It’s a BIG election coming up. With all the attention on the presidential race, many folks don’t realize that the California ballot will be packed with 17 initiatives on critical issues that range from corporate power to plastic bags, the death penalty, taxes, marijuana, and more. Local measures affecting land use and housing are also on the ballot.

Come to Fourth Friday October 28 for a roundtable on the issues and how you can help inform others. We’ll share more details a bit later in the month.

And click here for some local and state ballot measure recommendations by some other organizations with Transition-like values. We’ll be updating the list as we get more information during this month. Last updated 10/16/2016.

And please don’t forget to VOTE! Every vote matters!

Fourth Friday, October 28, 7:30pm
Fireside Room, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 E Charleston, Palo Alto

Bart Anderson has been a big part of the local Transition community since the beginning.  He helped start TPA, has served on the steering committee, and continues to help manage the website and mailing lists. In recent months, Bart has started to refurbish old computers as a way to help others while reducing waste and saving resources.

Bart writes:
I have Eitan Fenson to blame for the piles of old laptops littering our living room.  He’s the one who  started me on a voyage of discovery about how to reduce the environmental impact of computers.  And how to get unwanted computers into the hands of people who can use them.

Two years ago, he told me how he used dozens of old laptops to set up a phone bank for a local political group (the name of which begins with “D”).  Most of us think that a computer built five years ago is “old,” but Eitan showed me that even computers 10 years old have a lot of life left in them.

When I showed interest, Eitan gave me a sample laptop – a Dell D620, a business laptop from 2006. As a former computer tech writer, I was impressed with how well it was built. Not only was it solid as a tank, but it ran flawlessly and was easy to fix.

In the Transition spirit, I began refurbishing laptops myself, converting our dining room table into a workshop.

So far I’ve saved 39 (update: now 68) laptops from the landfill and given them to individuals and groups. Many more units are in the pipeline.

Here’s the story of an old duffer who’s been an inspiration to me … and he seems to be having fun too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66wxCOCYt5Q

Keeping old computers alive is good for the environment. As Jim Lynch of Tech Soup (San Francisco) points out, extending the life of a computer saves 5 to 20 times more energy than recycling it. (“Environmental Case for Refurbished IT Equipment” http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/community/b/tsblog/archive/2009/02/04/environmental-case-for-refurbished-it-equipment.aspx)

For more background, see this video by Annie Leonard (“Story of Stuff”):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78

You can drastically reduce the impact of computers by making them last as long as possible.  Taking care of your computer means protecting it from liquid spills, physical impacts and, above all, HEAT!  Periodically clean the dust from inside your computer, and avoid putting your laptop on fabrics which will restrict  the air intake.

When you are finished with your computer, try to pass it on to someone who will use it. Consider giving it away, reselling it, or donating it to someone who will refurbish it.

As a last resort, recycle it. Palo Altans are lucky because electronics can be recycled by putting devices in a recycle bin. Whatever you do, don’t put it in the trash. Electronic devices are full of toxins.

There are many other ways we can make a difference. I hope to be writing more about them in the future. For example:

• Computer self-help groups. We’ve been floating ideas about a computer Google group, or evening computer clinics
• Linux and “free” software. These make it possible to keep old computers alive. Also, learning about Linux is a big step away from being a passive consumer, and taking control of your computing life.
• If anyone is interested in the details of refurbishing or a refurbishing program, contact me. Free Geek, headquartered in Portland, is a source of inspiration for community-based programs.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSFOmYPeBqE

Photo
Navy technician Latarsha Young displays one of many computers damaged by floodwaters in Millington, Tenn. (2010)

MORE!
David Herron of TPA also refurbishes computers – in his case, MacBook Pros. See his article “Save money and the planet, repair/upgrade your old MacBook Pro rather than tossing it to buy a new one.”

UPDATE (October 28, 2016)
An expanded version of this article was posted on the sustainability site, Resilience.org:
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-10-27/breathing-new-life-into-old-computers

UPDATE (November 1, 2016)
A local television station, KTVU, reported on call centers for the presidential elections. Many of the laptops shown are ones that Bart refurbished and Eitan deployed. The relevant part of the video starts at 1:00 in:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/215029405-story

Excellent film and discussion at the September 30 UNAFF cafe showing of Inequality for All at the Los Altos Library. United Nations Association Film Festival founder, Jasmina Bojic, stopped by to talk about the film and the festival, while everyone munched cookies and watched the show. Afterwards, attendees reflected on how the film made them feel, how they would describe it to others, and how to turn the sobering message of the film into positive action.

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Come to this special event, organized by Palo Alto Forward and co-sponsored by TPA.

Soaring property values, displacement, and homelessness require new solutions to providing sustainable housing for every member of society. Join us for a presentation and conversation on how communities can expand their housing toolkit.

Alternatives to traditional affordable housing approaches can include community land trusts, real estate investment cooperatives and permanent real estate cooperatives, as well as creative ways to finance these projects. These alternatives can also ensure long-term affordability and empower residents by ensuring residents have democratic control over their land and housing. Examples of how cities can support these models of sustainable housing development will be provided.

RSVP: https://expandingourhousingtoolkit.eventbrite.com

with Sara Stephens + Cameron Rhudy
of the Sustainable Economies Law Center
www.theselc.org
WED. SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 6-8P
1001 Emerson Street (enter on Addison)
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Co-sponsored by: Palo Alto Forward, League of Women Voters of Palo Alto, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action (PICA), Transition Palo Alto

In an epic road trip, political comedian John Fugelsang retraces the journey of Alexis de Tocqueville, whose study of our young country in 1831 came to define America as a place where anyone could climb the ladder of economic opportunity. Following in the Frenchman’s footsteps, Fugelsang speaks with fast-food workers and retirees, prisoners and entrepreneurs, undocumented immigrants and community organizers about their hopes, dreams, and daily struggles. Dream On explores whether the optimistic spirit of the American Dream that Tocqueville observed is alive and well in the twenty-first century, or whether George Carlin was right when he famously quipped “It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” View the trailer…

September 23, Meet and greet, 7pm, film starts at 7:30, conversation follows the film
Fireside Room, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 E Charleston, Palo Alto
FREE

TPA is delighted to be a partner this year for the United Nations Association Film Festival. Join us on Friday, September 30 for a FREE Festival Cafe at the Los Altos Public Library. We’ll be showing “Inequality for All,” Robert Reich’s award-winning film about the widening income and wealth gap, the problems it causes, and what we need to do about it.

Until we can take a step back and understand the big picture, we can’t do anything to get ourselves out of this mess. Our democracy as we know it depends on it. I’m an educator. I love the classroom. But I also write books, appear on television and on the radio, and do everything else I can do to help people understand the economic truth. It’s my life’s work and it’s more important than ever. One of the best ways to help people understand the challenges we face, is with a movie that can grab an audience and move them to action.
–Robert Reich, Economist, UC Berkeley Professor, and former US Secretary of Labor

The film was shown last year at the 18th UNAFF.
Click for a flyer that you can share or post.

Please register at EventBrite so we know how many people to expect.
Gather for cookies at 7pm, film starts promptly at 7:30, followed by conversation.
Friday September 30
Los Altos Public Library, 13 S. San Antonio, Los Altos

The film was first screened at the UNAFF 2105 festival (http://www.unaff.org/).

Conceived in 1998 at Stanford University by film critic and educator Jasmina Bojic in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) screens documentaries by international filmmakers dealing with topics such as human rights, environmental themes, women’s issues, children, refugee protection, homelessness, racism, disease control, universal education, war and peace. By bringing together filmmakers, the academic community and the general public, UNAFF offers a unique opportunity for creative exchange and education among groups and individuals often separated by geography, ethnicity and economic constraints. For more details please visit http://www.unaff.org

The gentle breezes that kept knocking our signs down helped make it a perfect summer day for the Share Faire. From the world of imagination (mythmaking circle) to down-to-earth skills (scrubbing powder, eye exercises, darning, and bike repair), there was something for everyone. And lots of good stuff to share. Congrats to Peter for getting the prize cast iron skillet!

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Meet Marty Travis, a seventh-generation farmer in central Illinois who watched his land and community fall victim to the pressures of big agribusiness. Determined to create a proud legacy for his son, Marty transforms his profitless wasteland and pioneers the sustainable food movement in Chicago.

Sustainable explores the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system, from the agricultural issues we face — soil loss, water depletion, climate change, pesticide use — to the community of leaders who are determined to fix it. It’s a film about the land, the people who work it, and what must be done to sustain it for future generations. See the trailer

August 26, 7:30pm
Fireside Room, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 E Charleston, Palo Alto

Amazing things are happening in the world of carbon sequestration. And July Fourth Friday attendees did plenty of their own knowledge sequestration while glued to their seats for John Wicks’ jam-packed talk on carbon Farming. A Marin rancher and preservationist, John co-founded the Marin Carbon Project and is a passionate evangelist for their work.

The Marin Carbon Project is noteworthy in the scope of the questions participants are exploring, the rigor of the science involved, and the effective mix of theory, field testing, and implementation. Click here for a list of some papers published by the Marin Carbon Project research teams.

Here’s a smattering of observations from John’s talk.

• Healthy rangelands require grazing animals. The rangeland ecosystem degrades if the land is not grazed.
• All plants sequester carbon. The question is, for how long? Some sequestered carbon is returned almost immediately to the atmosphere and some is stored up to a decade or so. But if the carbon becomes mineralized and attached to clay particles, the storage becomes effectively permanent.
• Holistic management techniques, which involve intensive grazing of animals in a small area for short periods, are effective for promoting deeper rooted perennial grasses (vs. annual grasses), but are not effective for intermediate and long term carbon sequestration and can actually increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
• Perhaps the most remarkable observation of the talk is the finding that a single application of as little as 1/4-inch of compost can promote intermediate and long term carbon sequestration for years following the single application.
• John spoke of many other aspects of the Marin Carbon Project work, including soil microbiology, research on composting of manures (including human waste), other sources of compostable materials, and even the efforts to lobby the California legislature and governor to support research and implementation of effective carbon sequestration techniques.

What a glorious evening to celebrate interdependence July 4, as familiar folks and newcomers gathered behind the Acterra building in Palo Alto for a July 4th potluck picnic, enjoying delicious food and reflecting on what how we are all connected.

Later, many strolled or biked out to the baylands to enjoy a magnificent sunset, birds gliding overhead, and fireworks displays ringing the bay.  The Shoreline display started later than most, but was definitely worth it!

Thanks to all who attended and helped out, and to Acterra for providing tables, chairs, and restrooms. 🙂

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