Agenda, Meeting, Minutes

AVTT Meeting – Live Blog/Minutes – January 19

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Agenda AVTT Meeting:

1: Welcome and Introductions
– Who’s here: Dan, Edna, John M., Chris, Phil, John Olsen, Myron, Phil LeBlanc, Elyn and Colin VIRTUALLY! 🙂

2: An Excerpt from the Transition Towns Primer or Manual
– Could Curious Coho Books Transition Town…..

3: Groups Update
Food
—– Food Map —- Chris and Edna working on getting addresses into the maps.
Edna:
has had long conv. with farmers to see what they need help with. etc. Lots of networking
Also mentioned the I Eat Locally Grown bumper sticker
Agricultural Farm plan – on ACRD website –
New Farm/farmer wants to contact schools about things they can do with the schools/students. Will be contacting schools about possibility
New contact has indicated possiblity of starting new community gardens
Susan Roth – putting together online marketing map..— Connecting producers and consumers.
Need to talk to ACRD website about merging two maps together
….. No upcoming official meetings —–
Myron:
At the Food/Plan meeting there was talk of branding successful in Comox Valley… brand Port Alberni as “Organic” Food Destination? Or “Sustainable” Food? “Natural”? Debate continues… Building signage, festival, “slow food” movement.
Not “Certified” Organic — Talk of using City compost waste stream in the food production in Valley, this would preclude “Certification”…
Also talked about Succession and Mentoring of Farmers/Farms. There will be another draft of the Farm Plan.
AV Social Planning Council – Asked consultants to create a Food Charter for the Valley
Phil: Does Agricultural Plan address Fish?
Edna: Not specifically addressed, but mentioned and was talked about extensively. First Nations were also represented.
Phil: Some examples of local food/stores are paying and selling for premium service of grains to be transported without fossil fuels (by sail!)
John M.: Labels that include fossil fuel entrained in the product manufacturing etc.
Phil L: Greenhouses — self-sustaining — using fish called “talapia” as only fertilizer. He just completed his own greenhouse. www.helpinghandmaintenance.biz
John M.: PragTree Farm, Washington State.
—- Backyard Food Tour — Through the City/Parks&Rec —- February 5th —-

Energy —

WIll be meeting directly after this meeting

Other Groups

Housing Group has officially spun off — Dan is still in contact, sounds good.
Education Group not really active until some new initiatives get spun up (see below?)
Water Group… Water will be big in the future.Talked a little bit about boil water advisories, Beaver Creek, Regional water, etc.
Lilian –

3: Where shall we meet in future
Dan : Can’t consistently book Abbeyfield anymore. — Echo Village also not successful.
West Coast Aquatic – Jake – Edna will contact. Great space… possiblity
Myron mentions Jake will also be returning to AVTT with more question.

4: Planning a Movie night
– Hijacked Future – Problem of saving seeds/Biodiversity
– Finhorn – Operating on Transitions principles for over 20 years.
– Food Inc –
—- can we have seperate night — ask questions before hand —-
Have Food Inc at Echo.
Dan –
Will book Echo / Dogwood Room / Donations / Food Inc. / February 23 / Bring Projector from
– John has ordered a film on Chocolate Industry from Africa.

5: Plans for the Year
– Community Gardening
– Thunder in the Valley…. Ron Mani —-
Year of Electric Car? Lightning in the Valley? Talk to CanEv in Errington?
– EDAP
– Food Group slogging along

6: Next Meeting
February 16th
______________________________ DONE!

Agenda AVTT – Energy Meeting:

1: Who are our members

Phil L, Colin, Myron, Dan, Lilian.

– And When/How do we cast a net for more?

Talk about Energy at the Movie night and other….
Could also have a movie night specifically on Energy — Run of River movie?
– Next one after Food Inc. suggest to wider group on 16th

2: What is our purpose/focus?
– Energy Descent Action Plan
This is a core focus of all Transition Towns under the Transition Model
…….
Will have to branch out to find experience in the community about Energy situation/footprint of various sectors
Put together a picture of future energy needs?
Looking at Models for Descent Plans
– Kinsale, others. Chris will try to dig up some and speak about them at next meeting
Myron will dig into Inventories.
– Examples of EDAPs

Chris will contact a few people about the Thunder in the Valley.

3: When and Where shall we meet in future
16th @ 6:30 — push big meeting back to 7:30 —

DONE _______

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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.