Energy, Event

Bonjour Peak Oil

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Below is worth the short read. Gives one a taste of life when fuel disruptions happen. Something we, as members of Transition Towns, are trying to prepare for. The issues in France are not unprecendented either, I believe in fact that some of the impetus for starting the Transition Town movement in Totnes, and perhaps why it took off so quickly in the UK, is because of strikes that happened a number of years back with “lorry drivers” to refineries.

Being on an Island ourselves, of course makes us that much more vulnerable to this sort of thing.

Note: Dan will likely correct me if I’m wrong but I believe it’s around a 6 hour drive from the German border to Paris?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/france-foretaste-world-afte…

“It’s like apocalypse time,” to quote a friend, on the situation in France. While much of the world ponders what can be done to avoid peak oil, instability of our transportation systems, and breakdowns of national security, France is making a trial run. If you have been watching the news, you know that the disruptions in France stem from protests against the government’s proposal to raise the retirement age to 62. But for people living and working in France, the effects could be a foretaste of the world when oil runs out. Having an unavoidable commitment in Paris this week, this author can report the experience first-hand. It is not a promising picture.

A plane to Paris is the preferred travel option for a business trip. But news out of France reported total cancellations of some airlines, and 30, 40, or 50% disruption of traffic arriving and departing from France’s major airports. A key factor was the scarcity of fuel, as refinery workers strike and fuel depots were blocked by protesters. Colleagues in Paris reported television footage of passengers wandering forlornly down streets towing their luggage…unable to get transportation from the airport. Clearly, booking a flight would be an invitation for trouble.

A train from Berlin to Paris is an all-day affair. But better to book a train and guarantee arrival for urgent business, than to have a flight canceled and then struggle against the crowd trying to rebook their travel plans as airports rack up red messages on departure boards. But on this front the news is hardly better: train cancellations rival air travel for the chaos prize.

That’s it then: the decision to experience the strikes in France from ground level is made. The best option is to drive. Our group packs a few extra jerrycans in the trunk, and sets off across Germany, fueling up one last time just outside the French border.

Problems are evident as soon as the border is crossed. The roads are remarkably quiet, free of traffic. The cars that are on the roads are traveling at a stately pace, conserving fuel rather than minutes. We pass gas station after gas station — closed. Between the border and Paris, we saw only three stations with fuel available. None of them offered diesel. The only whiff we got of the heavy-duty fuel was a sign with LED letters advising motorists of the availability of diesel 29 km (18 miles) in the wrong direction.

And just what is so important, that it cannot wait until after the situation calms down? Well, think about what you did last week. Deadlines must be met, business must go on. How would your week have been different if you could not rely on your car, the train, or air travel? This time, the chaos is temporary; but it does not require much imagination to see that when fuel runs out, the economy and daily life we know will quickly collapse. Now is the time to start making better plans.

Meeting, Minutes

Summary of Minutes from last meeting

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Here is the summary of the meeting last Thursday. I’ve written it so that we all are named in what’s going on… referring to myself by name in my own writing is really… weird…. 🙂

If any of you have additions, corrections or anything please do reply and let me/us know. :+)

Hope to see a bunch of you at the coal meeting tonight…. 7PM union hall on Johnson, Dan will be speaking.

Chris

On 2010-10-14, at 2:03 PM, Chris Alemany wrote:
Here’s the final agenda, I will try to run a few copies off for folks to have at the meeting.
John Mayba and Guy Cicon also send their regrets as they have prior engagements.

AGENDA:

REGULAR ITEM – INTRODUCTIONS:
– Roll Call
– Colin
– Edna
– Dan
– Gail
– Chris

It was a small group as a number of members sent in their regrets befoehand including Myron, Guy, John, Stephen and Jen and Bonnie. There were no new folks today.

– Society Status update

I have yet to hear back from the Registration Office on the status of our consttition, I’ll be pursuing this further and hopefully get it resolved before next meeting. We may need to re-sign the documents before sending them in.

Gail brought up a group headed by Island filmmaker Paul Manley. She brought up the possibility of accessing free training from Shaw TV for use of their video equipment and then using that training to get our group onto 20%. All agreed this would be a fantastic way to increase our reach and build awareness. Gail will be in contact with Shaw and Paul Manley about this possibility.

– Fundraising

— In response to Johns request for a decision on getting an account for the Society. The Group would like John or Dan to ask Credit Union to hold moneys if John not comfortable holding it until the Society is incorporated. Then Dan as Treasurer will open (for free as a senior) an account and handle the money. At the same time we could talk to the Credit Union about supporting a local currency in Port Alberni as other Credit Unions have in other communities. (Chemainus Dollar). (More on this in the Business Section

REGULAR ITEM – GROUPS UPDATE:

– Food Group
— Food map —
There is a lot of support for this project amongst the food group and in the community. There is concern about the criteria that will be used to get someone on the Map, but the Food Group will be tackling that question. Chris is willing and able to take any addresses and names and plotting them on the online map he just needs to gather addresses. Or, a digital version of the big fall fair map would be a great starting point.

— Upcoming Events
None
— Upcoming Meeting?
Meeting coming soon. Check website/list

— Recruiting.
– Get testimonials from people eating local food. Plaster these all over the webpage and the local media.

– Housing Group/Society
— Status Update
– Refiled it’s forms – hopefully hear back by November then looking for grant money and government grants
– Terry White and Phil Leblanc attended last Housing. Terry will help on Real Estate and Grant writing
– There are a number of members of the Housing Society that are not, and wish not to be, members of the Transition Towns. It was noted that this is absolutely inline with how Transition Towns operates. TT’s mission is to align with all groups no matter their current standing on the broader goals, in order to build relationships and support initiatives that will indeed further the progress towards TTs ultimate goals.

– Energy Group
— Status Update
– Energy – Bill Windley support from afar – Colin will pass along messages and missives and send along to Dan perhaps to write up for the paper
— Setting regular meetings?
– Chris will schedule one before next TT meeting – Dan, Colin, Myron, Gail would like to attend and wider invitation to all TT members and public will be put out.

– Education/Awareness Group
— Full Page Paper ad
Phil LeBlanc has been working on getting a full page paper ad together for the local media. This will be pursued. There is great support from the local media for TT so far and it would be great for this to continue.

Ideas:
– Send a message to other Transition Towns around Canada, asking them to tell us what they’re doing in their towns and maybe getting it all together in a story that could be sent to the Paper about Transition Towns in Canada.

— Solar Panel Demo for SD70 – Pro-D Day – Dan
– Unfortunately not enough teachers signed up for the district session with Dan and the Solar Panel. However, individual teachers have expressed keen interest, so still a possibility for something to happen there.

— Setting up regular “round” of film showings? (One per 2 months)
The idea was brought up that perhaps the folks around the form Film Fest – Denny Durocher – Jean McIntosh-Kirsten Smith – Shelley ? – could be contacted and a series of filmings could be shown perhaps on a monthly or 2nd-month basis. This would make it easier to gather a large number of folks in a large setting rather than the small films after the meetings.

An email will be put out to the TT mailing list and on the website asking for suggestions on Films

Paul Manley will also be contacted to see if he has any films he’d be interested in.

— Tuesday Oct 18 Coal Meeting Speaker

Dan is going to be speaking for AVTT at the coal meeting put on by the District Labour Council and SOVA at the Union Hall near McDonalds.

– Business Group –
Should an Individual go to the Chamber?

Should the Chamber be invited to a Transition Event/Meeting?
It was suggested that perhaps TT Members (Chris and Dan?) have coffee with Elliot Drew from the Chamber to discuss what best ways to approach the Chamber and what the Chamber might be interested in pursuing.

Edna: Getting going on Currency – Coastal Credit Union – A Local currency has been an ongoing “want” of many AVTT members since the beginning. This is something we need to focus on. talking to the Coastal Credit Union will be a good start. Also contacting other local communities including Chemainus and Salts Spring Island about how they’ve done their currencies would be a good idea.

Dan: Could we form a land trust? To protect farm land. Put it in leasehold with people who will farm it. — perhaps start out in the food group and then go to the business group.
– Victoria Credit Union is doing micro-loans – worth pursuing with the credit union.

Chris: It would be worth chatting to other local banks to get support for some of these initiatives. While Corporate may not be supportive, local managers could be.

Bob Smith of the COOP was also mentioned as a good possible contact.

– City and Regional District Group –
Still need to get City to form a Climate Action Group based on CCC recommendations
Chris mentioned to get in contact with former CCC members (John, Jen, Robert, Charles) to rattle the chain of council about acting on all of the recommendations of the climate change committee including getting a City or Regional committee formed to tackle City specific issues around Bylaws, OCP, etc.

NEW REGULAR ITEM? – ABOUT TRANSITION TOWNS

– Taking an excerpt from the Transition Primer or Transition Town Handbook and talking about it and how it applies to our group

This was widely supported by the members present. Though not that meeting, as it was getting late. But it was agreed something like this would help ground everyones understanding of what TT is about and help new members as well.

REGULAR ITEM – NEXT MEETINGS

November 11- 5PM –