NELA Transition News | February 7, 2012

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North East Los Angeles Transition News February 7th, 2012 NELA Transition is a community group working on positive changes in our community as we face global warming, peak oil and economic decline. We share our skills working on projects which increase our local resilience and strengthen community connections. Our members are located in the Los Angeles neighborhoods including Pasadena, Altadena, Highland Park and Eagle Rock. nelatransition.org Pasadena Plans for Zero Waste Pasadena is beginning a process for a steady descent to zero waste by 2050. All suggestions are being accepted by Gabriel Silva, Environmental Programs Manager (626) 744-4721 recycle@cityofPasadena.net for programs that will promote reduce, reuse, recycle principles or educate the public on the values of and need for zero waste. A program under consideration, for example, is curbside composting. Second graders have been targeted for a Green Curriculum, and funding for a teacher position has been secured and will soon be posted. Learning Garden Update Therese Brummel The Throop Learning steadily moves toward completion! the fruit tree guild is planted with apple trees, plum trees and a persimmon. The natives are happily nestled into the lasagne mulch so deep and fragrant. Lavender, Manzanita, Ceanothus, Yarrow galore are all settling in. The herb garden is thriving with any imaginable local herb including lemon grass and parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The pink and yellow roses line the path to the church steps, and the specimen Manzanillo olive tree arrives this week. The berm along the south property line remains and we will be looking to gather more urbanite(broken concrete) to finish the job. Irrigation nears completion. Help is still needed for moving mulch, gravel, and zoo poo on the property. Work parties will be held Sundays 9-2 on Feb 12 and 26 with short classes in the work process that is up for that day. All are welcome to join in the pleasures of getting dirty and bonding with the microbes, plants, insects, breezes, and passers by who have all nice things to say. This week a man stopped, bowed and said "Thank you" very genuinely. There are surprises every week.   The Recovery of the Human By John Michael Greer The myth of the machine, the theme of last week’s Archdruid Report post, has implications that go well beyond the usual terms of discussion in the peak oil scene. One of those implications, which I mentioned briefly last week, unfolds from the way that so many people who are concerned about peak oil fixate obsessively on the hope that some kind of machine will solve the problem. There are at least three ways in which this fixation gets in the way of any meaningful response to the end of the age of cheap abundant energy. The first, of course, is that peak oil isn’t a problem, because by definition a problem at least potentially has a solution. Peak oil has no solution. That’s true in the narrow sense of the term—no possible turn of events will allow industrial civilization to extract a limitless supply of crude oil from a finite planet—and it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s just as true in the broad sense—no other energy source can provide anything close to the torrent of cheap, highly concentrated energy that petroleum provided to industrial society during the last century. Read More   Transition Companion 'Here, Rob sets out an exciting, much-expanded idea of what Transition is and could become; one that is rich with hard-won insights and practical advice. It's a work full of bold answers, inspirational ideas and daring solutions. Although profoundly serious at heart, it's never somber. In fact, it's a great deal of fun, frequently demonstrating how Transition is a highly creative, stimulating, and even playful process. … The Transition Companion offers an extraordinarily rich yet highly accessible model for drawing together the people around you, and describes the tools needed to start an economic and social renaissance in the place you live. It's a book that is unashamedly ambitious and far-reaching in its scope and vision. But, if we are to successfully navigate what's coming toward us, and hold on to our identity, our community, and our shared optimism for the future, that is exactly what we need.' --Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, from the foreword More information Transition 101 By TransitionUS.org The Transition Movement is comprised of vibrant, grassroots community initiatives that seek to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Transition Initiatives differentiate themselves from other sustainability and "environmental" groups by seeking to mitigate these converging global crises by engaging their communities in home-grown, citizen-led education, action, and multi-stakeholder planning to increase local self reliance and resilience. Read More       Transition Los Angeles is a "city hub," in the L.A. basin which helps facilitates the sharing of information and resources between local Transition Groups. There are monthly leadership meetings which are open to the leadership of any of the local groups. www.transitionla.org   Olive Tree Arrival at the Learning Garden February 9th, 9:00 AM We are expecting delivery of the olive tree donated by Cal Tech. It would be good to have a couple folks on hand in case of unforeseen obstacles and also because Michael had a sprained ankle. There will be a wedding at Throop Church this Saturday and we need some general cleanup to make it wedding photo presentable and maybe free up one more parking space by moving the zoo poo. This is part of a NELA Transition / Throop Church collaboration. The entire south lawn of Bermuda Grass (3050 sq.ft.) is being transformed into a garden showcasing permaculture, low-water landscaping, and an urban food forest. February 9th, 9:00 AM NELA Transition Learning Garden Throop Church 300 S Los Robles Ave Pasadena, CA 91101     Conscientious Projector presents Priceless February 9th, 7 to 9 PM THE ARMORY CENTER FOR THE ARTS 145 NORTH RAYMOND OLD PASADENA As the 2012 election campaign kicks into high gear, we turn to award-winning documentarian Steve Cowan for an incisive analysis of the impact of big money and corporate lobbying on electoral politics, the legislative process and democracy itself in a post-Citizens United world. The Habitat Media production features interviews with current and former elected officials from both major parties, influential Washington lobbyists, and national public policy advocates such as Thom Hartmann, Bob Edgar, Sheila Krumholtz and Professor Lawrence Lessig, among many others (including a group of very savvy third-graders). Local MoveOn/Occupy Pasadena organizers Patrick Briggs and Maddie Gavel-Briggs will lead a community discussion following the film. The Armory is located at 145 N. Raymond in Old Pasadena. Admission is free and the facility is accessible to disabled persons. For more information, contact Marty Coleman at 626.792.4941 or visit www.habitatmedia.org/priceless.html. Check out our Conscientious Projector blog at http://conscientiousprojector.wordpress.com/ and look for us on Facebook Conscientious Projector is a monthly documentary film series sponsored by Sustainable World (a Peace & Justice Ministry of All Saints Church) in association with The Armory Center for the Arts   Learning Garden Work Party Sunday, February 12th, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Come help in our NELA Transition Learning Garden. This is a NELA Transition / Throop Church collaboration. The entire south lawn of Bermuda Grass (3050 sq.ft.) is being transformed into a garden showcasing permaculture, low-water landscaping, and an urban food forest. Hope to see you then. Throop Church 300 S Los Robles Ave Pasadena, CA 91101 NELA Transition Meeting Our monthly NELA Transition Meeting is usally held on 3rd Sundays every month. The location changes each month. RSVP to get the address - people@nelatransition.org This month's meeting will be in Pasadena. Is open to everyone. Sunday, February 19th, 5:00 to 7:00 PM   Worm Composting II - Troubleshooting and Worm Exchange You've come to the first workshop (or your are new to all these) Come join other enthusiastic worm compost gardeners, talk shop and trade tips. Our be-loved Laura Henne will come again and answer your questions and help you trouble shoot your bin. Limited amount of worms will be given to the lucky ones. More details here: http://www.meetup.com/Arroyo-Food-Co-op/events/50655392/   Community Potluck Presented by Arroyo Timebank and NELA Transition Saturday, February 25th 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Come and meet others involved with these organizations. This event is open to everyone. Bring some food or drink to share. It is time to put our heads and hearts and resources together to share info and ideas on community building. How else but over food! Join the potluck and find out more about the many creative, dynamic and energetic groups focused on community right here in town. At this month's NELA Transition/Arroyo Time Bank Potluck meet Diane Carroll, a new transplant from Austin, Texas, who will lead us in an exploration of Deep Community. Her successful and unique concept called BOUNCE is an interdependent means of defining, evaluating and moving forward on your path of greatest fulfillment and purpose toward the advancement of community. Read More Throop Church 300 S Los Robles Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101