to confuse wants with needs. And wants have become closely related to expectations – driven by advertising - which are even more distant from reasonable needs. This economic system requires and defines a culture increasingly disconnected from what is real and healthy. The external costs of this arrangement are immense and range from the personal to the global.
The entire gtlc presentation is about economics. One might say human history is about economics. Its about how humans take care of their needs and how the nature of needs changes over time. Across cultures, history, technology and social organizing principles, the human population has increased and material needs have become far more expansive. Economics has come to define culture while external costs can no longer be ignored. Global trends are now sending us two simple messages, humans would be wise to re - define how they take care of their needs and humans would be wise to redefine what those needs are in a fundamentally different way. GTLC came into being to contribute to this discussion.
With these thoughts in mind, the next few slides will bring GTLC to a close.
Key Leverage Point
In permaculture, there is a useful concept called key leverage point .
A Key leverage point involves several elements - input, outcomes, location and foundation. By using simple diagrams, we will see how thoughtful design for change in culture, lifestyle and economics can help produce preferred outcomes – a peaceful and healthy world. First, lets describe the elements of key leverage point, then we will see a series of diagrams. Note - The entire GTLC presentation distills down to these simple diagrams. In a complex social system, meaning our way of life, making changes consists of several elements. To begin with, there needs to be a reason for change. That would mean widespread agreement exists that something is fundamentally wrong with the system and something needs to be done about it. Global trends provide a good reason for needed change. then consider 1] what are the desired outcomes or goals for that change, then 2] what location in the system is best to apply the input to make the change, then 3] vital - what is the foundation or principles that will guide that change 4] what kind of input best complements all the other concerns, finally of interest - who or how is all this decided Also vital - The more effectively elements compliment each other, the better the chances for achieving the desired outcomes. next Outcomes - Let's say a society decides its goal is to live in peace and health. That means Society must choose new systems and adapt systems it already has, that support those goals. Location - Where is the best place to apply input. The sensible choice is the economic system. Economics is central to virtually everything a society does. It is the tool and means in real life to serve the society's needs for moving towards it goals. Input – Most of Global Trends – Local Choices has been about input. Assets and examples that already exist. Also downsizing to free up time, permaculture, resilient neighborhood, property conversion, social cohesion, human potential and much more. Foundation - Recall the wisdom of the great spiritual and uplifted traditions - compassion towards others, modesty of lifestyle and care for the natural world. These values and ideals, already familiar to millions, would be the basis of the foundation, which in turn. would define the economic system.
Input – Most of Global Trends – Local Choices has been about input. Assets and examples that already exist. Also downsizing to free up time, permaculture, resilient neighborhood, property conversion, social cohesion, human potential and much more.
Who decides - People who care, in their own lives, neighborhoods and communities, the more, the better.
Web Version of the Global Trends - Local Choices Presentation Hello and Welcome, This is a simplified web version of the DVD currently under production, Global Trends - Local Choices. The text you find below is the same as the audio [sound] narration for the DVD. You will find some of the same graphic images and fotos here as on the DVD, but there are many more on the DVD. Why Global Trends - Local Choices DVD? Many important perspectives relating to our way of life - economics, culture, the environment, global relations, human potential, sprituality - are missing when discussions turn to how can we meet the challenges of climate change, peak oil, the environment and economic decline. The GTLC Project is intended to contribute to those discussions. Begin Presentation During the next 85 minutes you will hear and see a great deal of information – analysis, philosophy, practical actions millions of people can take. Please have a careful look at the entire presentation. Global trends affect different people, regions and nations of the world in different ways. GTLC will focus on the affluent, particularly in the United States. While some in the world would do well to downsize their material needs, hundreds of millions of others would benefit enormously to upsize access to clean water, sanitation, education and political freedoms. Notably, both the affluent and the poor suffer from many common causes. Global Trends refer to climate change, resource depletion, social dis equity, the environment in steep decline and destabilizing global relations. Related to those trends is a deep concern about the character of our economy, way of life and culture. Given the trends, what can we do to make best use of the opportunities we have for positive outcomes – those are the choices This is the first table of contents slide. Notice there are several distinct sections of GTLC. Each one will begin with the basic contents of the entire presentation but showing more detail about the next section, like this one does for points of departure. Also notice each section can serve as its own sub presentation but they all fit together and each adds meaning to all the others. The presentation begins with explaining several basic aspects of Global Trends Local choices such as its goals, why its not about peak oil and climate change, core principles and a couple of personal comments.
GTLC Contents Points of Departure Goal
Symptoms
Core Principles
Surprises
Tone and Content Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Goal of GTLC The goal of Global Trends – Local Choices is to encourage people to take an active part in this bold and timely adventure - to find creative, uplifting and peaceful ways to take care of human needs that planet Earth can sustain over the long term. This presentation will challenge. It is both practical and philosophical. Some people might call the ideas described in this here as radical. A different perspective would observe what is really radical is climate change, massive species extinction, trillions spent on weapons of destruction and remarkable disparities between rich and poor. Ideals and values to safeguard the well being of people and planet, to cooperate with our neighbors near and far, compassion and help for those less fortunate, to live in peace --- is not radical at all, its actually quite sensible Symptoms Global Trends – Local Choices will not dwell on climate change and resource depletion. Those immense and compelling challenges are symptoms of deeper issues that have much to do with our economic system and the culture it has created. That is where I prefer to focus. Core Principles
Here are several core principles that will help you make the most from GTLC. Please keep them in mind. The demands of a growth dependent economy and what is convenient for humans expecting to live in affluence, as we know it, will not likely work for planet earth. Approaches to address trends and challenges called for in mainstream discussions are far from adequate and often in the way.
The foundation for creating solutions are uplifted values and ideals. Human scale technology offers vital support. The great majority of the tools and models needed to make thoughtful choices for a peaceful and healthy world already exist. Making positive choices will address climate change, resource depletion, environment and culture in decline, economic disarray and global relations all at the same time. And finally - Positive human potential is perhaps our greatest renewable resource - there is near unlimited opportunity to make good use of these changing times. XXXXXX - Continued from the Home Page Surprises Also important to keep in mind, the world is a great place for surprises. Politics, resources, the weather and countless other variables can come together at any time and create an event few have anticipated that can have profound world wide consequences. Given the trends, this should be expected. History gives birth to movements and trends. Downsizing, Going green and local is a huge emerging trend. At the same time, not everyone will embrace downsizing and localizing and efforts will be made to preserve privilege and advantage. The more effective going green can be, the better the chances of avoiding conflict over contrasting visions for the future. Tone and Content A good friend cautioned me about the tone and content of this presentation. He advised me, people need to feel safe in making changes in how they live. After carefully considering his advice, my thoughts go like this - Making the tough and unfamiliar choices to create a viable human culture, economy and future will be far safer than doing nothing or submitting to the money centric schemes put forward by the dominant economy, the source of these problems in the first place. GTLC Contents Points of Departure Market Capitalism External Costs
Junk Food
Oil
Military Spending
Suburbia
Boom and Bust
Yearly Pay
Dis equity
Sectors
Multi Tasking
Careers in Contraction Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides?
Creating a peaceful and healthy future will require an economic system that can assist moving towards those goals and ideals. We dont have that at this time. The agenda of market capitalism is not peace and health, its agenda is to manage and manipulate dynamic conditions as well as it can to increase economic activity and wealth for those who control the economy with enough left over to keep the larger population compliant and docile. To be most effective in pursuing an uplifted goal, its vital to create a strong foundation from which to work from. Understanding the nature of market capitalism helps to avoid putting false expectations, loyalty and assumptions upon a system that is not designed to assist attaining a healthy and peaceful future. This part of GTLC will touch on several examples to show why market capitalism is not an ally for a viable future. Shortly afterwards, we will explore alternatives.
EXTERNAL COSTS There has never been such a high level of affluence, comfort and convenience for so many people all over the world wide. But these outputs have many caveats. In economics, a term vital to understand is external costs. It is seldom talked about. What we pay at the cash register does not cover the entire cost of the products and services we use. Price is not the same as cost. This is a fatal characteristic about how our economic system operates. Here are several examples why
Industrial feedlot................................................................Consequences
Fast food and junk food have enormous external costs. One is a public health epidemic of obesity which can lead to many other costly medical conditions. <> The burgers, the sodas, the chips and snacks have baggage - if the beef comes from a mainstream supermarket or fast food shack, most likely it comes from cows fattened in factory farms with crowded, unhealthy, inhumane conditions or from a tropical pasture where ancient rain forests have been cleared for grazing.
Antibiotics used to control disease in feedlots render those antibiotics less useful for humans. The cows are fed an unnatural diet of government subsidized corn. Factory farms produce an enormous volume of urine and manure that is poorly regulated and commonly pollutes streams and ground water while the energy and transportation infrastructure to move all the ingredients and product from place to place is part of another extended list of external costs. Snack foods and sodas are loaded sugar, salt and fat. A 12 ounce soda contains about ten teaspoons of sugar. This is a recipe for big health problems and that is what we have.
Pass it off to the future,,,,,
The economy is set up to pass these costs off on the environment, public health and the future. Its a costly arrangement. What creates affluence also creates distance between the user and where the item comes from so the user rarely sees the damage, until later. Its economic don't ask, don't tell. If a business wanted to be ethical and practice full cost accounting - to include all the cost of production, use and disposal, they would not be in business for long. Our economy and its billions spent on advertising, is dishonest because it sends false messages to the market place – cheap prices don't tell people what the real cost is.
Military to protect commercial interests
Perhaps the most notable collection of external costs starts with oil – that's what supports much of our way of life. Our food – its cultivation, fertilizer, distribution is highly dependent on oil. Our foreign policy and military have a great focus on oil. Ironically, public health is oil dependent.
A very large freeway, is not so free
The cost of oil presents itself in countless ways - 40,000 killed in car wrecks each year, millions of others injured, paved over farm land. Agricultural, transportation and industrial pollution to soil, water and air, are part of oil's external costs.
Oil impacts local people
Oftentimes cultures, economies and the environment where oil comes from are severely degraded. Designed for automobiles, our cities and towns and are routinely ugly and dispiriting, no wonder the growing phenomena of road rage. Automobile bridges and highways are extremely expensive and divert public money away from other important public needs. Little of these costs find their way to the people who buy the products at the time of purchase but they are ultimately paid by individuals, society and the environment. Various estimates of the cost of gasoline, if all external costs were included range between 10 and 14 dollars a gallon.
US foreign policy is oil centric - to protect access to oil [see for yourself - research US foreign policy doctrines named for recent presidents – Carter Doctrine, Clinton, Reagan and Bush. Former vice president Dick Chaney boasted, the American way of life is non negotiable. Not negotiating is very expensive, the US spends almost as much on its military as the rest of the world combined and much of that military spending is about oil. This cost is paid in many ways but not much of it at the gas station.
Not negotiating is expensive SUBURBIA
Down the street.....................................................................Indoor furnishings, many jobs
Suburbia is home to half of all Americans and is very oil dependent. The home furnishings, energy, highways and utilities that serve suburbia come at enormous cost. Suburbia impacts air and water quality and social well being and has lead to the paving of millions of acres of productive farmland, its a major source of climate change and directly related to the military budget. In one way or another, it provides employment for millions of people.
Suburbia threatens farm land...................................................Suburbia
Boom and Bust The current so called Great Recession is regarded by many as the most dramatic bust since the Great Depression. Boom and bust is considered a normal feature of our economy. Historically, booms have been about resource extraction – furs, gold, trees, – catch it, dig it, cut it wreck it and move on. In recent years boom and bust has been more about financial manipulation. As time passes, it seems the booms have become less about products that might perform a useful function, and more recently its, about financial speculation - buy low and cash out before the crash. The current real estate bust is a perfect example.
One might observe our current economy is in a long term boom for the entire baby boom generation – cheap oil and resources supercharged by cheap credit. All the while externalizing the cost at a steepening rate. One could also say the booms are becoming more extravagant and desperate at the same time. Millions of jobs have become dependent on make believe while many people, naively caught up in the drama, can be considered as external costs. The current bust, even in conventional terms, is shedding many kinds of jobs and careers. Without the government bailout, there would likely be many more but major adjustments are only delayed. Economic Disequity The amount of money people are paid for their work tells a great deal about a society. It says a certain job, service or skill is worth more or less than others. It reveals a set of values and attitudes simply but what people are paid. In our time, these values are heavily weighted towards finance and entertainment. There are actors, professional sports players and people who manage money who make many times more than a health care worker, teacher, a factory worker, a farmer or city employee. One could easily observe that the numbers we see in our nation today reveal the values of a very unhealthy society. Note Each - [dash]equals $50,000 yearly pay Retail - $25,000 . School Teacher - $50,000 - City Planner - $100,000 -- Cardiologist - $400,00 -------- Pro Sports Player - $3,500,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Actor - $20,000,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Top Tier Hedge Fund Manager - $200,000,000 [In 2008, the #1 earning hedge fund manager made fifteen times this amount] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [that's right, count them, each dash $50,000 - $200,000,000 - 200 million]
Our society's level of economic dis equity is remarkable and destabilizing.The difference in pay is only one aspect of disequity, its also an ethical issue, what does it say about our collective values when some people don't even have the basics in life? Its also civic, the wealthy and well placed have more control than ever over the political system.
Democracy does not equate with market capitalism, rather the two are antagonistic. The problem of dis equity is immense, it is deeply embedded in our culture of status and meritocracy. Making progress in this realm fits well with thoughtful choices to downsize our material needs and upsize our positive human potentials. Sector Analysis Another telling look at our economy is to assess its sectors. These sectors represent millions of jobs and the larger sectors trillions of dollars in value. What we see is that large parts of the economy exist to repair the damage caused by other large parts. This is remarkable - the livelihoods of tens of millions of people depend on tens of millions of people making poor choices with how they spend their money. Repairing the damage could be even a larger part of the economy because at the present time, much of the damage to human health and the environment is not repaired.
Multi Tasking For the economy to grow, there needs to be an increasing level of production and consumption so the pace of life is sped up - its Multi tasking
common to see people multi tasking – driving, eating, talking on a cell phone and more, all at the same time. The TV is on for hours every day, pitches to buy and consume cover walls, t shirts, insides of buses, magazines, tops of buildings. Multi tasking
The saturation entertainment, advertising and fast paced lifestyles effectively distract most people from considering other possibilities and choices that may be friendlier to self, family, community and planet. Imagine if we traded a sizable chunk of multitasking for different choices, slowing down closer to home with family, friends and creating resilient communities.
Market Capitalism Review This economic, social and global state of affairs presents monumental challenges. The flaws of market capitalism are overwhelming. Trends relating to the environment, global relations, the economy, social well being are all saying this economic system has serious problems. But these challenges offer opportunities. All these trends will play out, ready or not, in unpredictable ways There are no guarantees but the more people who take action in positive ways, the better. A growing number of people are already taking action, they can be found all over the country and world and they are greatly needed to step forward to share what they are learning with friends, neighbors and the community. Lets move on to the next part of the presentation. We will consider some important thoughts for a more peaceful and healthy culture and way of life. What could be more important to our families, communities, planet earth, the future? To have a solid foundation to work from is vital and the realm of spirit and positive ideals is rebar for that foundation. GTLC Contents Points of Departure
Market Capitalism Power Shift – Downsizing Great Traditions
Nature
An Uplifted Culture
Historical
Affluence – Up and Down
An Open Door Permaculture
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Mainstream Adjustments
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides? Power shift. That could have many meanings. One is shifting our own power. We all have far more positive potential than we know. We have far more power and potential in our neighborhoods and communities than we know. Connecting with that power and potential can arrive in many ways, from within, from others, from uplifted traditions, from conditions and circumstances that clearly tell us its time to step it up. It is time to step it up. This next part of GTLC describes concepts and encouragement to step it up and some tools that can help.
Wisdom of the Ages
Virtually all the world's great philosophies and spiritual traditions, regardless of where or when, call for moderation in how humans relate to possessions and the material world. They all teach concern for others, cooperation and care for the natural world. Wisdom from several great traditions -- Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity
My religion is simple. My religion is kindness. The frog does not drink up all the water in the pond where he lives All that I have created has been for your sake; take care then not to destroy my world God created nature in balance and mankind's responsibility is to maintain this fragile equilibrium through wise governance and sound personal conduct. It is more blessed to give than to receive. These lessons are exactly what is called for in these changing times. The wisdom to help redefine and re prioritize how we live as individuals and communities exists, its simply a matter of taking the time to put this ageless wisdom and these lofty ideals to everyday use.
The natural world provides us with air to breathe, soil to grow food, water for many needs, heat and cold with the changing seasons but there is much more. The natural world provides a visible connection to a spiritual realm. Nature's inspiration is with us every day if we take the time to experience it and that inspiration should be there for future generations. Nature has its own value apart from humans
Downsizing Downsizing is a good term at this point. Using resources at a rate planet earth can not sustain and human activity planet earth cannot clean up and recover from are the physical conditions that manifest as global trends. The deepening social, cultural and economic trends are intimately related. The need to address all of these trends delivers us to downsizing – to use less stuff on behalf of planet earth and to use less stuff on behalf of our own social, spiritual and personal well being. The physical inevitability of downsizing on a finite planet can be mitigated by making these choices sooner rather than later in a reasonably humane and graceful fashion, which looks a lot better than pushing our luck. Important to understand, downsizing can addresses all the trends mentioned in this presentation at the same time.
Downsizing may not be convenient, Downsizing will not fit well with what the existing economy requires Downsizing will put virtually all of us on unfamiliar turf. This is an adventure. Making a start will assuredly help illuminate the way forward. The path is brighter when it is shared with others. We all have our own unique potentials to contribute. When they are all added up, the whole will be far more than the individual parts. Downsizing, unique potentials, a brighter path. where is this all moving? Lets consider several basic guiding principles ,,, What could a mission statement for a humane and uplifted culture look like? Here are some ideas, that culture would, 1] Make a priority of nurturing positive human potential 2] Value and respect the diversity and traditions of the world's people 3] Define its economy so it internalized all its costs 4] Recognize human activity must fit within what planet earth can sustain. On the Historical Edge Let's jump ahead a bit for a moment and consider this interesting permaculture concept. Its called the edge effect. The edge effect refers to a place where two or more systems come together. This special edge location is a crossover or transition place with benefits from all the surrounding systems. This circumstance could be biological or social. Or the edge could be a point in history - a period in transition that can benefit from from the past, present and future. This is what we have available to us - an opportunity to combine certain existing assets with a sense of this unique historical position and a vision for what we could do if we made smart choices. Downsizing is one of the smart choices. There's more.
Voluntary Downsizing
Over a generation ago, a movement known as Voluntary Simplicity gained attention. Even then, there were people who said, enough to stuff. This was not poverty, this was re-assessing one's ideals, goals and values and deciding to downsize by choice. After basic needs are met, more stuff delivers a declining return. Its a matter of deciding what is more important, one's time or more possessions. There are many examples of downsizing, some voluntary and some not. Some people have freely walked away from middle class affluence. In contrast, millions of people, victims of the current economic slide, are simplifying and downsizing because they have lost jobs, homes and hope. Many scramble to adjust. They provide a useful preview of what will likely become far more common as economic decline continues.
On the up side, there are encouraging stories of people forced into power down and are making good use of it to discover skills and interests helpful for changes already coming into focus. Some lament they should have downsized long ago. To re-asses and reinvent is to swim against the current. The mythologies that promote more is better are very effective. This is a fascinating time to be alive. Few expected the Soviet Union to dissolve as it did. Climate change is now mainstream. History is full of surprises. Many people will be find the coming years very surprising while others look forward to them. Either way, less stuff many benefits. Recall the comments earlier, of the collective wisdom of virtually all the world's great philosophies and spiritual traditions. Nearly all of them, - east, west, north, south, ancient, modern - advise a life of simplicity, cooperation, compassion and care for the natural world. What could be a better time to put those teachings into practice than now? Voluntary simplicity and downsizing create a doorway to new possibilities. Less stuff means less time making money which means more time for other purposes. It opens up opportunities to learn more about ourselves, to have more time with friends and family. Downsizing can open up time to learn new skills, connect with neighbors, volunteer in the community and be an active part in creating a peaceful and healthy world.
Car free family, downsizing with many benefits
Car Free Family Some might say, I have a family and young kids. How can I simplify? Friends in Eugene have four young children and they are car free, have a large garden, fruit trees, chickens, have bee hives on the roof, are active in community affairs and are making even more eco friendly changes to their suburban property and lifestyle. Advocating bikes at the Prom
They have a very high quality of life. This is not living without money or hot water. Its making thoughtful choices that can lead to many benefits to the family, community and planet. Active home life with kids
With more time to contemplate and consider, one will begin to recognize they are surrounded by a surprising number and variety of opportunities, tools, models, groups, projects, where we live, that can be useful and fun for bringing about positive changes in lifestyle, economics and culture. Permaculture
Permaculture principles, holistic and mutually supportive.
One of the most useful companions for downsizing and making local choices is Permaculture. Conceived in Australia, Permaculture has been embraced by millions and practiced all over the world. Its a holistic approach to designing systems to take care of human needs in ways that work with nature and are people and planet friendly and can be applied to virtually any type of setting - urban, rural, tropical or temperate – food production, community building, energy, shelter, water, landscaping, economics and more can all benefit from permaculture approaches.
Permaculture attracts interest
This Deserves to be said again,,, PC is one of the most useful tools we have for downsizing and making local choices. The next section will show a variety of examples of permaculture design and principles that apply to everyday life. PC is a very important part of GTLC and can play a critical role in creating a more peaceful and healthy world. GTLC Contents Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift Urban Redesign Suburban Permaculture
On site Assets
Site Plan
Home Economics
Community Resource
A Sober Note
Block Planning
Aspects - Maitreya Eco Village
E Blair Housing Co-op
Graphic
N St Co Housing
Economic Boost
Sum Neighborhoods
Also Important
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides?
Suburban Property Conversion What better place for global trends to encourage making local choices than where we live?
This part of GTLC will focus on what can be done with existing residential properties. Property conversion is here and now. Its about making much better use of what a site has to offer. As you watch this, consider how could you make use of these ideas? If you have a property like this, please share it, others need to know! Urban redesign is about multiple benefits – economic, social, cultural, environmental. You will see examples of conversion applicable to a wide variety of urban settings. Further, this grass roots approach can expand organically with little or no formality. Even so, city policies could be helpful moving these great ideas forward. You'll see.
Jan's, back yard, then and now
This suburban permaculture project has been underway for nine years. The quarter acre lot and modest 1500 square foot mid fifties house have seen a lot of changes. First to go was the grass. My intention from the outset was to create a model of suburban Permaculture, to reinvent and salvage what was already here to take care of more of my needs where I live. Half of all americans live in suburbia. It is not all created equal but most properties have a surprising number of possibilities. On Site Assets
Automobile space has been reclaimed – the cement driveway is gone and the carport converted into living space. There is a 6000 gallon rain water collection and storage system that takes care of nearly all my outdoor water needs and sets me up for a potable water system at a future date. Residential density has been increased with three housemates which also means the place earns an income to help pay for itself. When starting a conversion project, its helpful to have a good sense of what the assets are of the site and what are the priority outcomes. For more ideas visit other nearby locations, search permaculture on you tube and the internet, check out bookstores, local co -op. Don't wait to have all the details. A property will help design itself.
South to the left, street to the right
This diagram shows the quarter acre property. The street is to the right, south is to the left. Highlights include removal of the driveway which was replaced with a storage shed and edible landscapeing. The bungalow, built in 2007, is the southwest corner of the proerpty, upper left hand corner. Along the fence line between the shed and bungalow, 70 feet of ornamental hedge was taken out in the summer of 2009. Note the sun room for passive solar heating, also the new roof top garden area, still under development. The back yard is veggie garden, see the food hedge lower left – a 60 foot example of fruit tree espaliet . Also note water storage tanks, chicken coop, compost, cold frames and water features.
Projects have been ongoing since the beginning. The bungalow was a big effort and has increased residential density even more. Replacing the shingles on the house with galvalum metal roofing means no more roofing for a long time and galvalum is the preferred metal surface for a potable rain water system. The flat roof of the car port has become a roof top garden. Its the sunniest place on the property, still some R and D remains. Great ideas do not always equate with perfection first try.
Home Economics This small suburban property provides for many of my needs. I rarely buy fruit and vegetables at any time of the year and have come to appreciate a new meaning for home economics. Food storage is wonderful to learn about - drying fruit and veggies, freezing, keepers like onions, winter squash and potatoes and leaving many veggies in the ground until needed. The place is beautiful, like seasonal performance art. We would be a more peaceful and healthy people if our homes, neighborhoods, cities and towns were designed or redesigned to be positive and uplifting.
Passive solar space heating......................................Former grassy back yard......................................Drying summer veggies
Passive solar design in both the sun room and bungalow provide a surprising amount of heat to both structures. A solar hot water system lets me be “off the grid” for half the year for hot water if passive solar works this well in Eugene, Oregon, its potential is enormous almost anywhere else in the country. After 9 years of ongoing projects, there is still plenty to do. In the summer of 2009 my neighbor and I removed 70 feet of ornamental hedges between our properties. This area will become a food forest with a multi story design of semi dwarf fruit and nut trees, useful shrubs below and useful ground cover. Edible landscaping can be just as attractive as not edible. There are many choices of edible plants ranging from familiar fruits and nuts to edible natives to exotic imports from far away. Some people prefer Perrenials to annual vegetables. The produce food year after year without replanting and can be highly nutritious. This type of edible landscaping can take 6 to 8 years to mature, best to do it sooner than later. There are still other benefits.
Food from home and nearby. .................................Tour of the property with a Permaculture class..............From the street, former driveway and carport.
Community Resource
This place has also become a community resource. There have been many workshops, tours and site visits here. The media has been here, also the mayor, school classes, out of town visiting lecturers, neighbors and people who just happened to be walking by. A number of people have made use of what they have learned here and adapted it to their own conversion projects. A Sober Note A sober note, not all suburbia is created equal. Looking into the future - water, soil, temperature, economics, local culture and other factors we cannot anticipate, will reveal the fate of suburbia, verily the fate of much of what we have built. The real estate bust has left untold suburban homes and other projects derelict, a suggestion of what is to come. Suburban locations distant from commercial areas, transit and in hilly locations are good to avoid. In the current real estate bust, suburban homes furthest from commercial areas have lost the most value. Already, some people are leaving where they live for places they think will be safer as the economy continues its decline and global trends mature.
Abandoned suburban development................................................Boom and bust
A sensible action, no matter what the future holds, is to become acquainted with one's neighbors and to make creative use of what is at hand. Some of those casual friendships and connections will strengthen and evolve as changing times will call for new kinds of mutual support and social cohesion. Block Planning Block Planning is an ambitious strategy for residents and property owners of a residential block to rework the entire block. A wide variety of design changes can be made that can add to the cohesion, resilience and well being of the block. Global trends can make block planning a timely and extremely valuable strategy, adaptable to diverse land use situations. Lets have a closer look. A block plan does not make code and regulations go away, but in Eugene, it can make codes and regulations more flexible. Compliance becomes based more on performance and less prescriptive. Property remains private but it would allow a greater level of design creativity. A block plan can allow for new structures, converted structures, changes in the street and parking, landscaping, commercial use, set backs, building height and more.
Idealized Block Planning - before and after
East Blair and Maitreya In Eugene, a formal block plan has never come into being but several places in town have aspects of block planning. We will see a number of fotos from East Blair Housing Co-op and Maitireya Eco Village that show a number of land use strategies that block planning could produce. One possible Block Plan[see graphic above] would be to close the interior of a block except for emergency vehicles and restrict parking to the ends of the block. With the plan shown, some residents would walk a bit further to their homes in the middle of the block but an enormous amount of space in the middle of the block can be reclaimed from automobiles and put to good use
Parking lot to garden, East Blair,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Maitreya Eco Village, many green features
N ST. Co Housing N st co housing in Davis, California is perhaps the most well known example of a retro fit cohousing project in the country. Retro fit co housing can be considered as a form of block planning. N st, started informal and later became a planned development, working with the city. Lets take a look, this is very interesting. Starting in 1986 with two suburban properties taking down its fences, it has grown property by property to its current extent of 19 residences with 50 adults and 14 kids. N st became rezoned in 1999 as a planned development which allows it greater flexibility in land use than the surrounding neighborhood allowing larger granny flats and more relaxed set back requirements. Property remains private but there is a common house with community dining room and kitchen with meeting room, laundry room and bathroom. These amenities and many other additions to quality of life are the benefits of cooperation. Members are free to set their own boundaries regarding participation in various community activities. N St. shares many of the positive attributes of its more formal cousin, planned co housing. This is a wonderful model for recreating suburbia. Global trends will make retro fit co housing a far more attractive local choice.
Economic Boost With a strong lean to green features, jobs needed to implement the block plan could include skilled facilitators, eco friendly permaculture designers and architects, small scale finance from local credit unions, carpenters, plumbers and other trades people. Local business could be favored with financial incentives for using local products and services. For example, passive solar reconstruction could specify components fabricated locally such as window glazing systems, energy conservation strategies, rain water catchment and more.
Funky one story...............................................................Becomes productive multi story multi use..Below, meeting space, office, laundramat. Apartments above.
Enough block plans could stimulate local small green manufacturing of important products. Certainly, forward thinking neighbors can initiate these kinds of changes on their own with no official involvement at all, and they should. But if cities made block planning a priority, the process could become far more accessible and expansive in its positive impact. Proactive promotion of block planning and support for groups of people who become interested would be an enormous investment for a more resilient community. Multiple block plans could be designed for synergistic benefits with companion neighborhood scale commercial redevelopment guided by residents of the neighborhood. In sum, block planning whether official or informal, offers wonderful possibilities, more food, energy, social cohesion, employment and retail needs could be taken care of closer to home. Supporting local products and services, creating new green jobs, keeping money close to home benefit the local economy. All by making use of opportunities already available. Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign Neighborhoods Resilient Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Watch
Emergency Preparedness
Permaculture
Grass to Garden
Promote and Educate
Stacking
Neighborhood Associations
River Road Community Organization
NLC Committee on Sustainability
City and Neighborhoods Cooperate
Also Important
Key Leverage Point/Conclusion Larger Scale Transforming individual properties, even entire blocks, is wonderful but a viable green culture and economy must have a scale far beyond scattered property conversions or the even more scarce housing co-op, eco village, or retro co housing project. Neighborhoods, the base of the civic pyramid, is the next size up and the focus of the next section of GTLC. We will see how existing organizations and programs can work together and be far more effective than they can alone and how they can be used in creative and positive ways they were not originally designed for – all on behalf of greening our neighborhoods. Imagine if entire neighborhoods were like an upsized block plan. This section offers helpful ideas and emerging examples for movement in that direction.
Resilient Neighborhoods The next part of GTLC is Creating Resilient Neighborhoods, a powerful strategy for addressing global trends. This can be the starting point for a remarkable set of benefits ranging from personal to community to global, its about safety and security where we live. Creating Resilient Neighborhoods calls together programs and interests nearly every city or town has – Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and a gardening organization, perhaps even Permaculture. If your town or city has a neighborhood program, you have another enormously important potential ally. Creating resilient neighborhoods is relevant anywhere and has appeal to nearly everyone. Its practical and accessible – its where we live. Whether one is concerned about global trends, local food security, employment, crime, natural disasters or their own home and little else, there is a shared concern, its about safety and security where we live. Here's more,,,,,
I include a short essay, in a moment, submitted to our local newspaper that explains the entire idea. Here they are several key aspects of creating resilient neighborhoods. Such an initiative can - 1] Bring community groups, programs and people together that have complimentary interests but have likely not worked together before. 2] Stacking benefits - People taking action in their own lives where they live that will benefit themselves, families, neighborhood, the environment, public health and much more 3] Lead to multi layers of creative mutual assistance, improve land use, promote skill and knowledge sharing, mitigate all the global trends challenges 4] Attract others to be involved and help bring out the best in people. The sum will be far more than the individual parts. 5] Its good timing. In Permaculture, there is a word called stacking. It means multiple benefits from thoughtful design. Turning suburban front yards into gardens is perhaps the best example of stacking I can think of. Lets take a look. “Creating Resilient Neighborhoods” Is about making where we live more adaptable to unfamiliar disruptions to food, transportation, the economy, energy whether from natural or human causes. Creating resilience can bring people and groups together that may not be familiar with each other but already have overlapping interests. These kindred groups can cross fertilize – creating more holistic approaches to address multiple issues with an expanded set of strategies and tools. Individuals are empowered as well and others will be attracted to become involved. Collaborations can make the participating groups even more effective with the positive work they already do.
Its good timing. First, a slight tangent about public education. An event is an opportunity for outreach and education where savvy planning can introduce new and positive ideas to a larger audience. Be creative in using available media with an op ed in the local paper, newsletters, networks, radio, invite TV coverage.
Our neighborhood association sent out over 7000 postcard invitations, each with the basic ideas of resilient neighborhoods. Many people can benefit from the value of the event even if they can't be there. The following is a short version of a guest opinion submmited to the local news paper. If you ask residents of any town “What is your ideal neighborhood”, most will replay – a place to feel safe and knowing their neighbors. In Eugene, several programs already help bring about safer places to live. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture. [If your town does not have a Permaculture group, either start one or find the next best thing] How would each program's effectiveness multiply if the three cross fertilized?
Neighborhood Watch is a nationwide program. Typically, a Watch Group is for mutual support to help neighbors look after each others' safety and properties. Phone trees, personal connections, meetings and socials all help create cooperation between neighbors. Emergency Preparedness plans for, helps prevent and mitigates natural disasters and emergencies that present a threat to lives and property. Typically, both professional and citizen volunteers serve their communities. Permaculture is designing practical systems for taking care of human needs by working with nature. It is planet and people friendly. Local food security, renewable energy, local economies and a culture of living more cooperatively all fit within Permaculture's umbrella. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture - 1] Function at the neighborhood level 2] All exist to enhance community safety, security and well being 3] All depend on people cooperating and working together How can these programs support each other? Grass to Garden Picture a chunk of grassy front yard turned into a garden or planted with edible landscaping. Taking care of that garden and landscaping takes time and that would be time out front along the neighborhood street. That creates safety because someone is outside with a view up and down the street, perfect for Neighborhood Watch. Growing food contributes to personal health - fresh fruit and vegetables are good for us! Home grown is less dependent on transportation and less affected by disruptions either natural or human caused. A front yard garden is a great way to attract attention. Passers by will be curious, especially if you tell them why you are turning grass to garden. This is a proven way to make friends, build community, learn new skills and share useful ideas. Perfect for emergency preparedness. There are many low cost strategies and designs to increase our safety and security by making better use of sun, water, soil, shelter and human potential at home and in our neighborhoods,,, including rain water catchment, edible landscaping and solar energy. Arranging those assets to complement each other so they can be most effective - perfect for Permaculture. Many assets and allies for creating resilient communities and n'hoods are already in place. Victory Gardens, with plenty of experience turning grass into garden are ready to help. People who can't garden but have space, can connect with others who would like to have a garden but dont have space. Neighborhood organizations can help with this. Communities of faith could make meeting spaces available for classes related to going green. The COS already offers a speakers bureau, ready to visit those classrooms.
Removing part of a suburban front yard................Bike tour visits a newly planted front yard food forest.
Models Many sites in Eugene that can serve as models of resilience, available for visits. Bike tours are great for seeing examples of green living. School gardens, dozens already in place, could also serve as locations for classes about gardening and preserving food. Schools could make class room space available. There are many other service organziations in practically any town that can add still more to n'hood resilience. Many other community organizations, already doing good work, can add their part such as scouts, service organizations, youth groups and others. Neighborhood organizations, some of them already with their own related projects and networks, are perfectly positioned to . Victory Gardens, with plenty of experience turning grass into garden and is ready to help. People who can't garden could make their yards available to others who would like to have a garden. Communities of faith could make meeting spaces available for classes related to resilience such as food storage, first aid, learning networking skills, seed saving, product replacement and much more. There is already a speakers bureau with people who can address these topics, ready to go. There are many sites in Eugene that can serve as models of resilience, they could be available, by arrangement, for educational visits. This past summer, a committee of representatives from 12 different neighborhoods organized nine bike tours all over town for people to see real examples of more resilient living. Real life models are in place all over town. School gardens, dozens already in place, could also serve as locations for classes about growing and preserving food.
Resilient transportation............................................School gardens could be neighborhood garden centers
Bike tour visits a 5000 gallon cistern......................Media has a keen interest in green living
A city wide media campaign - radio, TV, print - could promote resilient ideas with features and reports. Neighborhood Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Permaculture are made for each other and they could be joined by many other groups and organizations that can add important parts for creating a more resilient community. Stacking Stacking, the diagram shows many mutually supporting benefits.
This is a great example of making use of what is available to us every day. In Permaculture, there is a term called stacking. It means multiple benefits from thoughtful design. Its also recognizing existing assets. Think exmapsive, starting with grass to garden and adding property conversion and block planning we see many ways within reach to make our lives more safe, secure, fun and uplifted. All the global trends are addressed, public health can improve, the community is less affected by conditions we have little influence over. We reduce our impact on the environment, external costs are reduced, cohesion goes up, its good for the local economy, positive potential is called upon, the community is engaged in a collective positive adventure. Its good! What could be better?
Update - The River Road meeting was well attended with a wide variety of people from the neighborhood, the city and other neighborhood organizations. Neighborhood watch has agreed to distribute grass to garden information along with their own literature. Victory Gardens and neighborhood volunteers will help create those gardens. Permaculture events will distribute N'hood watch and Emergency Preparedness information. Talks are planned with Emergency Preparedness to consider collaboration.
NEIGHORHOOD BASED ACTIVISM The resilient neighborhood idea came to me largely by my involvements with my neighborhood association. Being on the board, exposes one to many goings on in the community. Neighborhood associations [NAs] can play a huge role in moving a green agenda forward. They are an enormously under used asset. Different cities have different kinds of programs but all of them are intended to improve safety and livability in the community. NAs can communicate both with those living in its neighborhood and with other neighborhood organizations. Typically, they have newsletters, meetings, and websites so they can help keep people posted on important news and issues. This kind of communication capability is extremely useful. Neighborhood associations are a perfect for grass roots work in the community even if issues like local food security, downsizing lifestyles and creating front yard gardens have not been on the agenda before. ........... Map of Eugene Neighborhood Associations................Postcard went out to over 6000 addresses This kind of work can tap into the growing interest and concern about neighborhood safety and security. As economic conditions move further along the down slope, neighborhood associations can and should take on far more responsibility for the well being of the community. Need to Start a Neighborhood Progam? If your town or city does not have a neighborhood program, find out what it would take to create one.
From my experience and perspective, a community program to empower people at the neighborhood level is one of the most vital tools a community can have for helping make the transition towards a more viable future. How to do this? Do some research about how neighborhood programs work elsewhere. Identify allies such as community groups, friends, sympathetic city councilors or other possibilities. Create momentum - write an op ed for the paper, help put a story about neighborhoods in the local paper. Visit other groups in town and explain why a neighborhood program is so important. Meet with the mayor, councilor and city staff. Have endorsements from other groups and influential people. Be prepared to fully explain the benefits of a neighborhood program and have a blueprint for action. Stay with it!
River Road Community Organization
Our own NA- River Road Community Organization provides a vital service to the neighborhood hosting dozens of public meetings. Board members have participated on untold committees. We organize a yearly celebration for the neighborhood - a day of education, fun and community building for the whole family. RRCO participates with a city wide neighborhood council and the committee on sustainability.
RRCO provided key support that lead to a recently built park being designated chemical free which has lead to a new friendships helping to maintain the park. RRCO collaborates with other NAs. We have met with the city about traffic issues and the ideal of redeveloping a semi blighted area so it might become a walkable mixed use neighborhood center with a much desired small natural food store. Stepping back one can see virtually all the neighborhood issues we are concerned about – quality of life, safety, environment, land use, air and water, traffic and the rest are efforts to mitigate or repair the damage caused by the profit driven economic system. Our work is dealing with external costs. There is much to do for any neighborhood association. My own experiences at this base of the civic pyramid convices me that neighborhood associations are absolutely essential for taking a key role in greening our communities.
NLC COS Over a year ago, the Committee on Sustainablity [COS] was formed in Eugene. Created by a city wide neighborhood council, it now has representatives from twelve of Eugene's nineteen neighborhoods. Its mission statement is to help make Eugene a more eco logical community. COS bike tour..........................................COS bike tour
During the past year, the COS has been active with outreach to the community participating in the local green home show, where it had a booth, conversation cafe and organized four home show presentations. The group has a growing speaker's bureau. It has tabled at numerous other public events.
Home Show COS Conversation Cafe,
This past summer it coordinated nine bike tours all over town to show people real examples of living more green. The bike tours attracted a good deal of media attention and averaged between 30 and 60 people per tour.The COS has an enormous task. It has accomplished a good deal and what is now in place can provide a platform for more ambitious projects and goals. COS members share useful information about events and actions in their respective neighborhoods, a great way to learn from each other and coordinate planning. The COS has an enormous task. It has accomplished a good deal and what is now in place can provide a platform for more ambitious projects and goals. City - Neighborhood Collaborations The city of Eugene supports neighborhoods in many ways. There is a program where the city will match in kind volunteer work with financial grants. Grant projects have included river clean ups, building information kiosks, neighborhood parks upgraded, a Permaculture course was taught, and in one neighborhood, a gleaning program has been set up to make sure all the fruit trees in that neighborhood are picked and the fruit distributed.
Neighborhood leaders seminar...................................NAs collaborate with the city...................................Neighborhood Summit brought city, NAs and community groups together
Other city programs to support greening the community are park volunteers stream and river restoration. The city provides expertise and equiptment. We had a clean up of a filbert grove in River Road and the city brought a chipper, gloves, loppers, shears, glazed donuts and coffee. City staff also support neighborhood initiatives helping with logistics, permits, publicity and advice for community events.
Of course, the city and neighborhoods have an entirely different set of more formal relationships focused on codes, policy, development, traffic, infill and all the rest. These are important as well. Herbicide free park celebrates..................................City cartographers made great map for the Prom.......Riparian repair, city, neighborhoods, non profits work together...
As global trends deepen, neighborhoods are well placed to take greater responsibilities for community well being. Neighborhoods would do well to be building networks with businesses, communities of faith, developing closer to home skills and making inventories of assets nearby. Strengthening connections that already exisit between neighborhoods are also vital. At the same time, Solid relationships between city and neighborhoods now are critical foundations for more ambitious collaborations to come - all of these timely efforts to build safety andsecurity and taking care of more human needs closer to where we live. Also Important This second to the last section touches on local food, an essential part of going green. Then, a fundamental theme of GTLC continues strongly - recognizing existing assets, this time, more deeply from the mainstream - manufacturing, management, city hall, finance, the urban landscape, faith communities – and imagining those assets becoming tools that will serve a greener downsized future. We will also have a look at future employment prospects.
Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods Also Important Local Food
Cohesion
Communities of Faith
Mainstream Adjustments
Key Leverage Point
Who Decides? Local Food Local agriculture benefits the environment, public health and adds to a more resilient community. Food is a cross over issue, a human need everyone can agree on. Given trends in energy, public health, the economy, every town should have some kind of advocate for increasing local organic agriculture, a food policy council or network of local food groups. Food should be growing all over and people should have access to learning about growing and preserving food. School gardens are becoming much more common Communities of faith can play a key role both in providing space for gardens and also providing indoor places for meetings, in effect, becoming centers of green living all over town. Apartment complexes - someone – knock on doors, find allies, go to the management with a petition and ask for garden space. Rooftops offer opportunities for container gardens. Countless suburban properties could host gardens in both front and back yards. Groups can form to help guide people in the grass to garden transition.
School Garden Project and Youth Corps................Urban Farm at the University of Oregon
Connections with rural areas are also vital. Community supported agriculture is growing nation wide. Some farmers may welcome towns people to rent acres of farm land they may not be using for a larger scale food production. Also supporting farmers who are transitioning from non food crops to food crops or from non organic to organic is helpful. Buying local, especially at farmers markets is a plus for the local economy and a more resilient community. Some older farmers welcome younger people to mentor, a new generation of farmers. Diet is a critical issue in many ways. We can be far healthier just by our food choices. Whole, fresh and local is best. Eating lower on the food chain, fewer animal products, has many benefits as described at the beginning of the presentation. A study in the county where I live concluded the county could feed itself but the diet would be close to vegetarian
Developing local food security and networks will accomplish more than producing food. The working relationships and templates for food collaborations can be useful for taking care of other needs in the community bye and bye.
Huerto de la Familia..................................................Field crops transition from grass seed to grain and beans
The Extension office also offers classes on gardening, food preservation, composting, nutrition and more. Another group educates about seed saving. Several neighborhood organizations advocate cooperation for tool and garden space sharing. One neighborhood organization received a grant to set up a gleaning program, “Tree by Tree”, many neglected fruit and nut trees will now be harvested. Networks and collaborations that serve local food security will be very useful template for other kinds of cooperation bye and bye. The efforts to create these relationships now will help serve many other needs later. A vital ingredient to expand local food production and security is people taking the time to recognize the opportunities and make them happen.
City sponsors Seed Ambassadors, seed saving..........Half a dozen groups combined for the largest seed swap ever in Eugene
COHESION Cohesion is a timely and fascinating concept. Cohesion refers to a social condition where people share an ideal, experience, a belief that brings them together. Cohesion can provide an elevated platform to more effectively plan and work together for a purpose or cause. Climate change, resource depletion, the environment in decline, economic disarray, social injustice have common causes and therefore, common remedies. That means a great number of people are on the same team whether they know it or not. If the cohesion of these groups was fully realised and manifested, there is no question the very foundations of our society would be changed and that could be done with no laws, legislation or need for permission.
Millions of people at home, in their neighborhoods, faith communities and civic organizations being true to their higher calling provide the best opportunity we have for creating a peaceful and healthy world, by passing official structures that are unable to provide the visionary leadership that global trends call for.
COMMUNITIES OF FAITH "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."t It is more blessed to give than to receive. ‘All that I have created has been for your sake; take care then not to spoil and destroy My world.
God created nature in a balance ("al-mizan") and mankind's responsibility is to maintain this fragile equilibrium through wise governance and sound personal conduct. A community of faith is any group that looks to the spiritual or esoteric realm for inspiration and guidance that can be applied to a more uplifted way of living such as Christian churches, synagogues, mosques and less well known beliefs. Cohesion is a tremendous tool and communities of faith have that tool. Virtually all religions and spiritual traditions teach modesty of lifestyle, compassion and cooperation with others and protection of the natural world. These values are exactly what is called for in these changing times. Cohesion can provide a community of faith a more elevated platform to operate from. Agreed upon teachings, ideals and values can translate into a more focused and effective means of action. Often times, a leader or board is in a position to motivate and focus the group's move to action. Combining their cohesion, ideals and values, faith communities have a potent tool and responsibility to take a leading role for the good of community and planet.
Grass Roots Garden...........................................................That's My Farmer
In Eugene, at least two different faith based projects have wonderful programs that are great examples of local choices given the global trends. One network of thirteen churches and a synagogue support local agriculture by asking their respective memberships to patronize local farmers. They buy shares from many of the local CSAs. The Group, calling itself “That's My Farmer”, also holds a large public gathering once a year to honor local farmers. Hundreds of people attend and media coverage has exposed thousands of others to this great community service. Another well known community project is the Grass Roots Garden. One of Eugene's Episcopal Churches has made available two acres behind the church that has become the site of a truly wonderful garden. The local food bank, Master Gardeners and the church have created a place that grows many tons of organic vegetables. The garden offers numerous workshops for learning all kinds of garden skills and attracts hundreds of volunteers ,young and old. These models from communities of faith are impressive yet they are only a fragment of what they are capable of. Many people belonging to churches, mosques and synagogues may not realize the value of their cohesion and its potential to the community.
Compost, a perfect metaphor
An economic free for all has been raging at an accelerating rate for several generations, - supercharged by abundant energy, a benign climate, fertile soil, plenty of water, cheap credit and cooperative global relations. The free for all has externalized its costs for enormous temporary gain in material terms but a loss beyond measure in terms of human potential and the natural environment. Global trends present a clear wake up call. Our challenge is to make best use of what humans have built and to transform that into a culture and economy for taking care of human needs in ways that planet earth can sustain. Mainstream Adjustments
Many grass roots groups and projects described here and similar ones all over the country are gaining transition momentum. How far can they go on their own? How dependent is the change we need to make on the system we need to change? We can only imagine the future but the more people, neighborhoods, blocks and creative efforts making closer to home choices, the better. The pioneers for a viable way of life are heroes but for there to be a successful and widespread transition to a viable culture and economy, a good chunk of today's mainstream governance, manufacturing, transportation, public health, finance, education, communication and agriculture - will have to go green at a quickening rate. Shifts in public awareness, values and societal expectations will be critical to support mainstream change but time is not an ally at this point.
Here are several condensed thoughts on economics. What can you add? The economy does not have to be a package deal. Buying what fits a green future and not buying what doesnt helps with the transition towards a green future. Money staying local multiplies its benefits to the community. Local community credit unions can help keep money local and green with their by laws, local boards and local focus. Economics does not always require money. Trade and barter, time sharing and other informal means of exchange have been a part of the human experience for millenia. They are inherently more local, accessible and people friendly. They are a perfect fit for local economics.
Land use, Replacing parking lots with mixed use redevelopment – residential, services, retail, employment - can accomplish many goals at the same time such. Added to property conversion and block planning, much of our urban infrastructure can be made far greener while boosting the local economy. Young people, the unemployed and people on the margins are needed. An expanded Youth Corps and Americorp could engage all these people in valuable work for the community restoring environmental health, increasing local food security, helping with urban transformation while learning useful skills and earning a reasonable income as well. Points of Departure
Market Capitalism
Power Shift
Urban Redesign
Neighborhoods
Also Important Key Leverage Point Who Decides? Human history and GTLC are essentially about economics - taking care of human needs. Important to consider within this realm of thought is what is a need. One could observe our consumer culture has come to confuse wants with needs. And wants have become closely related to expectations – driven by advertising - which are even more distant from reasonable needs. This economic system requires and defines a culture increasingly disconnected from what is real and healthy. The external costs of this arrangement are immense and range from the personal to the global.
The entire gtlc presentation is about economics. One might say human history is about economics. Its about how humans take care of their needs and how the nature of needs changes over time. Across cultures, history, technology and social organizing principles, the human population has increased and material needs have become far more expansive. Economics has come to define culture while external costs can no longer be ignored. Global trends are now sending us two simple messages, humans would be wise to re - define how they take care of their needs and humans would be wise to redefine what those needs are in a fundamentally different way. GTLC came into being to contribute to this discussion.
With these thoughts in mind, the next few slides will bring GTLC to a close.
Key Leverage Point
In permaculture, there is a useful concept called key leverage point .
A Key leverage point involves several elements - input, outcomes, location and foundation. By using simple diagrams, we will see how thoughtful design for change in culture, lifestyle and economics can help produce preferred outcomes – a peaceful and healthy world. First, lets describe the elements of key leverage point, then we will see a series of diagrams. Note - The entire GTLC presentation distills down to these simple diagrams. In a complex social system, meaning our way of life, making changes consists of several elements. To begin with, there needs to be a reason for change. That would mean widespread agreement exists that something is fundamentally wrong with the system and something needs to be done about it. Global trends provide a good reason for needed change. then consider 1] what are the desired outcomes or goals for that change, then 2] what location in the system is best to apply the input to make the change, then 3] vital - what is the foundation or principles that will guide that change 4] what kind of input best complements all the other concerns, finally of interest - who or how is all this decided Also vital - The more effectively elements compliment each other, the better the chances for achieving the desired outcomes. next Outcomes - Let's say a society decides its goal is to live in peace and health. That means Society must choose new systems and adapt systems it already has, that support those goals. Location - Where is the best place to apply input. The sensible choice is the economic system. Economics is central to virtually everything a society does. It is the tool and means in real life to serve the society's needs for moving towards it goals. Input – Most of Global Trends – Local Choices has been about input. Assets and examples that already exist. Also downsizing to free up time, permaculture, resilient neighborhood, property conversion, social cohesion, human potential and much more. Foundation - Recall the wisdom of the great spiritual and uplifted traditions - compassion towards others, modesty of lifestyle and care for the natural world. These values and ideals, already familiar to millions, would be the basis of the foundation, which in turn. would define the economic system.
Input – Most of Global Trends – Local Choices has been about input. Assets and examples that already exist. Also downsizing to free up time, permaculture, resilient neighborhood, property conversion, social cohesion, human potential and much more.
Who decides - People who care, in their own lives, neighborhoods and communities, the more, the better.